CONCORD, N.C. – Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott will join teammate Jimmie Johnson in Saturday night’s All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, making it the 32nd consecutive year Hendrick Motorsports has at least two cars competing in the event and the 19th straight year with at least three cars.
Bowman won the 20-lap, opening stage of the Open race that punched his ticket into the All-Star Race.
The driver of the No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 rolled off the grid third and was running second by Lap 5. After an attempt to pass the leader midway through the segment didn’t materialize, Bowman successfully made his move on Lap 13 and held his lead for the remainder of the segment en route to the victory.
“It felt like running a superspeedway (race) by yourself once we got the lead there,” Bowman said. “Just trying to take the draft away from the No. 20 when he got close. Just wide open. We only got an hour of practice and we really didn’t know how it was going to race. My car drove really well.”
“Just so cool for Axalta and Hendrick Motorsports. “It’s really cool to be apart of the All-Star Race. Just really thankful to be here.”
Elliott was named the winner of the fan vote for the third consecutive year, putting him in line to compete for the $1,000,000 prize.
Elliott picked up a pair of third-place finishes in the first two 20-lap stages, and a close battle to the checkered flag in the final 10-lap segment saw Elliott battle for the lead. He ultimately finished second.
“I wish I could race my way into this race,” Elliott said. “None the less, I appreciate everyone’s support back at home. I hate having to count on you guys, but it’s an honor to have received this honor for three years in a row.”
Teammate William Byron also competed in the three-stage event, finishing Stage 1 in eighth, earning a top-five result in the middle segment and taking the checkered flag in seventh.
Tonight’s All-Star Race is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1, MRN and Sirius XM Radio.