CONCORD, N.C. -- Chase Elliott took home his ninth top-five finish of the season after he earned a fifth-place result at Dover International Speedway on Saturday.
The 24-year-old driver struggled in the first stage, but some readjustments allowed him to remain within the top 10 for the last two stages of the race.
"We started too far off there in the beginning and had to come in and take an extended pit stop there to get things right," Elliott said. "Just got behind and it took the rest of the day to get back to where we did ... I think we are in the ball park. Everybody's going to be a little better (Sunday)."
Teammate Jimmie Johnson earned his eighth top-10 result of the season with a seventh-place finish. Johnson now is three points above the playoff bubble over teammate William Byron. He entered the race 17th in the playoff standings.
"It does feel good, we had just a solid day," Johnson said of moving into playoff contention. "It's nice to run there in the top 10. I wish we had a little more for the lead guys but this new tire really threw us for a loop. ... Good start to the doubleheader. I'm looking forward to another race (Sunday) in the Ally Chevrolet."
Alex Bowman crossed the finish line in 21st and Byron finished in 28th.
Denny Hamlin won the event.
Take a look below to see how the first race of the doubleheader weekend at Dover played out for the four Hendrick Motorsports drivers.
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 MOUNTAIN DEW/TEAM RUBICON CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1 1LE
FINISHED: 5th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Elliott started in the pole position and maintained the position through the first two cautions of the race. During the second caution on lap 26, he decided to pit and returned to the track in 10th.
- By lap 55, Elliott was in 15th. He finished the first stage 15 laps later in 17th.
- The start of Stage 2 saw Elliott in 27th place after he pitted for some adjustments. He edged up to 24th 20 laps into the second stage and was back in the top 20 by lap 105.
- Elliott continued to pick off the field and was in ninth on lap 134. He shifted into sixth place after several cars in front of him pitted. On lap 141, Elliott pitted, as well.
- The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE came back on the track in 22nd. Elliott moved his way up the field and was in the top 10 on lap 175. He finished Stage 2 in 10th.
- A race off pit road allowed Elliott to restart in eighth for Stage 3. He moved up to seventh and remained steady in that position until lap 254 when he pitted.
- Elliott came back out in 16th and charged through the field quickly to get back in the top 10. With 49 to go, Elliott edged into seventh place. He moved up another position to sixth 10 laps later.
- With 25 laps left, Elliott was riding in fifth place, which is how he finished the race.
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1 1LE
FINISHED: 28th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Byron started in eighth and moved to seventh quickly within the first lap. He stayed in seventh until the second caution on the 26th lap, when he opted to pit. Byron returned to the track in 13th.
- He slipped back to 16th by the 55th lap and finished Stage 1 in 21st. Byron kicked off the second stage in 26th after he headed to pit road for major adjustments. He moved up three spots by the 85th lap.
- With the first big cycle of drivers pitting, Byron was able to move into 11th. He moved into third on lap 144 after he decided to hold out from pitting. He was in second with 32 laps to go and led for one lap before slipping back to third with 21 to go in the stage.
- He finally pitted with 15 to go in Stage 2 and he came back out in 23rd after taking just two tires. He ended the stage in 25th.
- Byron kicked off Stage 3 in 29th. He moved up five position to 24th halfway through the stage and shifted in 17th by lap 258 due to several cars pitting.
- He pitted in the last third of Stage 3 and came back out in 29th. Byron finished the race in 28th.
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1 1LE
FINISHED: 7th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Johnson rolled off the grid in sixth at the “Monster Mile.” After the first caution, He restarted in eighth. He decided to pit after the second yellow flag dropped and returned to green in 15th place.
- Johnson moved into 14th by the 40th lap. Fifteen laps later, he was up to 10th. He finished Stage 1 in eighth. The seven-time Cup Series champion moved up to seventh for the start of Stage 2. He moved up to sixth one lap later and edged into the top five by lap 100.
- Johnson moved into third halfway through the second stage but decided to pit shortly afterward. He returned to the track in 18th and moved up to 10th with 21 laps left in the stage. Ten laps later, Johnson was riding in eighth. He earned stage points with a seventh-place finish for Stage 2.
- Johnson restarted the final stage in ninth place. He rode stead in that position until lap 255 when he decided to pit. Johnson came back out in 16th.
- He was in ninth with 49 laps left in the race. Johnson remained in that position until lap 286 when he shifted up into eighth. He moved up one more position to end the race in seventh.
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 ACRONIS CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1 1LE
FINISHED: 21st
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Bowman started in 11th and slipped to 13th within the first five laps. He was involved in the first yellow flag of the race and needed to head to pit road on the ninth lap to have his front right bumper tended to. He rolled back out on the track in 36th place.
- Bowman started picking his way through the field and in 30th by the time the second caution occurred on lap 26. By the end of Stage 1, Bowman had moved up to 27th.
- The driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE restarted the second stage in 29th. He stayed with the latter part of the field until a large chunk of the field pitted halfway through the second stage, allowing him to move into 14th.
- Opting not to pit allowed Bowman to move into fifth place. He was in 11th with 21 left in Stage 2 and trickled down for a 29th-place Stage 2 finish.
- Bowman started the final stage up a spot in 26th. He moved into 24th but fell back to 28th with 65 to go. He was able to move up to 21st after a cycle of cars pitted.
- Bowman moved into 20th with 25 to go. He slipped down a spot to 21st, which is how he ended the race.