KANSAS CITY, Kansas – Sparks flew Saturday night at Kansas Speedway as Chase Elliott regrouped from adversity to lead his teammates to the checkered flag in ninth.
With the lights on in Kansas City, the Hendrick Motorsports drivers looked to add a third win to the organization’s resume this season.
However, the night racing at the 1.5-mile tri-oval proved to be tough as the four drivers battled to stay toward the front.
Elliott went one lap down mid-race but was able to climb back through the field to log another top-10 finish. Dale Earnhardt, Kasey Kahne and Jimmie Johnson all paced the field throughout the 267-lap race, running both towards the front and the back, bringing home top-20 finishes.
Below, see how all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers faired Saturday night at Kansas Speedway.
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 FARMERS INSURANCE CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 16th
STANDINGS: 18th
RECAP: After taking the green flag in 27th, Kahne paced the field for the first 60 laps before making a move into the top 20. Steadily climbing through the ranks, the driver broke inside the top 15, recording the fastest lap on the track on Lap 77. Following a Lap 102 caution, Kahne restarted in 12th position and drove up to 10th on Lap 119. The driver of the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS maintained his top-10 position through Lap 150. With 98 laps to go, Kahne restarted in 15th and ran just outside the top 15 for the majority of the remainder of the race. He made it up to 11th after a Lap 241 caution before losing a few positions to take the checkered flag in 16th.
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 24 NAPA AUTO PARTS CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 9th
STANDINGS: 11th
RECAP: Leading his teammates to the green flag, Elliott started the race in 13th but fell back through the field, finding himself just inside the top 20 on Lap 31. After a Lap 56 caution, Elliott restarted in 15th, several spots behind teammate Johnson. He continued to maintain position, trailing the No. 48 Chevrolet SS until the rookie made minor contact with the wall on Lap 117. The No. 24 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet SS fell back in the field, running 22nd when a caution was brought out with 98 laps remaining. The driver restarted in 19th after opting to stay on the track during the caution and ran inside the top 20 through a Lap 157 caution, after which the driver went a lap down. However, he received the lucky dog pass, which put him back onto the lead lap on Lap 170. Elliott began pacing the field, ultimately regrouping to lead his teammates home with a 9th-place finish.
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 17th
STANDINGS: 4th
RECAP: As the winner of this race one year ago, Johnson returned to Kansas Speedway looking for another win. He took the green flag in 15th, immediately looking to climb through the field. Johnson remained just outside the top 10 through the first almost 90 laps of the race. On Lap 88, the driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS made it inside the top 10 to become the first Hendrick Motorsports car of the night to do so. However, following a Lap 102 caution, Johnson found himself in 20th position. With speedy pit stops during green flag stops and a caution with 98 laps remaining, Johnson was able to drive back up through the field, running seventh with less than 70 laps to go. However, after pitting under caution with 26 laps to go, Johnson had to serve a speeding penalty, which put him at the rear of the field for the restart. He ultimately brought home a 17th-place finish.
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 AXATLA/CARSTAR CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 15th
STANDINGS: 9th
RECAP: Earnhardt rolled off the grid just outside the top 20 in 22nd. After receiving a speeding penalty on a Lap 24 pit stop, he restarted 38th. However, he didn’t remain at the back of the field for long. The driver of the No. 88 Axalta/Carstar Chevrolet SS gained 20 positions since the Lap 28 restart, finding himself in 18th on Lap 51. Earnhardt battled just inside the top 20 through another caution and began closing in on the top 15. He finally broke that barrier on Lap 137 for the first time. During a caution with 98 laps to go, Earnhardt opted to stay on the track and restarted in eighth, which he maintained until a pit road issue with 28 laps to go forced him to restart in 18th. Earnhardt held on to take the checkered flag in 15th.