TALLADEGA, Ala. – After several multiple-car incidents, a wild Sunday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway went all the way to overtime.
In the end, Jimmie Johnson led his Hendrick Motorsports teammates to the checkered flag with a seventh-place finish, capturing his 11th top-10 result of the season.
William Byron was the next teammate to the checkered flag, and after leading five laps in the final segment, the driver ultimately took home a 20th-place finish.
Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman took home 31st and 33rd-place finishes, respectively. Both teammates were involved in multiple car incidents late in the race.
Aric Almirola took the checkered flag as the winner.
Below is a closer look at how the four Hendrick Motorsports teammates fared Sunday afternoon.
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Nightvision Lamps Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
FINISHED: 31st
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Leading his teammates to the green flag in fifth, Elliott raced inside the top 10 for the majority of the opening segment. After an early caution on Lap 10, he took the Lap 15 green flag in eighth, but he gained two positions by Lap 25 to move back up to sixth. He ultimately finished Stage 1 in seventh, picking up four extra points with the result.
- Following Stage 1, Elliott was penalized for pitting before pit road was open due to running out of fuel. As a result, he was forced to take the Stage 2 green flag from the rear.
- Elliott got work fast in Stage 2 to gain back as many positions as possible, and by Lap 77, he was running 17th. Over the next 15 circuits, Elliott gained five more spots, jumping up to 12th by Lap 92. He was shuffled down to 19th by Lap 101, but he battled in the closing Stage 2 laps to finish the middle segment inside the top 15 in 15th.
- After taking the final segment green flag in 21st, Elliott steadily climbed his way up to 11th by Lap 136. Twenty-one laps later, he had picked up five more positions, running sixth by Lap 157.
- Following a caution with under 30 laps remaining, Elliott moved up two more spots and was up to fourth by Lap 166. He eventually fell outside the top 10 into 13th by Lap 172. In overtime, Elliott was involved in a multiple-car incident on the final lap and took home a 31st-place result.
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 HERTZ CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 20th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Starting Sunday’s race in eighth, Byron got work early in Sunday’s race and jumped up to fifth by Lap 5. He continued to run near the top five in the opening Stage 1 laps, but by Lap 25, he had been shuffled outside the top 10 into 14th.
- Byron was running 20th on Lap 35, but over the next 10 laps, the driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 gained five positions to move into 15th by Lap 45. He finished Stage 1 inside the top 20 in 17th.
- Byron took the Stage 2 green flag in 18th, and consistent racing saw the driver race inside the top 20 for most of the segment. When a caution flag waved with under 10 laps to go in Stage 2, Byron pitted on Lap 105 for four tires and fuel. When the race returned to green, Byron moved inside the top 15 and finished Stage 2 in 14th.
- With fresh tires and fuel, the No. 24 team elected to have Byron stay on the track during the caution between stages. As a result, Byron jumped up 12 positions and took the final segment restart in second. On Lap 122, he moved into the lead and paced the field for five laps before settling into second.
- Byron was eventually shuffled outside of the top 10 and was in 12th by Lap 136. After a caution, Byron fell to 24th on a Lap 142 restart. After he spun during a multiple-car incident late in the race, the driver recovered and continued to battle in the closing laps and ultimately finished the day in 20th.
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S FOR PROS CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 7th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Taking the green flag in sixth, Johnson held his top-10 position early in Sunday’s race. After a Lap 10 caution, Johnson was shuffled down to 11th by the Lap 15 restart. He continued to run inside the top 15 for the majority of the remaining Stage 1 laps, finishing the opening segment in 13th.
- On Lap 63, Johnson battled the handling of his No. 48 Lowe’s for Pros Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and spun out. The No. 48 team assessed the damage on pit road, and Johnson returned to the track in 35th, one lap behind the leader. He battled to gain as many positions as possible, picking up two positions to finish the middle segment in 33rd.
- Johnson continued to battle to gain positions in the final segment, and the driver gained one additional position to move into 32nd. With under 30 laps to go, Johnson earned the free pass back onto the lead lap when a caution flag waved. He climbed to 19th by Lap 166, and six laps later he was in 17th.
- In the closing laps, Johnson gained several positions and worked his way into the top 10 after a number of caution flags waved. He moved as high as seventh, and he finished the day in that position.
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 33rd
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Bowman started Sunday’s race inside the top 10 in seventh, but by Lap 15, he was shuffled down five positions into 12th by Lap 15. The driver battled to gain back positions in the remaining Stage 1 laps, and by Lap 45, he was back inside the top 10 in ninth. He gained an additional position in closing laps of the opening segment, finishing Stage 1 one in ninth. Bowman earned two extra points with the result.
- In Stage 2, Bowman steadily held his position inside the top 10 in the opening laps, running ninth by Lap 67 and moving into eighth by Lap 92. After a caution flag waved with under 10 laps to go in the segment, Bowman was shuffled outside the top 10 on the restart and finished Stage 2 in 13th.
- After taking the final segment green flag in 22nd, Bowman climbed his way back through the field and was up to 15th by Lap 142. Fifteen laps later, he gained eight more positions, returning to the top lane and running seventh by Lap 157. Bowman continued to run inside the top 10 until he was involved in a multiple-car incident with three laps remaining. He returned to the track and battled as the race went into overtime to take home a 33rd-place finish.