BRISTOL, Tenn. – Sunday afternoon at Bristol Motor Speedway, Jimmie Johnson led his Hendrick Motorsports teammates to the finish line.
Johnson captured a top-10 finish, taking the checkered flag in 10th.
He was followed by Chase Elliott in 11th, William Byron in 16th and Alex Bowman in 23rd.
Elliott and Byron began the day on the front row, but both were involved in incidents early in the race that set back their efforts.
Kyle Busch won the race.
Below is a closer look at how all four Hendrick Motorsports teammates fared at Bristol.
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 11th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Starting Sunday’s race as the pole-sitter, Elliott led the first 39 laps of the race as he quickly caught up to lapped traffic. On Lap 39, however, a car ahead of him spun, and the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was hit from behind as Elliott slowed down to avoid an incident. The contact caused Elliott to spin and he was forced to pit road.
- After the incident, Elliott reported issues with the steering of the No. 9 Chevy. Still, he maintained his top-10 position all the way through the end of Stage 1, finishing the opening segment in 10th to pick up an extra point.
- He began Stage 2 outside of the top 10, battling the steering of his Chevy while holding off the leader to remain on the lead lap until Lap 210, when he dropped a lap down. Shortly thereafter, however, a caution flag waved, giving Elliott a free pass back onto the lead lap. He capitalized on the opportunity, racing his way up to 12th before the green-checkered flag waved to end Stage 2.
- Elliott began the final segment back inside the top 10 in ninth, and he proceeded to push back forward toward the front of the pack. Picking off competitors one-by-one, he moved back into the top five by Lap 290. He reported over the radio, however, that he made contact with the wall and he began falling back a bit in traffic. With 118 laps to go, he lined up 12th for a restart following a caution and began to work his way back inside the top 10.
- With fewer than 75 laps remaining, Elliott made contact with the wall after battling for position with two competitors. He headed to pit road under caution and lined up 17th for the ensuing restart, still on the lead lap. He raced up to 14th with 50 laps remaining, and just 15 laps later he had found the top 10 once again. Following a caution with 22 laps to go, Elliott lined up 12th for the restart and moved back inside the top 10 after the green flag dropped. Just before the checkered flag waved, however, he was passed by teammate Johnson to take home an 11th-place result.
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 16th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Byron began Sunday’s race on the outside pole for the second consecutive weekend, but the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 got loose while attempting to run the inside lane shortly after the green flag dropped. Byron made slight contact with a competitor and fell to fourth before heading to pit road under caution for repairs. He returned to the track outside of the top 30 but gradually worked his way back through the field as the laps wound down in Stage 1. He finished the opening segment of the race down one lap in 19th.
- Byron was the recipient of a free pass before the start of Stage 2, taking the green flag back on the lead lap in 18th. Racing consistently throughout the segment, he held the 18th position past the 200-lap mark, when the leader once again put him a lap down. Shortly thereafter, a caution flag waved and Byron was able to take a wave-around to return to the lead lap once again. He then picked up one position finished Stage 2 in 17th.
- Thanks to quick work by the No. 24 team on pit road, Byron took the green flag to begin the final segment in 13th. Falling back to 15th, Byron was passed by the leader to go a lap down, but once again when a caution flag waved shortly thereafter, he was the beneficiary of the free pass to move back onto the lead lap. With fewer than 90 laps remaining, he was involved in an incident when a competitor made contact with him and sent him toward the wall. He headed to pit road for repairs multiple times but was able to remain on the lead lap in 15th.
- With 35 laps to go, Byron was running 16th, and that’s where he would lined up for a restart with 14 laps to go. He crossed the finish line in 16th.
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 10th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Rolling off the grid 10th, Johnson began working his way forward right away Sunday afternoon. Within five laps, he was up to seventh, and he moved all the way up to third approximately 10 laps later. He maintained his top-10 position for the remainder of Stage 1, bouncing in and out of the top five all the way through the green-checkered flag. He earned a fifth-place result in Stage 1, picking up six extra points.
- Johnson began the second stage inside the top 10 once again, settling into seventh in the early goings. He held his top-10 position until the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 experienced damage due to contact with a competitor with 50 laps remaining in Stage 2. Running sixth, Johnson headed to pit road during a caution for repairs. He returned to the track in 16th and ultimately finished Stage 2 in 14th.
- Prior to the start of the final segment, Johnson was penalized for speeding on pit road, putting him at the rear. He took the ensuing green flag in 18th. Climbing inside the top 15, Johnson held off the leader to remain on the lead lap until a caution flag flew with fewer than 130 laps remaining. With 90 laps to go, he was back inside the top 10 and continuing to climb.
- With 30 laps to go, Johnson moved up to ninth, but following a caution he lined up 14th for a restart with just 14 laps to go. When the green flag dropped, he jumped up to 11th and moved to 10th with fewer than five laps left. He crossed the finish line 10th.
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 23rd
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Bowman took the green flag in 14th Sunday afternoon, but within five laps he had leapt up to 10th. He maintained that position until Lap 70, when he fell just outside of the top 10 in 11th, falling back a bit in traffic. On Lap 109, however, Bowman was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop under green-flag conditions due to a potential tire issue. That dropped him from the lead lap and put him outside of the top 25. He finished Stage 1 in 29th.
- Bowman began the second segment down three laps in 31st, and he proceeded to gain as many positions as possible throughout Stage 2. On Lap 185, he had settled into 29th, still down three laps. Before the green-checkered flag waved, he picked up two more positions to finish Stage 2 in 27th.
- Starting the final segment of the race in 25th, Bowman remained down three laps. Once again, he continued to climb his way through the field and gain as many positions as possible while off of the lead lap. With 132 laps to go, he had found 22nd and maintained a top-25 position as the laps continued to wind down. He ultimately took the checkered flag in 23rd.