FONTANA, Calif. – In front of a sold-out crowd in Fontana, California, three Hendrick Motorsports drivers took home top-10 finishes Sunday afternoon.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. led the teammates to the checkered flag in sixth followed by Jimmie Johnson in ninth and Jeff Gordon in 10th. Kasey Kahne took home a 17th-place finish.
The action-packed race featured two green-white-checkered attempts and a bold strategy by Gordon to stay off of pit road that saw him lead the field to the green flag on the first attempt.
Below is a detailed look at how Sunday's event, which was won by Brad Keselowski, played out for all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers.
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 TIME WARNER CABLE CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED:
17th
STANDINGS:
8th
RECAP: Kahne began the race just inside the top 20 in 19th, but he initially struggled to hold that position. He reported over the radio that the car was tight as he fell back to 26th. After the first caution of the race, adjustments were made to the No. 5 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet SS on pit road and Kahne returned to the track in 30th for the green flag on Lap 28. But within five laps, Kahne had already found his way back inside the top 20. Through a cycle of green-flag pit stops and two more cautions, Kahne continued moving up the field, making it all the way to 14th before gaining one more spot on pit road, taking a restart on Lap 105 in 13th. He fell back to 17th on the restart, but once again got to work moving his way up the field, battling to 14th with 80 laps remaining. After another cycle of green-flag pit stops and a caution for debris, Kahne was back in 15th with 42 laps to go. But 10 laps later, he was all the way up to ninth. With three laps to go, Kahne was in third before debris caused another caution flag, and after taking two tires on pit road combined with some competitors staying on the track, Kahne lined up for the first green-white-checkered attempt in 11th. He fell back to 16th before debris forced another caution and a second and final green-white-checkered attempt, and when the checkered flag finally waved, Kahne finished 17th.
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 AXALTA CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED:
10th
STANDINGS:
22nd
RECAP: Gordon used a top-10 start to his advantage early in Sunday's race, maintaining that standing until the first caution of the race, when he found himself in seventh, just behind Johnson in sixth and just ahead of Earnhardt in ninth. He returned to the track for the restart on Lap 28 in seventh, though he reported that his car was far too tight and he fell just outside of the top 10 on Lap 38. During a cycle of green-flag pit stops, Gordon led one lap but still found himself just outside of the top 10 in 12th on Lap 70 after the field cycled through pit road. Through two more cautions, Gordon tried to battle to gain position but found himself in 21st for a restart at Lap 105. From there, however, he found his groove. He followed teammate Kahne through the pack, passing one driver after another, until he passed even Kahne at Lap 115. With 65 laps to go, Gordon was as high as 12th. That's where he remained after another cycle of green-flag pit stops and one more caution, for debris, though he cracked the top 10 once again with 40 laps to go. With three laps to go, Gordon was in ninth when debris caused another caution flag. The No. 24 team elected to keep Gordon off of pit road, so he took the first green-white-checkered attempt as the leader. Before debris caused a second green-white-checkered attempt, Gordon fell to third place. Without fresh tires, Gordon couldn't hold his position on the second and final green-white-checkered attempt, but held on for a 10th-place finish.
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE'S PROSERVICES CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED:
9th
STANDINGS:
7th
RECAP: Johnson's 14th-place starting position didn't last long, as by Lap 3 he was already up to eighth. He continued to run just ahead of teammate Gordon until the first caution flag waved, when he was in sixth and Gordon was in seventh. Johnson took the ensuing restart on Lap 28 in seventh, and he continued to run in the top 10 until a cycle of green-flag pit stops. As the field cycled through, Johnson was once again in seventh on Lap 70. A speedy pit stop by the No. 48 team during a caution just before Lap 90 allowed Johnson to move up to fifth in the race off pit road. Through another caution, Johnson did not fall outside of the top 10, and settled into fifth place once again on Lap 111. He held that spot until he was passed by teammate Earnhardt on Lap 135, though Johnson stayed with him in sixth. A caution flag for debris on Lap 152 allowed the No. 48 crew to earn Johnson spots on pit road, and he returned to the track in fourth. With 36 laps to go, crew chief Chad Knaus reported to Johnson that he was the fastest car on the track as he had found his way into third. With two laps to go and Johnson in fourth, debris forced a caution flag and set up a green-white-checkered finish. Johnson took two tires, and with three competitors remaining on the track, he lined up to restart seventh. He fell to 10th before debris caused another caution and set up a second and final green-white-checkered attempt. Johnson gained one position to finish ninth.
DALE EARNHARDT JR., NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED:
6th
STANDINGS:
4th
RECAP: Earnhardt began Sunday's race in 17th and began working his way up the pack. By the time the first caution flag of the day waved, he was all the way into the top 10, and at Lap 29 he had moved up 11 spots to sixth. He continued running in the top 10 through a cycle of green-flag pit stops and two more cautions, though for a restart on Lap 105 he returned to the track in 11th. Once again, that didn't last long, as Earnhardt moved up to seventh within three laps. On Lap 135, Earnhardt moved into the top five for the first time all afternoon, passing teammate Johnson for fifth place. A caution flag for debris on Lap 152 was timed perfectly for Earnhardt, as he reported over the radio that a tire felt loose. He was able to head to pit road for four fresh tires and his crew reported that in fact a left rear tire had not been fully tightened. He returned to the track in ninth for the green flag with 42 laps to go, and continued battling for position. With 26 laps remaining, he moved into fifth and began tracking down his teammate Johnson in fourth. Following another caution, Earnhardt jumped to the outside and got a run to pass Johnson for fourth, and made it to third with 10 laps to go. That's where he remained when debris caused another caution and set up a green-white-checkered attempt. Earnhardt was second on the race off pit road after taking two tires, but due to some competitors staying off of pit road, he lined up fifth for the restart. His path toward the front was blocked by a competitor without fresh tires, and by the time debris caused another caution and set up a second and final green-white-checkered attempt, Earnhardt was in 11th. On the second green-white-checkered attempt, however, he quickly used his speed to get back up the racetrack and made it all the way to fifth for the white flag before taking the checkered in sixth.