CONCORD, N.C. – Kansas Speedway is now in the rearview mirror and Dover International Speedway is up next on the schedule.
With Chase Elliott leading the four teams to the checkered flag Saturday, the Hendrick Motorsports drivers returned home with lessons in hand.
LACK OF TIRE FALLOFF
Six intermediate tracks are now checked off the 2016 schedule with Kansas Speedway being the most recent.
The 1.5-mile track provided the drivers with many obstacles, one of which was the lack of tire falloff.
Kasey Kahne said that his tires never really fell off, which made the racing sort of single-file.
“You just kind of get in line and go,” the driver of the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS said. “You could pass every once in a while, but if someone was pretty quick in front of you, you’re not going to pass them.”
Kahne said that tire falloff is imperative for performance at any track.
“You’ve got to have tire falloff,” he said. “At any of our tracks that have been good racing and you pass cars, the tire falls off.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. also mentioned on Twitter that tires played a part in Saturday’s performance.
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES
Although faced with a night of challenges, the Hendrick Motorsports teams walked away from Kansas with one top-10 and three top-17 finishes.
After a tough night in qualifying, Jimmie Johnson took the green flag in 15th and battled the entire night, driving up to sixth at one point mid-race. However, a speeding penalty with 26 laps remaining forced Johnson to the rear of the field, which the driver acknowledged had a big impact on the No. 48 Lowe’s team’s finish.
Earnhardt was also required to join the rear of the field after serving a speeding penalty earlier on a Lap 28 restart. He quickly set to work regaining positions but a pit-road issue with 28 laps remaining forced him to restart in 18th. The driver of the No. 88 Axalta/Carstar Chevrolet SS regrouped for the final laps of the race, ultimately crossing under the checkered flag in 15th.
Kahne battled mid-pack the majority of the first half of the race before climbing his way inside the top 10. A restart had him back in 15th, where he maintained position for the better part of the second half before taking the checkered flag in 16th.
“I figured we had a top-10, maybe a top-five car if things went our way,” Kahne said. “But we had our hood collapse with three runs to go and I was terrible after that, especially the first 10 laps of a run. But we struggled and ended up 16th. But we had a much better car than that.”
#VOTECHASE: ALL-STAR VOTING APPRECIATED
Voting for the May 21 NASCAR Sprint All-Star race is underway and Elliott is one of the fan-vote contenders.
Elliott is one of 25 drivers vying for the chance to participate in the $1-million-to-win race later this month. Voting will remain open until 7 p.m. ET on Friday, May 20. Fans can vote once a day until then, with votes shared on Facebook and Twitter counting double toward a driver’s total.
The Rookie of the Year points leader acknowledged fans’ votes on Twitter this past week.
Want to see Elliott join his Hendrick Motorsports teammates in the All-Star Race lineup? Make sure to cast your vote and use #VoteChase to join the conversation.
