TALLADEGA, Ala. – It took overtime to decide the race Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, and Hendrick Motorsports left with two top-10 finishes.
Kasey Kahne led the way with a fifth-place result, his second top-five of the season.
“Our UniFirst Chevrolet was pretty close,” Kahne said. “It was a strong performance for our UniFirst team. Happy to get a top-five.”
Jimmie Johnson was the next teammate to take the checkered flag in eighth.
"We finished a plate race and I don't even think there's a scratch on this thing,” Johnson smiled. “So, that's like a double victory even though we finished eighth.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. recovered from a late, unscheduled pit stop due to a loose tire to finish on the lead lap in 22nd.
Chase Elliott was running second late in the race before contact by a competitor from behind caused a multiple-car incident that ended the No. 24 team’s day prematurely. Elliott was ultimately scored 30th.
"I appreciate everybody's hard work -- our Hooters Chevrolet was really good today," Elliott said. "We were able to work our way up to the front a couple times, got hung out a couple times and finally made our way back forward. So, really proud of that. Hopefully we can carry some of this speed back to Daytona for the plate race in July and go get 'em next week at Kansas."
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. earned the win.
Below is a closer look at how all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers fared Sunday at Talladega. Additionally, you can check out recaps from Stage 1 and Stage 2.
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 UNIFIRST CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 5th
RECAP: Kahne rolled off the grid Sunday just inside the top 20, and after Stage 1 he was just outside of it in 21st. He pushed forward throughout Stage 2, finishing the second segment inside the top 10 in eighth. Thanks to a quick pit stop by the No. 5 team, the driver started the final segment in sixth. With 60 laps to go, Kahne was battling just outside of the top 10, and 11 laps later he was still inside the top 15. But with 44 laps to go, all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers headed to pit road for green-flag pit stops, and a speedy, two-tire stop allowed Kahne to jump all the way to fourth when the field cycled through with 36 laps remaining. He continued to battle inside the top 10 until a green flag following a caution saw Kahne shuffled back in traffic – but when a multiple-car incident occurred with 20 laps to go, Kahne avoided contact and moved back up to 10th before a red flag was displayed. On the ensuing restart, Kahne quickly moved into the top five, racing his way to battle teammate Johnson for the runner-up position as the laps wound down. A caution flag with three laps to go sent the race to overtime, and Kahne lined up fourth for the green flag. A wild finish saw Kahne take the checkered flag in fifth.
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 24 HOOTERS CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 30th
RECAP: Elliott started Sunday’s race already inside the top 10, and he found himself inside the top five at times in Stage 1, though he finished the first segment in 16th. He forged ahead in the next segment, finishing Stage 2 in 12th. Quick work by the No. 24 team allowed Elliott to start the final segment in 10th, and though he fell outside of the top 20 with 60 laps to go, he was in good position after all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers headed to pit road for green-flag stops with 44 laps remaining. When the field cycled through, Elliott found himself all the way back inside the top 10 in ninth with 36 laps to go. He moved all the way up to second within eight laps, and that is where he was running when with 20 laps to go contact by a competitor from behind sent Elliott toward the wall and caused a multiple-car incident that drew a red flag. The incident ended Elliott’s day, and he was ultimately scored 30th.
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 8th
RECAP: Starting Sunday’s race 30th, Johnson led his teammates in Stage 1 with a 14th-place finish, and he continued pushing ahead in Stage 2, taking that green checkered flag in fifth. He took the green flag for the final segment in eighth, and with 60 laps remaining he took over the race lead. Though he lost it a few laps later, he continued to battle inside the top 10 until all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers headed to pit road for green-flag stops with 44 laps remaining. When the field cycled through, Johnson was running 13th with 36 laps to go. When a caution flag flew with 28 laps to go, Johnson headed to pit road for fresh tires, restarting 17th. He used the inside lane to quickly move toward the top 10, and when a multiple-car incident occurred with 20 laps remaining, Johnson avoided contact and moved all the way up to sixth before a red flag was displayed. On the restart, Johnson made a big move to push his way to third, settling into second before a caution flag with three laps to go sent the race to overtime. He lined up third for the restart, and three-wide racing down the stretch saw Johnson earn an eighth-place result.
DALE EARNHARDT JR., NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CHEVROLET SS
FINISHED: 22nd
RECAP: Earnhardt began Sunday’s race on the outside pole, and after battling inside the top five for large portions of Stage 1, he finished the first segment in 19th. That is where he would remain at the conclusion of Stage 2, and in the final stage he began pushing back toward the front. He took the green flag for the last portion of the race in 13th, and though he fell outside of the top 20 with 49 laps to go, five laps later all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers headed to pit road for green-flag stops. When the field cycled through, Earnhardt was knocking on the door of the top 10 in 11th with 36 laps remaining. During a restart following a caution with 28 laps to go, Earnhardt used the inside lane to quickly move toward the front. When a multiple-car incident occurred with 20 laps to go, Earnhardt avoided contact and moved all the way up to third before a red flag was displayed. After the restart, he found himself in third with 15 laps to go but had to head to pit road for a loose wheel, falling a lap down. A caution flag with 10 laps remaining gave Earnhardt a free pass back to the lead lap, and after restarting 23rd he raced up to 14th for an overtime restart. By the time the checkered flag waved, Earnhardt crossed the finish line in 22nd.