JOLIET, Ill. – Sunday afternoon at Chicagoland Speedway, Alex Bowman led his Hendrick Motorsports teammates to the checkered flag with a top-10 finish.
Bowman crossed the finish line 10th. Jimmie Johnson was the next teammate to take the checkered flag in 14th, and Chase Elliott and William Byron finished back-to-back in 19th and 20th, respectively.
Kyle Busch won the race.
Below is a closer look at how the four Hendrick Motorsports teammates fared Sunday.
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 19th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Taking the green flag third, Elliott made his way to the runner-up position early in Sunday’s race, but battling the handling of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, he fell outside of the top five before a cycle of green-flag pit stops midway through Stage 1.
- Elliott finished Stage 1 in ninth, picking up two extra points. Quick work by the No. 9 team allowed the driver to gain three positions before the green flag to begin Stage 2, and shortly thereafter he jumped back inside the top five. Once again he earned a top-10 stage finish, closing Stage 2 in seventh to pick up four more points.
- Starting the final segment in seventh, Elliott remained in that position for a restart on Lap 182 following a caution. When the green flag dropped, he raced all the way up to fourth. At Lap 208, he had fallen back to eighth when another caution flag flew.
- With 40 laps to go, Elliott had dropped outside of the top 10 and settled into 15th with 37 circuits remaining. Thirty laps later, Elliott was passed by the leader to fall a lap down. He crossed the finish line 19th.
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 UNIFIRST CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 20th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Starting Sunday’s race inside the top 10, Byron battled the handling of his No. 24 UniFirst Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 early in Stage 1. After a cycle of green-flag pit stops, he fell outside of the top 20, but began climbing back through the field as the laps wound down. He ultimately finished Stage 1 in 16th.
- On pit road prior to the start of Stage 2, the No. 24 team’s speedy pit stop allowed Byron to pick up three positions to take the green flag in 13th. He ran inside the top 20 throughout the segment, finishing Stage 2 in 19th.
- Byron picked up two positions on pit road prior to the final segment to restart 17th. He held his top-20 position through a Lap 208 caution, and with 35 laps to go he had settled into 20th. He would maintain that position through the checkered flag to finish 20th.
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S FOR PROS CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 14th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Johnson started Sunday’s race from the rear of the field after a failed inspection, but midway through Stage 1 he was already knocking on the door of the top 20. Coming to the white flag for the end of Stage 1, he was passed by the leader to fall a lap down, finishing the segment in 17th.
- Johnson was the beneficiary of the free pass as the first car a lap down, rejoining the lead lap prior to the start of Stage 2. Restarting 17th, Johnson was consistent throughout the second segment, taking the green-checkered flag in 16th.
- Starting the final segment outside of the top 20, Johnson made his way back up to 19th in fewer than 20 laps, and he had climbed to 18th before a Lap 208 caution. He continued his push forward as the laps wound down, moving all the way up to 14th with 37 laps to go.
- Down the stretch, Johnson continued to climb, gaining one more position to 13th before ultimately taking the checkered flag in 14th.
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 AXALTA CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 10th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Rolling off the grid inside the top 20, Bowman consistently ran inside or near the top 15 for much of Stage 1, climbing up to 14th before the green-checkered flag waved.
- The No. 88 team gained Bowman four positions on pit road prior to the start of Stage 2, allowing the driver to take the green flag in 10th. Midway through the second segment, he was just outside the top 10 in 13th, and he lost one position to finish Stage 2 in 14th.
- Bowman started the final segment in 12th, and on a Lap 182 restart following a caution, he jumped inside the top 10. He continued to climb, finding ninth before a Lap 208 caution, and more quick work by the No. 88 team allowed him to restart seventh. He maintained his top-10 position, settling into ninth with 36 laps remaining.
- As the laps wound down, Bowman settled into 10th and held that position to cross the finish line with a top-10 result.