FORT WORTH, Texas – Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway, Jimmie Johnson led the way for Hendrick Motorsports, finishing fifth.
Just behind him was William Byron, who joined his teammate inside the top 10 with a sixth-place result. It matched his career-best NASCAR Cup Series finish.
Elliott finished Sunday’s race in 13th, followed to the finish line by Alex Bowman in 18th.
Three drivers from the organization led laps during Sunday’s race. Johnson added 60 laps to his all-time record laps led at Texas. His teammate Elliott led 35 and Byron led 15.
Denny Hamlin won the race.
Below is a closer look at how the four Hendrick Motorsports teammates fared Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway.
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 KELLEY BLUE BOOK CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 13th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Taking the green flag in third behind two of his teammates, Elliott was neck-and-neck with fellow Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron in the early stages of Sunday’s race. He was able to pull ahead to second by Lap 7. On Lap 15, a caution flag waved, and the No. 9 team elected not to pit. He took the ensuing green flag in second. When drivers headed to pit road for green-flag stops, Elliott made his first stop of the race and returned inside the top 20. As fellow competitors made stops, he was able to advance through the field quickly before the stage came to a close. He took the green-checkered flag in third, earning eight extra points.
- Starting Stage 2 in seventh, Elliott quickly advanced inside the top 10, moving all the way into the race lead on Lap 110. After leading 35 laps, Elliott headed to pit road for a green-flag pit stop. Shortly thereafter, however, the third caution flag of the race waved, trapping the No. 9 car lap behind the leader. He took the wave around to return to the lead lap just outside of the top 10. Ultimately Elliott finished Stage 2 in 13th.
- The final segment started with Elliott racing with teammate Johnson for 10th. Able to advance as cars began to make green-flag pit stops, Elliott grabbed fifth place. By Lap 236 he headed to pit road for four tires, fuel and chassis adjustments. When a caution flag waved on Lap 254, the No. 9 Chevy remained out on the track in 11th. When the ensuing green flag waved, Elliott started third with 74 laps to go. After another caution, Elliott dropped to eighth on the restart but quickly pulled up to sixth with 66 laps to go. Battling for a top-five position on Lap 284, Elliott grabbed fifth place behind teammate William Byron. Lap 294 brought Elliott to pit road to complete his final pit stop of the race, and he returned to the track in 20th. He gained seven positions down the stretch to finish the race in 13th.
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 6th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- William Byron began Sunday’s race in the outside pole position. He remained inside the top three until a caution on Lap 15 brought Byron to pit road for fuel only. He returned to the field in 12th. When cars elected to make green-flag pit stops around Lap 66, Byron was able to take the lead by remaining on the track. After leading 14 laps, the No. 24 team elected to take a green-flag pit stop and finished the opening stage in 13th.
- Byron started Stage 2 in 15th. When competitors headed to pit road under a green flag, Byron was able to advance inside the top 10. When the caution flag waved, the No. 24 Chevy had yet to pit and was in eighth. Byron was one of fewer than a dozen cars still on the lead lap when the caution flag waved, and he headed to pit road under caution. With 15 laps left to go in Stage 2, Byron was battling to get inside the top-five cars as he relayed to his team that he was experiencing problems that the car wouldn’t “grab” in the corners. Ultimately, he finished Stage 2 in eighth, earning extra three points.
- Taking the restart for the final segment in third, Byron settled into fourth place and tried to catch the leaders. On Lap 195 Byron was eighth but continued to battle inside the top 10 to move back up to sixth. Lap 214 brought green-flag pit stops for many competitors, and Byron advanced to fourth. No. 24 team crew chief Chad Knaus brought the No. 24 Chevy to pit road on Lap 223 for four tires and fuel. With 100 laps to go, Byron was in 14th. When leaders began to pit once again, Byron moved into the top 10 and eventually the top five with 95 laps to go. Thanks to quick work by the No. 24 crew during a caution, Byron restarted fifth when the green flag waved. Remaining on the track, Byron took the lead momentarily before heading to pit road for his own fuel-only green-flag stop. Vying for a top-five finish with teammate Johnson, Byron ultimately finished Sunday’s race just behind Johnson in sixth, marking his first top-10 finish of the season and tying his best Cup career finish.
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 5th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Johnson rolled off the grid at the front of the pack after he captured the pole Friday night. Sunday afternoon saw Johnson adding to his record for laps led at the track, leading 60 before heading to pit road for a green-flag stop. He returned to the track in 27th, but as fellow competitors made their own stops, he raced his way back through the field to inside the top five. When Stage 1 came to a close, Johnson was in the runner-up spot, earning a valuable nine extra points.
- Taking the green flag to begin Stage 2 in 10th, Johnson remained inside the top 15 early in the segment. He advanced to ninth by Lap 143, and when multiple competitors headed to pit road for a green-flag stop, Johnson was able to advance to fifth. During a trip to pit road during a caution on Lap 148, the No. 48 team’s jack malfunctioned. But quick adjustments by the crew allowed Johnson to finish the stop and hold a position in the top 10 when he returned to the track. He finished Stage 2 in 10th, earning one extra point.
- Starting the final segment in ninth, by Lap 200 Johnson was running 12th after the No. 48 car got loose. He quickly piloted the No. 48 Ally Chevy back up to 10th by Lap 212. Continuing to advance, he grabbed eighth by Lap 221. When the field started to come in for green-flag pit stops, Johnson headed in as well for a quick stop. A caution on Lap 225 had Johnson in eighth and he made a fuel-only stop, remaining in eighth on Lap 266. He continued to push forward inside the top 10 even after making one final fuel-only stop on Lap 319. The checkered flag waved with Johnson in fifth, taking home his first top-five finish of the season.
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 LLUMAR CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 18th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Starting Sunday’s race in his backup No. 88 LLumar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 from the rear of the field, Alex Bowman was able to steadily gain positions as he tried to work his way through the field. By Lap 67, with cars making green-flag stops, Bowman was able to jump inside the top 15. As the final laps of the stage come to a close, Bowman headed to pit road, but he received a penalty for a commitment line violation, resulting in a pass-through penalty to drop him a lap down. When Stage 1 came to a close, Bowman was running 30th.
- After his penalty in Stage 1 Bowman found himself a lap down at the start of Stage 2 in 24th. As he battled to gain position, Bowman was in 21st by Lap 145. On Lap 148 when a caution flag waved, Bowman pitted for four tires and fuel. When he returned to the track, Bowman was in 20th. As the stage came to a close, he took the green-checkered flag in 21st.
- Bowman began the final segment in 22nd one lap down. On Lap 210 Bowman had moved up to 19th as he continued to battle to get back on the lead lap. On Lap 221, Bowman headed to pit road for a scheduled green-flag stop to receive four tires and fuel. He battled the handling of his No. 88 Chevy down the stretch. With only 15 cars on the lead lap, Bowman continued to run inside the top 20, and when cars headed to pit road for green-flag stops once again on Lap 299, Bowman stayed on the track in 16th. On Lap 320, Bowman headed to pit road for fuel and returned to the track still inside the top 20. Ultimately, he finished Sunday’s race in 18th.