RICHMOND, Va. – Saturday evening at Richmond Raceway, Jimmie Johnson led the Hendrick Motorsports teammates to the checkered flag less than 48 hours before he’ll take on the Boston Marathon.
Johnson crossed the finish line in 12th with teammate William Byron right behind him in 13th.
Chase Elliott followed the duo in 15th and Alex Bowman took home a 17th-place result.
Martin Truex Jr. captured the win.
Below is a closer look at how the four Hendrick Motorsports teammates fared Saturday evening at Richmond.
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 15th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Due to inspection issues, Elliott began Saturday evening’s race at the rear of the field despite qualifying seventh on Friday. But he got to work passing competitors early in the event. By a Lap 40 competition caution he had advanced to 24th, and he took the green-checkered flag to end Stage 1 in 18th.
- After multiple trips to pit road between segments, Elliott began Stage 2 in the 25th position, though he quickly worked his way toward the top 20. With fewer than 30 laps to go in the segment, he had settled into 20th, and by the end of Stage 2 he had advanced to 19th.
- Elliott took the green flag to begin the final segment in 18th, and with 138 laps to go in the event he had moved up a position to 17th. He continued to climb toward the top 15 before making a green-flag pit stop with fewer than 85 laps remaining in the race. When he returned to the track, he was running 14th thanks to quick work by the No. 9 team on pit road. He maintained that position down the stretch, dropping one spot before the checkered flag waved to finish 15th.
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 13th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Byron took the green flag in 13th when several drivers ahead of him were sent to the rear of the field due to inspection issues. He capitalized on that position, moving to the edge of the top 10 in 11th for the majority of the opening segment. Ultimately, he finished Stage 1 in 13th.
- Gaining one position on pit road, Byron started Stage 2 in 12th, which is where he continued to run more than halfway through the segment following a caution. As the laps wound down, he held his position as he looked to track down the top 10. Stage 2 ended with Byron in 12th.
- The driver of the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 began the final segment of Saturday’s race outside of the top 15, but it didn’t take him long to move back up to 12th with 138 laps to go. He continued to hold that position until making a green-flag pit stop with fewer than 85 laps to go in the event. When he returned to the track, he was running 13th after the field cycled through its stops. He held that position as he continued to battle, crossing the finish line in 13th.
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 ALLY CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 12th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- After qualifying inside the top 10, Johnson began Saturday’s race at the rear of the field due to inspection issues. Within 40 laps, however, Johnson had reached the 23rd position when a competition caution was called. He continued climbing into the top 15 to finish Stage 1 in 15th.
- Johnson began Stage 2 in 16th, and at Lap 154 following a caution, he had advanced three positions up to 13th. Consistent racing saw Johnson remain in 13th for the duration of the segment, taking the green-checkered flag to end Stage 2 in 13th.
- The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 took the green flag to start the final segment outside of the top 15, but with 138 laps to go he had moved back up to 13th. That’s where he was running when he elected to head to pit road for a green-flag stop with fewer than 85 laps remaining. When he returned to the track, he was inside the top 10 thanks to quick work by the No. 48 team. Johnson moved up to eighth with 76 laps remaining, but fell back just outside of the top 10 as the laps wound down. He ultimately finished the race in 12th to lead the Hendrick Motorsports teammates.
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 17th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Bowman rolled off the grid in 12th Saturday evening as several drivers ahead of him in qualifying were sent to the rear of the field due to inspection issues. He fell outside of the top 15 in the early laps of the event, but he recovered to jump inside the top 10 by Lap 56. He took the green-checkered flag at the end of Stage 1 in 11th.
- Thanks to quick work by the No. 88 team, Bowman began Stage 2 in 10th, and by Lap 116 he had moved up to eighth. He reported over the radio that he was battling a potential steering issue, however, and began to fall back in the pack, dropping outside of the top 15 with 30 laps to go in the segment. He held on to a top-20 position at the end of Stage 2, finishing 18th.
- The final segment of the race began with Bowman in 15th, and he picked up a position to settle into 14th with 138 laps to go. He remained inside the top 20 – and then moved as high as second while competitors headed to pit road for green-flag pit stops – before he he headed to pit road himself with fewer than 85 laps remaining in the segment. He returned to the track just inside the top 20 in 19th and pushed forward as the laps wound down. By the time the checkered flag waved, he had climbed to 17th.