LONG POND, Pa. – Sunday afternoon at Pocono Raceway, Jimmie Johnson led the way for Hendrick Motorsports with a top-10 finish – his fifth in the last seven races.
Johnson took the checkered flag eighth, and Chase Elliott joined him inside the top 10 with a 10th-place result.
William Byron was the next teammate to cross the finish line in 18th, and Alex Bowman, who made contact with the wall late in the race after contact from a competitor, finished 27th.
Martin Truex Jr. won the race.
Below is a closer look at how the four Hendrick Motorsports teammates fared at the “Tricky Triangle.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 10th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Taking the green flag in 11th, Elliott pushed forward throughout the first segment of Sunday’s race, finishing Stage 1 in sixth. The result earned him five extra points.
- In Stage 2, Elliott continued his steady run in the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, gaining one more position to enter the top five and finish Stage 2 in fifth. That gave Elliott six more points.
- In the final segment, Elliott continued to run inside the top 10, settling into eighth with fewer than 30 laps to go. When a caution flag flew with just 21 laps left, Elliott stayed on the track to restart third – but he was passed by cars with fresher tires and fell to the back of the top 10.
- When another caution flag flew with 14 laps to go, Elliott headed to pit road for fresh tires and restarted 21st with seven laps remaining. The fresh tires paid dividends, as he drove the No. 9 Chevy back inside the top 10. He finished 10th.
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 UNIFIRST CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 18th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Starting Sunday’s race in 16th, Byron climbed into the top 10 as competitors made green-flag pit stops. When he made a stop of his own, he stalled on the way out of his pit stall, costing several positions. He ultimately finished Stage 1 in 17th.
- Quick work by the No. 24 team allowed Byron to gain four positions on pit road prior to the start of Stage 2, and the driver kept the No. 24 UniFirst Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 inside the top 15 to finish Stage 2 in 13th.
- Late in the final segment, Byron raced into the top 10 and looked to regain that position as he restarted 11th with seven laps remaining. He was shuffled back during the restart, however, and crossed the finish line 18th.
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S FOR PROS CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 8th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Johnson began Sunday’s race 15th, and he jumped all the way to the lead after 25 laps when competitors began making green-flag pit stops. Following his first laps led of the season, he finished Stage 1 in ninth, picking up two extra points.
- In Stage 2, Johnson stayed consistent, remaining inside the top 10 and taking the green-checkered flag to finish the segment in ninth once again. With the result, he gained another two points.
- He continued maneuvering his way through the field in the final segment, reaching fifth place with 30 laps remaining. He fell outside of the top 10, however, battling the handling of his No. 48 Lowe’s for Pros Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Through multiple cautions, however, Johnson rebounded to restart 10th with seven laps remaining.
- Johnson gained several positions on the restart, and as the laps wound down he held on to the eighth position, which is where he would finish.
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 27th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Rolling off the grid 14th, Bowman held steady inside the top 15 in Stage 1 of Sunday’s race, taking the green-checkered flag in 13th.
- In Stage 2, Bowman continued to push forward, finding the top 10 and maintaining that position to finish the second segment in 10th. He picked up one extra point for the result.
- The No. 88 team’s quick pit stop prior to the start of the final segment allowed Bowman to pick up three positions before the restart. Early in the segment, however, Bowman headed to pit road after reporting an issue. Following a stop for four tires and fuel, he returned to the track outside of the top 20.
- With 14 laps remaining, Bowman made contact with the wall after contact from a competitor. He headed to pit road multiple times for repairs and fell outside of the top 25. He ultimately crossed the finish line 27th.