CONCORD, N.C. -- Racing, unofficially, is back.
On Sunday, all four Hendrick Motorsports raced their new Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s for the first time at the Clash at the Coliseum that saw Kyle Larson and William Byron bring home top-six finishes in the annual exhibition race that traditionally kicks off the season before the DAYTONA 500.
“It was an awesome experience all around,” Larson said after posting a fifth-place finish. “First race with the new car. This event was really neat. It seemed like a great atmosphere. I’m not able to ever sit in the stands and watch other races and I got to watch a heat race and the last chance qualifiers. It seemed like a blast and I hope we can do more of this.”
“It was a fun event and I think the fans got a good show,” said sixth-place finisher Byron. “It was all about track position though, similar to Martinsville. We tried a couple times on restarts to pick up an extra position here and there, but we were just too tight the first half of the race to keep it. The guys worked hard, not just today, but all weekend to improve the Valvoline Chevy. We learned a lot with these new cars.”
Chase Elliott brought home an 11th-place result after starting the 150-lap event from the 15th position.
"Our race started out pretty decent and we were making progress after starting a little deeper in the field,” Elliott said post-race. “I kept locking up the right front and unfortunately just got too loose and the car got around. Once I got a little bit of damage our NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet just didn't drive the same. Congrats to everyone that had a hand in putting this event together though. The fans certainly got an entertaining race."
Bowman raced in one of two last-chance qualifier races, where a top-three finish would advance the driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet to the main event. The Phoenix, Arizona native raced the majority of the first half in second but fell to fifth in the closing laps. While fighting hard for position, Bowman made contact with other competitors and exited the race with five laps remaining.
Joey Logano won the Clash.
Below is a closer look at how the Hendrick Motorsports teammates fared in Sunday evening’s exhibition.
KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 5th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Larson’s second-place finish in his heat race secured him a spot in the 150-lap main event.
- The Elk Grove, California, native rolled off eighth and advanced two spots to sixth before the race’s first caution at lap 53. Larson restarted third but fell two spots before racing was halted for a scheduled break at the hallway point.
- Once racing resume, Larson jumped to second after going three-wide at lap 77. He fell back to third at lap 100 and held that spot for the ensuing 30-plus laps before falling to sixth with 12 laps to go. Larson put himself inside the top five in the closing laps, finishing fifth in this year’s Clash event.
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTOPARTS CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 11th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Elliott’s fourth-place finish in his heat race advanced the 2020 champion to the main event.
- The Dawsonville, Georgia, native took the green flag from the 15th position and gained two spots before the first caution at lap 53. He went back to green in 10th before advancing another three spots four laps later.
- At lap 66, Elliott spun his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevy that placed him 16th for the restart but he made quick work, jumping three positions to 13th before the race’s scheduled break at lap 75.
- When racing resume, Elliott leapfrogged another four positions, moving into the ninth spot at lap 116 when a caution flag slowed the field at lap 116. With 34 laps to go, Elliott held his ground in eighth but fell three positions in the closing laps, taking the checkered flag in 11th.
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 VALVOLINE CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1
FINISHED: 6th
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Byron started the exhibition race from the seventh position, thanks to his second-place finish in the heat race earlier that afternoon. He raced between the sixth and seventh positions for the race’s first 53 laps but restarted fifth after the first caution period.
- The Charlotte, North Carolina maintained the fifth spot over the next 12 circuits before advancing one spot to fourth when the break at the halfway point occurred.
- Byron restarted second once engines refired for the second half of the race, but three-wide racing immediately moved him to fourth. He jostled between the fourth and fifth positions for much of the second half and ultimately slipped one spot to sixth before crossing the finish line.