The Ambetter Health 400 on Sunday ended up being a forgetful affair for Cup Series mammoth, Hendrick Motorsports. The team flew to Atlanta on the back of a victorious weekend at Daytona and were hoping to make their 40th-anniversary celebration a tad bit louder, but missteps prevailed.
None of the four high-caliber stars found it in them to follow through on the strength of their cars and ended up outside the top 10 at the race end. The biggest disappointment of the day came from #5 driver Kyle Larson. Highly regarded as one of the most skilled drivers of the current generation, Larson started the race in 5th place.
The opening stage saw him battle Kyle Busch and Ryan Blaney for the lead before he finished it in 4th place. He then proceeded to put on a great display of speed and finished the second stage in 2nd place with chances of victory lane reigning high. However, an issue with a rear tire caused him to have a lengthy pit stop, after which he restarted the final stage from 18th place.
Despite the setback, he found his way back to the top five. But that was only until he got involved in a wreck in the 219th lap. The incident involved Brad Keselowski and Corey LaJoie and ended up with Larson finishing 32nd. “There wasn’t anything I could do from my seat,” Larson regretted. The showcase was his best in the Atlanta Motor Speedway since its reconfiguration.
The fallback of Chase Elliott and the other Hendrick Heroes
Chase Elliott’s day in Atlanta was filled with wrecks, damages, and pit stops. The #9 Chevrolet Camaro’s pilot saw himself starting from the rear courtesy of an unapproved adjustment to his car. He was then involved in an accident in just the second lap of the race that forced him to the pits for repair.
After a delayed start in the second stage, he found his way to the leaderboard for a short while. He continued exchanging blows in the top ten when Ross Chastain spun him out in lap 199. Elliott avoided significant damage through some clever handling and resumed his race. He finished 15th in the standings.
The latest Daytona 500 champion William Byron was one of the most expected drivers for the Ambetter Health 400. He qualified 11th and held positive odds for a back-to-back win, but continual issues with his car hurt his chances. He led the #24 Camaro to a 17th-place finish. He was the second-best driver for HMS behind Elliott on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the #48 driver, Alex Bowman’s day took a bad turn right from the beginning. He was involved in the 16-car wreck on lap 2 and found himself alongside Elliott in the pits for repair. He eventually ended the day in 27th place. Looking ahead the four drivers will race in Las Vegas on March 3.
The post At a Glance: How Hendrick Motorsports Bungled up Promising Atlanta Result Ft. Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson appeared first on The SportsRush.
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