William Byron leads Hendrick podium sweep for Elliott

With Chase Elliott out as he begins his restoration from a broken left tibia, his Hendrick Motorsports team-mates determined to present him a get-well-soon current within the type of a 1–2–3 end in Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. William Byron led Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman in time beyond regulation to his fifth profession NASCAR Cup Collection win.

Byron dominated on Sunday as he led 176 of 271 laps, probably the most of his profession on an intermediate monitor, and gained each phases with both Larson or Bowman in tow. The win almost slipped away for him within the ultimate stage as pit methods meant the lead traded fingers between a number of drivers earlier than selecting Larson. Issues took a flip when Aric Almirola hit the wall with two laps remaining to set off time beyond regulation, from which Martin Truex Jr. elected to gamble by staying out on older tyres.

The transfer appeared to work at first for Truex earlier than Byron and his team-mates shortly coasted forward to steer each time beyond regulation laps.

“Should you can one way or the other get a great restart, get to the white flag they usually crash, you then win the factor,” Truex defined. “It nearly occurred. We have been second on the white, we have been second going into flip one on the final lap and simply acquired tight and acquired in a foul spot coming off of flip two and misplaced momentum down the again.”

The Hendrick podium sweep marked the group’s strongest outing since all 4 vehicles have been atop the leaderboard within the 2021 Drydene 400. Elliott’s substitute driver Josh Berry led 1–2–3 finishes for Hendrick affiliate JR Motorsports in his two Xfinity Collection wins at Las Vegas in 2021 and 2022. Hendrick additionally notched a 1–2 with Bowman and Larson in last year’s Pennzoil 400.

“I believe I communicate for everybody in the truth that we miss Chase out right here,” mentioned Byron. “He’s an enormous contributor to suggestions and our debriefs and he’s an important race automobile driver. Has rather a lot to supply there. I believe there was a void there, however I believe we have been capable of fill it with simply sort of coming collectively as a group, and having Josh come on board, he’s clearly an important race automobile driver, too, and I do know him from the previous.”

Berry completed twenty-ninth in Elliott’s #9 after scuffling with throttle issues. Hendrick president Jeff Andrews acknowledged afterwards that “Josh did an incredible job for us given the circumstances, and given the very fact he’s not ever been in one among these Subsequent Gen vehicles earlier than, actually proud of what he did for us in the present day.”

Pole winner Joey Logano was the lone retirement after contact with former Penske team-mate Brad Keselowski on lap 184 despatched him by means of the grass and induced him to briefly go airbourne. It’s the first Las Vegas Cup race with only one non-finisher since Kurt Busch crashed out of the 2019 fall race.

Race outcomes