Rick Hendrick witnesses three-pronged disaster in | Sports News

For workforce proprietor Rick Hendrick and his Hendrick Motorsports group, the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs took a dramatic downturn at Talladega Superspeedway, the place AJ Allmendinger was left writhing on the ground in ache after a large wreck.

What was meant to be a rebound alternative was a nightmare Sunday, as all three Hendrick playoff drivers — Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, and William Byron — suffered expensive late-race setbacks during a chaotic YellaWood 500.

The 500-mile thriller, the second race of the Round of 8, lived up to Talladega’s unpredictable status. With Denny Hamlin already locked into the Championship 4 after his Las Vegas win, Larson, Byron, and Elliott, who recognized a Hendrick downside after his race ended, all needed clean runs to solidify their positions forward of subsequent week’s Martinsville cutoff. Instead, Hendrick’s playoff marketing campaign imploded.

The hassle started early when Elliott was caught in a Stage 1 crash triggered by Noah Gragson and Allmendinger. The contact despatched a number of automobiles spinning, together with Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet. His race ended in fortieth place, a devastating end result for the 2020 Cup champion.

“I saw someone get turned sideways,” Elliott stated afterward. “Just trying to get slowed up like normal and ended up getting turned sideways and slid into some people, and they slid back into me. I hate it. … The assignment is very simple for Martinsville — try to go up there and get a win.”

Larson’s misfortune struck a lot later. After operating up entrance most of the afternoon and ending runner-up in Stage 2 behind Chase Briscoe, he appeared in good place to problem for the win in extra time — till his No. 5 Chevrolet ran out of fuel on the backstretch simply half a lap from the end.

“It started giving me a warning there in the middle of 1 and 2 and down the back it started stumbling,” Larson stated. “It’s one of the more bummer superspeedway finishes I’ve had. We were right where I wanted to be, but it didn’t work out. We executed a great day today — we’ll try to do the same next week.”

As Larson slowed, Byron tried to surge by means of the underside lane, solely to be collected in the final-lap melee as Chase Briscoe out-dueled Bubba Wallace for the win. Byron spun by means of the tri-oval, crossing the road twenty fifth.

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“It’s just the way that it goes,” Byron stated. “I felt like I was in the right position on the bottom lane, and we just couldn’t get linked up off Turn 4. Then (Larson) ran out of fuel and broke up all the energy. Just got to regroup and try to win next week.”

The race noticed a number of momentum swings earlier than Briscoe’s dramatic victory secured his first superspeedway win and a berth in the Championship 4. “I can’t believe I won a superspeedway race,” Briscoe stated. “Ty Gibbs was an incredible teammate. I would not have won without him. We’re going to Phoenix!”

For Hendrick, nevertheless, Talladega was nothing short of disastrous. According to NASCAR’s up to date standings, Larson stays secure at +35, whereas Byron (–15) and Elliott (–23) sit under the cut line. With one race left earlier than Phoenix, each now face a must-win scenario at Martinsville.