No one wants to go out like this, especially not Hendrick Motorsports. The Chevy looked pointed for a strong showing at the round of 8 opener in Las Vegas, with Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Kyle Larson right behind JGR’s 1-2-3 sweep on Saturday. But things look different on Sunday. All three HMS drivers seemed in full control until one’s dominant run came crashing down, leaving fans reeling and his title hopes in serious jeopardy…

William Byron started the race looking sharp. By lap 56, he had stretched out to a 1.5-second lead over Tyler Reddick, and that pace carried him through the end of Stage 1, which he won convincingly ahead of teammate Kyle Larson. However, things began to unravel with 35 laps to go; Byron got loose while leading, allowing Kyle Larson to retake the top spot.

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