Larson and Elliott Crash Out of Brickyard 400 Contention Early

SPEEDWAY, Ind. -- Hendrick Motorsports' NASCAR Cup Series championship-winning drivers bowed out of contending to win one of the sport's crown jewels early Sunday.

Two years after winning the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Kyle Larson rounded out Sunday's finishing order in 39th after a crash on lap 44.

Larson had one of the fastest cars in Sunday's race and his team executed the strategy right in the first stage. He was about to take the lead at the end of the pit cycle when a left-rear tire blew, sending him into the outside wall and ending his race.

"I had no warning," Larson said. 

After a one-lap shootout and a subsequent stage break, an ensuing restart got Chase Elliott into trouble. While racing Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for 23rd in turn two on lap 60, Elliott passed Stenhouse in the corner and tried clearing him on exit. However, he wasn't clear and slid across his bumper, smacking the outside wall. 

"It's killed," Elliott said over the radio.

Elliott limped to pit road for his crew to assess the damage before they sent him hobbling back to the garage area, losing 41 laps to the leader. 

He rejoined the race on lap 102. 

After Elliott and Larson had issues, all of Hendrick Motorsports was behind Carson Hocevar and his No. 77 Spire Motorsports team in the driver and owner points standings.