Talk about a rough day for Hendrick Motorsports. All four of their Chevrolets, driven by William Byron, Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, and Kyle Larson, are starting from the back for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race on the Chicago Street Course. Saturday’s practice and qualifying sessions turned into a wreck-fest for the team, with every car taking a hit.

William Byron, who was flying in Group 1 practice with a blistering 1:31.008-second lap, smashed into the Turn 10 wall after carrying too much speed, crunching the left-rear of his No. 24 Chevy. “I’m an idiot,” he told TNT Sports, owning the mistake. “I just took a lot through there… just don’t like crashing.” The damage forced repairs, sidelining him from qualifying and relegating him to the rear.

Chase Elliott didn’t fare much better. In Group 2 practice, he clipped the wall in the tricky chute between Turns 3 and 4, right after the long back straight. The left-side damage to his No. 9 car wasn’t catastrophic, but the team played it safe, skipping qualifying to focus on repairs.

Alex Bowman, the defending Chicago winner, hit a wall later in the qualifying laps, bending a toe-link on his No. 48. He managed an 11th-fastest qualifying lap to secure pit selection but still opted for repairs, sending him to the back. Kyle Larson, sitting 14th after qualifying, also took damage and joined his teammates at the rear after fixes to his No. 5.

This is no small deal for Hendrick, the powerhouse team leading the Cup Series points with Byron, Elliott, and Larson in the top three, boasting five wins this season, including Elliott’s recent triumph at EchoPark Speedway. Bowman, 12th in points, needs a win to lock in a playoff spot, making his Chicago defense critical.

For a team used to dominating, especially on road courses, Saturday’s chaos was a rare stumble. Byron’s practice pace had even outshone road-course king Shane van Gisbergen, hinting at what could’ve been. Fans, though, are eating it up. A Reddit post titled “All 4 Hendrick cars will start in the back because of damage repair” set off a firestorm of reactions, with some breathing a sigh of relief and others holding out hope for a comeback.

Fan reactions to Hendrick’s Chicago woes

The Reddit thread was a wild ride, with fans diving into the drama. One nailed the vibe, “That feeling when everyone tries to be the person who doesn’t do their share of a group project and you realize the day before everyone is screwed.”

It’s a perfect jab at Hendrick’s collective faceplant. All four drivers, points leaders Byron, Elliott, and Larson, plus defending champ Bowman, crashed in practice or qualifying, forcing repairs and a rear start per NASCAR rules. It’s like a group project where everyone botched their part, leaving the team in a hole. These aren’t scrubs, they’re the cream of the Cup Series, making the meltdown all the more shocking.

Another fan speculated, “I didn’t see the other cars, but Elliott’s hit didn’t look that bad. Someone said they were just being cautious because the car was really fast and didn’t wanna possibly junk it in qualifying, but idk.”

This tracks with Elliott’s situation. His Turn 4 brush wasn’t as brutal as Byron’s wreck, but the team skipped qualifying, likely to preserve the No. 9’s speed for race day. Elliott’s fresh off a win at EchoPark, and crew chief Alan Gustafson probably didn’t want to risk further damage on Chicago’s unforgiving streets. With limited passing zones, saving the car for a strategic race-day push makes sense, especially if cautions shake things up.

One fan was blunt, “Only way other teams have a chance at winning, really. I don’t mind it.” Hendrick’s dominance, Larson’s road-course flair, Elliott’s precision, Byron’s consistency, and Bowman’s 2024 Chicago win make them favorites every week. Their practice mishaps open the door for Trackhouse’s SVG, 23XI, or Joe Gibbs Racing to steal the show. SVG’s street-course mastery, proven by his 2023 Chicago win, makes him the guy to beat, and Hendrick’s rear start gives rivals a rare shot to capitalize on clean air early.

Finally, a fan zeroed in on the SVG challenge, “They are the ones with the cars to beat SVG too. That could be tough to overcome without some well timed cautions.” SVG’s 2023 Chicago debut win and recent Mexico City rout make him the street-course king, but Hendrick’s got the talent to match him. Byron’s practice pace topped SVG’s, and Elliott and Larson are road-course aces. Starting from the back, though, means they’ll need yellow flags to close the gap on Chicago’s tight layout. Without those, SVG could run away, leaving Hendrick’s big dogs fighting for scraps.