Hamlin started on the outside front row for the race today, led the first lap but was hung out to dry on lap two on the outside, falling several positions behind. Hamlin kept himself in the top twenty for the event. Sometimes he lost sight of the top ten, but with a few planned pit stops moved back into the top ten and into the lead late in the race. 

Hamlin was able to navigate his way though a field that slam banged each other as they battled for positions to keep his car clean to the end of the race. 

Hamlin’s win also gives Toyota their second victory in six races. 

Hendrick power also seemed to be dominant in the race today as Jeff Gordon, who started on the pole finished second, Jimmy Johnson finished 4^th, Dale Earnhardt Jr. 6^th and Casey Mears 7^th. 

Gordon, had fallen to the back of the lead pack as an early accident would have Gordon slamming into another car on the front stretch as he tried to check up for several cars that blocked his path. 

Gordon would fight his way back to the leaders by lap 175.  

Later in the race, calamity would hit Johnson as he was punted from behind in the race. Like Gordon, he powered his way up to the leaders. 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. started his day 22^nd. He would methodically pick off one driver at a time to lap 48 where he took the lead for the first time for the day. Earnhardt would keep himself in contention for the lead. Leading 146 of the 500 laps, Earnhardt would have to fight the setup of the car during different periods of the race. 

Earnhardt would eventually get the setup to perform better with his crew’s help, but not in time for an out of sequence pit stop that allowed Jeff Burton and Hamlin to run up front and keep themselves that way until the end of the race where Hamlin would pass Burton for the lead. 

Gordon would overtake Burton for 2^nd place. 

PRE RACE NOTES 

By any calculation, the following numbers just don’t add up. 

Together, Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) and Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) have won a total of six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships — but not a single race thus far this season.  

Five races worth of frustration finds Johnson 13th in the series standings, Gordon 14th. 

That has opened the door for some early-season optimism by everyone else, following last season’s Johnson-Gordon domination that resulted in 16 victories and a 1-2 finish in the final standings. 

Don’t be surprised if the door gets slammed shut, for at least a week, come Sunday, as the series visits a short track for the second straight week, following the previous event at Bristol Motor Speedway. 

Martinsville Speedway — site of Sunday’s Goody’s Cool Orange 500 — seemingly arrives at a most opportune time for the two struggling past champions. Johnson has won the last three Martinsville events; together, he and Gordon have won eight of the last 10 races at the .526-mile oval, the series’ only track that was on the very first NASCAR schedule in 1948. 

Sixty years of Martinsville amounts to a lot of history but since 2003, history had been made, basically, by Johnson and Gordon — especially in April of 2007 when the two seriously tested the stability of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ “new car” with a contact-laden battle over the race’s closing laps. Johnson outslugged his Hendrick Motorsports teammate by a scant .065 seconds. 

The upside for Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Amp Energy/National Guard Chevrolet) coming into Sunday’s event at Martinsville Speedway: 

He’s fifth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings, the highest-ranked of Hendrick Motorsports’ star-studded four-man team. 

The downside: He has never won at Martinsville Speedway. 

That’s not to say he hasn’t been close.  

Earnhardt has seven top fives in 16 Martinsville starts — including a fifth in 2007’s spring event.  

Of Earnhardt’s 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup victories, four have come on short tracks (ovals less than one mile in length) — three at Richmond International Raceway, one at Bristol Motor Speedway. 

Meanwhile, on the other end of the learning curve this week we find Michael McDowell, who is technically replacing David Reutimann in the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing. But in reality, he’s replacing NASCAR legend Dale Jarrett, who retired after the March 16 race at Bristol, leaving the No. 44 UPS Toyota to David Reutimann, the former driver of the No. 00. 

McDowell is assured of making his first NASCAR Sprint Cup start Sunday; the No. 00 is safely within the top 35 of the owner points and is thus guaranteed a spot in the field. 

Said McDowell: “To make your debut at Martinsville is tough. Lot of laps … lot of hard laps. … I’ve done a lot of training to make sure I’m in shape for 500 laps.” 

QUALIFYING NOTES 

Jeff Gordon won the Coors Light Pole Award for the Goody’s Cool Orange 500 with a lap of 19.666 seconds, 96.288 mph. This is his 65th pole in 515 career NASCAR Sprint Cup races. He is fourth on the all-time pole winners list behind Richard Petty (126), David Pearson (112) and Cale Yarborough (70). 

This is his second pole and sixth top-10 start in 2008. This is Gordon’s seventh pole at Martinsville Speedway. He also started first here in September 1995 when qualified was canceled. 

Denny Hamlin posted the second-fastest qualifying time with a lap of 19.775 seconds, 95.757 mph. This is his fourth top-10 start in six Martinsville races – all also top-fives. This is Hamlin’s second top-10 start in 2008. 

Aric Almirola (third) posted his career-first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top-10 start. His best start in his seven-race NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career was 16th, which came last race at Bristol.

Jamie McMurray (fifth) was the fastest of the drivers required to make the field on time. 

Sam Hornish Jr. (26th) was the fastest qualifying rookie. Michael McDowell (34th) qualified for his career-first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. 

NOW ONTO THE RACE!! 

Greg Biffle will go to back of the field for an engine change this weekend. BRRRRRRR, a cold day, some wind and a threat of rain in the area. We hear different stories if it is going to rain or not, at the moment, it’s not. 

The engines come to life and the drivers are on the track. A few pace laps and the  pace car exits onto pit road. Out of turn 4 Gordon and Hamlin bring the 43 drivers to the… 

GREEN FLAG  and the bumping and banging begins as Hamlin is scored with leading the first lap. Lap 2 it looks like Jeff Gordon will clear Hamlin. Lap 4 Aric Almirola, Jamie McMurray and Kyle Busch will pass Hamlin, who is stuck on the outside. 

Lap 6 McMurray to the inside of Almirola to take 2^nd. Lap 7 Kyle Busch moves up to take 3^rd. Lap 8 the field has stretched out to ¾’s of a track now. Lap 10 not a lot of room for passing at the moment. 

Lap 12 Almirola has slipped back to 11^th. Lap 15 Jeff Gordon leads by 1.3 seconds over McMurray. Lap 16 only a corner separates Gordon from last place Biffle.  

YELLOW FLAG lap 20 as Kyle Busch was battling with Dave Blaney for 14^th, tried to drop to the low side and connected with his older brother Kurt Busch and Kyle spins around. The field checks up all over the place and J.J. Yeley spins out as well. 

GREEN FLAG lap 24 as most of the leaders did not pit. Jeff Gordon and McMurray lead us back to action. Lap 25 your top ten drivers are; Jeff Gordon, McMurray, Hamlin, David Ragan, Jimmy Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick and Ken Schrader. 

Lap 35 we saw a few minutes ago Kurt Busch and Michael Waltrip slamming together that pushes Waltrip to the outside and falls back 6 positions. Gordon is up to a 1.2 second lead over McMurray and 3.1 seconds over Johnson who has moved up to 3^rd place. 

Lap 41 early movers of the race are Jeff Burton from starting 24^th up to 10^th. 

YELLOW FLAG lap 43 as Robby Gordon and Mike Skinner connect and both spin out in turn three and four. Skinner hooked the apron and shot into Gordon. The leaders head to pit road. Bill Elliott is the lucky dog. Gordon, Johnson, McMurray, Kahne and Ryan Newman. 

Trouble on pit road as Burton was pulling out of his pit stall and hits the left rear corner of Matt Kenseth’s car as he was coming into his pit. Bobby Labonte and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are the two leaders. 

GREEN FLAG lap 48 as they get the show going. Lap 49 Earnhardt Jr. takes the lead. Labonte and Earnhardt pit on the last yellow which allowed them to take the lead. 

Lap 50 your top 20 drivers are – Earnhardt Jr., Labonte, Casey Mears, Almirola, Scott Riggs, Martin Truex Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya, Jeff Gordon, Johnson, Patrick Carpentier, McMurray, Dario Franchitti, Kahne, Ragan, Travis Kvapil, Ryan Newman, Clint Bowyer, Hamlin, Carl Edwards and Brain Vickers. Lap 56 Mears is making the move for 2^nd under Labonte. 

YELLOW FLAG lap 57 as Labonte spins out on the front stretch after Almirola broke free on his left rear corner, connecting with his car. Labonte completely spins out taking with Riggs, Jeff Gordon and Martin Truex Jr. with him. Skinner is the lucky dog. 

GREEN FLAG lap 64 as Earnhardt and Mears start the action once again. Earnhardt has a great start, Mears does not who falls back behind Yeley who is a lap down.  

YELLOW FLAG lap 69 as Reed Sorenson spins out in turn two. Yeley is the lucky dog. Some of the drivers in back come into pit road. 

GREEN FLAG lap 73 with Earnhardt and Mears once again get the show going. Lap 75 your top 10 drivers are – Earnhardt Jr., Mears, Johnson, McMurray, Kahne, Ragan, Montoya, Kvapil, Hamlin and Newman. 

Lap 80 some of the movers of the race are Earnhardt from his start of 22^nd to the lead, Mears from 39^th to 2^nd, Montoya from 29^th up to 7^th, Edwards from 27^th up to 10^th, Vickers from 40^th up to 15^th and Carpentier from 37^th up to 19^th. 

Lap 85 some of the drivers falling off of the pace are Stewart from 9^th down to 16^th, Jeff Gordon from the pole down to 27^th, Almirola from 3^rd to 31^st, David Reutimann from 15^th to 33^rd and Waltrip from 16^th to 34^th. 

Lap 93 Jr. leads the field by 2.6 seconds. Johnson takes over 2^nd place from Mears. Lap 97 5 drivers are a lap down – Kenseth, Robby Gordon, Labonte, Riggs and Elliott. 

Lap 100 your top 20 drivers are Earnhardt Jr., Johnson, Mears, McMurray, Kahne, Ragan, Hamlin, Edwards, Kvapil, Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Vickers, Schrader, Stewart, Newman, Burton, Harvick, Elliott Sadler, Blaney and Carpentier. So far we have seen 4 cautions for 17 laps and 4 lead changes among 4 leaders. 

Lap 103 Earnhardt Jr. is hung up in traffic which allows Johnson to catch him and take over as the new leader.  

YELLOW FLAG lap 105 as Sam Hornish Jr. tags Skinner from behind with both spinning out to the outside corner which collects Yeley into the mix. The leaders into pit road Johnson, Earnhardt Jr., Mears, McMurray and Ragan. 

GREEN FLAG lap 110 as Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. race past the start finish line with the rest in tow. There were a few drivers still on pit road, trying to get out as fast as they could but Yeley and Jeremy Mayfield get speeding tickets. 

YELLOW FLAG lap 118 as David Reutimann and Almirola crash after Almirola punted Reutimann from behind. Robby Gordon is the lucky dog. 

GREEN FLAG lap 124 with Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. jump past the lap down drivers by the back of the track. Lap 127 we are starting to see some sprinkles on the track. Lap 130 Johnson leads Jr. by a half second and 3^rd place Mears by 1.7 seconds. 

Lap 136 NASCAR starting to talk about rain and asking officials if they see any in the corners. Lap 139 Kyle Busch has moved back up to 7^th and struggles with the entry to the corners. Jeff Gordon is back to 12^th. 

Lap 142 we need 108 more laps to make half way and we keep hearing more talk of rain from the teams. Lap 144 we have 34 drivers on the lead lap. Show Kenseth, Kvapil, Labonte, Skinner, Kurt Busch, Riggs, Elliott, Yeley and Mayfield. Lap 148 add Reutimann, Franchitti and Hornish Jr. to the list of lap down drivers. 

Lap 150 your top 20 drivers are Johnson, Earnhardt Jr., Mears, Edwards, McMurray, Bowyer, Hamlin, Burton, Jeff Gordon, Ragan, Stewart, Kyle Busch, Vickers, Kahne, Montoya, Sadler, Blaney, Sorenson, Harvick and Waltrip. 

Lap 158 Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. are weaving in and out of lapped traffic. They lead the rest of the field by almost 2 seconds. Lap 161 in turn 4 Earnhardt is back in the lead. 

Lap 164 Earnhardt and Johnson have increased the lead to 3.5 seconds. Lap 170 we are down to 25 drivers on the lead lap. Add Regan Smith, Robby Gordon once again, Newman and Gilliland to the lap down list. 

Lap 175 your top 10 drivers are Earnhardt Jr., Johnson, Hamlin, Burton, Jeff Gordon, McMurray, Ragan, Mears, Stewart and Vickers. Lap 176 with all the traffic Earnhardt Jr. has a 1 second lead over Johnson. 

Lap 178 Johnson looking to take 4^th from Burton and takes the position.  

YELLOW FLAG lap 180 for debris. Paul Menard is the lucky dog. The leaders are in for work. The race back to the track is Johnson, Earnhardt, Hamlin, Jeff Gordon and McMurray. 

GREEN FLAG lap 186 as Johnson and Earnhardt start the race again. Waltrip picks up some damage on the restart as Almirola checks up. Lap 191 three wide as Kyle Busch is on the outside of Skinner and Sorenson. 

Lap 193 Hamlin looking on the inside of Earnhardt Jr. for 2^nd place with Jeff Gordon following Hamlin. Lap 195 both take the positions from Earnhardt Jr. Lap 196 Johnson leads by 1 second. 

YELLOW FLAG lap 198 as Elliott spins on the back stretch. Robby Gordon is the lucky dog. Lap 200 your top 20 drivers are Johnson, Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Earnhardt Jr., McMurray, Burton, Kahne, Ragan, Stewart, Vickers, Edwards, Mears, Bowyer, Sadler, Kyle Busch, Sorenson, Blaney and Almirola. So far we have seen 8 cautions for 33 laps and 10 lead changes among 6 leaders. 

GREEN FLAG lap 203 as Johnson and Hamlin lead the 43 drivers back to speed. Lap 207 22 drivers remain on the lead lap. Lap 208 Hamlin for the lead, his second lead lap of the race, as he passes Johnson. 

Lap 210 Menard and Robby Gordon are the last drivers on the lead lap. 

YELLOW FLAG lap 213 as Ken Schrader and Kurt Busch as involved in a wreck on the front. Elliott Sadler hit Schrader from behind by a light tap, which Kurt Busch has no where to go and is tangled up with Schrader. Kenseth is the lucky dog. Hamlin pulls onto pit road for some reason. He will restart 19^th. 

GREEN FLAG lap 217 as Johnson and Jeff Gordon lead the field racing past the start finish line. Lap 221 Gilliland who is a lap down separates Johnson and Jeff Gordon. Lap 225 your top 10 drivers are Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Earnhardt Jr., McMurray, Burton, Stewart, Ragan, Vickers, Kahne and Mears. 

Lap 235 where are some of your favorite drivers? Hendrick power of Johnson, Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon are in front, Stewart has moved up to 6^th, Edwards runs 10^th, Bowyer 11^th, Harvick 19^th, Kyle Busch 20^th, Kenseth 21^st, Newman 27^th, Newman 27^th and Truex Jr. 38^th. 

Lap 244 we are hearing talk of rain again with 6 more laps until the halfway point. Lap 246 McMurray was looking to take 3^rd from Jeff Gordon, but slower lapped traffic holds him up. 

Lap 250 (Halfway) your top 20 drivers are Johnson, Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, McMurray, Burton, Stewart, Ragan, Mears, Edwards, Bowyer, Kahne, Vickers, Montoya, Hamlin, Almirola, Blaney, Sadler, Sorenson, Harvick and Kenseth. 

Lap 258 Kyle Busch is about to go a lap down as he runs in 22^nd.  

YELLOW FLAG lap 261 as Hornish Jr. spins out in turn one. The leaders are into pit road. Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Earnhardt Jr., Burton and McMurray. 

GREEN FLAG lap 265 as Johnson and Jeff Gordon jam through the gears, but Johnson spins the tires, which packs up the field of lapped drivers and leaders as Gilliland is a tool in the middle of the pack which allows Burton to take 3^rd from Earnhardt Jr. Lap 270 Earnhardt takes 3^rd position back. 

YELLOW FLAG lap 272 as Carpentier spins out in turn 2 after getting tapped from behind by Kvapil. Michael McDowell is the lucky dog. The leaders stay out this time. 

GREEN FLAG lap 277 with Jeff Gordon and Johnson leading the pack into turns one and two. Lap 280 Earnhardt on the inside of Johnson for 2^nd place. Edwards has moved past Ragan for 8^th. Lap 282 Kyle Busch takes his car to the garage. 

Lap 286 Kurt Busch is on pit road. 

YELLOW FLAG lap 287 as Robby Gordon and Carpentier tangle in turn two which collects Kenseth and one or two others. Gilliland is the lucky dog. We still hear talk about rain. 

GREEN FLAG lap 292 as Jeff Gordon and Earnhardt Jr. lead the field back up to speed. Lap 293 Earnhardt with a look into the inside of Gordon. Lap 294 and 295 they race side by side for the lead.  

YELLOW FLAG lap 296 as Biffle hits Newman from behind who then slams into Johnson as they spin out in turn two. We see a few others of Kurt Busch, Mears and Sorenson pick up damage trying to avoid the accident. Earnhardt Jr. is scored the leader. 

GREEN FLAG lap 301 as your top 20 of Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, McMurray, Burton, Stewart, Bowyer, Ragan, Edwards, Montoya, Hamlin, Vickers, Kahne, Blaney, Sadler, Robby Gordon, Almirola, McDowell, Harvick, Kenseth and Gilliland get rolling. So far we have seen 13 cautions for 58 laps and 16 lead changes among 6 leaders. 

Earnhardt Jr. is clear of the lapped drivers on the start, but not lucky for Jeff Gordon and McMurray who are trapped behind Smith and Reutimann. 

YELLOW FLAG lap 309 as Almirola tags Waltrip from behind, causing him to spin out in turn one which Robby Gordon tries to avoid and tags Waltrip. Smith is the lucky dog. The leaders stay out. 

GREEN FLAG lap 316 as Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon clear the lapped traffic. Lap 319 Stewart takes over 4^th place from Burton. Lap 321 26 drivers are on the lead lap now. 

Lap 324 Jeff Gordon looking inside of Earnhardt Jr. for the lead. Lap 327 Gordon tries in vain to get the lead but not before… 

YELLOW FLAG lap 328 as Kenseth is spun out by Gilliland as they try to enter turn one. Kenseth spins big time into the outside wall. Reutimann is the lucky dog. 

GREEN FLAG lap 332 as Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon get to do this dance once again. Gordon tries to duck in the inside of Earnhardt, but has the door slammed in his face. 

Lap 336 some of the movers of the race are Earnhardt Jr. from 22^nd up to the lead, Burton from 24^th up to 4^th, Edwards from 27^th up to 7^th, Vickers from 40^th up to 9^th, Mears from 39^th up to 14^th, Sorenson from 38^th up to 17^th and Robby Gordon from 41^st up to 20^th. 

Lap 345 your shakers of the race are Stewart from 9^th down to 15^th, Almirola from 3^rd to 24^th, Schrader from 7^th to 27^th, Kvapil from 14^th to 28^th, Newman from 13^th to 29^th, Elliott from 17^th to 39^th and Kyle Busch from 8^th to 43^rd. 

Lap 350 your top 20 drivers are Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, McMurray, Burton, Bowyer, Ragan, Hamlin, Edwards, Vickers, Johnson, Biffle, Mears, Harvick, Stewart, Montoya, Kahne, Smith, Sorenson, Blaney and Reutimann.   

Lap 356 Burton takes over 3^rd from McMurray. Lap 358 Stewart passes Harvick for 13^th. 

YELLOW FLAG lap 361 as Kenseth taps Gilliland from behind in turn one, shooting Gilliland into the outside wall. Schrader should be the lucky dog. The leaders hit pit road. Jeff Gordon, Burton, Earnhardt Jr., McMurray, Bowyer are the first five back to the track. Kenseth will be held two laps for “aggressive” driving. 

GREEN FLAG lap 367 as a few drivers who stayed out as they pit on the last yellow jam up the leaders as Blaney holds up the field with an electrical issue, which allows Reutimann to take the lead.

Lap 370 it took a few laps but Jeff Gordon is able to pass Reutimann for the lead. Lap 374 Burton and Earnhardt Jr. takes over 2^nd and 3^rd from Reutimann. Lap 377 Reutimann slips back to 7^th. 

Lap 379 Almirola has big issues and takes his car to the garage as well as Blaney. Lap 382 Jeff Gordon leads by 1.6 seconds over 2^nd place Burton and 2 seconds over Earnhardt Jr. Lap 385 Sorenson takes his car to pit road but is stuck at the entrance. 

YELLOW FLAG lap 386 as Sorenson is blocking pit road. He is pushed to his stall. The leaders except Burton come to pit road. Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Earnhardt Jr., McMurray and Johnson are the first five out. We hear a transmission issue for Sorenson. Newman is the lucky dog. 

GREEN FLAG lap 393 as Burton and Vickers lead our field into turns one and two. Edwards, Mears are running third and fourth who also did not pit this last time. Lap 396 Hamlin passes Mears for 4^th place. 

Lap 400 (100 to go) your top 20 drivers are Burton, Vickers, Edwards, Hamlin, Mears, Jeff Gordon, Earnhardt Jr., McMurray, Johnson, Bowyer, Menard, Ragan, Smith, Stewart, Schrader, Montoya, McDowell, Harvick, Biffle and Kahne. So far we have seen 17 cautions (the records 20 for here) for 80 laps and 20 lead changes among 9 leaders. 

YELLOW FLAG lap 402 as Schrader blows up out of turn one. Kvapil should be the lucky dog. The leaders stay out. Truex Jr. was two laps down before the yellow, was able to stay out in front of Burton and will get one of his laps back the hard way. Truex has two drivers in front of him to get the lucky dog. 

GREEN FLAG lap 411 as Burton and Vickers will start our show again. Vickers tries the inside of Burton for the lead out of turn 4. Burton has the power though to hold him back. Lap 415 Earnhardt challenges Jeff Gordon for 5^th place. No change yet. 

Lap 417 Hamlin drops to the inside in turn three of Edwards to take over 3^rd place. Lap 419 Hamlin to the inside of Vickers to take over 2^nd place. A lot of action in the back of the pack with everyone fighting for positions. 

Lap 423 as we have two battles up front. One between Hamlin and Burton for the lead as Hamlin is on the inside once again trying to grab the position and Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon for 5^th place. Lap 427 Hamlin is the leader. 

Lap 428 Earnhardt Jr. takes 5^th from Jeff Gordon who is a tad slower out of the turns. Lap 437 Hamlin leads Burton by a half second and 3^rd place Edwards by almost one second. Lap 442 Earnhardt Jr. closes in on Edwards for 3^rd place. Burton got loose in the turn behind lap down driver Kenseth, which causes Edwards and Earnhardt Jr. to lock it up.  

Lap 450 (50 to go) your top twenty drivers are Hamlin, Burton, Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Earnhardt Jr., Johnson, Mears, Vickers, McMurray, Stewart, Bowyer, Ragan, Montoya, Harvick, Sadler, Smith, Menard, McDowell, Kahne and Kvapil. 

40 to go as Hamlin leads by ¾’s of a second over Burton. Jeff Gordon closes in on Edwards for 3^rd place. Lap 467 we are hearing about a gear oil smell from Reutimann’s car. 

30 to go Burton closes in on Hamlin to a half second. Edwards is 1 second behind with Jeff Gordon 1.6 seconds and Earnhardt Jr. 2.2 seconds behind. 25 to go your top 10 drivers are Hamlin, Burton, Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Earnhardt Jr., Johnson, Mears, Stewart, McMurray and Bowyer. 

20 to go Hamlin holds his ground to Burton. For most of the day there has been drizzle in the air, but it is coming down harder with 16 to go.  

15 to go Reutimann is in the garage and the fire extinguishers are busy as a fire erupts from his car with his everyone scattering. 

12 to go Jeff Gordon takes over 3^rd from Edwards and Earnhardt has to contend with Johnson challenging him for 5^th place. 

10 to go Hamlin leads by 1.2 seconds. 9 to go McDowell spins out but no yellow. He has a flat tire but cannot get in to pit road yet. 

5 to go Jeff Gordon takes over 2^nd place from Burton. Johnson took over 5^th from Earnhardt and now takes over 4^th from Edwards. 

3 to go Hamlin leads by 1 second as Kyle Busch is between him and Jeff Gordon. 

2 to go no mistakes Hamlin has the win 

WHITE FLAG Jeff Gordon clears Kyle Busch but it’s too late as Hamlin is out of turn four and… 

CHECKERED FLAG for Hamlin. The rest of the top ten finishers are Jeff Gordon, Burton, Johnson, Stewart, Earnhardt Jr., Mears, McMurray, Edwards (who ran out of gas) and Bowyer. 

Hamlin led 82 laps today. Earnhardt Jr. led the most with 146, Johnson with 134, Jeff Gordon 90 and Burton 37. 

Today’s race saw 18 cautions for 88 laps and 21 lead changes among 9 leaders. The race lasted for 3 and a half hours. 

Denny Hamlin won the Goody’s Cool Orange 500, his fourth victory in 85 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. This is his first victory and third top-10 finish in 2008. This is his first victory and fifth top-10 finish in six races at Martinsville – including second in October 2006 and third in this race in 2007. 

Jeff Gordon (second) posted his 25th top-10 finish in 31 races at Martinsville. Gordon has been running at the finish in all of his Martinsville races and has finished on the lead lap 24 times.