GREEN FLAG as we see 43 drivers side by side out of the tri-oval into turn one. Johnson and Jeff Gordon pull away for a second. By the back stretch the outside line led by Mark Martin comes back to pull in front of the field.
Lap 2 Mark Martin leads a lap. We see several three and four wide racing areas on the track.
Lap 3 Kasey Kahne is off pace out of any kind of draft. We hear that his engine issue may be continuing.
YELLOW FLAG lap 5 Paul Menard blows a tire where he slides up the track into the path of Joe Nemechek in turn two. Menard is front ended by Nemechek in the passenger door. Menard’s front end is in the wall as they skid out of turn two.
GREEN FLAG lap 9 as Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards lead our field back up to speed. IN turn three Edwards is the leader for the moment. Lap 10 David Reutimann followed by Greg Biffle lead the high line as they pass Edwards.
Lap 11 Kurt Busch leads the field across the start finish line with everyone else three wide. Lap 12 Reutimann is the leader this time with Biffle in tow. Lap 13 we start to see two distinct packs of drivers. We see a group of 26 drivers three wide racing, then about 2 seconds back a group that is kind of single file strung loose about ten drivers or so.
Lap 16 Reutimann swings back and forth in front of Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth to retain his lead. The top ten drivers are two wide heading into turn one. Out of turn two the lead pack looks to mellow out for a moment to make the top 15 two by two.
Lap 18 Jeff Gordon crosses the line as the lead for the lap. Lap 20 Reutimann slips back to 16th as we see a big swing in driver positions. Behind Jeff Gordon Kevin Harvick, Casey Mears, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Marcos Ambrose and Robby Gordon are in the top 10.
Lap 23 we have seen 8 lead changes among 6 leaders so far. Last race we saw 54 lead changes. Lap 25 the top ten drivers are Mears, Harvick, Jeff Gordon, Earnhardt Jr., Ambrose, David Stremme, Michael Waltrip, Kahne, Truex Jr. and Juan Pablo Montoya.
Lap 26 a majority of the field has gone to single file racing. This is a bit early in the race to “ride” along, but in the driver’s meeting this morning, NASCAR warned the drivers and teams that bump drafting is going to be watched intensely. If it happens too much and in the corners, NASCAR will black flag the driver for perform a drive through on pit road.
Lap 29 in the garage we see Nemechek and Menard who look to be done for the day and Dave Blaney who is a start and park driver. Lap 30 single file racing continues. Lap 32 Denny Hamlin drops to the inside line to see if anyone follows him. It does not last long as Hamlin moves back in line.
Lap 34 single file racing lead by Casey Mears, Harvick, Jeff Gordon, Earnhardt Jr. and Ambrose. Lap 36 a “big” pass on the field as Max Papis is down a lap with the field going by. Lap 37 we hear on the scanner from Earnhardt Jr. that he has not had to lift or break which feels really weird. Lap 38 Robby Gordon and Tony Stewart drop to the inside line with Papis to make something different happen. Lap 40 we should see pit stops soon, we may go back to the old days when 5 of 6 drivers would pit and this would see the action start.
Lap 41 Martin Truex Jr., Montoya, Joey Logano and Brian Vickers pit. Looks like all four will work together. Lap 42 Mears, Harvick, Robby Gordon and Ambrose are in. Truex Jr. is busted for speeding and will have to do a driver through.
Lap 43 Earnhardt Jr., Martin, Sam Hornish Jr., Edwards, Erik Darnell, Stremme, Biffle are in. Lap 44 Kurt Busch and Kahne are in. Mears was busted along with Darnell. Lap 45 Papis, Robert Richardson Jr., Scott Speed are in. Lap 47 Reed Sorenson is in by himself. Lap 48 Kyle Busch and Hamlin are in for their stops. Hornish Jr. heads to the garage. Reutimann was in for a stop as well.
Lap 49 A.J. Allmendinger solo spins out on pit road entry. Clint Bowyer rear ended Allmendinger as they were heading in. A few others pit. Lap 50 Kurt Busch is way too fast on pit in where he plows…
YELLOW FLAG lap 51 as Busch is sideways in the grass , ending up in the Pepsi logo on the front stretch. Stewart, Johnson, Jeff Gordon and another were heading in when this happened. Gordon peels back onto the track, while the rest came down pit road. Waltrip is the leader for the moment. We see a few drivers come back to pit road along with Waltrip. Kyle Busch, Jeff Burton, Hamlin, Jeff Gordon and Earnhardt Jr. are the first five back to the track.
GREEN FLAG lap 55 led by Elliott Sadler and Brad Keselowski. Kenseth and Biffle are hooked up together behind Sadler. Lap 58 Hamlin and Earnhardt Jr. move up in the field. Lap 59 Hamlin is the leader followed by Sadler and Earnhardt Jr. Hamlin is shuffled back.
Lap 60 Earnhardt Jr. drops to the line followed by Bobby Labonte heading into lap 61 to take the lead. We can see where Earnhardt is on the track by the way the crowd jumps up to cheer him along. Lap 62 Jeff Gordon has help from Harvick on the low line to take the lead. By the back stretch Hamlin pushes Harvick out of the way to get back in front.
Lap 63 Earnhardt is behind Harvick on the low line again as they move past Hamlin. Montoya and Labonte follow Earnhardt Jr. Lap 65 We see the action on the track with some three wide racing in the top 10 to 15. Harvick continues the lead with Earnhardt Jr. in tow.
Lap 68 back to single file racing again, led by Harvick and Earnhardt Jr. Lap 70 the field caught up with Allmendinger who is a lap down. Drivers move around Allmendinger, on the back stretch Kahne almost wrecks with Allmendinger as he tried to get around and shoots into the open air.
Lap 72 21 lead changes among 15 leaders. The top twenty drivers are Harvick, Earnhardt Jr., Montoya, Hamlin, Martin, Ambrose, Kyle Busch, Reutimann, Burton, Ragan, Biffle, Robby Gordon, Truex Jr., Logano, Sadler, Waltrip, Vickers, Stremme, Regan Smith and Keselowski.
The big action on the track is the scanner where we hear Harvick and the team talk about placing an iPod in his drink holder as they race around in “Cruise” control.
Lap 78 drivers a lap down are Allmendinger, Mears and Papis. Kurt Busch is two laps down. Hornish Jr., Blaney, Menard and Nemechek are in the garage.
Well, let’s see the Chase standings are Johnson with 6188, Martin is 48 points back in 2nd, Montoya 125 points back, Jeff Gordon 141 points back, Stewart 186 points back, Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Newman, Biffle, Edwards, Kahne and Vickers.
Lap 85 the big talk is when pit stops are going to happen for some action on the track. Lap 86 we see a second line forming up in the back. Allmendinger blows a left rear tire dropping to the apron, no yellow.
Lap 89 we start to see movement on the track as drivers may be forming up to make pit stops coming soon. Earnhardt Jr. is the leader once again. Lap 90 three wide racing is back on the track. Biffle on the low side, Ambrose in the middle with Reutimann. Truex Jr. has no help as he heads into pit road. Lap 92 Montoya leads a lap for part of a lap, where Harvick is back in front. Scott Speed on pit road. Edwards, Biffle, Sadler are in for stops.
Lap 94 Biffle is busted by NASCAR as the tire got away from the team in the pit as Biffle left his box. Lap 95 Earnhardt Jr. and Martin almost get together heading out of turn four. Keselowski and Nemechek are on pit road.
Lap 96 Kyle Busch, Logano, Reutimann, Ragan are in for stops. Lap 97 Hamlin, Montoya, Kenseth and Stremme are in. Lap 98 a big group of 15 drivers are in led by Harvick and Earnhardt Jr. Jeff Gordon makes contact with Mears. Lap 99 Ambrose and Kurt Busch are in. Kahne is in.
Lap 100 (88 to go) as we have seen 26 lead changes among 17 leaders. We have had two cautions for 8 laps. Lap 102 pit stops for the leaders are complete. Hamlin is the leader, followed by Stremme, Ragan, Logano, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Robby Gordon, Vickers, Harvick, Burton, Earnhardt Jr., Bobby Labonte, Montoya, Edwards, Truex Jr., Johnson, Kenseth, Sadler, Newman and Stewart.
Lap 105 we are back to single file.
YELLOW FLAG lap 106 for debris. Biffle is the lucky dog. Most of the teams will top off the fuel and get out. Hamlin, Logano, Kyle Busch, Robby Gordon and Earnhardt are the first back. We also see Ambrose and Reutimann’s team work on the damage to their cars.
GREEN FLAG lap 109 as Hamlin and Logano get the field back to racing. Three wide racing at the moment. The top six are two wide. Lap 11 score Robby Gordon with the lead. On the back straight Jeff Gordon helps Burton move into the lead, around the low line to drop in front of the driver on the low side.
Lap 113 Jeff Gordon has the lead followed by Burton. Lap 115 three wide racing and some four wide racing in the back of the pack. NASCAR warns the teams about bump drafting. Lap 116 Hamlin pushes Logano in front of the field. On the outside Jeff Gordon helps Earnhardt Jr. on the outside line to get in front with Burton behind both drivers.
Earnhardt Jr. is back in front again. NASCAR once again warns the teams about bumping in the turns. Lap 119 Hamlin moves around Gordon to take second. By turn three Hamlin shoots around Earnhardt Jr. to take the lead. Lap 119 two wide racing in front of the field.
Lap 120 Newman is in front for a moment as Kyle Busch, Sadler, Jeff Gordon and Kahne battle in the front. Lap 121 Kyle Busch takes the lead followed by Hamlin. We see some shuffling in the top 15 drivers. Labonte takes his car to the garage. Lap 123 Newman is in front with Sadler in tow. Kyle Busch and Hamlin are on the low line in a drag race with Newman, Sadler and Jeff Gordon.
Lap 125 as we see racing on the track as two and three wide racing. We have not talked about Johnson much as he hangs in the back of the track, points racing running 33rd. Lap 126 Kyle Busch back in front. The lead pack is back to three wide racing.
Lap 127 on the back side of the track Jeff Gordo with help from Harvick move around to take the lead. We are up to 40 lead changes among 21 drivers. Lap 129 Allmendinger is on pit road. Lap 130 (58 to go) it’s Jeff Gordon, Stremme, Earnhardt Jr., Mears and Keselowski.
56 laps to go as the top five are single file. The rest are three wide. 53 to go as we see Keselowski and Earnhardt Jr. take the low line under Mears and Bowyer on the high line. 31 to go Keselowski and Earnhardt run in front, Mears on the inside by himself.
YELLOW FLAG with 50 to go as Hamlin blows up on the front stretch. Kurt Busch is the lucky dog. Everyone heads to pit road. Keselowski, Jeff Gordon, Stremme, Robby Gordon and Truex Jr. are the first five out to the track.
GREEN FLAG with 46 to go as Keselowski along with Jeff Gordon lead us back to speed. On the back of the track, Stremme pushes Jeff Gordon as Robby Gordon pushes Keselowski. By the start finish line and 44 to go Keselowski is helping Jeff Gordon in the front. Bowyer helps Harvick on the inside line as they move to the front.
42 to go Truex Jr. is the leader with Edwards in tow. 40 to go Sadler does his best to hold drivers behind him. It works for part of a lap, but not long. 39 to go Montoya takes the lead with Burton and Harvick along for the ride. Four wide in the tri-oval heading to turn one. Sadler was in the middle of the four wide, shuffled to the back.
38 to go Burton is the leader to make the count 53 lead changes among 25 leaders. 36 to go Jamie McMurray leads for the first time today. That does not last for long as Ambrose is back in front.
34 to go McMurray is back in front of seven drivers that are single file. Behind McMurray we see Kenseth, Montoya, Mears, Ambrose, Burton, Harvick, Robby Gordon, Earnhardt Jr. and Martin in the top ten.
32 to go the top 15 are single file for the moment. 30 to go as we remain single file. 26 to go as Johnson continues to run back in 31st. 25 to go single file no change in the top ten. 23 to go we see Sadler, Ragan, Bowyer start the low side line. By turn three Martin and Earnhardt Jr. drop in front of the low line. 22 to go Mears drops from the high line in front of Earnhardt Jr. 21 to go as McMurray and Kenseth block Earnhardt and Martin on the high side. By the back stretch Mears and Earnhardt run in front.
20 to go Earnhardt is the leader followed by McMurray. Johnson starts to move up in the field to 30th. 29 to go as McMurray and Mears leaves Earnhardt Jr. out to dry as he takes the lead again.
18 to go as we see a five car train on the inside line. We have three wide as we head into 17 to go the middle line led by Bowyer and Kyle Busch. 16 to go as McMurray tries to block three line of drivers. Earnhardt Jr. leads the high line with Kenseth on his bumper. Ragan on the inside with Newman.
15 to go as McMurray is by himself up and down trying to hold the drivers behind him. 14 to go Earnhardt is on the bumper of McMurray followed by Kenseth and Jeff Gordon. Newman and Ragan on the inside.
13 to go Earnhardt on the inside as we have three wide for the lead, McMurray in the middle, Stremme on the outside. 12 to go as the low line falls off as the middle led by McMurray and the high line led by Stremme pull away.
11 to go as Allmendinger blows up and moves out of the way.
10 to go as Stremme and Keselowski lead the field. We hear on many of the scanners that the teams may be two laps short on fuel.
9 to go as we see Stremme, Keselowski, Kenseth, Jeff Gordon and Martin working on the lead.
8 to go Johnson is up to 23rd. Earnhardt was moved back in the pack is in front 17th, of Johnson.
7 to go as McMurray is mirror driving in front of Kenseth, Jeff Gordon and Stremme. Kahne, Vickers and Logano on the inside.
6 to go McMurray in front Kurt Busch has a big issue pulling out of the pack.
5 to go McMurray and Kenseth in front. The drivers are getting tight on the back stretch
YELLOW FLAG with 4 to go as Newman ends up upside down at the bottom of turn three after flipping over at the end of the back stretch. It looked like Ambrose got into the back of Newman and Stewart as the drivers were into each other after Stewart lifted.
After the contact was made, Newman and Ambrose shoot to the bottom of the track in the path of Harvick and Sadler. Harvick slams into Newman, spinning him around, Sadler into Ambrose where they crash into Harvick.
Newman is back wards on the track, where the rear wing catches the air, where it flips his car backwards, upside down, on top of Harvick’s car. Ambrose shoots under the flipping Newman car.
The rear wing of Newman’s car ends up with the back end on Harvick’s hood. Sadler shoots back up on the track, Ambrose off into the grass. Newman comes back onto the track upside down where he heads straight into the outside wall.
After a 360 upside down, Newman shoots to the bottom of the track on the side of his car. Ambrose at the same time heads into the outside wall. Newman continues his upside down adventure back to the grass where it comes to a stop after spinning on the nose of his car another 360.
After several minutes on the track upside down, NASCAR tow trucks flip the car over. The NASCAR safety team cuts the roof off where Newman gets out of his to show that he is ok. Newman has no injuries.
RED FLAG for about 12 minutes.
We see that Jeff Gordon ran out of fuel. It looks like Papis is out of fuel. We have to wait until NASCAR can clear them off the track before we can go back racing. It looks like Stremme is out fuel in turn three. Many of the teams were going to be out of fuel, which is hitting them now. This time under yellow, we see a bunch of drivers come onto pit road for fuel.
GREEN FLAG with a green white checkered finish as John Andretti runs out of fuel at the line. McMurray is the leader followed by Kahne and Logano.
YELLOW FLAG / CHECKERED FLAG with the big one that will finish the race in the tri-oval. The race ends with McMurray as the winner. A lot of carnage on the track behind McMurray after some type of contact between Keselowski and Kurt Busch as the drivers head out of turn four.
Busch finds himself sideways in front of Vickers, then slamming into the passenger side of Speed, just missing Waltrip. Speed shoots up into the path of Vickers, where they get together, collecting Bowyer.
Truex Jr. is clipped by another driver, shooting him into Martin and Montoya. Martin flips over and spins into the outside wall, Montoya into the grass. Mears, Reutimann, Sorenson and Ragan are collected in the wreck as well.
Robby Gordon is smashed in the wreck fest then into the path of Jeff Gordon where they connect.
The race lasted for 3 and a half hours. We saw 63 lead changes among 27 leaders. 6 cautions fell on the race for 22 laps, along with a red flag.
At the time of this posting, NASCAR has not set the official top ten until after a review of the accident and the position of the cars. Unofficially, We see the top ten being McMurray, Kahne, Logano, Biffle, Burton, Waltrip, Sadler, Johnson, Keselowski and Earnhardt Jr.
