Chevy Rock and Roll 400 From Richmond - Jimmie Johnson Wins

The field is led to the green flag by Kyle Busch who got a strong start and takes the lead.

Lap 19: 18, 29, 88, 48, 24, 20, 99, 11, 31 & 17

There's a lap 35 competition yellow scheduled, but as we approach the 35th lap, Harvick caught Ky Busch and by lap 30, Harvick got on the outside of Busch and took the lead. Harvick is running a line around everyone else.

The 29 car is lapping cars and the 88 car of Dale Earnhardt Jr is on his bumper as the competition yellow comes out.

Lap 43 restart: 24, 29, 88, 11, 99, 20, 17, 18, 07 & 44. 2 laps later the 29 car took the lead back.

Lap 80: 11, 88, 29, 20, 07, 18, 24, 31, 48 & 6

Hamlin takes the lead forcing Harvick to go low, and Earnhardt takes advantage and passes Harvick and lets Hamlin know he's there with a bump thud going into turn 3. Hamlin rubs up into Jr going into the front stretch.

The telecast reported that NASCAR came over the radio to remind them to take it easy. Jeeze... quit playing big brother and let them race Helton or who ever is watch dogging the very same field you said you'd let police themselves.

Jr. did finally take the lead by the 88th lap. (He had it before that, but I thought it cool to report that the 88 car is leading on lap 88.)

Edwards had to pit with a RR tire going flat previous to this, so he's off the lead lap right now.

Lap 97: Johnny Sauter loses a RF tire. CAUTION is out.

Lap 102 restart: restart sees Dale Jr. lead Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and the rest of the pack to the green then the No 55 Toyota of Michael Waltrip got turned around on the restart by the No. 12 Dodge of Ryan Newman aaand we are back under caution!

Lap 109 restart: 88, 11, 29, 18, 17, 07, 20, 6, 31 & 48 cars lead the pack.

Bubble spotters: 11 (2nd), 07 (6th), 6 (8th), 24 (12th), 9 (26th). It's not looking good so far for the No. 9 Dodge of Kasey Kahne.

Lap 116 Caution for the No. 16 of Biffle hitting the wall... well, he slid it sideways up into the wall, tapping the RR corner of the car. The rest of the car seems fine.

Lap 120 (??)t: Kenseth and Ragan get together and slide up into the wall. Big for the two chasing the Cup Bubble. (??: I was distracted by my snacks!!!)

Ragan just lost it and slid up into the wall while Kenseth, though not near him, started sliding up into the wall with him. It looks like they both slipped on something. Kenseth echoed the premise of oil on the track. The No. 6 car does not look good, the 17 car looks worse.

This spot, going into turn 1, has taken it's toll on the Roush garage. It's the same spot Biffle spun out on.

Lap 128 restart: 88, 29, 11, 18, 07, 20, 48, 31, 24 & 1

Lap 135 sees Harvick take the lead back from Dale Jr.

Lap 160: Hitting the wall has not agreed with the No. 6 Ford of David Ragan or the No.17 of Matt Kenseth. The 17 is 32nd, the no. 6 is 33rd. Meanwhile, Kasey Kahne is running 18th.

Lap 163 Caution: The No. 42 and 19 cars spin... not together. The 42 got up into the wall, the No 19 has a flat RF tire.

Ragan just went a lap down and is the lucky dog. He's probably not feeling that lucky right now.

Kenseth isn't locked into the Chase, but for him to get booted out Kasey Kahne has to lead a lap and do really really well.

Lap 170 Restart: 88, 29, 18, 11 & 48 cars lead the pack. The No. 17 car is getting black flagged for loose sheet metal. (He stayed out and led a lap under caution.)
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Lap 200 halfway mark:
18, 88, 11, 29, 20, 48, 07, 31, 24, 12, 2, 5, 16, 8 & 1 are the top 15 cars in the field.

As the field gets past the 1/2 way mark, the No 1 and 77 cars get together and spin away in a fine synchronized spinning demonstration.

Lap 209 restart: 18, 88, 20, 48 & 29 cars lead the pack to the green.

Lap 212 CAUTION: Dale Earnhardt Jr and Kyle Busch get into each other and that sends Busch hard into the wall, HARD!!

Oh shades of last years race! LOL.... It did just look like hard racing as Jr was below Busch and Kyle came down on the 88 car and got himself spun out. Jr just converted a bunch of Shrub hatin' fans!!!

Is it coincidental that it was caution number 8? Or that the lap numbes added up, 2+1+2 equals 5. All the numbers add up to both drivers old car numbers! Freaky!! Sometimes I like destiny.

Now, does the Shrub come out to get even, or to keep the car going on the track? The back end looked pretty bad.

Lap 217 restart: 88, 20, 48, 29 & 11 cars lead the pack, and we see the 18 car get back onto the track as the cars take the green flag.
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Lap 226 Caution with another flat RF for Sadler in the No. 19 Dodge.

Lap 233 restart: 88, 20, 48, 29 & 07. TV is reporting a vibration from the No. 88 car of Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Lap 236 Stewart takes the lead and Johnson follows suit and Jr goes to third.

Lap 242 Caution for Kyle Busch has a spin with the help of Elliot Sadler. Busch's day is not very optimal.

Lap 246 restart: 44, 8, 1, 55 & 00 lead the pack to the green. When many pitted, 14 cars stayed on the track. Check it out, Michael Waltrip Racing cars are all in the top 5! (OK, am I being mean?)

I was going to do a lap 250 rundown, but the pitting strategies of the 14 cars messed it up! As it stands,

44, 8, 1, 00, 55, 01, 41, 6, 43 & 11. That's a unique looking top 10.
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Check this out: Cup Bubble Drivers on Lap 279 sees Ragan in 14th and Bowyer in 25th. The 17 ca is running 39th.

Lap 297 Cuation with the No 83 Toyota hitting the wall from a RF tire of Vickers. This is going to bring the field back together and it probably isn't going to look good for Reutimann in the No. 44 car.

Lap 305 Restart: 44, 20, 31, 88, 8, 1, 48, 11, 5 & 00

Caution With 86 to go: 21, 99 and 43 cars do the fender dance as the 43 car gets loose and his sideways slide collects the 21 and 99 cars with him. Nothing serious for damage. This yellow will put Kyle Busch back on the lead lap.

Restart with 80 laps to go: 44, 20, 88, 8 & 48.
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Some replays showed Bowyer and Ragan playing hard. Bowyer rubbed up into the LR of Ragan, then Bowyer bumps a car up and out of the way. That car slides up into the No. 6 car of Ragan, forcing him back several spots. Clint! What are you doing? Oh yea, fighting for that 12th spot! Never mind!

With 53 to go, Stewart threatens Reutimann for the lead and with 52 to go, Stewart takes the lead. Johnson tries to follow suit.

With 50 to go: 20, 44, 48, 88, 8, 31, 11, 1, 29 & 5. There's some good racing going on here today.
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Caution for the No. 66 car of Scott Riggs.

Restart with 37 to go: 1, 48, 20, 88, 31, 16, 44, 11, 2 & 8

Johnson goes for the lead and has it with 33 to go, followed by Stewart, putting that one car behind them.

Caution with the 15 car hitting the wall with 31 to go.

Restart with 26 to go: 48, 20, 88, 1 & 31
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15 to go: 48, 20, 88, 11 & 31

10 to go: 20, 48, 11, 88 & 8

Great race between Stewart and Johnson. I think Stewart needs to get on the outside of Johnson, otherwise Johnson will have the momentum every time off of turn 4.

5 to go: 48 leads the 20. I think Stewart used up his tires fighting from the inside line.

3 to go: 48 leads the 20. Johnson is pulling away slowly.

The excitemet is done as Johnson is pulling away, inch by inch.

1 to go: 48 car clear by one.

At the Start finish line it's
48(Jimmie Johnson)
20(Tony Stewart)
11(Denny Hamlin)
88(Dale Earnhardt Jr.)
8(Mark Martin)
31(Jeff Burton)
29(Kevin Harvick)
24(Jeff Gordon)
44(David Reutimann)
2(Kurt Busch)