Nascar
Sprint Cup'ta Chase'e adım adım gidiliyor ve Atlanta Motor
Speedway'deki
325 turluk Emory Healthcare 500 Miles'ın ardından 11 Eylül'de Richmond
International Raceway'deki Air Guard 400 ile Normal Sezon kapanacak.
İlk 12 sürücü Chase'deki 10 yarışta şampiyonluk için çarpışırken
diğerleri Klasman için mücadele edecek. Atlanta'da 14 numaralı
Chevrolet'si ile Damalı Bayrağı gören Tony Stewart, 31 yarış sonra
kazanırken bu sezon ilk zaferini elde etti.
*
Yılın en güzel maçı:
Wozniacki - Sharapova (Video)
*
Shoya Tomizawa kaza (Video) Tony Stewart'a birinciliği
kazandıran ise 301. turda 99 no'lu Carl Edwards'ı geçtikten sonra Kasey Kahne'in kazasında
yaptıkları pit-stop'taki lastik tercihi ve hızlı değişimle
tekrar 1. sırada çıkabilmesi oldu. 307. turda tekrar sallanan Yeşil
Bayrak'la iyi bir kaçış yaptı.
14 Tony
Stewart Chevrolet
99 Carl
Edwards Ford
48 Jimmie
Johnson Chevrolet
31 Jeff
Burton Chevrolet
18 Kyle
Busch Toyota
2 Kurt
Busch Dodge
33 Clint
Bowyer Chevrolet
39 Ryan
Newman Chevrolet
42 Juan
Montoya Chevrolet
47 Marcos
Ambrose Toyota
CHASE
POINTS
POLES
WINS
TOP5
TOP10
$$$
1-Kevin
Harvick
3585
0
3
11
16
5,040,200
2-Jeff
Gordon
3366
0
0
10
13
4,259,150
3-Kyle
Busch
3325
-2
3
7
13
4,658,220
4-Tony
Stewart
3302
2
1
7
14
4,159,330
5-Carl
Edwards
3288
1
0
6
13
3,964,810
6-Jeff
Burton
3261
0
0
5
13
3,831,630
7-Jimmie
Johnson
3247
1
5
9
13
5,158,610
8-Kurt
Busch
3228
2
2
8
15
5,348,840
9-Matt
Kenseth
3225
0
0
5
10
3,967,100
10-Denny
Hamlin
3147
1
5
9
10
4,072,250
11-Greg
Biffle
3110
0
1
5
14
3,659,440
12-Clint
Bowyer
3066
0
0
4
13
3,299,430
OUT
OF THE CHASE
POINTS
POLES
WINS
TOP5
TOP10
$$$
13-Ryan
Newman
2949
1
1
2
8
3,598,520
14-Jamie
McMurray
2938
3
2
7
9
5,360,150
15-Mark
Martin
2919
1
0
5
7
3,231,510
Normal
Sezon sonunda ilk 12 sürücüsü, puanlarıyla Chase'e kalacak
ve 10
yarışlık play-off'ta şampiyonluk için mücadele edecek, diğerleri
klasman...
LAP-BY-LAP
ATLANTA
Lap
325 -- CHECKERED FLAG: Tony Stewart grabs his first victory of the
season by holding off Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson. The top-10 in
the standings have all clinched a Chase berth. Greg Biffle in 11th just
needs to start at Richmond to clinch his Chase berth.
Lap 324 -- WHITE FLAG: Tony Stewart takes the white flag.
Lap 322 -- Kasey Kahne, 15 laps down, is trying to spin Ryan Newman to
show him he wasn't happy with the rub earlier.
Lap 320 -- Tony Stewart still up by a second. Jeff Burton battling Ryan
Newman for fourth.
Lap 316 -- Tony Stewart leads by 1.2 seconds. Clint Bowyer in seventh.
Lap 314 -- Kyle Busch passes Kurt Busch for sixth. Tony Stewart and
Carl Edwards have pulled away from the field.
Lap 313 -- Jeff Burton is on the move passing Kurt Busch for fifth.
Lap 310 -- Jeff Burton up to seventh after pitting for fresh tires.
Kevin Harvick back on pit road.
Lap 309 -- Ryan Newman falls back to fourth as Jimmie Johnson passes
him.
Lap 308 -- Tony Stewart maintains the lead. Ryan Newman passes Jimmie
Johnson for third.
Lap 307 -- GREEN FLAG: Tony Stewart brings the field to speed.
1. Tony Stewart
2. Carl Edwards
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Ryan Newman
5. Kurt Busch
Lap 305 -- Kasey Kahne takes his No. 9 to the garage with water pump
issues. This will more than likely mathematically eliminate Kahne from
Chase contention.
Lap 304 -- Juan Montoya, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, A.J.
Allmendinger and Kevin Harvick among the cars to pit.
Lap 302 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 8: Debris from Kasey Kahne's tire litters
the track bringing out the caution. David Ragan gets the free pass and
is back on the lead lap.
Lap 301 -- LEAD CHANGE: Tony Stewart passes Carl Edwards in Turn 2 for
the lead. Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch get together and Kahne has a tire
go down.
Lap 300 -- GREEN FLAG: Carl Edwards brings the field to the green.
1. Carl Edwards
2. Tony Stewart
3. Kasey Kahne
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Kurt Busch
Lap 298 -- LEAD CHANGE: Carl Edwards wins the race off pit road and
takes the lead.
Lap 297 -- The leaders hit pit road.
• Carl Edwards with an air pressure adjustment
• Jimmie Johnson with no changes
• Kasey Kahne with an air pressure adjustment
• Tony Stewart with an air pressure adjustment
• Kurt Busch with no changes for the first time tonight
Lap 295 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 7: Brad Keselowski slaps the wall hard
enough to bring out the caution. David Reutimann is back on the lead
lap after being two laps down as he gets the free pass.
Lap 292 -- Tony Stewart passes Kyle Busch for fifth as he tries to work
his way back to the front.
Lap 290 -- Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards are
nose-to-tail for the lead.
Lap 288 -- Jimmie Johnson goes inside on Kasey Kahne but Kahne holds.
Lap 285 -- Jimmie Johnson is closing on Kasey Kahne for the lead.
Lap 283 -- Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson get around Kurt Busch for
second and third.
Lap 282 -- Chase bubble update: Clint Bowyer (ninth), Mark Martin
(16th), Jamie McMurray (14th), Kasey Kahne (first), Ryan Newman (16th).
Lap 281 -- Jimmie Johnson gets around Kyle Busch for fourth.
Lap 280 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kasey Kahne beats Kurt Busch to the line and
leads.
Lap 277 -- Kasey Kahne passes Kyle Busch for second. Carl Edwards and
Jimmie Johnson pass Jeff Gordon, dropping the No. 24 to seventh.
Lap 276 -- Kurt Busch has a great start and leads. Kyle Busch up to
second. Jeff Gordon down to fourth. Martin Truex Jr. down to seventh.
Lap 275 -- GREEN FLAG: Kurt Busch brings the field to the green.
1. Kurt Busch
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Martin Truex Jr.
4. Kyle Busch
5. Carl Edwards
Lap 273 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kurt Busch stays out and leads for the first
time tonight. Jeff Gordon also stays out. Martin Truex Jr. won the race
off pit road.
Lap 272 -- Pit road is open and the leaders hit pit road.
• Carl Edwards with four tires and fuel
• Kyle Busch with four tires and fuel
• Tony Stewart with four tires and fuel
• Juan Montoya with four tires and fuel
• Martin Truex Jr. with a great stop
Lap 268 -- Pit road remains closed.
Lap 265 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 6: Scott Speed has his engine explode and
his No. 82 catches fire bringing out the caution. Paul Menard also has
power problems and he will go to the garage. Reed Sorenson gets the
free pass and is back on the lead lap.
Lap 264 -- Tony Stewart drifts up the track on the restart and falls to
fourth.
Lap 263 -- GREEN FLAG: Carl Edwards brings the field to the green.
1. Carl Edwards
2. Tony Stewart
3. Kyle Busch
4. Juan Montoya
5. Martin Truex Jr.
Lap 262 -- Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick back on pit road to top off on
fuel.
Lap 261 -- Kevin Harvick, David Ragan and Brad Keselowski will all move
to the rear of the field for pit penalties.
Lap 260 -- Pit road is open. Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Ryan Newman,
Kurt Busch and Scott Speed make stops. Gordon with major adjustments
including wedge and track bar.
Lap 258 -- Kevin Harvick on pit road and will be held a lap to fix a
scoring error. When the caution came out, Kevin Harvick drove through
pit road and put himself a lap ahead of everyone else. This isn't a
penalty, it's just to get the scoring system corrected.
Lap 256 -- Pit road is closed. Kevin Harvick back on pit road for
repairs.
Lap 255 -- Jeff Gordon was on pit road when the caution came out but
wasn't allowed to pit, so he will lose 11th when pit road opens to make
his stop.
Lap 254 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 5: Caution is out for debris as Carl Edwards
and a bunch of other cars were on pit road. Kevin Harvick shredded his
left front and has a lot of damage on his No. 29. Jamie McMurray gets
the free pass and is back on the lead lap.
Lap 253 -- Tony Stewart, Martin Truex Jr. and Kasey Kahne on pit road.
Lap 252 -- Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Jeff Burton and Regan Smith on
pit road.
Lap 251 -- Juan Montoya and Kyle Busch hit pit road.
Lap 250 -- LEAD CHANGE: Carl Edwards gets around Tony Stewart in Turn 1
to retake the lead.
Lap 249 -- Carl Edwards has caught Tony Stewart and is challenging for
the lead.
Lap 246 -- Kevin Harvick passes Jimmie Johnson for fifth.
Lap 244 -- Kyle Busch and Juan Montoya side-by-side for third.
Lap 243 -- Paul Menard hits pit road as he has engine problems.
Lap 240 -- Kyle Busch passes Jimmie Johnson for fourth.
Lap 238 -- Carl Edwards has cut Tony Stewart's lead in half, now
trailing the No. 14 by 2.2 seconds.
Lap 234 -- Jeff Gordon is desperate for a pit stop to make adjustments
as he has gone from fourth to 17th on this run.
Lap 232 -- Tony Stewart has caught the tail of the field, Paul Menard
is about to go a lap down.
Lap 229 -- Tony Stewart has opened up a 3.8-second lead on Carl Edwards.
Lap 227 -- Greg Biffle has lost power and he might not make it back to
pit road.
Lap 223 -- Greg Biffle is back on the track scored 39th, 71 laps down.
He will pass at least three drivers who are done for the night, giving
him nine more points.
Lap 222 -- Juan Montoya passes Jimmie Johnson for third and Johnson
shows his displeasure after the pass with a gesture out the window.
Lap 215 -- The Chase battle is heating up. The way they run right now,
17 points separate Mark Martin, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne and Jamie
McMurray. Martin is 13th, 95 points behind Clint Bowyer.
Lap 212 -- David Reutimann, after his radio issues, is the first car a
lap down and in a battle with Jamie McMurray, who lost a lap after his
flat tire.
Lap 210 -- Juan Montoya passes Kyle Busch for fourth.
Lap 208 -- A tough restart for Jeff Gordon as he falls to eighth and is
now in a battle with Jeff Burton and Kasey Kahne.
Lap 207 -- Jimmie Johnson goes high to pass Carl Edwards for second.
Lap 206 -- The racing is getting a little more heated as numerous cars
are three-wide on the restart.
Lap 205 -- GREEN FLAG: Tony Stewart brings the field to the green.
1. Tony Stewart
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Carl Edwards
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Kyle Busch
Lap 203 -- Clint Bowyer back on pit road.
Lap 202 -- The lead-lap cars hit pit road.
• Carl Edwards with an air pressure and wedge adjustment
• Jimmie Johnson with four tires and no adjustments
• Tony Stewart with an air pressure adjustment
• Jeff Gordon with four tires
• Mark Martin has a great four-tire stop
• Clint Bowyer with an extended stop
• Paul Menard with a long stop as he could have engine problems
Lap 200 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 4: David Ragan spins on the backstretch
bringing out the caution. Matt Kenseth gets the free pass and is back
on the lead lap.
Lap 198 -- An update on some in the field: A.J. Allmendinger (12th),
David Ragan (13th), Mark Martin (14th), Clint Bowyer (15th), Marcos
Ambrose (16th), Scott Speed (17th) and Regan Smith (18th).
Lap 196 -- Tony Stewart has caught the tail of the field as Matt
Kenseth and Ryan Newman are about to go a lap down.
Lap 191 -- Kevin Harvick's car is coming to life -- he gets around Jeff
Gordon for fourth.
Lap 190 -- Kevin Harvick and Juan Montoya among the fastest on the
track. Harvick is up to fifth and Montoya is seventh.
Lap 186 -- Congratulations to Kyle Busch, who has officially clinched a
berth in the Chase.
Lap 184 -- Jamie McMurray now 26th, one lap down after his flat tire.
Lap 182 -- Tony Stewart has opened up a 2.1-second lead on Jimmie
Johnson.
Lap 178 -- Jamie McMurray has a flat tire and is on pit road. He will
go a lap down.
Lap 177 -- Jeff Gordon closing on Martin Truex Jr. for fourth.
Lap 173 -- Greg Biffle remains in the garage but his point standing
isn't dire. He is currently 144 points ahead of 13th-place Jamie
McMurray if the race were to end right now.
Lap 171 -- Kurt Busch now 16th after struggling the first half of the
race with the handling of his No. 2.
Lap 170 -- LEAD CHANGE: Tony Stewart passes Jimmie Johnson on the
backstretch to retake the lead.
Lap 167 -- Jeff Gordon's car is coming alive at night as he shoots past
Kasey Kahne for fifth.
Lap 165 -- Jeff Gordon passes Kyle Busch for sixth. Juan Montoya and
Dale Earnhardt Jr. battling for ninth.
Lap 163 -- Kyle Busch up to sixth after being a lap down following an
unexpected pit stop for a vibration.
Lap 162 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jimmie Johnson has a great start and rockets to
the lead.
Lap 161 -- GREEN FLAG: Tony Stewart brings the field to the green.
1. Tony Stewart
2. Carl Edwards
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Martin Truex Jr.
5. Jeff Gordon
Lap 158 -- Pit road is open and the lead-lap cars hit pit road. Mark
Martin, David Ragan, Kurt Busch, Regan Smith and Scott Speed hit pit
road. All five are back on the lead lap.
Lap 155 -- Ryan Newman has pitted every lap to fix damage from contact
with Greg Biffle.
Lap 153 -- Greg Biffle in the garage. Ryan Newman on pit road. Elliott
Sadler's No. 19 remains on the track undriveable.
Lap 152 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 3: Greg Biffle gets bumped by Ryan Newman
and spins in Turn 3 hitting Elliott Sadler bringing out the caution.
Jeff Burton gets the free pass and is back on the lead lap.
Lap 151 -- GREEN FLAG: Tony Stewart brings the field to the green.
1. Tony Stewart
2. Carl Edwards
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Martin Truex Jr.
5. Jeff Gordon
Lap 150 -- Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick back on pit road with some
issues after their pit stops. Twenty-one cars take the wave-around
putting 22 cars on the lead lap.
Lap 149 -- LEAD CHANGE: Tony Stewart wins the race off pit road and
retakes the lead.
Lap 148 -- The lead-lap cars hit pit road.
• Tony Stewart with four tires and minor adjustments
• Juan Montoya with four tires and no adjustments
• Carl Edwards with four tires and minor adjustments
• Martin Truex Jr. with four tires and no adjustments
Lap 147 -- Pit road remains closed.
Lap 145 -- Pit road is closed due to clean-up efforts.
Lap 143 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 2: Denny Hamlin lost his engine bringing out
the caution as fluid is all over the frontstretch and Turn 1. Kyle
Busch gets the free pass and is back on the lead lap.
Lap 141 -- LEAD CHANGE: Denny Hamlin slips to fifth as Carl Edwards
inherits the lead in Turn 1. Tony Stewart second, Martin Truex Jr.
third and Jimmie Johnson fourth.
Lap 140 -- Tony Stewart struggled on the restart but he passes Martin
Truex Jr. for third.
Lap 139 -- Martin Truex Jr. gets a great start and jumps to third. Carl
Edwards also with a great restart as he moves to second.
Lap 138 -- GREEN FLAG: Denny Hamlin brings the field to the green.
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Tony Stewart
3. Carl Edwards
4. Kevin Harvick
5. Martin Truex Jr.
Lap 137 -- Joey Logano's crew has no idea what is wrong but believe its
in the engine.
Lap 135 -- Joe Nemechek and J.J. Yeley the wave-around cars but both
are multiple laps down. Kurt Busch on pit road for an extended stop
trying to find the right setup.
Lap 134 -- All the leaders his pit road.
• Carl Edwards with four tires and an air pressure adjustment
• Tony Stewart with four tires and a track bar adjustment
• Denny Hamlin with a track bar adjustment and an air pressure
adjustment
• Greg Biffle with four tires
• Jimmie Johnson with four tires
Lap 132 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 1: Debris in Turn 2 puts the race under
caution. Dale Earnhardt Jr. gets the free pass and is back on the lead
lap.
Lap 130 -- Marcos Ambrose goes a lap down with Mark Martin next in line.
Lap 128 -- Matt Kenseth goes a lap down.
Lap 127 -- LEAD CHANGE: Denny Hamlin gets around Tony Stewart in Turn 2
and retakes the lead.
Lap 125 -- Kevin Harvick up to fifth as he passes Martin Truex Jr.
Lap 120 -- A Chase bubble update: Clint Bowyer (13th), Mark Martin
(18th), Jamie McMurray (15th), Ryan Newman (14th), Kasey Kahne (eighth).
Lap 116 -- David Reutimann scored in 35th, two laps down, after his
radio issues. It turns out he accidentally ripped the wire out of his
helmet.
Lap 115 -- Elliott Sadler goes a lap down leaving 19 cars on the lead
lap.
Lap 112 -- Joey Logano thinks he might have a cylinder out in his
engine and he has slowed off the pace. Logano is currently 29th.
Lap 111 -- Tony Stewart puts David Ragan a lap down.
Lap 109 -- Jimmie Johnson going to the outside looking to get around
Kasey Kahne for fifth.
Lap 106 -- The top five after green-flag stops:
1. Tony Stewart
2. Denny Hamlin
3. Carl Edwards
4. Martin Truex Jr.
5. Kasey Kahne
Lap 104 -- Kyle Busch on pit road for his green-flag stop. He will go
one lap down.
Lap 103 -- David Reutimann is being black-flagged, he has no
communication with his team.
Lap 102 -- After green-flag stops, Kurt Busch is in 25th, the first car
one lap down.
Lap 101 -- Kyle Busch sits in third after his pit stop off sequence for
a loose wheel. He will need a caution or else he will pit within the
next 20 laps.
Lap 99 -- LEAD CHANGE: Tony Stewart inherits the lead after Denny
Hamlin pits.
Lap 98 -- Carl Edwards with a track bar adjustment. Denny Hamlin with
four tires and a wedge adjustment.
Lap 97 -- Tony Stewart with a wedge and track bar adjustment. Greg
Biffle with a track bar adjustment.
Lap 96 -- Jeff Gordon, Juan Montoya and Matt Kenseth on pit road.
Lap 95 -- LEAD CHANGE: Tony Stewart back out front. Jamie McMurray,
Martin Truex Jr. and A.J. Allmendinger on pit road.
Lap 94 -- LEAD CHANGE: Denny Hamlin back out front. Ryan Newman on pit
road with an air pressure adjustment.
Lap 93 -- Clint Bowyer on pit road. Bowyer with four tires and an air
pressure adjustment.
Lap 92 -- David Reutimann's crew has requested a black flag on the No.
00. Kurt Busch on pit road for a wedge adjustment.
Lap 91 -- LEAD CHANGE: Tony Stewart gets a great run on Denny Hamlin
and is back out front. Jeff Burton goes a lap down.
Lap 88 -- LEAD CHANGE: Denny Hamlin gets around Tony Stewart and
retakes the lead.
Lap 87 -- Sam Hornish Jr. on pit road as another round of green-flag
stops begins.
Lap 85 -- Paul Menard continues to impress as he passes Greg Biffle for
seventh.
Lap 84 -- Denny Hamlin has closed the gap on Tony Stewart and is
challenging for the lead.
Lap 81 -- Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson side-by-side for fifth.
Lap 80 -- Carl Edwards passes Kahne for third. Kevin Harvick has gained
19 positions in 80 laps.
Lap 77 -- Regan Smith and Joey Logano go a lap down as 24 cars remain
on the lead lap.
Lap 76 -- Ryan Newman falls to 11th as Paul Menard and Kevin Harvick
pass the No. 39.
Lap 72 -- Paul Menard currently 10th. Clint Bowyer runs 13th. David
Ragan currently in 16th.
Lap 70 -- Kyle Busch on pit road with a loose wheel and he goes a lap
down. Kurt Busch also a lap down.
Lap 68 -- Jeff Burton struggling as he runs 25th. Kyle Busch up to 20th
but he is reporting a vibration and will pit.
Lap 66 -- Reed Sorenson and Sam Hornish Jr. go a lap down.
Lap 64 -- LEAD CHANGE: Tony Stewart goes high on the backstretch and
takes the lead from Denny Hamlin.
Lap 62 -- Kasey Kahne goes high up the track and passes Martin Truex
Jr. for third.
Lap 59 -- After his pass-through penalty, Kyle Busch is 22nd, 23
seconds behind leader Denny Hamlin.
Lap 58 -- Green-flag stops put Bill Elliott, Casey Mears and Dave
Blaney a lap down.
Lap 57 -- The top five after green-flag stops:
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Tony Stewart
3. Martin Truex Jr.
4. Kasey Kahne
5. Ryan Newman
Lap 55 -- LEAD CHANGE: Denny Hamlin gets around Tony Stewart and
retakes the lead.
Lap 53 -- J.J. Yeley takes his car to the garage.
Lap 52 -- LEAD CHANGE: With Kyle Busch being penalized, Tony Stewart
takes the lead for the first time tonight.
Lap 51 -- The black flag with the white cross is being displayed for
Kyle Busch meaning if he doesn't pit, they will stop scoring.
Lap 50 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch is out front and leads but he was too
fast entering pit road and will have to serve a pass-through penalty.
Lap 49 -- Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch on pit road. Busch with a minor
adjustment. Hamlin with four tires and an air pressure adjustment.
Lap 48 -- Greg Biffle, Juan Montoya, A.J. Allmendinger and Jimmie
Johnson on pit road.
Lap 47 -- Tony Stewart gives up third and pits. Kasey Kahne, Ryan
Newman and Reed Sorenson also pit. Stewart with a chassis adjustment.
Lap 46 -- Kurt Busch on pit road for four tires and a wedge adjustment.
Lap 45 -- Marcos Ambrose on pit road.
Lap 44 -- Sam Hornish Jr. on pit road beginning green-flag stops.
Lap 43 -- Kevin Conway takes the No. 7 to the garage as green-flag
stops are upcoming.
Lap 42 -- After a horrible qualifying run, Matt Kenseth has worked his
way up to 21st. Mike Bliss takes the No. 55 to the garage.
Lap 40 -- Brad Keselowski goes a lap down.
Lap 39 -- Michael McDowell and Joe Nemechek take their cars to the
garage. Denny Hamlin leads by 1.9 seconds.
Lap 37 -- Paul Menard passes Jeff Gordon for 13th.
Lap 36 -- David Gilliland and J.J. Yeley are a lap down.
Lap 35 -- Kevin Harvick up to 15th as he is working his way to the
front.
Lap 34 -- Greg Biffle, A.J. Allmendinger and Clint Bowyer running
three-wide for ninth.
Lap 32 -- Kurt Busch down to 27th as he is unhappy with the handling of
his car. He says his No. 2 is extremely tight.
Lap 30 -- Kyle Busch passes Ryan Newman for second as the lap times
have slowed considerably with the tires wearing down.
Lap 29 -- Travis Kvapil and Joe Nemechek go a lap down.
Lap 28 -- Patrick Carpentier goes a lap down.
Lap 26 -- A.J. Allmendinger continues his climb through the field as he
breaks into the top 10.
Lap 25 -- LEAD CHANGE: Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman side-by-side at the
stripe with the No. 11 inching ahead for the lead.
Lap 23 -- Greg Biffle up to 12th. Jeff Gordon down to 14th. Kurt Busch
currently 23rd.
Lap 21 -- Kevin Conway, Michael McDowell and Mike Bliss are a lap down.
Lap 18 -- Juan Montoya passes Jeff Gordon for 11th. A.J. Allmendinger
on the move up to 12th.
Lap 16 -- LEAD CHANGE: Ryan Newman passes Denny Hamlin on the
backstretch to take the lead.
Lap 15 -- Carl Edwards continues to fall backward as Martin Truex Jr.
passes him for sixth.
Lap 13 -- Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart get around Carl Edwards for
fourth and fifth.
Lap 12 -- Ryan Newman closing the gap between him and race leader Denny
Hamlin.
Lap 11 -- This is not how Mark Martin wanted to start this race, as he
falls to 30th as something is amiss with the handling of his No. 5
Chevrolet.
Lap 8 -- Denny Hamlin out front by 0.8 seconds. Jimmie Johnson on the
move as he is up to fifth.
Lap 7 -- Kyle Busch goes to the inside of Carl Edwards and looks to
reclaim third.
Lap 6 -- Mark Martin loses some momentum and falls to 27th.
Lap 5 -- Carl Edwards gets outside of Kyle Busch and passes him for
third.
Lap 3 -- Tony Stewart down to fifth. Jimmie Johnson down to seventh.
Lap 1 -- Denny Hamlin holds the lead on the first lap with Ryan Newman
challenging.
7:49 p.m. -- GREEN FLAG: Denny Hamlin brings the field to the green and
the Emory Healthcare 500 is under way.
7:42 p.m. -- The cars are rolling off pit road for three warm-up laps.
7:38 p.m. -- Terry Green, Emory Healthcare's 500th heart transplant
recipient, gives the command: "Gentlemen, start your engines!"
7:31 p.m. -- Ernie Haase and Signature Sound perform the national
anthem.
7:30 p.m. -- Joe Gibbs Racing owner Joe Gibbs delivers the Invocation.
7 p.m. -- NASCAR Countdown is under way on ESPN.
5:23 p.m. ET -- It is a picture-perfect day in Atlanta. It's currently
85 degrees under blue skies. Temperatures should be in the upper 70s
when the green drops at 7:46 p.m. ET, and fall into the 60s as the sun
goes down. Denny Hamlin is on the pole for race No. 25 on the Cup
schedule.
