Lap By Lap: Kurt Busch Wins NASCAR Kobalt Tools 500

5:19pm: Kurt Busch wins, followed by Matt Kenseth, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kasey Kahne, Paul Menard, A.J. Allmendinger, Brian Vickers, Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick and Scott Speed

5:11pm: This will be shot #2 at the G-W-C restart

The wreck also involved David Gilliland

@tomjensen100    Order now is: 2, 42, 98, 9, 33, 17, 43, 83, 16, 29, 18, 48, 56, 82, 47, 11, 31

5:08pm: CAUTION 2TG INVOLVED CARS: Jamie McMurray, Clint Bowyer, Mark Martin, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin
McMurray got loose, moved up and got into Clint Bowyer

Kurt Busch goes between 33 & 98 to take the lead

RACE OFF: 33, 98, 1, 2, 42, 56, 9, 43

@DGilliland2010    DION-IMAGE: David says " You guys are awesome for everything you have done today with Green flag stops and everything, just awesome guys"

Carl Edwards - parked for the rest of the day, been told to go to the NASCAR hauler

7TG CAUTION Edwards gets his revenge on Keselowski as he turns, flipping Brad over - Brad is out of the car, slight limp but walking away

@JeffGordonWeb    #JeffGordon and Letarte not happy about the scoring, thinking that after the last stop the 11 and 31 should have been penalized

@Kylebusch    OK looks like we are going to pit, this is going to be a great finish! #KBShow time. - Ryan

@AJDinger    PR-"tires not too bad, but we're slipping and sliding"-aj

4:48pm Top 5: Kurt Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, A.J. Allmendinger

9TG: Matt Kenseth back to fourth as A.J. Allmendinger passes Keselowski for fifth

4:46pm Top 5: Kurt Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kasey Kahne, Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth

12TG: Brad Keselowski passes Matt Kenseth for fourth

@DGilliland2010    DION-IMAGE: David hanging on with a borrowed set of unmatched tires, fighting a tight car that wont turn. P19

4:44pm Top 5: Kurt Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski

@nateryan    Tony Stewart after tire problem: "Tell me what you saw." Darian Grubb: "10-4, bud. Right front was loose."

@kk9team    "Tight getting in" is the report from @kaseykahne early in this run. Still 16 laps to go #nascar

Kasey Kahne passes Matt Kenseth for third

4:42pm Top 5: Kurt Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya, Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne, Brad Keselowski

Juan Pablo Montoya takes second from Matt Kenseth

Kasey Kahne is a little tight

Tony Stewart, 13th at the time, pits with a tire problem with 19TG

4:37pm Green Flag with 27 to go

Top 5: Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kasey Kahne, Brad Keselowski

28 laps, @JeffGordonWeb still needs 15 more followers to get the magic # for another 2 @NationalGuard hats to given away

@AJDinger    PR-lap 296 "it's gonna be a nice little saturday nite dash for the cash here"-shiplett

@tomjensen100    L296 of 325 — 2, 17, 42, 9, 12, 43, 33, 56, 98, 16, 18, 83, 14, 82, 38, 1, 47, 29, 5, 48 - only cars on LL

@kk9team    Kasey spun the tires on that restart and fell back a couple spots to 4th. There's 30 laps to go

4:32pm Top 5: Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kasey Kahne, Brad Keselowski

@nateryan    Mike Ford: "We've still got the 21 71 31 36 78 24 in front of us" one lap down. @dennyhamlin: "10-4. I'll get all of them."

Jimmie Johnson pits - something rubbing on the front front due to earlier contact from Ryan Newman "I'm sorry guys, I didn't know he was there." - JJ

32TG CAUTION Debris from Max Papis front right front tire - Mark Martin gets free pass

33TG RESTART 19 and 13 wreck on the front stretch, somebody hit 19 who then took 13 to wall with him

@DeLanaHarvick    took the wave around option... need a quick caution

"I'm sorry guys - was the pit sign still out there or did I blow through it?" - JJ
"I blew through it." - CK
"Sorry guys. I was trying to get by the 9 guy and didn't get in there." - JJ

4:27pm Top 5: Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Juan Pablo Montoya, Clint Bowyer

David Gilliland stays out, will pit next lap

@keselowskiweb    Jay: 'Tell me about the car' BK ' Awesome awesome awesome...'

@JennaFryer    @dennyhamlin radioes ``something is wrong. something is broke,'' spotter``it just went. tire just went.''

RACE OFF: 2, 9, 17, 42, 33, 48, 56, 43, 16, 14

CAUTION Denny Hamlin, who had taken the lead from Kasey Kahne, with tire problem

@SherryPollex    MT just came over radio and said "she's coming alive boys!". I think that's a good thing! P. 10. Top-10 finish would be nice for napa folks!

@JeffGordonWeb    Letarte tells Gordon they can make it rest of the way

4:20pm Top 5: Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski

42TG: Kasey Kahne back to the lead, past Denny Hamlin

43TG: Kasey Kahne to second, past Kurt Busch

4:19pm Top 5: Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski

45TG: Denny Hamlin uses Kevin Conway as a pit, taking lead back

46TG: Kurt Busch passes Denny Hamlin

47TG: Jeff Gordon and Max Papis pit

48TG: Paul Menard, Mike Bliss, Mark Martin - Denny Hamlin leading. Jeff Burton speeding penalty, Bill Elliott lugnut penalty

49TG: Jeff Burton pits, Matt Kenseth pits, Martin Truex Jr., Bobby Labonte, Allmendinger pit, Kasey Kahne pit

50TG: Juan Pablo Montoya pits

51TG: Marcos Ambrose pits, Johnson pits (pitted at that second due to flat), Kurt Busch pits, Brad Keselowski pits, Dale Earnhardt Jr. pits, Kevin Harvick, Scott Speed pit

52TG: Elliott Sadler and Bill Elliott pit

@JoeGibbsRacing    Now it's a fuel game for Denny Hamlin - they think they can make it. #nascar He's off sequence.

54TG: Tony Stewart and David Ragan pit

@JoeGibbsRacing    Denny had a tire going down. Yelled on the radio "I'm coming now, I'm coming now." This place is chewing tires up.

57TG: @JoeGibbsRacing    Denny and Kyle pitting now

4:09pm Top 5: Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth

@jeff_gluck    Interesting take from Harvick PR. RT @RCR29KHarvick: Our day has been like riding a teeter totter. One run we are loose, tight the next

"31.71. What do you got now?" - Chad Knaus
"Pretty damn good." - Jimmie Johnson

@JoeGibbsRacing    Spotters reporting that the 77 car is about to blow its engine. Keep an eye on him, they tell the drivers.

@JeffGordonWeb has hit 4724 followers today so therefore 2 people who are following them get @NationalGuard swag. If before the end of the race, they get 24 more - 2 more ppl. Add 'em! 

@jeff_gluck    Kenny Francis tells @kaseykahne he's pretty much the man right now. Only occasionally will another driver run a quicker lap, Francis says.

@JoeGibbsRacing    Kyle's car seems to be doing the opposite of Denny's - Good early, falls off late. Made it up to p14, but getting passed now

Sam Hornish Jr. has a performance issue

@AJDinger    PR-lap 246 dropped to p8. "We just didn't make the right adjustments there." -aj

4:01pm Top 5: Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth

Kasey Kahne to the lead, Lap 245

3:59pm Top 5: Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth

@KendraTeam5    One lap down right now. Suffering from right rear brake issues. Need to pass three more cars to be in Lucky Dog position

@JeffGordonWeb    #JeffGordon reporting that this is the best the car has been...he's curious to see how the right front holds up

@dustinlong    #NASCAR ... Goodyear's Stu Grant says they'll evaluate afterward if there is a need to come back for another tire test

@DeLanaHarvick    really ill handling right now...

@JoeGibbsRacing    Denny Hamlin - "Car is a little bit tight."

@dustinlong    #NASCAR ... Goodyear's Stu Grant says that they're happy with tires; many problems are cause aggressive chassis setups by teams. ...

JoeGibbsRacing    Joey Logano - "We would of had a top 5 today." The Super Sophomore will be back up front at Bristol. Stay tuned.

"I was wide open through 1 and 2, that was bad to the bone." - Kurt Busch, 85TG

3:53pm Top 5: Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth

92TG: Jimmie Johnson passes Hamlin back for third

95TG: Denny Hamlin passes Johnson for third while Kenseth passes Keselowski for fifth

96TG: Kurt Busch passes Kasey Kahne for lead

RESTART 97TG

@nateryan    Track worker exited truck and appeared to pick up a baseball-sized chunk of something (black & cylindrical, appeared to be rubber). #nascar

@RPMotorsports    Track bar adjustment for the 43 Insignia Best Buy Ford. AJ to crew- "Another good stop guys!"

@Kylebusch    Kyle says the car is not bad, this caution will help with track position. Kyle to pit. - Ryan

@AJDinger    PR-lap 225. Yellow debris. Car was better but rear still has "that dancing feeling"

@DeLanaHarvick    we needed a caution when we were the lucky dog. oh so close... we're one lap down now

3:47pm Top 5: Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski

RACE OFF: 9, 2, 48, 11, 12, 42, 17, 14, 16, 77 while David Gilliland stays out - will pit next lap putting Kasey Kahne to lead again

PIT STOPS Kasey a little free, Jimmie Johnson a little free, Keselowski gets minor chassis adjustment, Kurt Busch a little loose

CAUTION with 101 to go for debris as Tony Stewart has now fallen to 7th, bringing Denny Hamlin to fifth; Jamie McMurray with lucky dog

3:42pm Top 5: Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski

110TG: Bill Elliott pits - completiting the cycle, putting Kasey Kahne back to the lead

111TG: Jeff Burton pits out of lead *pass through penalty, lack of brakes caused problem*, Bill Elliott leads

@jeff_gluck    Bootie Barker (I think) tells @maxpapis: "We're going to keep going until somebody else blows a tire."

@JoeGibbsRacing    Some problems on the RR on Denny's pit stop. The hose got caught somewhere behind the wall. Checking on it. #nascar

@jeff_gluck    Hamlin: "Damn it, man, we're getting KILLED!" (in the pits)

113TG:Denny Hamlin pits out of the lead *loose*, new leader is Jeff Burton, Max Papis pits, Boris Said pits

@kk9team    Kasey hit pit road on lap 212 for tires, fuel and a minor air pressure adjustment. Green-flag stops still cycling through

114TG: Matt Kenseth pits, leader Kasey Kahne pits, new leader Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Scott Speed pit, Kyle Busch pit

115TG: Greg Biffle pits, Paul Menard pits, Brian Vickers pits

116TG: Regan Smith and Kurt Busch pitting *wacked out*, Sam Hornish Jr. *free off* pitting, Juan Pablo Montoya pitted, Allmendinger and Ambrose pitted

117TG: McMurray, Harvick, Sadler and Newman on pit road

119TG: Sam Hornish Jr. cracks the top 5, now forth

Jimmie Johnson hasn't found any issue with their tires that they took off.

@JeffGordonWeb    #JeffGordon says he's just driving to get to the next pit stop...doesn't want to do anything to abuse the tire

121TG: Jeff Gordon really slow with problem - makes it to pit road with right front tire down, Brad Keselowski on pit road

122TG: Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. both coming to pit road with issues. DW hints that possible thought of yawing the cars out so much that it has brought forth problems

Jimmie Johnson pits with 123TG with vibration

@JeffGordonWeb    #JeffGordon frustrated on radio...says they're terrible and he doesn't know what to do. Letarte tells him to keep taking care of it.

3:30pm Top 5: Kasey Kahne, Juan Pablo Montoya, Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson

@JoeGibbsRacing    Mike Ford to Denny Hamlin - Remember, take care of those tires. The leader isn't gaining on you

Jimmie Johnson thinks he has a vibration

@nateryan    Tony Stewart on tire: "I'm going to take part of the blame for that, because I ran the bottom in 3&4 and probably hurt it more."

@DeLanaHarvick    29 feels like they may have a bad set of tires. shouldn't be handling this bad with the changes they made

Showed tire that came off - yep, there's an issue

@nateryan   Tony Stewart is pitting, radioed a lap earlier that "I feel it's coming apart right now." Thinks it's left tire

@JeffGordonWeb    #JeffGordon: "We gotta, gotta, gotta get this push back. This is just killing us."

Tony Stewart pits with a possible problem with one of his left-side tires, was sixth place

@Kylebusch    Kyle calm on the radio, still knows we have 137 laps to go and anything can happen. - Ryan

@AJDinger    PR- lap 188. "We've killed this thing..we've killed the grip in this car."-aj

Allmedinger is "wiggly" loose

3:23pm Top 5: Kasey Kahne, Juan Pablo Montoya, Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson

@PR17CrownRoyal    Car's a bit too tight in the middle and looser off. Matt's trying to make it turn and not burn off the RR tire (lap 183)

During commercial break, lap 185: Jimmie Johnson passes Matt Kenseth for fifth

3:22pm Top 5: Kasey Kahne, Juan Pablo Montoya, Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth

@AJDinger    PR-lap 180 p 9. "We"re falling a little behind on adjustments here. Thing's tight and loose"-aj

@jeff_gluck    Most of the drivers sound unhappy right now. As Kenseth said, "This isn't what I want here at all."

3:20pm Top 5: Kasey Kahne, Juan Pablo Montoya, Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth

@tomjensen100    L180 - 9, 42, 11, 2, 17, 48, 14, 12, 43, 77, 16, 98, 56, 47 #nascar

@kk9team    And @kaseykahne back to the lead! "That's better," he said on lap 175 #nascar

@jeff_gluck    Harvick yelling at his team, then says, "You can tell I'm getting a little aggravated driving this piece of sh*t."

148TG: Johnson wants to turn a little better in the center
Dale Jr - Keith, tire specialist for No. 88, says its not loose nor is it the rear axle - possible rear hub issue

@jeff_gluck    WHOA! JPM just blasted past Denny for the lead. He's told, "Nice job. That's what I'm talking about, dude."

@jeff_gluck    00 told it may be broken water pipe. Reutimann: "You better be f#$(ing kidding me if the water pipe broke!"

3:16pm Kasey Kahne passes Juan Pablo Montoya for the lead

Top 5:  Kasey Kahne, Juan Pablo Montoya, Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth

Lap 173 - Kasey Kahne to third, past Kurt Busch and then passes Denny Hamlin for second

Lap 172 - Juan Pablo Montoya to the lead, past Denny Hamlin

Lap 171 - Juan Pablo Montoya past Kurt Busch for second

Lap 170 - Kasey Kahne to fourth past Kenseth

Lap 168 - David Reuittman with a motor issue

RESTART Lap 165

3:10pm Top 5: Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya, Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne

@tomjensen100    Halfway - order is 11, 2, 42, 17, 9, 00, 14, 48, 16, 43, 77, 12, 56, 82, 98, 33, 29, 19, 5, 1, 47, 83, 18, 38, 78

@DeLanaHarvick    gil told @KevinHarvick it was almost halfway and he said he felt like he's already driven 2 races!

@kk9team    The #20 had problems again, bringing out a caution. #9 team pitted for tires and fuel, added a spring rubber and made an air pressure adj

@JeffGordonWeb    Letarte: "We're gonna get this baby back"

@RPMotorsports    Insignia Best Buy Ford gets small air pressure adjustment. AJ to crew "Great job all day guys! Keep it up!"

@jeff_gluck    RT @DNewtonespn: Technical reason for why 88 is slow: Dale Jr. "it's drving like sh*t cause we're in the back.'

@JeffGordonWeb    #JeffGordon not happy with himself after speeding penalty on pit road..."My bad" he tells the team

@nateryan    Tony Stewart as caution came out: "I'm telling you, we're not far behind right there." Grubb: "Yeah, we're right there with them."

@jeff_gluck    Kyle, asked if he wants water on this pit stop. "No – I'm not really doing a whole lot out here."

@jeff_gluck    Kyle: "I'm having a hard time understanding why 11 is kicking everybody's ass and I'm sitting here running like a broke dog-you-know what."

@jeff_gluck    Kyle upset there was no debris caution before 20 in wall: "Way to go, NASCAR! All right! Let's just put them in the fence, THEN put it out!"

@DeLanaHarvick    as caution comes out @kevinharvick yells this thing is a handful boys!

@RPMotorsports    A lot of drivers are complaining of their cars being loose. Pit stops coming soon. Caution is out

3:04pm Top 5: Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya, Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne

RACE OFF: Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya, Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne, 00, 14, 48, 16, 43

PIT STOPS: Kasey Kahne says car is free, Kurt Busch wants to be tighter

Regan Smith gets free pass

Lap 158 CAUTION - Joey Logano with a right front tire down

@jeff_gluck    Kyle says he's pitting for tires now...But there's an impending caution with the tire debris probably. Spotter tells him to try and stay out

@JoeGibbsRacing    Kyle must think that he's run over something or has a tire going down. Coming in

@JeffGordonWeb    13.6 second stop for Team 24 but #JeffGordon must come in for a pass through possibly for speeding

@RCR33CBowyer    Lap 154 - Bowyer passing cars and up to 23rd. He said he's better on this long run. #NASCAR @AMSUpdates

@JoeGibbsRacing    Kyle reporting lots of debris down the backstretch after another car blows a tire... no caution yet.

@jeff_gluck    Ryan Newman just cut a tire I believe...debris reported on backstretch...

Lap 157: Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. both on pit road, Gordon had a tire cut right front. Gordon then was too fast entering so he had to a drive through. Ryan Newman also pitted

@JoeGibbsRacing    Dave Rogers working on a plan for Kyle's handling. The track is changing as the temperature raises

@nateryan    Dale Earnhardt Jr. is pitting under green on L152 ahead of the rest of the lead-lap cars

@JeffGordonWeb    #JeffGordon thinks left front is going down...coming in for a stop

@jeff_gluck    Kyle's day going sour. Kyle to spotter: "Hey Jeff?" Jeff: "Yeah, man?" Kyle: "Call for a plane."

@nateryan    After slipping to 14th, Tony Stewart surges back to 8th over course of run. Radio: "I don't take off very good, but I get going."

@SamSarcinella    Kb reports he has no grip n there's a vibration. Tire may be goin down again. Boys r ready in the pits just in case.

@Mc_Driver    We are working on the car. Trying to get back out before the end. Making big adjustments.

@kk9team    Lap 146: Kasey reporting the car is getting loose now. Francis told him others are saying the same thing

@DeLanaHarvick    loose for the 29 right now

@jeff_gluck    Kyle has a vibration, coming to pit road maybe. #NASCAR

2:56pm Top 5: Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth

Lap 148 - Denny Hamlin takes the lead

Kurt Busch is loose off

@JoeGibbsRacing    Joey Logano - "I think we were going to be fast today." Still one more race here in the Fall.

@jeff_gluck    Kyle is upset with his car. Actual quote: "No rear grip. No front grip. No no grip."

@AJDinger    PR-lap 139. "Car started run of good, but now has got the wiggle loose"

@JoeGibbsRacing    Kyle Busch commented on how tight his car is on the bottom, but how loose it gets when he runs the top line. #nascar

Jeff Gordon has lost the balance on the car
"We're in trouble here, way way too loose. I'm just going to take care of this car and hope it comes back to us." - Jeff Gordon

Kevin Harvick says they're making progress towards getting the car better, just not all the way yet as they're still a little loose

Marcos Ambrose too loose

@KendraTeam5    Hearing the #HendrickCars Chevy is too loose right now. #AlanGustafson working on air pressure adjustments for next stop.

@JoeGibbsRacing    Mike Ford reminded Denny Hamlin to take care of his tires. "We're seeing a lot of bad-looking tires come off cars down here."

@MartySmithESPN    Brian Pattie, @jpmontoya crew chief: "The top-six cars are all running within a half-tenth of each other."

@JeffGordonWeb    #JeffGordon running 8th after being passed by Kenset, Johnson, Reutimann

@DeLanaHarvick    pretty quiet on the radio

2:47pm Top 5: Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon

24 more followers needed for @JeffGordonWeb to give away some @NationalGuard swag

Lap 126 - Denny Hamlin passes Juan Pablo Montoya for second

"I can't count how many loose wheels I've had here. There's just something about this track, maybe with the bumps and how it may make them loose." - Dale Jr.
"A lot of load, a lot of lead." - Lance McGrew, crew cheif

No. 88 didn't have loose wheel, yet tire specialist made note "Goodyear, check dismount. 88."

@dustinlong    #nascar ... Steve Letarte walked down part of pit road checking on tire wear for other teams.

@RCR33CBowyer    Restart on lap 119, Bowyer made two stops to help with handling

@MartySmithESPN    AG tells MM no damage on 1/4 panel. Long stop under yllw 2 ensure no tire-rub. "Interesting that tire went down; car stayed tight." -mm

@nateryan    Tony Stewart lost few spots on pit stop but immediately played cheerleader: "I know we had a hiccup, but we didn't get hurt there." #nascar

Lap 122 - Gordon takes fifth as Matt Kenseth passes Johnson for sixth

Lap 121 - Denny Hamlin to third, Kasey Kahne to forth while teammates Jeff Gordon & Jimmie Johnson battle for fifth

RESTART Lap 120

Earnhardt Jr. takes wave around, back on the lead lap

2:40pm Top 5: Kurt Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon

Gilliland pitted during commercial so Kurt Busch to the top

@PR17CrownRoyal    Matt said the car still gets a bit too loose at the end of the run. The guys made a track bar adjustment on lap 117

@MartySmithESPN    Gustafson tells Martin they will pit again, assures him he's not a lap down.

@JoeGibbsRacing    Joey says the @HomeDepotRacing car has gotten a lot better thanks to the repairs. 9 laps down though #nascar.com

@kk9team    Caution on Lap 115. #9 team pitted under caution for tires and fuel and went back on the air pressure adjustments made the last stop.

Correction on point made b4 - Mike Dillion is on Bowyer's radio as they first said it was to be Bowyer's dad as not expecting Dillion to be there

@AJDinger    PR-lap 116 pit. 4 tires. 1/4 round out lr. Minor air pressure adj. rr

@KendraTeam5    Great save by #MarkMartin. Can't believe we had a tire issue. Hopefully we can bounce back from this. Looks like a lot of tire issues today!

RACE OFF: Kurt Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Greg Biffle, David Reuittmann as David Gilland is first due to staying out.

PIT STOPS Montoya wants forward bite, Hamlin getting tightened up a little bit, Kurt Busch a little loose

@AJDinger    PR-lap 115 yellow car 5. "That set of tires, we just sort of lost all our rear grip"-aj

@JennaFryer    And Nuts is running on 3 tires. @bobbylabonte gets the free pass.

@DeLanaHarvick    that run was the best the car has been all day.

Lap 115 CAUTION Mark Martin spins on front stretch with flat left rear

Kasey Kahne is now third as Denny Hamlin passes Jeff Gordon for forth

Lap 113 - Earnhardt Jr pits with loose wheel

2:33pm Top 5: Kurt Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin

@MartySmithESPN    Lap 110 - @dennyhamlin has his best car of the year, complaining loose right now.

@jeff_gluck    Jamie Mac tells spotter: "When I'm all clear, don't tell me, because when you key the radio, I think they're there!"

Clint Bowyer's dad is now spotting for Clint Bowyer today, not Mike Dillion as Mike went back to N.C. to be with Richard Childress' wife Judy (his mother-in-law) who's in the hosptail

@AJDinger    PR-lap 103. "Just looser thru the corner now. Need more rear grip."-aj

@JoeGibbsRacing    Denny says it's a smidge too tight compared to the previous run. #nascar

@RCR33CBowyer    Lap 101 - Bowyer up to 29 and like most drivers on the tracks, he's loose off the corners

@jeff_gluck    Clint Bowyer hollering abt how horrible car is. Spotter Mike Dillon: "I know you get pissed off in there, but you're better than last time."

Lap 103: Denny Hamlin passes Dale Earnhardt Jr. for fifth

@JeffGordonWeb    Letarte: "Great lap Buddy, great lap."

@jeff_gluck    Newman: "Soon as I get in the gas, it's sideways on exit." CC Gibson: "I see that. Just keep digging, I'll fix it when we stop."

Lap 100 - Kasey Kahne passes Dale Earnhardt Jr. for fourth so its Kurt Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

@SherryPollex    Went a little too far on the adjustment. Too tight for MT. These cars r so sensitive, its unreal ;-o long race still!

@jeff_gluck    RT @PR17CrownRoyal: Following our adjustments on L81, Matt just said the car's "Way, way, way better now"! Watch out leaders, here we come!

@AJDinger    PR-lap 91 "man there's a lot of laps to go. I feel like I've been out here forever already"-aj

2:22pm Top 5: Kurt Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne

Juan Pablo Montoya and Jeff Gordon pass Earnhardt Jr. for second and third

@JoeGibbsRacing    Denny says the car is struggling in traffic. Other cars disturb the air which is affecting his handling/downforce.

Lap 90 - Kasey Kahne passes Tony Stewart for fifth

Lap 88 - Jeff Gordon passes Tony Stewart for fofth

Lap 87 - Jeff Gordon gets second while Montoya passes Stewart for third

Lap 84 - Earnhardt Jr. to second, Stewart to third, Montoya to forth, Gordon and Hamlin battling for fifth while Kurt Busch leads

RESTART lap 83

@kk9team    Slower stop will have @kaseykahne restarting from 8th position. Kenny Francis asked him to stop shorter in the box next time.

@kk9team    Just a small air pressure adjustment for the #9 Budweiser Ford on that lap 80 pit stop. Caution came out for debris

@JeffGordonWeb    14.80 second stop for Team 24...gains 2 spots in the pits

@SherryPollex    Damnit boys! Another killer stop!! Came in 11th, leaving p. 8. I could get used to this! MT getting happier with his car as pat works on it!  - in reference to Truex

2:16pm Top 5 : Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer, Tony Stewart

Sadler now pits, putting Kurt Busch first

Elliott Sadler stays out so he's the leader

@AJDinger    PR-great stop by 43 insignia crew

@jeff_gluck    Frustrated Marcos Ambrose after losing spots on pit road: "Come on, guys!"

Kyle Busch takes wave around

RACE OFF: Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer, Tony Stewart

@AJDinger    PR-pit lap 80 . Minor air pressure adj. 4 tires, fuel. "Thos guys can roll the top, but I'm stuck at the bottom..that's the way it's gonna

@JoeGibbsRacing    Two tenths of a pound of air pressure coming out of Denny Hamlin's RR tire on this stop - slight adjustments make a difference

LAP 78 CAUTION Bowyer gets lucky dog as caution is out for debris

@JoeGibbsRacing    Denny Hamlin - "It might be turning a little bit too good there Mike" They're going to make a slight adjustment for changing track grip.

@JeffGordonWeb    Letarte reports a piece of trash on the grill & instructs #JeffGordon to check the temp

@RCR33CBowyer    Lap 77 - Bowyer lapped by the leader, back down a lap

@Kylebusch    Right front tire problem for Kyle, heading to pit road. - Ryan

@Kylebusch    Kyle complaining of the car being loose in and loose off. The crew will get him set up on the next stop. - Ryan

2:09pm Top 5: Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jeff Gordon

@DeLanaHarvick    everytime we get to the 82 he wants to race the crap out of us for 28. hum, let's think about this for a minute...sometimes it's better to race smarter, not harder

Lap 73: Denny Hamlin now second, Kurt busch third, Juan Pablo Montoya forth

@JoeGibbsRacing    Kyle is back to p7, still sliding back a bit. Joey thinks he either has a wheel loose or a broken part

@AJDinger    PR-lap 64. Starting to get a little free-er

@Kylebusch    Kyle says he needs more front turn and rear grip. - Ryan

@JoeGibbsRacing    Denny Hamlin says it's too loose off now, a little free on entry as well. "If I hit it right it's awesome."

@JoeGibbsRacing    Kyle Busch - "When I miss my bottom line it's snug. When I hit it, the rear end wants to come around."

Lap 67: Denny Hamlin passes Jeff Gordon for forth

Jeff Gordon - tight in the center, loose off

Lap 66: Kurt Busch passes Jeff Gordon for third

Lap 65: Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin pass Kyle Busch during commercial break

Everybody add @JeffGordonWeb on twitter, if they reach 4724 followers b4 the end of the race, they'll give away some @NationalGuard swag

2:00pm Top 5: Kasey Kahne, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch

Jeff Gordon passes Earnhardt Jr. for forth, Kurt Busch passes Earnhardt Jr. for fifth as we're at lap 48

@JoeGibbsRacing Denny says they've lost a little bit of forward bite. Will continue to tune on the car

@AJDinger    PR-lap 51 "I'm stuck on the bottom. Can't run on the top"-aj.

@MartySmithESPN    Edwards Cont: "I thot it was his fault. Replay doesn't look as malicious as I thot. Brad nvr gives me room. I was trying to take a lil bit."

@MartySmithESPN Edwards: "Saw Brad down there. Thought he'd give me room so I went to the bottom. I thought he just hit me in the rear." More to come....

@JoeGibbsRacing says Joey says it's plowing tight and getting worse. They need another yellow, but are coming onto pit road now.

Juan Pablo Montoya passes Kyle Busch for third on lap 51

Kasey Kahne loose before pit stop, now saying very good in turn 4

1:54pm Top 5: Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, Juan, Pablo Montoya, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon

Lap 49 - Kasey Kahne to the lead

@JoeGibbsRacing says "We'll keep working on it Joey, do the best you can here." - Zippy , "This thing is bad." - Joey

Lap 45 - Montoya passes Earnhardt Jr. for third

Lap 44 - Kyle Busch to the lead, passes Kasey Kahne

Lap 44 RESTART

Clint Bowyer lucky dog

@JoeGibbsRacing says     "Where my max turning point is - that's center. That's how off it is." - Joey Logano

@jeff_gluck Carl: "So he decided just to hit us?"

@nateryan Young Joey Logano not pleased after heavy hit in Turn 2: "This thing's @#$%ed up big.... Wheel's way off. Half a turn."

@JoeGibbsRacing "Steering wheel i way off... Half a turn". - Joey got put into the wall after the 12 hit the 99

1:46pm CAUTION LAP 39 Carl Edwards and Joey Logano make contact, both of them in the wall - Brad Keselowski clips Edwards, Edwards takes Logano with him to wall

RESTART Lap 39

Top 5 Off Pit Road : Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya, Jeff Gordon

@DeLanaHarvick says "gil and the guys are taking a big swing at adjustments. we'll see what happens on this run" in refence to Gil Martin and driver Kevin Harvick

@JeffGordonWeb says "#JeffGordon reports that he wants a look at the tires...wasn't sure how hard to push it on that run," and then adds "Right front and left rear show wear, Letarte"

Johnson didn't get off pit road that well, blocked in by Travis Kravil, @jeff_gluck says Chad Knaus miffed that the "f*cking 38 car is still on the lead lap," which means they won't have an open pit stall next to them.

Earnhardt Jr - started off tight, overrotating center. Lance says to adjust break bias and makes minor adjustment

Montoya - tad tight, minor adjustment

PIT STOPS - Kahne near perfect, no changes

@RPMotorsports says Lap - 35. AJ says his Ford Fusion is tight in the center of the corners and loose off. Kasey still has the lead. Caution is out

@MartySmithESPN says Easy tells @kaseykahne that @dennyhamlin is nearly as good a car as the 9. Kahne asks Kole for info. on the 11's line.

CAUTION Lap 35 David Ragan into wall again as a result of a right front down due to previous contact

Lap 32 - David Ragan into wall a little, keeps going

@DeLanaHarvick says in reference to her husband Kevin Harvick, "it's never a good thing when you type your time in and then have to fill in the leader's time. that means they aren;t far behind"

Lap 31 - Denny Hamlin passes Earnhardt Jr. for fifth

Lap 29 - Juan Pablo Montoya, really tight

@KendraTeam5 reports that Mark Martin says This is hard to watch! We need a pit stop ASAP

@jeff_gluck says    Problems for Kyle. He says his...stuff...is falling apart.

RESTART Lap 39 1:34pm Top  5: Kasey Kahne, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

@jeff_gluck sasy Jimmie: "I don't know how much to go much faster in three and four. Obviously, it's not fast enough."

Lap 22 - Juan Pablo Montoya passes Kyle Busch for second

@JeffGordonWeb reports Letarte: "There you go. That last lap is doin' it"

@DeLanaHarvick says no more mention of loose wheel. failry quiet on the radio now...

Lap 28 - Ryan Newman to pit road with a flat tire

@JeffGordonWeb reports Jeff Gordon is saying "I'm major, major tight which is working real good for me in 1 and 2, but not so good in 3 and 4"

@jeff_gluck says Spotter to Newman: "Really nice job, man. That is frickin awesome." Newman started in back up to 19th!

@DeLanaHarvick reports Kevin Harvick thinks there may be a wheel... still not handling the way he wants

1:29pm Top  5: Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Lap 15 - Jeff Gordon passes Dale Earnhardt Jr. for forth

Lap 14 - Kasey Kahne to the lead

Lap 13 - Juan Pablo Montoya takes third from Earnhardt Jr., Earnhardt Jr. tight as according to Steve Brynes

Lap 9 - Kasey Kahne takes second from Earnhardt Jr. while Jeff Gordon cracks the top 5.

RESTART Lap 9

@JoeGibbsRacing reports Kyle Busch chooses the high line on the restart - Worked well for him at the initial start

@JoeGibbsRacing reports Joey Logano - "Was it worth pitting?" Zippy - "Yep, we'll get a long run, don't worry about it"

@jeff_gluck reports RT @kennybruce: Robby Gordon: "That's a crying, f*cking shame, man. No f*cking luck at all."

1:22pm Top  5: Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya, Kasey Kahne and Mark Martin

@MartySmithESPN reports Knaus: "I think I walked on you a little bit there, what'd you say?" Johnson: "This car is goooooood."

A few people at the back pit

CAUTION Lap 5 - Robby Gordon wrecks and the caution is out, flat tire caused the wreck

According to @DeLanaHarvick, Kevin Harvick is tight as of lap 4

1:18pm Kyle Busch leads lap 1, while Earnhardt Jr. falls to second followed by Juan Pablo Montoya

Picture of Martin Truex Jr.'s team before the race from @AnnaEgleston - http://tweetphoto.com/13604270 and @mw55 is posted a picture from the pit box of his daughter Macy - http://tweetphoto.com/13605015 . 

1:08pm Command to start engines was given and the cars are out on track for their pre-race parade laps

Baby talk has been the talk of the garage lately, and pre-race was no exception as NASCAR journalist Nate Ryan (@nateryan) posted a picture of Kaylin Nicole, Katie and Matt Kenseth's daughter - http://twitpic.com/1778jj .

On the topic of the race, Greg Biffle's spotter (@16_spotter) posted a picture of the track from his view - http://tweetphoto.com/13604192 while @RCR33CBowyer posted a picture of Clint in the car before the race - http://tweetphoto.com/13604134 . And check out the pacecar, courtesy of @nateryan - http://twitpic.com/17786g . 

1:01pm Dale Earnhardt Jr. starts pole in the Kobalt Tools 500, looking to take the win and get back to victory lane after last year's struggles. Will today be the day? They made gains at Las Vegas as they finished 16th.

Or will Jimmie Johnson take the win, winning his third race in a row? Recall the previous two races he had the Kobalt Tools paint scheme - well, he's back with it again at Atlanta. It could be his lucky charm ;)

National Athem has been sung, command to start engines coming soon.

This page will be updated throughout the race with race updates so stay tuned!