Carfax 400 Live Race Blog: Drivers Can Lock Into Chase With Good Showing

This week NASCAR rolls into the 23rd race of the season at Michigan International Speedway for the Carfax 400. There are only three races left until NASCAR’s postseason starts, and the twelfth chase spot is still open. There can be a major points shake-up today and some drivers can lock themselves into the chase.

Kasey Kahne is on the pole for today’s race with Jimmie Johnson on his outside followed by Bowyer and Stewart in the second row. Points leader Kevin Harvick is starting in the eighth position.  Denny Hamlin won the spring race at the track.

The race starts at 1 p.m. ET/ 10 a.m. PT on ESPN.  All times below in eastern.

Final Top 10: Harvick wins followed by Hamlin, Edwards, Kenseth, Biffle, Stewart, Montoya, Truex Jr, Sadler, and Ragan.

Lap 200: Harvick wins a non-restrictor plate race for the first time this year and clinches spot in Chase. 

Lap 195: Roush cars in 3rd, 5th, 6th, 10th.  Good day for Ford.  Sadler in 9th.

Lap 192: Two Roush cars battling for 5th place.  Harvick still leading.

Lap 189: Harvick takes lead from Hamlin and starts to pull away.

Lap 187: Bowyer is currently in the Chase, Martin sits in the 13th points spot.

Lap 185: Now this is great racing.  Harvick and Hamlin continue switching lead.  There are also multiple battles around the track, including a battle for 6th between Montoya, Edwards, and Biffle.

Lap 180: Hamlin, Harvick, Stewart, Biffle, Montoya are current top 5.  20 laps to go.

Lap 177: Stewart, Hamlin, and Harvick are all battling for 1st.  Hamlin takes lead.

Lap 173: Harvick and Hamlin battling for 2nd.  Hamlin appeared from nowhere.

Lap 171: Stewart leads as the field goes to green.

Lap 166: Stewart takes the lead from Ragan.  Caution comes out for debris in turn 2.  Newman gets lucky dog.

Lap 165: Ragan takes the lead from Truex Jr followed by Stewart.

Lap 162: Biffle may have a tire going down.  He is currently in 11th.

Lap 160: Truex Jr leads.

Lap 159: Green flag.  Sadler leads.

Lap 156: Stewart wins race off of pit road.  Jr gets lucky dog.

Lap 153: Gordon has a flat left front.  Caution is out.

Lap 152: Race goes green.  Harvick leads.

Lap 148: Caution out for the 39 of Ryan Newman spinning in Turn 4 after contact with the 20 of Logano.

Lap 147: Harvick leads Biffle by 3.3 seconds. Gordon, Stewart, Ky Busch round out top 5.

Lap 143: Harvick still has a big lead.  Multiple battles going on around the track for position.

Lap 139: Green flag pit stops are currently going on.

Lap 128: Gordon has moved up to 3rd from his 20th position on lap 67.

Lap 124: Biffle and Stewart are fighting for the 2nd position.

Lap 117: 28 cars on the lead lap.  Bill Elliot is in the lucky dog position.

Lap 112: Harvick leads the race.  Stewart in 2nd, Biffle in 3rd.

Lap 103: Stewart, Biffle, Harvick, Bowyer, and Busch are the top 5 after the green flag pit stops.

Lap 100: Stewart leads the race at the half way point.  It's the first race that he's led more than 10 laps since Texas.  Green flag pit stops have also started.

Lap 92: 34 cars are on the lead lap with the 12 in the last lead lap spot.

Lap 86: Stewart takes the lead.

Lap 83: Stewart battling Biffle for the lead.  J. Gordon up to 8th.  Jr up to 18th.

Lap 74: J. Gordon up to 11th from his 20th position after his pit stop during caution.

Lap 70: Tony Stewart takes 2nd from Kevin Harvick

Lap 67: Green! Top 10 are 16, 29, 48, 18, 14, 9, 33, 31, 56, 00

Caution Updates: Kyle Busch gains 5 spots on pit road while Martin Truex Jr loses 5.  Cars currently out of race: 07, 2, 13, 55, 87.  Martin takes extended pit stop to repair car.  Nose full of duct tape.

Lap 60: Caution for light rain.

Lap 58: Light sprinkle in turn 3.  No caution at the moment.

Lap 56: Battle for lead between Biffle and Harvick.  Only 0.15 seconds separate them.

Lap 50 Current Top 5: Biffle, Harvick, Johnson, Stewart, Truex Jr

Lap 46: Kurt Busch officially out of race.

Lap 39: Race goes back to green.

Lap 34: Martin takes wave around to get back lap he lost for pitting right before the caution.  Gilliland and R. Gordon also took the wave around.

Lap 33: Crews get ready for first pit stops of the race.

Lap 32: Caution.  Kurt Busch's engine blew up.

Lap 19: Points leader Harvick is up to 3rd.  He started 8th.  Jeff Gordon is the current biggest mover, moving up 22 spots in 19 laps.

Lap 15: Greg Biffle takes the lead.

Lap 13: Johnson leads by 8/10th of a second over Biffle followed by Stewart and Kahne.

1:19 p.m.: GREEN FLAG!  Jimmie Johnson takes lead nearly right away.

1:08 p.m.: Command to start engines is given

1:00 p.m.: Pre race ceremony begins.

12:30 p.m. : Drivers are being introduced.

Noon: ESPN’s pre-race show, NASCAR Countdown is currently on.