Denny Hamlin would hold off Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the final laps to win the Ford EcoBoost 400. Jimmie Johnson would finish ninth and be crowned 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion.
Lap 1 Matt Kenseth leads
Lap 5 Kenseth leads KuBusch Keselowski Logano Johnson Harvick Truex Hamlin KyBusch Menard
Lap 7 Truex and Harvick side-by-side for position. Truex clears Harvick off of turn four
Lap 8 Harvick dives back underneath Truex going into turn one, back alongside each other….Truex clears him off the corner. Hamlin now alongside Harvick.
Caution Lap 10. Kravil scrubs the wall. Leaders head down pit road. Kenseth leads Harvick Sadler Earnhardt KuBusch Johnson Logano off pit road in a mix of strategy. Hamlin stays out to take the lead.
Restart lap 15 Harvick pulls ahead of Kenseth off turn two with the lead. Earnhardt Jr. up to third with Johnson fourth
Lap 16 Kenseth and Harvick side-by-side for the lead. Kenseth pulls ahead off of turn four.
Lap 17 Johnson goes by Earnhardt for third. Keselowski goes by Earnhardt for fourth.
Lap 18 Kenseth leads Harvick Johnson Keselowski Earnhardt KuBusch Logano Menard Edwards Biffle. Johnson passes Harvick for second. KuBusch passes Earnhardt for fifth.
Lap 21 Logano by Earnhardt for sixth. Edwards by Menard for eighth.
Lap 23 Keselowski passes Harvick for third. Kenseth leads Johnson Keselowski Harvick Logano KuBusch Earnhardt Edwards Menard Biffle.
Lap 24 Caution as Kvapil finds trouble again. Leaders head down pit road. Harvick leads KuBusch KyBusch Almirola Newman Johnson Kenseth off pit road. Ragan stayed out.
Restart lap 28 Harvick pulls early lead though it’s Kurt Busch grabbing the lead in turns three and four
Lap 30 KuBusch leads KyBusch Kenseth Harvick Johnson Keselowski Almirola Newman Truex Menard
Lap 31 Kenseth passes KyBusch for the win; Johnson passes Harvick for fourth
Lap 33 Kenseth passes KuBusch for the lead
Lap 34 Kenseth leads KyBusch Johnson KuBusch Harvick Keselowski Truex Menard Almirola Newman. Johnson moves by KyBusch for second
Lap 36 Keselowski by Harvick for fifth. Gordon to ninth followed by Logano, Earnhardt, Newman and Almirola
Lap 39 Keselowski by KuBusch for fourth.
Lap 46 Kenseth leads Johnson KyBusch Keselowski Gordon Truex Menard Harvick Earnhardt Logano
Lap 53 Gordon by Keselowski for fourth
Lap 64 Kenseth leads Johnson KyBusch Gordon Truex Keselowski Menard Harvick Earnhardt Logano
Lap 66 McMurray and Ambrose pit.
Lap 67 Burton pits
Lap 68 Montoya pits as caution flies for debris in turn four. Leaders head down pit road. Kenseth leads Johnson off pit road. Johnson told tire wear is “normal” though concerns over pit sign. Johnson said he almost missed the stall via not being able to see his sign.
Restart lap 74 Kenseth and Johnson race for the lead
Lap 75 Kenseth pulls ahead of Johnson. KyBusch runs third followed by Truex Earnhardt Gordon Hamlin Menard Keselowski Harvick
Lap 76 Logano and Bowyer by Harvick for 10th and 11th
Lap 83 Earnhardt by Truex for fourth
Lap 88 KyBusch by Johnson for second
Caution lap 90 Dave Blaney goes for a spin. Leaders head down pit road. Larson leads Kenseth KyBusch Hamlin Johnson Earnhardt Menard Truex Gordon and Bowyer. Danica Patrick gets the lucky dog. Larson heads down pit road – Kenseth to the lead
Restart lap 95 Kenseth and Busch are side-by-side for the lead. Kenseth holds the lead ahead of KyBusch and fellow teammate Hamlin. Johnson runs fourth.
Lap 99 Hamlin goes by KyBusch for second
Lap 101 Kenseth leads Hamlin KyBusch Johnson Menard Keselowski Earnhardt Logano Truex Gordon
Lap 104 Johnson passes KyBusch for third
Lap 105 Gordon up to eighth ahead of Logano, Bowyer and Truex; Gordon passes Earnhardt for seventh
Lap 108 Kenseth leads Hamlin Johnson KyBusch Menard Keselowski Gordon Earnhardt Bowyer Logano
Lap 109 KyBusch passes Johnson for third
Lap 117 Harvick makes an unscheduled pit stop after falling to last car on the lead lap
Lap 120 Kenseth leads Hamlin KyBusch Johnson Gordon Earnhardt Menard Keselowski Bowyer Logano
Lap 124 Eanhardt back by Gordon.
Lap 128 Montoya gets up in the wall
Lap 133 Kenseth leads Hamlin Earnhardt KyBusch Johnson Gordon Bowyer Menard Logano Truex
Halfway
Lap 136 Earnhardt passes Hamlin for second
Lap 140 Menard and Mark Martin down pit road. Earnhardt to the lead off of turn four ahead of Kenseth
Lap 141 Bayne, Burton, Truex and Earnhardt pit.
Lap 142 Kenseth, Busch and Hamlin pit….Johnson follows
Lap 143 Pit Cycle complete. Earnhardt leads Hamlin, Kenseth, KyBusch, Johnson, Gordon, Bowyer, Menard, Keselowski and Logano.
Caution lap 155 debris on the backstretch. Leaders head down pit road. Kenseth leads Earnhardt KyBusch Hamlin Johnson Gordon Keselowski Menard Truex and Logano
Restart lap 158 Kenseth and Earnhardt side-by-side for lead. Kenseth pulls ahead of Earnhardt.
Lap 160 Kenseth leads Earnhardt Hamlin Keselowski KyBusch Gordon Logano Johnson Menard Truex. Hamlin and Keselowski pass Earnhardt
Lap 162 Johnson back by Logano
Lap 163 Kenseth leads Hamlin Keselowski Gordon Earnhardt Johnson KyBusch Menard Logano Truex
Lap 164 Johnson by Earnhardt
Lap 167 Hamlin to the lead by Kenseth
96 to go Hamlin leads Kenseth Gordon Keselowski Johnson Earnhardt KyBusch Menard Logano Bowyer
94 to go Johnson passes Keselowski for fourth
93 to go Earnhardt passes Keselowski for fifth
92 to go Bowyer by Logano for ninth
91 to go Earnhardt passes Johnson for fourth
90 to go Hamlin leads Kenseth Gordon Earnhardt Johnson Keselowski KyBusch Menard Bowyer Logano
88 to go Gordon passes Kenseth for second. Earnhardt then passes Kenseth for third.
87 to go Earnhardt passes Gordon for second.
Caution 79 to go. Leaders head down pit road. Hamlin leads Gordon Earnhardt Kenseth Keselowski KyBusch Bowyer Johnson Truex and Menard.
Restart 72 to go. Hamlin leads. WOW WOW 24 spins his tires and WOW WOW WOW Big save on Jimmie’s part. Johnson’s fender is pushed in.
68 to go Hamlin lead Earnhardt Keselowski Bowyer Truex Logano KyBusch Gordon Kenseth
66 to go Biffle makes slight contact with Johnson – Johnson saves it
64 to go Menard has a flat right rear tire for the caution. Leaders head down pit road. Harvick leads Hamlin, Keselowski and Kenseth off pit lane. Johnson gets a tug on the left front fender. Chad Knaus tells JJ: “The fender looks good now. I think we’re in really good shape. Got a few cars to pass.” 17th
Restart 57 to go Harvick and Hamlin side-by-side for the lead. Harvick pulls ahead off of turn two. Keselowski passes Hamlin for second
55 to go Keselowski went for the lead, and was unable to pass Harvick.
54 to go Harvick leads Keselowski Hamlin Earnhardt Kenseth Gordon Truex Logano Newman Earnhardt. Logano by Truex. Keselowski takes the lead off of turn four.
52 to go Keselowski leads Hamlin Earnhardt Kenseth Harvick Gordon Logano Newman Truex and Bowyer. Johnson up to 13th
50 to go Gordon passes Harvick for fifth
44 to go Earnhardt Jr. passes both Keselowski and Hamlin for the lead with a power move around the outside of them both.
37 to go Menard comes down pit road with huge fire as rubber catches fire and then the wheel blows out, making an explosion. Leaders head down pit road. Hamlin leads Earnhardt KuBusch Kenseth Gordon Bowyer Keselowski Truex Logano KyBusch Newman and Johnson come off pit road.
Restart 30 to go Earnhardt and Hamlin side-by-side for the lead. Earnhardt by Hamlin down the backstretch ahead of Hamlin and Kenseth.
26 to go Earnhardt leads Hamlin Kenseth Truex Keselowski Bowyer Logano KyBusch Gordon KuBusch Johnson
24 to go Hamlin takes the lead off turn two
23 to go Johnson passes KuBusch for 10th
22 to go Kenseth passes Earnhardt for second
21 to go Johnson passes both KyBusch and Gordon to move up to eighth
19 to go Johnson by Logano for seventh
16 to go Hamlin leads Kenseth Earnhardt Truex Keselowski Bowyer Johnson Logano KyBusch Gordon
11 to go Earnhardt tries to pull the slidejob on Kenseth, crosses bumpers and slides it.
10 to go Earnhardt tries three-wide with lap car of Burton and no dice on slide.
Denny Hamlin wins. Kenseth. Earnhardt. Truex. Bowyer. Keselowski. Bowyer. Logano. Johnson.
