Lap-by-Lap: California (cont'd)

Lap 24 -- Most of the leaders hit pit road.
• Jimmie Johnson wants his car to turn better. He takes four tires and makes a chassis adjustment
• Kurt Busch takes four tires and fuel

Lap 23 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 3: Elliott Sadler spins but doesn't hit anything bringing out the caution.

Lap 21 -- Kasey Kahne continues to go backward as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Denny Hamlin pass him for sixth and seventh.

Lap 20 -- GREEN FLAG: Kurt Busch brings the field to the green.
1. Kurt Busch
2. Kyle Busch
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Martin Truex Jr.
5. Jeff Gordon

Lap 18 -- A handful of cars including Reed Sorenson and Tony Raines hit pit road. Juan Montoya also on pit road repairing damage from his pit road crash with Carl Edwards.

Lap 16 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 2: Debris in Turns 3 and 4 brings out the second caution.

Lap 15 -- Two tires looks like the wrong thing to do. Kasey Kahne down to fourth as Jimmie Johnson passes him. John Andretti down to 14th after not pitting.

Lap 14 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kurt Busch passes John Andretti and Kasey Kahne to reclaim the lead.

Lap 13 -- GREEN FLAG: John Andretti brings the field to the green.
1. John Andretti
2. Kasey Kahne
3. Kurt Busch
4. Kyle Busch
5. Jimmie Johnson

Lap 11 -- LEAD CHANGE: John Andretti stays out when everyone pits and leads a lap.

Lap 10 -- Joe Nemechek takes his car right to the garage. Everyone hits pit road.
• Kyle Busch takes four tires and makes an air pressure adjustment
• Jimmie Johnson with an air pressure adjustment and four tires
• Kurt Busch takes four tires and fuel
• Kasey Kahne takes two tires and wins the race off pit road
• Matt Kenseth gains 10 spots and moves up to ninth
• Juan Montoya and Carl Edwards hit each other on pit road

Lap 9 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 1: Joe Nemechek has an engine problem bringing out the first caution of the day.

Lap 8 -- Kyle Busch passes Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman and is up to third.

Lap 7 -- Early on, cars are spread out just trying to find the groove that suits them.

Lap 6 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. is up to fifth. Jeff Gordon has gone from 16th to ninth.

Lap 1 -- Kurt Busch leads the first lap and gets five bonus points. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is aggressive on the start and makes a couple passes.

8:19 p.m. -- GREEN FLAG: Kurt Busch brings the field to speed and the Sharp AQUOS 500 is under way at California Speedway.

8:14 p.m. -- The cars are off pit road and on the track.

8:08 p.m. -- Grand Marshall Stevie Wonder serenades the crowd with My Cherie Amour on his harmonica and then delivers the command: "Gentlemen, start your engines"

8:01 p.m. -- Melissa Etheridge performs the national anthem.

8 p.m. -- Jeff Hamilton of Motor Racing Outreach delivers the Invocation.

7 p.m. -- NASCAR Countdown has started on ESPN.

6:18 p.m. -- Juan Montoya and Aric Almirola are headed to the back when the race starts due to engine changes. Tony Raines will also go to the rear of the field with a transmission change.

6:17 p.m. -- We are less than two hours away from the green flag dropping in California for the Sharp AQUOS 500. It is hot once again at the track with the temperature at 110 degrees with a track temperature of more than 140 degrees.

CALIFORNIA HEADLINES
Caraviello: In California, the ghosts of Ontario are never far away
Notebook: Nemechek puts Furniture Row back in field
Gilliland feeling at home after solid Happy Hour run
Sweltering heat, blinding sun make conditions tough
Margins are growing wider as Chase cutoff approaches
Busch says Gibbs move to Toyota in '08 is a done deal
Notes: DEI mum on Martin, Almirola sharing No. 8 car
DEI's other Junior now looking like No. 1 driver