Lap-by-Lap: California

CHECKERED FLAG: Jimmie Johnson wins the Sharp AQUOS 500, his first win since May. The win gives Johnson five on the season and when the Chase starts ensures he will start in the top spot.

Lap 250 -- WHITE FLAG: The white flag is out for Jimmie Johnson.

Lap 248 -- Don't think Carl Edwards has enough time to catch Jimmie Johnson. Edwards now trails by 2.2 seconds.

Lap 245 -- Jimmie Johnson leads Carl Edwards by 1.5 seconds.

Lap 244 -- Carl Edwards has slowed a little dealing with the lap car of A.J. Allmendinger.

Lap 242 -- Jimmie Johnson leads Carl Edwards by 1.2 seconds.

Lap 238 -- Fourth-place Jeff Burton is complaining of a very loose racecar and he is having trouble keeping it on the track.

Lap 236 -- Carl Edwards passes Kyle Busch for second.

Lap 235 -- Kyle Busch is running faster laps than Jimmie Johnson but Carl Edwards in third is faster than both of them.

Lap 232 -- Green flag stops are now complete and Jimmie Johnson leads by 2.7 seconds with 18 laps to go.
1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Kyle Busch
3. Carl Edwards
4. Jeff Burton
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Lap 230 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jimmie Johnson takes the lead when Casey Mears makes his stop finishing this cycle of green flag stops. Four tires and fuel for Mears.

Lap 229 -- LEAD CHANGE: Casey Mears takes the lead as Tony Stewart has to finally come in and pit. Four tires and fuel for Stewart.

Lap 226 -- A.J. Allmendinger gives up third and makes his final stop.

Lap 224 -- Jeff Gordon makes his final pit stop and takes four tires.

Lap 219 -- Tony Stewart, Casey Mears and A.J. Allmendinger run 1-2-3 as they have not pitted yet.

Lap 217 -- LEAD CHANGE: Tony Stewart inherits the lead as Bobby Labonte makes his pit stop with Paul Menard right behind. Labonte takes four tires and makes no changes.

Lap 215 -- Kevin Harvick makes his stop taking four tires, fuel and some minor adjustments.

Lap 214 -- Greg Biffle pits making a chassis adjustment, wedge adjustment and taking four tires.

Lap 213 -- LEAD CHANGE: Bobby Labonte leads when Jimmie Johnson pits. Kurt Busch on pit road for four tires, adjustments and fuel.

Lap 212 -- Jeff Burton on pit road taking four tires and fuel. Kyle Busch also on pit road taking four tires. Jimmie Johnson also on pit road with a minor adjustment and four tires.

Lap 211 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. on pit road beginning green flag stops. Four tires and fuel for Junior in the final stop of the night.

Lap 204 -- Jeff Burton passes Kyle Busch for second and is gaining quickly on leader Jimmie Johnson.

Lap 203 -- Ryan Newman lost an engine and is now out of the race and officially out of the Chase.

Lap 202 -- Dave Blaney has engine problems and is taking his car to the garage.

Lap 196 -- Updating you on the cars involved in the Lap 180 crash. Ricky Rudd is out of the race; David Reutimann is on the lead lap in 24th; Jeff Gordon is also on the lead lap in 22nd. Jeremy Mayfield is two laps down in 35th and David Stremme is two laps down in 36th.

Lap 195 -- Trouble for Ryan Newman on the Chase Bubble. It looks like he has an engine problem and is taking his car to the garage.

Lap 193 -- Jeff Burton passes Kyle Busch for second. Carl Edwards is challenging Busch for third.

Lap 191 -- ESPN reporting Ricky Rudd has been transported by an ambulance to a hospital for further evaluation. Rudd was holding his left arm when exiting the track after the Lap 180 accident.

Lap 187 -- GREEN FLAG: Jimmie Johnson brings the field to the green.
1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Kyle Busch
3. Jeff Burton
4. Carl Edwards
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Lap 184 -- Tony Stewart on pit road for a lengthy stop making major adjustments.

Lap 181 -- Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick are both on pit road.

Lap 180 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 11: First multi-car crash of the night. Jeff Gordon gets loose tapping Jeremy Mayfield and David Reutimann. Ricky Rudd gets collected by a spinning Reutimann. David Stremme also involved. Heavy damage to Reutimann, Stremme and Rudd. David Ragan will get the free pass. 11 cautions ties a track record.

Lap 178 -- GREEN FLAG: The top 17 cars stayed out that caution. Jimmie Johnson brings the field to the green.
1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Kyle Busch
3. Carl Edwards
4. Jeff Burton
5. Brian Vickers

Lap 176 -- Some of the leaders hit pit road.
• Jeff Gordon pulls a spring rubber and takes four tires
• Kurt Busch with four tires and an air pressure adjustment

Lap 174 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 10: Reed Sorenson blows a tire after some contact with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and leaves some debris on the track. Sorenson was to receive the free pass but since he brought out the caution, no free pass will be given.

Lap 170 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jimmie Johnson passes Brian Vickers for the lead. Kyle Busch also gets around Vickers.

Lap 169 -- GREEN FLAG: Brian Vickers brings the field to the green.
1. Brian Vickers
2. Kyle Busch
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Carl Edwards
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Lap 168 -- Greg Biffle is on pit road and they are changing a rear spring.

Lap 167 -- LEAD CHANGE: Brian Vickers wins the race off pit road and takes the lead.

Lap 166 -- LEAD CHANGE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads with a pit road pass.

Lap 166 -- All the leaders hit pit road.
• Carl Edwards with minor adjustment
• Kyle Busch air pressure adjustment
• Jimmie Johnson wedge adjustment
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. four tires
• Brian Vickers changes two tires and gains 11 spots

Lap 164 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 9: Debris in Turn 3 brings out the caution. Greg Biffle is back on the lead lap thanks to the free pass.

Lap 160 -- Top five after first round of green flag pit stops on the night:
1. Kyle Busch
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Jeff Burton
5. Carl Edwards

Lap 157 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch back in the lead after David Reutimann pits and takes four tires.

Lap 156 -- LEAD CHANGE: David Reutimann leads when Jeff Burton pits. Burton with a wedge and air pressure adjustment along with four tires. Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch also pit taking four tires.

Lap 155 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson pit giving Jeff Burton the lead. Chassis adjustment for Busch with four tires and fuel. Johnson may have an electrical problem and takes four tires.

Lap 154 -- Bill Elliott and Carl Edwards on pit road. Edwards with an air pressure adjustment and four tires.

Lap 153 -- Kasey Kahne makes his green flag pit stop. He takes four tires and will make an adjustment.

Lap 152 -- Jamie McMurray on pit road for four tires.

Lap 150 -- Greg Biffle begins green flag pit stops. He takes four tires and makes a major wedge adjustment.

Lap 149 -- Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have opened up a 3.5-second lead on third-place Jimmie Johnson.

Lap 144 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. passes Jimmie Johnson for second.

Lap 138 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch passes Jimmie Johnson for the lead.

Lap 136 -- Jeff Gordon is up to fourth, David Reutimann has moved into seventh.

Lap 134 -- David Ragan, Tony Stewart and Brian Vickers are three wide in a battle for 11th.

Lap 133 -- Jimmie Johnson leads by 2.1 seconds in front of Kyle Busch.

Lap 125 -- Having a quiet but solid race, David Reutimann is up to ninth.

Lap 123 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. passes Kyle Busch for second.

Lap 122 -- After spinning earlier, Ryan Newman has recovered and is back up to eighth.

Lap 120 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jimmie Johnson takes the lead after passing teammate Kyle Busch.

Lap 118 -- Taking two tires didn't help Greg Biffle as he loses five spots on the restart.

Lap 117 -- GREEN FLAG: Kyle Busch brings the field to the green.
1. Kyle Busch
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
4. Greg Biffle
5. Jeff Burton

Lap 115 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch wins the race off pit road and retakes the lead.

Lap 114 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jimmie Johnson leads with a pit road pass.

Lap 114 -- All the leaders hit pit road.
• Carl Edwards with a wedge adjustment and four tires
• Kyle Busch with no changes and four tires
• Jimmie Johnson takes tape off the grill and four tires
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. with four tires and an air pressure adjustment
• Greg Biffle takes two tires and moves up 23 spots

Lap 112 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 8: J.J. Yeley spins bringing out the caution. Elliott Sadler will get the free pass and remains one lap down.

Lap 107 -- Jimmie Johnson passes Jeff Burton for second.

Lap 105 -- Chase Bubble update: Clint Bowyer is down to 12th in points currently running 26th. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is currently fifth and Ryan Newman is in 18th position.

Lap 103 -- Jeff Burton and Jimmie Johnson continue their run to the front as they both pass Kurt Busch for second and third.

Lap 101 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. is falling as cars with fresher tires are passing him. Earnhardt is down to fifth as Jeff Burton and Jimmie Johnson both pass him.

Lap 98 -- Kyle Busch brings the field to the green.
1. Kyle Busch
2. Kurt Busch
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Jeff Burton

Lap 95 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 7: Ryan Newman spins after contact with Jeff Burton. Newman doesn't hit anything but has a flat tire. Johnny Sauter gets the free pass.

Lap 94 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch passes Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the lead.

Lap 93 -- LEAD CHANGE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. passes Ryan Newman and retakes the lead. Kyle Busch also passes Newman for second.

Lap 92 -- LEAD CHANGE: Ryan Newman inches pass Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the lead.

Lap 91 -- GREEN FLAG: Dale Earnhardt Jr. brings the field to the green.
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2. Ryan Newman
3. Matt Kenseth
4. Brian Vickers
5. Kyle Busch

Lap 88 -- Everyone but leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ryan Newman hits pit road.
• Carl Edwards with an adjustment and four tires
• Jeff Burton takes four tires and no adjustments
• Jimmie Johnson four tires and fuel with no adjustments
• Kurt Busch with more adjustments and four tires.
• Brian Vickers takes two tires
• Matt Kenseth takes two tires
• A.J. Allmendinger takes two tires

Lap 87 -- Clint Bowyer is on pit road after the contact with Robby Gordon.

Lap 86 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 6: Robby Gordon spins after getting together with Clint Bowyer and hits the wall. He dropped down the track but drivers did a good job to avoid him. Paul Menard gets the free pass.

Lap 82 -- LEAD CHANGE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins the race to the line to lead the lap. Earnhardt, Jeff Burton and Kyle Busch are three wide for the lead.

Lap 81 -- Jeff Burton is up to third after restarting fifth.

Lap 80 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch gets around Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the lead.

Lap 79 -- LEAD CHANGE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. passes Martin Truex Jr. for the lead. Kyle Busch also passes Truex for second.

Lap 78 -- GREEN FLAG: Martin Truex Jr. brings the field to the green.
1. Martin Truex Jr.
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
3. Kyle Busch
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Jeff Burton

Lap 75 -- LEAD CHANGE: Martin Truex Jr. wins the race off pit road and inherits the lead.

Lap 74 -- LEAD CHANGE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads thanks to another pass on pit road.

Lap 73 -- All the leaders hit pit road.
• Matt Kenseth with an air pressure adjustment and four tires
• Kyle Busch makes some adjustments and takes four tires
• Jimmie Johnson takes four tires and fuel
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. with four tires, fuel and an adjustment

Lap 72 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 5: John Andretti has his left front tire blow throwing debris on the track bringing out the caution. Juan Montoya will get the free pass and get back on the lead lap.

Lap 69 -- Jimmie Johnson passes Matt Kenseth for fourth.

Lap 67 -- More trouble for Elliott Sadler as his right front tire has gone flat. The race stays green as Sadler hits pit road.

Lap 64 -- Kyle Busch leads Dale Earnhardt Jr. by 3.8 seconds.

Lap 62 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. passes Martin Truex Jr. for second. Matt Kenseth says his car is really loose and he feels like he is going to crash.

Lap 61 -- Martin Truex Jr. up to second after passing Matt Kenseth. Dale Earnhardt Jr. also passes Kenseth for third.

Lap 58 -- Tony Stewart is up to sixth and Jimmie Johnson is up to seventh.

Lap 57 -- Martin Truex Jr. passes teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. for third.

Lap 52 -- A Chase Bubble update: Dale Earnhardt Jr. is third, Kurt Busch is fifth and Ryan Newman is sixth.

Lap 51 -- Martin Truex Jr. passes Kurt Busch for fourth.

Lap 49 -- Kurt Busch is up to fourth and challenging Dale Earnhardt Jr. for third.

Lap 47 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch is back in the lead as Johnny Sauter falls to ninth on the restart.

Lap 46 -- GREEN FLAG: Johnny Sauter brings the field to the green.
1. Johnny Sauter
2. Kyle Busch
3. Matt Kenseth
4. Martin Truex Jr.
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Lap 45 -- LEAD CHANGE: Johnny Sauter gets five bonus points and leads when Bill Elliott pits.

Lap 44 -- LEAD CHANGE: Bill Elliott inherits the lead an five bonus points when Kyle Petty hits pit road.

Lap 43 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Petty stays out to lead a lap. Bill Elliott and Johnny Sauter also don't pit and stay on the track.

Lap 42 -- LEAD CHANGE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads a lap when he passes Kyle Busch on pit road.

Lap 42 -- Everyone hits pit road.
• Matt Kenseth takes four tires and makes no adjustments
• Kyle Busch says he's a little tight, takes four tires and makes an air pressure adjustment
• Greg Biffle with an air pressure adjustment and four tires
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. with four tires and a minor adjustment

Lap 40 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 4: Michael Waltrip's car hit the wall after his left front tire blew and is on fire in the infield.

Lap 38 -- Michael Waltrip, currently 33rd, has a tire rub and may have to pit under green due to contact with Ricky Rudd.

Lap 34 -- Matt Kenseth completes the pass for second on Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Lap 33 -- After restarting outside the top 15, Kurt Busch is up to sixth.

Lap 31 -- Matt Kenseth is challenging Dale Earnhardt Jr. for second.

Lap 28 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch are side-by-side for the lead.

Lap 27 -- GREEN FLAG: Kyle Busch brings the field to the green.
1. Kyle Busch
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
3. Matt Kenseth
4. Ryan Newman
5. Casey Mears

Lap 24 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch inherits the lead when he stays out. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman also stay out.

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