Lap-by-Lap: Texas

CHECKERED FLAG: Jimmie Johnson holds on to beat Matt Kenseth and win the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Johnson leaves with a 30-point lead on Jeff Gordon in the Chase.

Lap 333 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jimmie Johnson finally gets by Matt Kenseth for the lead.

Lap 332 -- Side-by-side again for the lead, but Matt Kenseth holds it.

Lap 329 -- Two consecutive side-by-side laps take Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson across the line again.

Lap 327 -- Jimmie Johnson goes low and tries to take the lead.

Lap 323 -- Jimmie Johnson catches Matt Kenseth but he can't pull close enough. Kenseth takes the high line, while that's the line Johnson wants.

Lap 320 -- Jeff Gordon is running seventh.

Lap 317 -- Jimmie Johnson is less than half a second behind Matt Kenseth.

Lap 313 -- Jimmie Johnson moves by Ryan Newman to take second position and now chases down leader Matt Kenseth.

Lap 311 -- Jimmie Johnson passes Martin Truex Jr. and has the fastest car on the track.

Lap 309 -- Martin Truex Jr. is running third, but he is the first car with four fresh tires.

Lap 306 -- LEAD CHANGE: Matt Kenseth uses the high groove and goes by Ryan Newman for the lead.

Lap 305 -- GREEN FLAG: Ryan Newman gets the race back under way.
1. Ryan Newman
2. Matt Kenseth
3. Jamie McMurray
4. Martin Truex Jr.
5. Jimmie Johnson

Lap 302 -- LEAD CHANGE: Due to winning the race off of pit road, Ryan Newman is the new leader.

Lap 301 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jimmie Johnson is credited with leading the lap because of his location on pit road.

Lap 300 -- Leaders head to pit road:
• Matt Kenseth gets two tires and a wedge adjustment
• Kyle Busch gets four tires in 15.6 seconds
• Jeff Gordon gets four tires in 14.3 seconds
• Jimmie Johnson gets four tires
• Ryan Newman exits first with a quick stop for two tires

Lap 300 -- Denny Hamlin comes back onto the track.

Lap 299 -- Pit road is closed due to Biffle's car stopping near the entrance.

Lap 298 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 12: Greg Biffle spins in Turn 2 and comes to a stop on the track as fire and smoke enter the cockpit. Biffle gets out of his car with assistance from track workers.

Lap 296 -- Denny Hamlin was running 16th and the last car on the lead lap, but he has now taken his car to the garage.

Lap 293 -- Joe Nemechek slows to the bottom of the track after making slight contact with the wall.

Lap 292 -- Jimmie Johnson has been instructed to save about "three laps" worth of fuel.

Lap 282 -- Jeff Gordon considers himself to be "close" on fuel and now runs 11th.

Lap 277 -- LEAD CHANGE: Before they can complete a lap, Kyle Busch uses the lapped car of Clint Bowyer as a pick and takes the lead.

Lap 277 -- GREEN FLAG: Jimmie Johnson gets the race back under way:
1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Kyle Busch
3. Matt Kenseth
4. Kurt Busch
5. Kevin Harvick

Lap 276 -- Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. hit pit road to top off with fuel.

Lap 274 -- Leaders are in:
• Matt Kenseth has a cut tire and gets new rubber
• Jeff Gordon is battling a tight car and gets four
• Jimmie Johnson gains a spot and comes out first with four tires

Lap 273 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 11: Denny Hamlin makes contact with Matt Kenseth as they battle for the lead, turns into the wall and has significant damage.

Lap 271 -- LEAD CHANGE: After several laps of battling, Matt Kenseth finally gets around Denny Hamlin for the top spot.

Lap 266 -- Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin still battle, with Kenseth on the bottom. But Hamlin continues to lead with momentum on the high line.

Lap 265 -- Matt Kenseth pulls alongside leader Denny Hamlin to battle side-by-side for the lead.

Lap 263 -- Ryan Newman is in fifth and the only non-Chase driver in the top 10.

Lap 253 -- After the unscheduled pit stop, Clint Bowyer had to return for another pit stop and lost another lap. He now runs in 27th.

Lap 248 -- Clint Bowyer is on pit road because he thinks he has a loose wheel on the right rear. Bowyer loses a lap.

Lap 246 -- Jimmie Johnson is now running third. Jeff Gordon is in ninth.

Lap 237 -- GREEN FLAG: Denny Hamlin gets the race back under way.
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Matt Kenseth
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Ryan Newman
5. Kyle Busch

Lap 235 -- Kurt Busch is back on pit road after racing hard to get back on the lead lap. His crew was trying to fix damage on the hood.

Lap 234 -- LEAD CHANGE: Due to winning the race off pit road, Denny Hamlin is the new leader.

Lap 233 -- Leaders hit pit road:
• Matt Kenseth gets two tires and a wedge adjustment
• Kyle Busch has a slow two-tire stop because he stalls it
• Jeff Gordon gets two tires and is out
• Denny Hamin gains a position with a fast stop and is out first

Lap 232 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 10: Greg Biffle spins coming off Turn 4 and slides through the grass.

Lap 230 -- The entire racetrack is shaded as night begins to fall in Texas.

Lap 224 -- GREEN FLAG: Matt Kenseth gets the race back under way.
1. Matt Kenseth
2. Denny Hamlin
3. Kyle Busch
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Ryan Newman

Lap 221 -- Tony Stewart is on pit road as his crew searches for potential damage.

Lap 220 -- Kevin Harvick is on pit road to examine any potential damage. Jeff Gordon is also on pit road to address a spring rubber.

Lap 219 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 9: Big crash coming out of Turn 4 that involves several cars. Casey Mears gets loose and slides into Tony Stewart. Stewart has very minor damage. Kevin Harvick sneaks through the middle of the carnage. Cars involved:
• Casey Mears
• Tony Stewart
• David Gilliland
• Dale Jarrett
• David Ragan
• Mark Martin

Lap 218 -- LEAD CHANGE: Matt Kenseth goes to the outside to take the top position.

Lap 217 -- GREEN FLAG: Denny Hamlin leads the field to green.
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Matt Kenseth
3. Kyle Busch
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Ryan Newman

Lap 213 -- Leaders are on pit road:
• Kyle Busch takes a spring rubber out and gets four tires
• Jeff Gordon gets four tires and fuel
• Jimmie Johnson gets four tires and fuel
• Matt Kenseth gains four positions on pit road and is out second

Lap 212 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 8: A.J. Allmendinger looses it coming off Turn 2 and smashes into the inside wall.

Lap 210 -- LEAD CHANGE: Denny Hamlin goes below Kyle Busch to take the top spot.

Lap 206 -- Kurt Busch pits again due to a bad vibration on the front of his car.

Lap 204 -- After the complete pit cycle is finished, Kyle Busch is back out front with a .673-second lead.
1. Kyle Busch
2. Denny Hamlin
3. Jeff Burton
4. Ryan Newman
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Lap 202 -- LEAD CHANGE: Ricky Rudd pulls in to make his stop, giving the lead to Kyle Busch. Drivers are reporting that debris is on the track.

Lap 196 -- Juan Montoya is in for his stop. Montoya gets four tires and was running in the top five, but he is down to just seven cylinders.

Lap 192 -- LEAD CHANGE: Ricky Rudd leads the lap when Clint Bowyer dives onto pit road for four tires and fuel.

Lap 191 -- LEAD CHANGE: Clint Bowyer takes the lead when Kurt Busch makes his four-tire stop. Jeff Gordon is in for four tires as well.

Lap 190 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kurt Busch inherits the lead when Kyle Busch pits for tires and fuel. Kevin Harvick is also on pit road.

Lap 190 -- Matt Kenseth and Martin Truex Jr. are in. Both get four tires.

Lap 189 -- Jimmie Johnson continues green-flag stops with adjustments and tires.

Lap 186 -- Eleven of the top 12 drivers are Chase drivers, including the entire top 10.

Lap 181 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. hits pit road for four tires and to remove some debris from the nose.

Lap 180 -- Ryan Newman begins green-flag pit stops with four tires and fuel.

Lap 178 -- Jeff Burton is running in fifth and turning the fastest laps on the track after dropping debris on the track twice earlier in the day.

Lap 175 -- Championship leaders Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson run in 13th and eighth, respectively.

Lap 167 -- Kyle Busch continues to lead at the halfway point by 3.370 seconds ahead of Ryan Newman.

Lap 160 -- Positions 6-13 are all Chase drivers, led by Martin Truex Jr.

Lap 152 -- Kasey Kahne is off the pace and heads to pit road. He has some minor damage on the left-front fender after making contact with Johnny Sauter.

Lap 148 -- GREEN FLAG: Kyle Busch gets the race going again.
1. Kyle Busch
2. Ryan Newman
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
4. Casey Mears
5. Denny Hamlin

Lap 145 -- A handful of cars come down pit road for service, but the leaders stay out.

Lap 143 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 7: David Gilliland and Reed Sorenson both spin and make hard contact with the wall. Sorenson's car has major damage, while Gilliland drives away.

Lap 143 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch goes by Dale Earnhardt Jr. to take the top spot with four fresh tires.

Lap 140 -- GREEN FLAG: Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the field to green.
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2. Ryan Newman
3. Casey Mears
4. Kyle Busch
5. Martin Truex Jr.

Lap 137 -- Kurt Busch is back on pit road. He had a flat tire after making his pit stop.

Lap 133 -- LEAD CHANGE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. stays out to lead. Ryan Newman and Casey Mears also stay out.

Lap 132 -- Leaders are in:
• Kyle Busch gets two tires and a chassis adjustment
• Jeff Gordon takes four tires and adjustments
• Jimmie Johnson gains just two tires
• Jeff Burton gains two spots and is out seventh

Lap 131 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 6: David Stremme slows with a left-rear flat tire, but it blows and he shoots up the track and hits Kyle Petty. Bill Elliott slams into Petty for a hard three-car accident.

Lap 128 -- Chase drivers make up 10 of the top 11 positions. The only non-Chase driver in the top 10 is Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is running fifth.

Lap 123 -- GREEN FLAG: Kyle Busch gets the race back under way:
1. Kyle Busch
2. Kurt Busch
3. Martin Truex Jr.
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5. Denny Hamlin

Lap 121 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch gets the lead back due to winning the race off pit road. Carl Edwards is penalized for pitting too soon, and Bill Elliott is penalized for pit-road infractions.

Lap 120 -- LEAD CHANGE: Due to his pit stall being near the end of pit road, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is credited for leading the lap.

Lap 119 -- Leaders head to pit road:
• Kyle Busch gets a track-bar adjustment and four tires
• Jeff Gordon's crew takes a spring rubber out and gives him four tires
• Jimmie Johnson gets a wedge adjustment and tires
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. loses two spots on pit road and comes off fourth
• Kevin Harvick gains three spots and is out sixth

Lap 118 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 5: J.J. Yeley spins coming off Turn 4 and slides through the grass.

Lap 117 -- Carl Edwards continues to struggle, running two laps down in 37th.

Lap 107 -- David Reutimann is declared out of the race due to an engine problem.

Lap 106 -- Jimmie Johnson moves below Jeff Gordon to take seventh position.

Lap 103 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. gets loose and nearly slaps the wall. He was on the bottom trying to pass lapped car Bobby Labonte, while he has spent the majority of the time in the top groove.

Lap 95 -- After green-flag pit stops, the top five looks similar to before the stops:
1. Kyle Busch
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
3. Kevin Harvick
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Martin Truex Jr.

Lap 94 -- David Reutimann takes his car to the garage.

Lap 93 -- Jeff Gordon is back on the lead lap thanks to a full cycle of green-flag pit stops. He currently runs in fourth.

Lap 92 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch inherits the lead once again when Kurt Busch pulls in for his pit stop. He gets four tires and fuel in 13.1. No changes.

Lap 91 -- Denny Hamlin is on pit road for four tires. Clint Bowyer is also in for tires and fuel with no changes. Jeff Burton is also in with his teammate.

Lap 90 -- Martin Truex Jr. is in for his stop, getting four tires and fuel in 15.2 seconds.

Lap 89 -- Tony Stewart gives up eighth position to get four tires and fuel. He also gets a minor adjustment for front-end grip.

Lap 88 -- Jimmie Johnson hits pit road to get four tires and fuel. No adjustments.

Lap 86 -- Reed Sorenson is in for his stop and is in need of rear grip. He gets four tires.

Lap 85 -- Casey Mears is in for service and gets four tires.

Lap 84 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kurt Busch takes the lead when brother Kyle Busch hits pit road for his scheduled stop. He gets an air-pressure adjustment and four tires.

Lap 82 -- Kasey Kahne gives up second position to make his scheduled pit stop. He gets four tires and fuel.

Lap 77 -- After his green-flag pit stop, Jeff Gordon is now running one lap down in 38th position. Jimmie Johnson is running in eighth.

Lap 75 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick are in for their scheduled pit stops. Juan Montoya is also in for service.

Lap 73 -- Jeff Gordon is on pit road for a green-flag pit stop. He last pitted on Lap 17 and has been off the normal schedule.

Lap 66 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. moves by Kevin Harvick for second position.

Lap 64 -- NASCAR is evaluating Bill Elliott's car. Several drivers have complained of Elliott's car leaking oil, and the rear bumper is dark.

Lap 61 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. takes third position from Jeff Gordon and is on the move.

Lap 56 -- Kasey Kahne is running in fourth after starting 25th.

Lap 52 -- Carl Edwards is the worst Chase driver, riding in 40th position.

Lap 46 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch flies by Jeff Gordon to take the top spot.

Lap 46 -- Kyle Busch moves around Kevin Harvick for second and now chases Jeff Gordon for the lead.

Lap 45 -- After his four-tire stop, Jimmie Johnson is mired in 26th position.

Lap 40 -- Kevin Harvick moves to the outside of Juan Montoya for second. Kyle Busch follows.

Lap 39 -- GREEN FLAG: Jeff Gordon gets the race going again.
1. Jeff Gordon
2. Juan Montoya
3. Kevin Harvick
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5. J.J. Yeley

Lap 36 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jeff Gordon stays out to lead, and several other cars that pitted last time stay out.

Lap 36 -- Pit road is open:
• Martin Truex Jr. ducks onto pit road for four tires and adjustments
• Matt Kenseth gets left-side tires
• Jimmie Johnson gets tires and fuel
• David Gilliland gains four spots and is eighth off
• Jeff Burton's crew works on the rear fender of his car

Lap 35 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 4: Debris is on the track again, again from Jeff Burton's car.

Lap 34 -- Jeff Burton has a piece of metal hanging from his right-rear. NASCAR is evaluating the potential problem it could entail.

Lap 32 -- GREEN FLAG: Martin Truex Jr. leads the field to green.
1. Martin Truex Jr.
2. Kurt Busch
3. Jeff Gordon
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Juan Montoya

Lap 29 -- Paul Menard has more damage, this time on the left-front fender. Pit road is open:
• Kyle Busch is in for two tires and a chassis adjustment
• Casey Mears gets two tires and an adjustment
• Tony Raines is in to check possible damage

Lap 28 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 3: Debris is in Turn 3 from Jeff Burton's car.

Lap 26 -- LEAD CHANGE: Martin Truex Jr. sails below Jeff Gordon to take the lead once again.

Lap 23 -- GREEN FLAG: Jeff Gordon gets the race under way again.
1. Jeff Gordon
2. Martin Truex Jr.
3. Matt Kenseth
4. Kurt Busch
5. Ryan Newman

Lap 20 -- Pit road is open for a quickie caution.

Lap 19 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 2: A.J. Allmendinger cuts a right-side tire and has some damage after slapping the wall.

Lap 19 -- GREEN FLAG: Jeff Gordon gets the race back under way.
1. Jeff Gordon
2. Ryan Newman
3. Martin Truex Jr.
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Carl Edwards

Lap 16 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jeff Gordon gains the lead by winning the race off pit road.
• Pit-road penalties include Greg Biffle, Reed Sorenson, Bill Elliott and Paul Menard.

Lap 15 -- Leaders head to pit road:
• Jeff Gordon gets right-side tires only and fuel
• Jimmie Johnson gets four tires and an air-pressure adjustment
• Matt Kenseth gains nine spots and is out fourth with two tires
• Denny Hamlin is the big loser on pit road, dropping six positions
• A.J. Allmendinger gets the free pass

Lap 14 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 1: Paul Menard gets loose and spins in Turns 3 and 4. Menard made slight contact with the wall.

Lap 6 -- LEAD CHANGE: Juan Montoya slips underneath Martin Truex Jr. to take the lead.

Lap 5 -- Jeff Gordon has fallen back to fifth position but has slowed his drop.

Lap 3 -- A.J. Allmendinger slows and goes to the top of the track. He's headed to pit road after brushing the wall. Allmendinger started in fifth.

Lap 1 -- Pole-sitter Martin Truex Jr. pulls out to lead the first lap for five bonus points.

3:37 p.m. -- GREEN FLAG: Martin Truex Jr. and Jeff Gordon get the Dickies 500 under way from Texas.

3:31 p.m. -- Cars are rolling onto the racetrack.

3:28 p.m. -- Dallas Mavericks player Dirk Nowitzki gives the command: "Gentlemen, start your engines!"

3:21 p.m. -- The Texas Christian University band performs the national anthem.

3:20 p.m. -- Dr. Roger Marsh delivers the invocation.

3 p.m. -- ABC's pre-race coverage of the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway is on the air.

2:45 p.m. ET -- It's sunny and 78 degrees at Texas Motor Speedway and less than an hour away from the green flag.

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