Lap-by-Lap: Homestead

JIMMIE JOHNSON IS THE 2007 NEXTEL CUP SERIES CHAMPION.

CHECKERED FLAG: Matt Kenseth caps his dominant performance to win the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Lap 263 -- Kurt Busch continues to chase Matt Kenseth. Jimmie Johnson runs in seventh.

Lap 261 -- Jeff Gordon makes it three-wide to battle with Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin for third.

Lap 259 -- Leader Matt Kenseth is concerned he has a flat right-front tire.

Lap 258 -- Kurt Busch sails by Martin Truex Jr. to take second place.

Lap 258 -- GREEN FLAG: Matt Kenseth gets the race back under way with nine laps remaining in the season. Jeff Gordon restarts seventh with Jimmie Johnson eighth.
1. Matt Kenseth
2. Martin Truex Jr.
3. Kurt Busch
4. Greg Biffle
5. Denny Hamlin

Lap 255 -- A handful of cars near the back come down pit road for service.

Lap 253 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 7: Tony Stewart spins in the corner and backs it into the wall. He has major damage to the left-rear and left-front.

Lap 251 -- After green-flag pit stops as the race winds down, Matt Kenseth leads. Jeff Gordon runs sixth. Jimmie Johnson is seventh.
1. Matt Kenseth
2. Martin Truex Jr.
3. Kurt Busch
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Carl Edwards

Lap 249 -- LEAD CHANGE: The four tires prevail as Matt Kenseth sails by Martin Truex Jr. for the lead.

Lap 248 -- LEAD CHANGE: Martin Truex Jr. has the lead now that everyone has pitted. But Matt Kenseth and his four tires is right on his tail.

Lap 247 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jamie McMurray leads when David Ragan makes his pit stop.

Lap 246 -- LEAD CHANGE: Carl Edwards pits, giving the lead to David Ragan. Dave Blaney is also in.

Lap 245 -- Jimmie Johnson is in for his stop and gets four tires and a slight wedge adjustment. Denny Hamlin is also in for his stop.

Lap 244 -- LEAD CHANGE: Carl Edwards takes the lead when Matt Kenseth makes his stop for four tires and an adjustment. Kurt Busch is also in.

Lap 242 -- Jeff Gordon is on pit road for his stop. His crew gives him four tires and fuel.

Lap 240 -- Greg Biffle makes his pit stop for two right tires.

Lap 238 -- Fourth-place Martin Truex Jr. is on pit road to begin green-flag stops. He gets an air-pressure adjustment and two tires.

Lap 234 -- Jimmie Johnson takes the outside line and moves around Jeff Gordon to take fifth position.

Lap 231 -- David Ragan has had a good run and is currently in 10th position.

Lap 226 -- Jeff Gordon has fallen back to fifth position, one spot ahead of Jimmie Johnson.

Lap 221 -- Kurt Busch has overcome problems all night and now runs in second after passing Martin Truex Jr. for the position.

Lap 213 -- Jeff Gordon continues to run in third while Jimmie Johnson is in sixth.

Lap 203 -- Clint Bowyer is on pit road. His crew has the car up on the jack and is underneath it. They think it's an engine problem.

Lap 200 -- Martin Truex Jr. pulls alongside Matt Kenseth in a battle for the lead.

Lap 197 -- GREEN FLAG: Matt Kenseth gets the race back under way. Jeff Gordon restarts in fourth with Jimmie Johnson in sixth.
1. Matt Kenseth
2. Martin Truex Jr.
3. Kurt Busch
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Denny Hamlin

Lap 195 -- LEAD CHANGE: By winning the race off pit road, Matt Kenseth gets the lead back.

Lap 194 -- LEAD CHANGE: Due to his position on pit road, Jeff Gordon gets credit for leading the lap.

Lap 193 -- Leaders hit pit road:
• Matt Kenseth is loose and gets a wedge adjustment
• Small changes on Denny Hamlin's car and four tires
• Jeff Gordon gets tape on the nose and four tires
• Jimmie Johnson gets track-bar and air-pressure adjustments

Lap 192 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 6: Sam Hornish Jr. smacks the wall and has right-side damage. Debris litters onto the track.

Lap 187 -- Dave Blaney is the only non-Chase driver running in the top 10. He is seventh.

Lap 178 -- LEAD CHANGE: Matt Kenseth catches Denny Hamlin again and takes the lead back.

Lap 177 -- Jeff Gordon has moved into third position. Jimmie Johnson runs in eighth.

Lap 169 -- David Gilliland gets loose and slaps the wall in Turn 2. No caution. He heads to pit road with a potential right-front flat tire.

Lap 166 -- LEAD CHANGE: Denny Hamlin slides under Matt Kenseth to take the top spot.

Lap 163 -- GREEN FLAG: Matt Kenseth gets the race back under way. Jeff Gordon restarts fourth, while Jimmie Johnson is in 10th.
1. Matt Kenseth
2. Denny Hamlin
3. Martin Truex Jr.
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Clint Bowyer

Lap 159 -- A handful of cars in the back of the pack pit for fuel.

Lap 157 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 5: Johnny Sauter loses it and spins into the grass, slamming the inside wall. Patrick Carpentier checks up and spins Brian Vickers, who follows Sauter's path and collides with him. Sauter and Vickers have significant damage, while Carpentier has right-side bruises.

Lap 153 -- GREEN FLAG: Matt Kenseth gets the race going again. Jeff Gordon will restart in fifth with Jimmie Johnson in 10th.
1. Matt Kenseth
2. Clint Bowyer
3. Denny Hamlin
4. Martin Truex Jr.
5. Jeff Gordon

Lap 151 -- LEAD CHANGE: After winning the race off pit road, Matt Kenseth gains the lead again.

Lap 150 -- LEAD CHANGE: Martin Truex Jr. is credited for leading the lap.

Lap 150 -- Leaders hit pit road:
• Matt Kenseth lost his primary battery and has no brake fluid
• Jeff Gordon gets four tires and minimal adjustments
• Jimmie Johnson gets small adjustments and tires
• Clint Bowyer gains 10 positions and is out in second

Lap 149 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 4: Ryan Newman spins through the grass coming out of Turn 4, directly in front of Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. He has slight damage to the bottom of the front end but should be OK.

Lap 138 -- After the stops, Jeff Gordon is running eighth with Jimmie Johnson 10th.

Lap 135 -- After green-flag pit stops are complete, the sun has gone down and Matt Kenseth leads by 9.703 seconds.
1. Matt Kenseth
2. Kurt Busch
3. Martin Truex
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Ryan Newman

Lap 134 -- LEAD CHANGE: Matt Kenseth regains the lead when Casey Mears and Reed Sorenson hit pit road.

Lap 133 -- LEAD CHANGE: Dave Blaney pits, giving the lead to Casey Mears.

Lap 132 -- LEAD CHANGE: Tony Stewart pits, giving the lead to Dave Blaney. Juan Montoya and Ryan Newman pit.

Lap 131 -- Jimmie Johnson is in for four tires and an air-pressure adjustment. Jeff Gordon gets four tires as well and is out in front of Johnson.

Lap 130 -- LEAD CHANGE: Matt Kenseth hits pit road for his stop and asks for no changes. Martin Truex Jr. also pits. Tony Stewart is the new leader.

Lap 127 -- Kevin Harvick enters pit road to begin green-flag stops.

Lap 125 -- Martin Truex Jr. has the fastest car on the track and passes Tony Stewart for second.

Lap 124 -- Matt Kenseth has now pulled away to a 4-second lead on Tony Stewart.

Lap 117 -- Jimmie Johnson moves around Jeff Gordon to take eighth position.

Lap 109 -- Tony Stewart is reeling in leader Matt Kenseth, running faster lap times and closing the gap.

Lap 108 -- Jimmie Johnson has caught Jeff Gordon and the run 8-9.

Lap 98 -- Kurt Busch is on pit road. He has a left-rear tire that is vibrating. During the last pit stop the team had trouble bolting that tire on. He gets four new ones on his stop.

Lap 97 -- Jimmie Johnson has worked his way to 11th position, while Jeff Gordon is running in seventh.

Lap 86 -- LEAD CHANGE: Matt Kenseth gets underneath Denny Hamlin to take the lead. Both are trying to put Jeff Burton one lap down again.

Lap 83 -- With two tires, Jeff Gordon has dropped back to fifth and is fighting off Martin Truex Jr.

Lap 80 -- GREEN FLAG: Denny Hamlin leads the field to green. Jeff Gordon restarts third. Jimmie Johnson restarts 16th.
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Dave Blaney
3. Jeff Gordon
4. Kyle Busch
5. Matt Kenseth

Lap 79 -- LEAD CHANGE: Denny Hamlin takes the top spot after winning the race off pit road.

Lap 78 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch gets credit for leading the lap.

Lap 77 -- Leaders hit pit road:
• Matt Kenseth gets four and fuel but has trouble seeing
• Jeff Gordon takes two tires and adjustments to tighten the car, gains 10 spots
• Jimmie Johnson gets tires and has a slow stop
• Denny Hamlin has a fast stop and is out first

Lap 76 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 3: Paul Menard spins in the corner and has some damage to his car.

Lap 70 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. is being black-flagged for a flapping panel on his car. He is running 37th, one lap down.

Lap 69 -- Elliott Sadler hits the wall and has a lot of damage to the rear deck. No caution. He heads to pit road.

Lap 64 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kurt Busch takes the bottom line all the way to the lead.

Lap 63 -- GREEN FLAG: Matt Kenseth gets the race going again. Jeff Gordon restarts 20th, Jimmie Johnson restarts 22nd.
1. Matt Kenseth
2. Kurt Busch
3. Ryan Newman
4. Juan Montoya
5. Tony Stewart

Lap 60 -- Cars that were near the back of the lead lap pit:
• Jeff Gordon gets four tires after thinking he ran over debris
• Jimmie Johnson gets four tires and fuel

Lap 58 -- The cars that restarted ahead of leader Matt Kenseth now will catch up to the rear of the field.

Lap 57 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 2: Dale Earnhardt Jr. spins on the straightaway after contact with Jeff Burton. He hits the wall and has significant damage to the side.

Lap 57 -- GREEN FLAG: Matt Kenseth gets the race back under way although many cars will restart in front of the leaders. Jimmie Johnson is running in 18th with Jeff Gordon in 19th, the first cars in front of Kenseth.
1. Matt Kenseth
2. Kurt Busch
3. Ryan Newman
4. Juan Montoya
5. Tony Stewart

Lap 55 -- LEAD CHANGE: Matt Kenseth is now the leader.

Lap 54 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch is credited as the leader.

Lap 53 -- Ryan Newman leads a group onto pit road:
• Ryan Newman makes a track-bar and air-pressure adjustment
• Juan Montoya is second off with no adjustments
• Tony Stewart drops a spot and is out third with four tires.

Lap 52 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick are being called into pit road for a commitment cone violation. Earnhardt pulled back onto the track after his spin instead of driving down pit road. Kyle Busch comes to pit road and has some damage on the front.

Lap 51 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 1: Dale Earnhardt Jr. spins coming into pit road. He was hit by Kyle Busch as they came onto pit road. Several cars are still on pit road and complete their stops, including Jeff Gordon.

Lap 50 -- LEAD CHANGE: Ryan Newman leads as Kurt Busch his pit road. Jimmie Johnson is in for his stop and gets adjustments.

Lap 49 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kurt Busch inherits the lead when Matt Kenseth pulls in to make his stop. Martin Truex Jr. is also in for a stop.

Lap 48 -- Greg Biffle hits pit road to begin green-flag pit stops.

Lap 45 -- Despite his handling issues, Jeff Gordon is now in sixth with Jimmie Johnson in seventh.

Lap 42 -- After pitting under green for his cut tire, Jeff Burton is now two laps down and running in 43rd.

Lap 38 -- Jeff Gordon is reporting that his car is losing grip on the front when he gets out of the corner. It forces him to use more track in the corner. He's running in seventh.

Lap 31 -- Martin Truex Jr. is riding the high line and making it work. He has moved from his 15th starting spot to fourth position.

Lap 22 -- Reports coming from the 24 car that Jeff Gordon may have an issue. Smoke appears to be coming from his car in the turns.

Lap 17 -- Jeff Burton hits the pit-road access with a flat right-front tire. The tire comes off as he enters his pit box.

Lap 16 -- Jimmie Johnson has maintained his third-place running position. Jeff Gordon, meanwhile, is in seventh.

Lap 6 -- Jeff Burton gets loose and brushes the wall. He was running in ninth but drops back to 15th after the contact.

Lap 4 -- LEAD CHANGE: Matt Kenseth drives by Ryan Newman to grab the top spot.

Lap 2 -- LEAD CHANGE: Ryan Newman drives to the outside and takes the lead. Matt Kenseth follows to get second.

Lap 1 -- Jimmie Johnson leads the first lap for five bonus points.

4:04 p.m. -- GREEN FLAG: Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman get the season finale Ford 400 under way.

3:57 p.m. -- Cars are rolling on the racetrack for the last time in 2007.

3:53 p.m. -- Edsel Ford from Ford Motor Company delivers the command: "Gentlemen, start your engines."

3:46 p.m. -- Toryn Green from Fuel sings the national anthem.

3:45 p.m. -- Ms. Florida, 2007, Kylie Williams delivers the invocation.

3 p.m. ET -- ABC's pre-race coverage of the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway is on the air.

WEEKEND HEADLINES
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• For Dale Jr., finale less an end as it is a beginning
• Notes: Rudd, Yates ready for final Cup Series race
• Johnson: Don't expect a conservative effort for title
• For Reiser, time was right to move up as Roush GM
• Kahne under investigation after incident at Homestead
• Johnson begins title quest with four pole of season
• Johnson chasing Petty's record of five consecutive
• Johnson's success literally built on strong foundation
• Speediatrics unit unveiled at Homestead hospital
• Reiser's promotion opens crew chief door for Bolin
• Johnson, Gordon prepare for one final showdown