Lap-by-Lap: Atlanta

CHECKERED FLAG -- Kyle Busch gets his first top-10 finish at Atlanta as he wins the Kobalt Tools 500. His teammate, Tony Stewart, finishes second giving Toyota a 1-2 finish.

Lap 324 -- WHITE FLAG: Kyle Busch is 1.54 miles away from giving Toyota its first win. Tony Stewart passes Greg Biffle for second.

Lap 321 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. has caught Tony Stewart and the two are racing for third.

Lap 317 -- Unless a caution comes out this race is over and Toyota will earn its first Cup victory.

Lap 313 -- Twelve laps to go and Kyle Busch leads Greg Biffle by three seconds.

Lap 310 -- Greg Biffle passes Tony Stewart for second. Jeff Gordon back up to fifth.

Lap 307 -- Greg Biffle is moving as he catches Tony Stewart and is challenging him for second.

Lap 305 -- Clint Bowyer passes Jeff Gordon for fifth.

Lap 302 -- Greg Biffle passes Dale Earnhardt Jr. for third.

Lap 300 -- Twenty-five laps to go and Kyle Busch leads by three seconds.

Lap 296 -- Kyle Busch leads teammate Tony Stewart by more than three seconds. Greg Biffle gets around Jeff Gordon for fourth; Matt Kenseth passes Jimmie Johnson for ninth.

Lap 292 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon have both passed Greg Biffle for third and fourth.

Lap 290 -- Matt Kenseth had to change a throttle spring on the last pit stop dropping him to 11th.

Lap 288 -- GREEN FLAG: Kyle Busch brings the field to the green.
1. Kyle Busch
2. Tony Stewart
3. Greg Biffle
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5. Jeff Gordon

Lap 286 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch wins the race off pit road to retake the lead.

Lap 285 -- LEAD CHANGE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. gets the lead as all the lead lap cars hit pit road on what could be the last stop of the day.
• Kyle Busch with a wedge adjustment and four tires
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. with adjustments and tires
• Tony Stewart with a wedge adjustment and tires
• Greg Biffle gains five spots on pit road

Lap 283 -- Pit road is closed as speedy dry is being put down on pit road due to the No. 99 spilling oil all the way to the garage.

Lap 282 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 8: Oil in Turn 4 brings out the caution. Kurt Busch gets the free pass.

Lap 280 -- Tony Stewart is up to third and Jeff Gordon has moved up to fifth.

Lap 277 -- Carl Edwards takes his No. 99 to the garage.

Lap 275 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch takes the lead as Carl Edwards hits pit road. Edwards thinks the transmission has broke.

Lap 272 -- The smoke is back on the No. 99 and it appears to be getting worse. Edwards says his gauges are reading fine.

Lap 270 -- Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch are both short on fuel and will have to stop again.

Lap 269 -- LEAD CHANGE: The smoke on the No. 99 has disappeared and Carl Edwards reclaims the lead.

Lap 268 -- LEAD CHANGE: On the restart Carl Edwards has smoke coming from his Ford and Kyle Busch takes the lead.

Lap 267 -- GREEN FLAG: Carl Edwards brings the field to the green.
1. Carl Edwards
2. Kyle Busch
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
4. Tony Stewart
5. Kevin Harvick

Lap 265 -- LEAD CHANGE: Carl Edwards wins the race off pit road and retakes the lead. Dale Jarrett was too fast entering pit road and will restart at the tail end of the longest line.

Lap 264 -- LEAD CHANGE: Bobby Labonte stays out to lead a lap and earn five bonus points.

Lap 263 -- LEAD CHANGE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. grabs the lead as the lead lap cars hit pit road. They will have to make one more stop.
• Carl Edwards with a track bar adjustment
• Kyle Busch makes a chassis adjustment
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. with adjustments
• Jeff Gordon makes major adjustments
• Jeff Burton loses two spots on pit road

Lap 262 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 7: Elliott Sadler spins for the third time bringing out the caution. This time he hits the wall and has front end damage. Jimmie Johnson gets the free pass and will be back on the lead lap.

Lap 259 -- Carl Edwards passes Jimmie Johnson putting him back a lap down. Edwards leads the race by more than six seconds.

Lap 252 -- Clint Bowyer is down to eighth and Jeff Gordon down to sixth on the older tires. Kyle Busch is hanging in there in second on his older tires, but Dale Earnhardt Jr. is gaining on him.

Lap 247 -- Carl Edwards is running almost 2 mph faster than the rest of the field. Edwards has opened up more than a three-second lead.

Lap 243 -- Clint Boywer is down to sixth with the older tires. Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon remain second and third on their older tires.

Lap 240 -- LEAD CHANGE: Carl Edwards uses those fresher tires to pass Kyle Busch for the lead in just five laps.

Lap 238 -- Carl Edwards passes Jeff Gordon for second and is closing on Kyle Busch for the lead.

Lap 236 -- Carl Edwards passes Clint Bowyer with his fresher tires for third.

Lap 235 -- GREEN FLAG: Kyle Busch brings the field to the green.
1. Kyle Busch
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Clint Bowyer
4. Carl Edwards
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Lap 234 -- Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer are the only three lead lap cars to stay out. Kyle Petty was caught speeding and Elliott Sadler pitted too soon.

Lap 233 -- Quickie yellow so all the cars can hit pit road.
• Carl Edwards is the highest leader to hit pit road and makes minor adjustments
• Kevin Harvick with an air pressure adjustment
• Jeff Burton with a minor adjustment

Lap 232 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 6: Elliott Sadler spins bringing out the caution again. For the second time though, he doesn't hit anything. Jimmie Johnson gets the free pass and is back on the lead lap.

Lap 230 -- Carl Edwards has the fastest car on the track and passes Clint Bowyer for third.

Lap 226 -- Ryan Newman's time in the top five could be short lived as he has a tire rub and has to come to pit road.

Lap 225 -- GREEN FLAG: Kyle Busch brings the field to the green
1. Kyle Busch
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Clint Bowyer
4. Kevin Harvick
5. Ryan Newman

Lap 224 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch wins the race off pit road and retakes the lead.

Lap 223 -- LEAD CHANGE: Brian Vickers stays out to earn five bonus points.

Lap 222 -- The 12 lead-lap cars all come to pit road.
• Carl Edwards with a small track bar adjustment
• Kyle Busch makes an air pressure adjustment
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. with minor adjustments
• Clint Bowyer with no adjustments and four tires
• Jeff Gordon gains three spots on pit road

Lap 221 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 5: Elliott Sadler spins in Turn 4. Greg Biffle gets the free pass.

Lap 215 -- Carl Edwards is catching Kyle Busch and trails him by 0.3 seconds.

Lap 210 -- Carl Edwards catches Clint Bowyer and passes him for second.

Lap 205 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch has a great run on the high side to pass Clint Bowyer in Turn 2 and retake the lead.

Lap 204 -- GREEN FLAG: Clint Bowyer brings the field to the green.
1. Clint Boywer
2. Kyle Busch
3. Carl Edwards
4. Kevin Harvick
5. Jeff Gordon

Lap 202 -- Denny Hamlin and David Gilliland both pitted too soon and will start at the tail end of the longest line. Reed Sorenson is still on pit road with the hood up as they are changing shock absorbers.

Lap 200 -- The 11 lead lap cars hit pit road.
• Clint Bowyer takes four tires and fuel with no changes
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. with four tires and adjustments
• Carl Edwards with some adjustments and four tires
• Bobby Labonte is the only car to gain a spot on pit road, he moves up to 10th

Lap 198 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 4: Debris on Turn 4. Brian Vickers gets the free pass.

Lap 196 -- Eleven cars are on the lead lap as Clint Boywer has recently put Brian Vickers, Greg Biffle and Juan Montoya a lap down.

Lap 195 -- Clint Bowyer leads by more than four seconds in front of Kyle Busch.

Lap 192 -- Carl Edwards is up to third and Matt Kenseth is in the top 10 for the first time today.

Lap 187 -- Clint Bowyer passes Jimmie Johnson putting the No. 48 a lap down.

Lap 180 -- Denny Hamlin gives up fifth place to make a pit stop. Hamlin thought he had an issue with tires and he is also reporting he has no power steering.

Lap 179 -- Jimmie Johnson down to 15th as he still hasn't found the setup he's looking for.

Lap 173 -- The top-five after green flag stops:
1. Clint Bowyer
2. Kyle Busch
3. Kevin Harvick
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Carl Edwards

Lap 170 -- LEAD CHANGE: Clint Bowyer is back out front as a round of green flag pit stops comes to an end.

Lap 169 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jeff Gordon takes the lead passing Carl Edwards on pit road. Gordon and Edwards both with adjustments. Martin Truex Jr. had to return to pit road due to a loose lug nut.

Lap 168 -- LEAD CHANGE: Carl Edwards takes the lead as Clint Bowyer makes his pit stop. Minor adjustments and four tires for Bowyer.

Lap 167 -- Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch make their pit stops. The No. 18 makes a chassis adjustment.

Lap 166 -- Denny Hamlin, Jeff Burton, Ryan Newman and J.J. Yeley on pit road. Hamlin complaining his car is running hot and they make an air pressure adjustment.

Lap 165 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Martin Truex Jr. on pit road. Major changes for the No. 88.

Lap 164 -- Mark Martin and Kyle Petty on pit road.

Lap 163 -- Jimmie Johnson is on pit road starting green flag stops. Four tires and an air pressure adjustment for the No. 48.

Lap 162 -- Green flag stops are coming soon as the fuel window is approaching.

Lap 157 -- Matt Kenseth is now up to 14th after starting 42nd.

Lap 152 -- LEAD CHANGE: Clint Boywer has caught Kyle Busch and passes him for the lead. Carl Edwards is working his way back as he passes Denny Hamlin for fifth.

Lap 149 -- Kyle Busch reports to his crew that he hit the wall in Turn 4 and messed up the handling.

Lap 146 -- Clint Bowyer is gaining on Kyle Busch as he has cut the lead to 2.6 seconds.

Lap 139 -- Tony Stewart is up to fourth, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is down to sixth.

Lap 137 -- Clint Bowyer passes teammate Kevin Harvick for second. Dale Earnhardt Jr. remains fourth.

Lap 135 -- Kurt Busch has caught Casey Mears and is battling him for 20th -- the first car one lap down.

Lap 133 -- Kyle Busch leads by more than four seconds. Carl Edwards is down to ninth as his car is fading.

Lap 130 -- Kevin Harvick says Dale Earnhardt Jr. might have a flat as he is falling back quickly.

Lap 129 -- Kevin Harvick passes Dale Earnhardt Jr. for second.

Lap 127 -- Kyle Busch has opened up a more than two-second lead on Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Lap 122 -- Tony Stewart is now up to sixth.

Lap 118 -- GREEN FLAG: Kyle Busch brings the field to the green.
1. Kyle Busch
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
3. Kevin Harvick
4. Clint Bowyer
5. Jeff Gordon

Lap 117 -- Jeremy Mayfield pitted too soon and J.J. Yeley had a rolling tire causing penalties for both drivers.

Lap 116 -- LEAD CHANGE: Greg Biffle stays out and leads a lap.

Lap 115 -- LEAD CHANGE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. takes the lead on pit road as the leaders come in.
• Carl Edwards with a chassis and air pressure adjustment
• Kyle Busch makes a wedge adjustment
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. with no changes
• Denny Hamlin makes major adjustments

Lap 114 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 3: Kasey Kahne gets loose in Turn 4 and spins. Kahne avoids walls and other cars not hitting a thing. Matt Kenseth gets the free pass.

Lap 108 -- Carl Edwards passes Jeff Gordon for sixth.

Lap 101 -- Kevin Harvick passes Denny Hamlin for third. Clint Bowyer passes Jeff Gordon for fifth.

Lap 94 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. passes Denny Hamlin to get back into second.

Lap 92 -- Matt Kenseth has been a lap down for most of the race, but he is now up to 21st, the third car in line for the free pass.

Lap 90 -- Denny Hamlin passes Dale Earnhardt Jr. for second.

Lap 89 -- GREEN FLAG: Kyle Busch brings the field to the green.
1. Kyle Busch
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
3. Denny Hamlin
4. Kevin Harvick
5. Jeff Gordon

Lap 86 -- Jamie McMurray will start at the tail end of the longest line for pitting too soon.

Lap 85 -- All the lead lap cars hit pit road.
• Carl Edwards with a track bar adjustment
• Kyle Busch makes an air pressure adjustment
• Kevin Harvick makes adjustments and takes four tires
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. with a chassis adjustment
• Denny Hamlin with a great stop and he gains a couple spots on pit road

Lap 84 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 2: Debris in Turn 3 brings out the caution. Paul Menard gets the free pass and returns to the lead lap.

Lap 79 -- Jamie McMurray made a green-flag pit stop and he was too fast entering so he will have to make a pass-through penalty.

Lap 77 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. passes Carl Edwards after the No. 99 gets real loose. Kevin Harvick also passes Edwards for third.

Lap 76 -- Tony Stewart is in the top 10 for the first time today as he passes Ryan Newman.

Lap 72 -- Kyle Busch passes Mark Martin to put him a lap down. Twenty cars are on the lead lap.

Lap 71 -- Carl Edwards passes Dale Earnhardt Jr. for second.

Lap 66 -- Denny Hamlin passes Jeff Gordon for fifth. Kyle Busch leads by 1.7 seconds.

Lap 60 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch has passed Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the lead.

Lap 55 -- Kyle Busch has caught the rear bumper of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and is challenging him for the lead.

Lap 46 -- Tony Stewart is one of the biggest movers on the day. He started 32nd and is up to 11th.

Lap 42 -- GREEN FLAG: Dale Earnhardt Jr. brings the field to the green.
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2. Kyle Busch
3. Carl Edwards
4. Kevin Harvick
5. Jeff Gordon

Lap 41 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kasey Kahne pits giving the lead back to Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Lap 40 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kasey Kahne stayed out to lead a lap.

Lap 39 -- All the lead lap cars hit pit road.
• Carl Edwards with an air pressure adjustment and four tires
• Kyle Busch makes track bar, wedge and air pressure adjustments
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. with no changes and four tires
• Clint Bowyer with four tires and adjustments
• Jeff Gordon with four tires and adjustments

Lap 38 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 1: Debris in Turn 2 brings out the first caution. Brian Vickers will get the free pass.

Lap 37 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. passes Mike Skinner and Brian Vickers, putting the Red Bull teammates a lap down. Twenty cars remain on the lead lap.

Lap 31 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. has led all 31 laps. Here is the top five:
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2. Kyle Busch
3. Carl Edwards
4. Clint Bowyer
5. Kevin Harvick

Lap 28 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. has already put 12 cars a lap down and is on the verge of doing the same to Dale Jarrett, Elliott Sadler and Kurt Busch.

Lap 24 -- Kyle Busch is gaining on leader Dale Earnhardt Jr., trailing him by five seconds.

Lap 21 -- J.J. Yeley had some issues and visited pit road. He was too fast entering the pits and has to serve a pass-through penalty.

Lap 16 -- Carl Edwards passes Jeff Gordon for third.

Lap 14 -- Kyle Busch passes Jeff Gordon for second. Joe Nemechek hit the wall in Turn 2 and has some right-front fender damage.

Lap 11 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. is driving away from everybody. He's now out front by more than three seconds.

Lap 7 -- Michael Waltrip brushed the wall but not enough to bring out the caution. Matt Kenseth is up to 37th after starting in the rear of the field.

Lap 6 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a 1.4-second lead on Jeff Gordon.

Lap 5 -- The cars are running almost all single file and they are very spaced out.

Lap 3 -- Kyle Busch passes Martin Truex Jr. for third.

Lap 1 -- LEAD CHANGE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. passes teammate and polesitter Jeff Gordon to lead the first lap.

2:18 p.m. -- GREEN FLAG: Jeff Gordon brings the field to the green as the Kobalt Tools 500 is under way at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

2:11 p.m. -- The cars are rolling off pit road.

2:08 p.m. -- Robert Niblock, chairman and CEO of Lowe's delivers the command: "Gentlemen, start your engines!"

2:01 p.m. -- Country singer Jason Michael Carroll performs the national anthem.

2 p.m. -- John Newberry from Community Baptist Fellowship Church delivers the Invocation.

1:52 p.m. -- Matt Kenseth will start the race from the rear of the field due to a transmission change.

1:30 p.m. -- FOX's pre-race coverage has started.

12:30 p.m. -- Rain and snow played a factor early this weekend in Atlanta but that won't be the case today. It is a gorgeous afternoon in Hampton, Ga., and there isn't a cloud in the sky. It's 46 degrees with a slight breeze at the track with the temperature expected to climb into the mid-50's during the race. The green flag for the Kobalt Tools 500 is scheduled to drop at 2:16 p.m. ET.

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Stewart continues to sound off against Goodyear's tires
Nationwide appeals prove Commission fair process
Sadler's blunt stance on cheating has him a new fan
Rain turned Busch's Friday into a 13-hour marathon
Caraviello: Stands not an indicator of Atlanta's place in NASCAR
Time (and points) back on Gordon's side after appeal
Roush fires off at critics, denies intent of cheating
Carpentier keeps it off wall to get it in race at Atlanta
Notebook: Accident doesn't lessen Gordon's resolve
Drivers concerned about safety at some racetracks
Aumann: Atlanta's history molding on knack for close finishes