Lap-by-Lap: Homestead

Lap 267 -- CHECKERED FLAG: Denny Hamlin wins the Ford 400 for his fourth win of the season but Jimmie Johnson is the story as he becomes the first driver to win four consecutive Cup championships. Rick Hendrick becomes the first owner to finish 1-2-3 in the final Cup standings.

Lap 266 -- WHITE FLAG: Denny Hamlin takes the white flag and should cruise to the Ford 400 victory.

Lap 264 -- Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick are side-by-side for third.

Lap 263 -- Denny Hamlin is in control and this will be his race to lose.

Lap 260 -- Jimmie Johnson gets around Kyle Busch for fifth.

Lap 257 -- Ten to go and Denny Hamlin is out front by 3.1 seconds on Jeff Burton.

Lap 256 -- Kyle Busch continues to slide back as Kevin Harvick passes him for fourth.

Lap 255 -- Kurt Busch passes Kyle Busch for third.

Lap 253 -- Jeff Burton and Kyle Busch are side-by-side for second.

Lap 252 -- Fifteen laps separates Jimmie Johnson from history as he runs sixth.

Lap 249 -- Carl Edwards passes Clint Bowyer for eighth.

Lap 247 -- Denny Hamlin is out front by 2.3 seconds.

Lap 242 -- Juan Montoya is on pit road as Mark Martin and Martin Truex Jr. battle for 11th.

Lap 236 -- Mark Martin up to 12th but he is running out of time -- and luck.

Lap 235 -- Tony Stewart up to 25th after getting the free pass.

Lap 232 -- Carl Edwards, Martin Truex Jr. and Jamie McMurray go three-wide for 10th.

Lap 230 -- A.J. Allmendinger having a great night as he currently runs ninth.

Lap 229 -- Jeff Gordon passes Jimmie Johnson for seventh.

Lap 226 -- Two tires isn't working for Kurt Busch as he is down to fifth.

Lap 223 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch's lead is short-lived as Denny Hamlin is back out front.

Lap 222 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch jumps out to the lead on the restart.

Lap 221 -- GREEN FLAG: Kurt Busch brings the field to the green.
1. Kurt Busch
2. Kyle Busch
3. Jeff Burton
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Clint Bowyer

Lap 220 -- LEAD CHANGE: Michael Waltrip and John Andretti pit giving the lead to Kurt Busch, who wins the race off pit road.

Lap 219 -- LEAD CHANGE: Michael Waltrip stays out and leads for the first time tonight. John Andretti stays out as well.

Lap 218 -- All the leaders hit pit road for what should be the final stop.
• Kyle Busch with an air pressure and chassis adjustment
• Jeff Burton with an air pressure adjustment
• Denny Hamlin with an air pressure adjustment
• Kurt Busch with two tires
• Jimmie Johnson with a wedge adjustment

Lap 216 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 7: Debris on the track brings out the caution. Tony Stewart gets the free pass.

Lap 212 -- Kevin Harvick up to sixth. Mark Martin is 15th.

Lap 206 -- Kurt Busch gets around Kyle Busch for second.

Lap 205 -- Jeff Burton has opened up a 2.2-second lead on Kyle Busch.

Lap 202 -- Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr. and Jeff Gordon are three-wide for sixth.

Lap 199 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jeff Burton has a great restart and jumps out to the lead with Kyle Busch behind.

Lap 198 -- GREEN FLAG: Denny Hamlin brings the field to the green.
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Jeff Burton
3. Kyle Busch
4. Kurt Busch
5. Clint Bowyer

Lap 195 -- All the leaders hit pit road.
• Kyle Busch with an air pressure adjustment and four tires
• Jeff Burton with an air pressure and track bar adjustment
• Denny Hamlin with tape on the grill and an air pressure adjustment
• Jimmie Johnson with a wedge and track bar adjustment

Lap 193 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 6: Robby Gordon spins in Turn 2 bringing out the caution. John Andretti gets the free pass.

Lap 189 -- John Andretti goes a lap down taking the free pass away from Tony Stewart.

Lap 187 -- Mark Martin is still 14th while Jimmie Johnson runs fifth.

Lap 184 -- Jeff Burton gets around Denny Hamlin for second.

Lap 181 -- LEAD CHANGE: After a multiple-lap battle, Kurt Busch retakes the lead from Denny Hamlin.

Lap 177 -- Carl Edwards on the move as he is up to eighth.

Lap 174 -- Jimmie Johnson passes teammate Jeff Gordon for sixth.

Lap 172 -- Kevin Harvick passes Jeff Gordon for fifth.

Lap 170 -- Kurt Busch has closed the gap on leader Denny Hamlin and is challenging for the lead.

Lap 165 -- Jimmie Johnson up to seventh as he is battling four other cars for position.

Lap 163 -- David Ragan is on pit road.

Lap 162 -- Jimmie Johnson restarts in 10th. Mark Martin restarts 14th.

Lap 161 -- GREEN FLAG: Denny Hamlin brings the field to the green.
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Kurt Busch
3. Jeff Burton
4. Kasey Kahne
5. Jeff Gordon

Lap 160 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. the only wave-around car and he is back on the lead lap. Tony Stewart is scored one lap down.

Lap 159 -- Joey Logano is black flagged and is back on pit road.

Lap 158 -- LEAD CHANGE: Denny Hamlin wins the race off pit road and leads for the first time.

Lap 157 -- Juan Montoya is black-flagged for two laps and is told if he hits anyone else his season is over.

Lap 156 -- All the leaders hit pit road.
• Kasey Kahne with a wedge and track bar adjustment
• Jeff Burton with four tires and a wedge adjustment
• Denny Hamlin with four tires
• Kurt Busch with four tires and adjustments
• Jimmie Johnson with a wedge and track bar adjustment

Lap 155 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 5: Juan Montoya didn't listen to the message from NASCAR as he bumps Tony Stewart sending the No. 14 into the inside wall. John Andretti gets the free pass.

Lap 152 -- NASCAR warns Tony Stewart and Juan Montoya telling them "enough is enough and it's over."

Lap 150 -- Thirty-nine cars are on the track with 33 of them scored on the lead lap. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and John Andretti are the only cars a lap down.

Lap 147 -- Mark Martin gets loose but saves it. He is currently 21st.

Lap 145 -- Juan Montoya is back in the race scored 28 laps down. Denny Hamlin passes Kevin Harvick for second.

Lap 143 -- Kurt Busch has opened-up a 1.6-second lead on Kevin Harvick.

Lap 136 -- Jimmie Johnson up to 17th and Tony Stewart up to 18th after restart. Dale Earnhardt Jr. on pit road with a flat tire.

Lap 134 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kurt Busch passes Kevin Harvick on the outside to lead. Erik Darnell back on the track scored 18 laps down.

Lap 133 -- Kurt Busch gets around Denny Hamlin for second.

Lap 130 -- Jimmie Johnson up to 21st. Mark Martin is 26th. Tony Stewart up to 25th.

Lap 128 -- Denny Hamlin closing in on leader Kevin Harvick. Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman and Jeff Gordon three-wide for sixth.

Lap 127 -- Tony Stewart up to 27th after restarting 32nd.

Lap 124 -- Denny Hamlin up to second, Kyle Busch up to third on the restart.

Lap 123 -- GREEN FLAG: Kevin Harvick brings the field to the green.
1. Kevin Harvick
2. Jeff Burton
3. Denny Hamlin
4. Kurt Busch
5. Kyle Busch

Lap 121 -- Jimmie Johnson will restart 23rd, Mark Martin will restart 25th after their pit stops.

Lap 119 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip makes multiple stops on this caution.

Lap 117 -- Jimmie Johnson in fifth the highest-running driver to pit. Mark Martin also on pit road for major adjustments. Tony Stewart on pit road for repairs. Elliott Sadler slams into Reed Sorenson on the entrance to pit road and is out of the race. Sorenson also with major damage after getting into Paul Menard. Erik Darnell in the garage.

Lap 116 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 4: Juan Montoya blows his tire after contact with Tony Stewart and the No. 42 hits the wall. John Andretti gets the free pass.

Lap 115 -- Juan Montoya and Tony Stewart get together on the backstretch as Stewart shows his displeasure with Montoya after Montoya got into the back of him earlier.

Lap 114 -- Kevin Harvick warned by NASCAR officials about his restarts.

Lap 113 -- Jeff Burton spins the tires forcing everyone in the outside lane to hit the brakes.

Lap 112 -- GREEN FLAG: Kevin Harvick brings the field to the green on the inside.
1. Kevin Harvick
2. Jeff Burton
3. Denny Hamlin
4. Tony Stewart
5. Kurt Busch

Lap 110 -- Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne among the drivers to pit. All the Lap 104 wave-around cars are also on pit road.

Lap 108 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 3: Marcos Ambrose is in the wall again bringing out the caution. Reed Sorenson gets the free pass.

Lap 105 -- GREEN FLAG: Kevin Harvick brings the field to the green on the inside.
1. Kevin Harvick
2. Jeff Burton
3. Tony Stewart
4. Kurt Busch
5. Denny Hamlin

Lap 104 -- Bobby Labonte, Regan Smith, Michael Waltrip, Paul Menard, David Gilliland and Bill Elliott are the wave-around cars.

Lap 102 -- All the leaders hit pit road.
• Mark Martin with four tires and a track bar adjustment
• Kevin Harvick with four tires and a track bar adjustment
• Tony Stewart with an air pressure adjustment
• Jimmie Johnson with an air pressure adjustment
• Carl Edwards takes two tires

Lap 101 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 2: John Andretti hits the wall bringing out the caution after tearing up his car. Matt Kenseth gets the free pass.

Lap 100 -- The top three of Kevin Harvick, Juan Montoya and Jeff Burton have put three seconds between themselves and the rest of the field.

Lap 97 -- Juan Montoya and Jeff Burton are side-by-side for second.

Lap 96 -- Terry Labonte takes the No. 08 to the garage.

Lap 95 -- Jimmie Johnson down to sixth as Kurt Busch gets around him.

Lap 94 -- Jeff Gordon still on the track currently 15th.

Lap 92 -- Juan Montoya is on the move as he passes Clint Bowyer for second. Jeff Burton on the move up to third.

Lap 91 -- Juan Montoya passes Jimmie Johnson for third.

Lap 90 -- Jeff Gordon is going backwards as he is reporting to his crew he has a flat tire.

Lap 89 -- Juan Montoya up to fourth after passing Kurt Busch.

Lap 87 -- Tony Stewart down to sixth as Jimmie Johnson, Juan Montoya and Kurt Busch all pass him.

Lap 86 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kevin Harvick has a great start and beats Tony Stewart in Turn 1. Clint Bowyer also passes Stewart for second.

Lap 85 -- GREEN FLAG: Tony Stewart brings the field to the green on the outside.
1. Tony Stewart
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Clint Bowyer
4. Mark Martin
5. Jimmie Johnson

Lap 83 -- Erik Darnell, Robby Gordon, Elliott Sadler and John Andretti the wave-around cars. All return to the lead lap.

Lap 82 -- All the leaders hit pit road.
• Mark Martin with four tires and a wedge adjustment
• Kevin Harvick with a wedge adjustment and four tires
• Tony Stewart with a wedge and air pressure adjustment
• Jimmie Johnson with a wedge and air pressure adjustment

Lap 81 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 1: Marcos Ambrose spins in Turn 4 bringing out the caution. Ambrose doesn't hit anything and is able to continue. Scott Speed gets the free pass.

Lap 80 -- Jeff Gordon falls to seventh as Martin Truex Jr. gets around him.

Lap 79 -- Martin Truex Jr. is running seventh in his final race with Earnhardt Ganassi.

Lap 77 -- Juan Montoya running 11th. Greg Biffle is currently 14th.

Lap 74 -- Ryan Newman brushed the wall and lost a couple spots to 11th.

Lap 73 -- Tony Stewart has opened up a 2.4-second lead on Kevin Harvick.

Lap 72 -- Matt Kenseth and Scott Speed go a lap down.

Lap 70 -- Travis Kvapil is back on the track scored 20 laps down.

Lap 69 -- Reed Sorenson goes a lap down as 28 drivers are on the lead lap.

Lap 64 -- Jimmie Johnson passes Mark Martin for fourth.

Lap 63 -- LEAD CHANGE: Tony Stewart passes Kevin Harvick and reclaims the lead.

Lap 60 -- The top five after green-flag pit stops:
1. Kevin Harvick
2. Tony Stewart
3. Clint Bowyer
4. Mark Martin
5. Jimmie Johnson

Lap 59 -- Tony Stewart passes Clint Bowyer for second.

Lap 57 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kevin Harvick gets around Clint Bowyer and takes the lead.

Lap 56 -- Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick are side-by-side for the lead.

Lap 55 -- LEAD CHANGE: Clint Bowyer leads as the field cycles around.

Lap 54 -- Kurt Busch is on pit road for a track bar and air pressure adjustment.

Lap 53 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kurt Busch inherits the lead as Tony Stewart pits. Stewart with a wedge adjustment and four tires.

Lap 52 -- Denny Hamlin, Casey Mears and Clint Bowyer on pit road. Track bar adjustment for Bowyer.

Lap 51 -- Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick on pit road. Both with four tires and adjustments. Travis Kvapil takes his car to the garage.

Lap 50 -- Matt Kenseth and Mark Martin on pit road. Martin with four tires and no adjustments.

Lap 49 -- Erik Darnell on pit road. Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick in a battle for third.

Lap 47 -- Kurt Busch passes Mark Martin for sixth.

Lap 46 -- Elliott Sadler and Bobby Labonte go a lap down.

Lap 44 -- Ryan Newman up to fifth after passing Mark Martin.

Lap 42 -- Marcos Ambrose is back in the race scored 14 laps down.

Lap 40 -- Tony Stewart puts Travis Kvapil a lap down.

Lap 38 -- Clint Bowyer passes Mark Martin for fourth.

Lap 37 -- Michael McDowell takes his No. 36 to the garage.

Lap 36 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. passes Jamie McMurray to move up to 10th.

Lap 35 -- Michael McDowell is a lap down.

Lap 34 -- Terry Labonte has gone a lap down.

Lap 33 -- LEAD CHANGE: Tony Stewart passes Jimmie Johnson as Marcos Ambrose takes his No. 47 to the garage.

Lap 29 -- Marcos Ambrose is back on pit road as the team needs to change the battery.

Lap 26 -- Marcos Ambrose has slowed on the track.

Lap 24 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. has gained 19 spots as he runs 13th.

Lap 21 -- Tony Stewart is on the bumper of Kevin Harvick for second.

Lap 18 -- Kurt Busch on the move as he is up to eighth.

Lap 16 -- Marcos Ambrose is on pit road and will go a lap down.

Lap 15 -- Marcos Ambrose continues to drop, now fifth, as he feels like his right-rear tire is going down.

Lap 14 -- Kevin Harvick passes Marcos Ambrose and moves up to second.

Lap 13 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jimmie Johnson gets back around Marcos Ambrose for the lead.

Lap 10 -- LEAD CHANGE: Marcos Ambrose passes Jimmie Johnson for the lead.

Lap 9 -- Tony Stewart passes Mark Martin for fourth.

Lap 8 -- Jimmie Johnson and Marcos Ambrose are side-by-side for the lead.

Lap 6 -- Mark Martin gets loose but is able to save it. Marcos Ambrose is closing in on leader Jimmie Johnson.

Lap 3 -- Kevin Harvick up to fourth. Jamie McMurray up to seventh.

Lap 1 -- Jimmie Johnson leads the first lap meaning he has to finish 27th or better to lock up the title.

3:33 p.m. -- GREEN FLAG: Jimmie Johnson brings the field to the green as the final race of the season, the Ford 400 is under way.

3:27 p.m. -- The cars are rolling off pit road for three warm-up laps.

3:24 p.m. -- Star of Dirty Jobs, Mike Rowe, delivers the command: "Gentlemen, start your engines!"

3:21 p.m. -- Robby Gordon will drop to the rear of the field due to a driver change.

3:16 p.m. -- Aniki Noni Rose, star of Dreamgirls and Princess and the Frog, sings the national anthem.

3:15 p.m. -- Pastor Fidel Gomez gives the Invocation.

2:30 p.m. -- NASCAR Countdown is under way on ABC.

2 p.m. ET -- A champion will be crowned in a few hours as Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin battle for the 2009 Cup Series championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It's currently 83 degrees under cloudy skies. Temperatures will fall into the mid-70s when the sun goes down with a slight chance for rain throughout the day. Green is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET.