Keselowski Outlasts Johnson, Wins 2012 Championship

Kyle Busch had the fastest car all day, but he didn't have enough fuel to make it to the end, and he had to pit before the end of the race.  That allowed Jeff Gordon to come back after last weekend's brawl with Clint Bowyer to beat Bowyer for his second win of the season.  Jimmie Johnson was a factor during the middle part of the race, but when his engine failed about 40 laps from the end, Brad Keselowski was able to cruise to his first career Sprint Cup Championship. 

Keselowski celebrates winning the Sprint Cup Championship (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Joey Logano won the pole award for the Ford EcoBoost 400, but after wrecking in practice with Greg Biffle and Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Marcos Ambrose moved up to the front row for the green flag.  Ambrose led the field to the green flag, and he jumped out to the lead over Keselowski.  Heading into Turn 3, Keselowski was passed by Carl Edwards for second.  Keselowski was then passed by Clint Bowyer, and fell to fourth.  On lap six, Kyle Busch got around Keselowski for fourth, dropping the No. 2 car back to fifth.  On lap 15, after moving his way up through the field, Busch passed Ambrose for the lead.  Edwards followed Busch past Ambrose for second.  On lap 22, Bowyer was able to get around Ambrose for third.

Martin Truex Jr. and Mark Martin hit pit road on lap 45 to kick off a round of green flag pit stops.  Jimmie Johnson hit pit road on lap 47 to make his pit stop, and was followed by his teammate Jeff Gordon.  Keselowski pitted on lap 48, and he wanted a double-adjustment to help make the car turn better.  Busch gave up the lead on lap 49 to make his stop.  When the stops cycled around, Busch was once again the leader.  Johnson was able to get ahead of Keselowski during the stops, and Johnson was seventh and Keselowski ninth after the set of stops.

On lap 58, Keselowski and Johnson began to race side-by-side for seventh position.  On lap 62, Keselowski was able to get around Johnson, and they both got around Ambrose, moving Keselowski up to sixth.  On lap 75, after running behind Keselowski trying to worry him into making a mistake, Johnson got around him for sixth place. 

The first caution came out on lap 78 for debris.  The field came in to make pit stops, and Busch beat everyone out.  Johnson came out in sixth, but Keselowski's team had trouble on the right rear, and came out in 13th.  The race restarted on lap 84, and Busch was able to get the lead heading into Turn 1.  Martin Truex Jr. made it three-wide on the restart, and was able to pass Edwards and Matt Kenseth for second. 

Busch leads Truex (Todd Warshaw/Getty Images)

On lap 118, after chasing him down since the restart, Truex finally passed Busch for the lead.  On lap 128, Mark Martin pitted to kick off a round of green flag stops.  Truex pitted on lap 129 with Busch, and Truex was able to retain the lead.  Before he made his pit stop, Johnson was able to lead a lap, getting that all-important bonus point towards the championship.  Keselowski was in on lap 131, and his team gave him a nice, solid stop.  After stops had cycled around, Busch was able to get up to speed faster than Truex, and he was able to retake the lead. 

On lap 142, the caution came out once again for debris.  The leaders came in to make pit stops, and Johnson got out of the pits first after taking two tires.  Keselowski took four tires, and he was scored 15th after the stops, the final spot where he could win the championship no matter where Johnson finished.

The race restarted on lap 149, and Johnson was able to get in front of Kenseth for the lead.  On lap 154, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who won the Nationwide Series Championship on Saturday, cut down a tire and hit the wall to bring out another caution.  Under the caution, Johnson and a handful of other cars came in to make pit stops, figuring for a fuel-mileage race.  Keselowski stayed out on the racetrack, and was scored seventh. 

Gordon races early in the race (John Harrelson/Getty Images)

Kasey Kahne led the field to the green flag on lap 162, and Johnson forced Keselowski to go three-wide through Turn 1, and Johnson was able to pick up multiple spots.  Busch was able to get past Kahne for the lead.  On lap 166, Kahne drove it down into Turn 3 to get ahead of Busch, but he fought back and took the lead back.  They raced side-by-side for a couple more laps, and Busch was able to pull ahead of Kahne to take the lead. 

With 67 laps to go, Busch gave up the lead to make his pit stop, and it handed over the lead to Johnson.  With 62 laps to go, Keselowski ran out of gas trying to stretch it to make his fuel window.  He was able to make it to pit road and get his car re-fired, but after his stop, he was 24th, one lap down, and he still had to make one more pit stop.  With 54 laps to go, Johnson pulled off to make his final pit stop of the race.  But the 48 team cracked under pressure; they had a missing lug nut, forcing them to come back in and make another stop.  Johnson got out in 25th, and he was scored 37 points behind Keselowski in the standings.

After Johnson's stop, Busch was once again the leader.  With 40 laps to go, Johnson pitted after complaining about smoke in the cockpit.  When he pitted, they found that he had lost his oil, and they pushed the car behind the garage.  With 39 laps to go, Brad Keselowski found out that he was going to be the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion. 

Johnson's team pushes his car to the garage (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

With 19 laps to go, Keselowski pitted for the last time, and NASCAR officially announced that Keselowski was the Sprint Cup Champion.  With 17 laps to go, Denny Hamlin slowed on the track, as his engine had dropped a cylinder.  With 13 laps to go, Busch gave up the lead to pit for the final time, and Jeff Gordon took over the lead.  Gordon was able to save enough fuel to beat Clint Bowyer across the line for his second win of the season. 

Ryan Newman finished 3rd, and was followed by Kyle Busch, who led the most laps today.  Greg Biffle finished 5th, followed by Martin Truex Jr. and Aric Almirola.  Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounded out the Top 10.  Brad Keselowski finished 15th, which would have given him the Championship even if Johnson hadn't had problems.  Mark Martin finished 16th, and was followed by Tony Stewart in 17th and Matt Kenseth in 18th.  Kasey Kahne finished 21st.  Denny Hamlin finished 24th after losing a cylinder less than 20 laps from the end.  Jimmie Johnson finished 36th, after losing his engine to end his title run.

Jimmie Johnson was giving it his all, and was going to try to win the race to win the Championship, but a part failure cost him his shot at a sixth Sprint Cup Championship.  Not only did he not win, but he fell to third in points, allowing Clint Bowyer to finish second in the points.  Here are the unofficial points, courtesy of NASCAR.com:

The 2012 season is in the books, and it was one that we all will remember for years to come.  The season started with a bang (literally) at Daytona, when Juan Pablo Montoya hit a jet dryer, causing it to explode.  The season ended with one of the most exciting Championship hunts, and Brad Keselowski was able to outlast Jimmie Johnson to win his first Sprint Cup Championship.  As the longest season in professional sports ends, it is welcomed by drivers and fans alike.  But one can't help but think that the Daytona 500 is only 98 days away. 

2012 Champion: Brad Keselowski (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Harvick Out-Duels Busch in the Desert

In a race where Brad Keselowski retook the points lead from Jimmie Johnson, a melee between the teams of Clint Bowyer and Jeff Gordon broke out, and a last-lap wreck, Kevin Harvick was able to out-race Kyle Busch to win his first race of the season.

Harvick takes the checkered flag (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Kyle Busch won the pole for the AdvoCare 500, and he led the field to the green flag.  Busch was able to clear Martin Truex Jr. for the lead heading into Turn 1, and Denny Hamlin was able to get under Truex.  On lap seven, Truex's car slowed, and he started dropping back through the pack.  On lap 11, he brought his car into the pits so his team could diagnose the problem. He and his team diagnosed that his engine had started to blow up as early as lap two. 

The caution came out on lap 16 for Mike Bliss who got into the wall in Turn 4.  The field came in to make pit stops, and Brad Keselowski stalled his car exiting his pit stall, allowing Jimmie Johnson to get around him.  The race restarted on lap 21, and Busch was able to get down in front of his teammate Hamlin for the lead.  Kasey Kahne got a great run going through Turns 1 and 2, and he almost was able to get around Busch, but he beat Kahne down to Turn 3 to keep the lead.

Keselowski had restarted 22nd, but by lap 40, he was already up to 12th.  Johnson on the other hand, had restarted 20th, but had only made it up to 16th.  The second caution of the day came out for David Gilliland on lap 51.  Gilliland's right front tire went down coming out of Turn 4, and he pounded the outside wall.  The field came in to make pit stops, and Mark Martin got out of the pits first after just taking two tires.

Martin led the field back to the green flag on lap 59, but Busch was able to clear him coming out of Turn 4 to take back the lead.   On lap 78, Martin was passed by Hamlin for second, and then was passed by Paul Menard for third on lap 80. 

Keselowski races Busch for the lead (Todd Warshaw/Getty Images)

While working his way through lapped traffic, Busch started to see his lead shrink, and by lap 113, Hamlin had caught Busch for the lead; Hamlin became the first person to take the lead away from Busch under green on lap 118.  Martin pitted on lap 119 to make a green flag pit stop, and most of the field began pitting soon after.  Busch made his stop on lap 129, and Hamlin gave up the lead on lap 130 to make his pit stop.  While the leaders were making their stops, Keselowski inherited the lead, and he was able to get an all-important bonus point towards the championship for leading a lap.  Johnson inherited the race lead, but he was not able to lead a lap before he had to make his stop.  Hamlin was once again the leader when the stops had cycled around.

The caution came out on lap 166 for debris in Turn 4.  The field came in to pit, and Busch was able to beat Hamlin off pit road.  The race restarted on lap 174, and Busch was able to get around Ryan Newman, who didn't pit under the caution.  Coming out of Turn 2, Jeff Gordon had a problem, causing the field to fan out around him, but he only lost four spots before he got going again.  On lap 200, while Johnson was running in eighth, Keselowski was able to get around Kevin Harvick for third place, and pull to within one point of Johnson in the point standings.

Keselowski passed Newman for second on lap 209, and set his sights on Busch for the lead.  Keselowski finally caught Busch, and after racing side-by-side for about 10 laps, Keselowski was finally able to clear Busch for the lead on lap 233. 

Johnson's damaged car tries to make it to the pits (Todd Warshaw/Getty Images)

On lap 235, disaster struck for the 48 team: Johnson blew a right front tire coming out of Turn 4 and pounded the outside wall, crushing the right side of the car.  He had to take his car behind the wall to try and make repairs.  The field came in to make pit stops, and Busch won the race off pit road, beating Hamlin.  Keselowski dropped to fourth after a slow pit stop. 

The race restarted on lap 241, and Busch was able to get ahead of Hamlin to take the lead.  There was a mad dash for second place, with Keselowski, Hamlin, and Harvick all trying to get the position.  When it had finally settled down, Hamlin was second, Keselowski was third, and Busch had a lead of about three seconds. 

On lap 273, the caution came out for David Ragan in the wall.  At the same time, Johnson brought his car back onto the track, 33 laps down.  Under the caution, some of the leaders came in to pit, including Keselowski.  After the pit stops, Keselowski was scored in eighth after the first seven cars stayed out.

The race restarted with 35 laps to go, and Busch was able to clear Hamlin coming out of Turn 2.  Kahne also got around Hamlin for third.  With 31 laps to go, Tony Stewart got clipped by Aric Almirola trying to avoid his teammate Ryan Newman, and spun down the backstretch.

The race restarted with 28 laps to go, and Busch was able to get the lead again.  Harvick was able to get around Kahne for second.  With just 11 laps to go, Sam Hornish Jr. hit the outside wall after his left front tire went down after contact with Danica Patrick.

The race restarted with eight laps to go, and Harvick was able to clear Busch coming out of Turn 4 to take the lead.  With six laps to go, Jeff Gordon slapped the outside wall after contact with Clint Bowyer, but the race was able to continue green.  Coming to the white flag, Gordon waited for Bowyer to pass before wrecking him coming through Turn 3.  The wreck also collected Joey Logano and Aric Almirola.

A fight between the 24 and 15 teams erupts in the garage (SPEED.com)

After Gordon got into the garage and out of his car, he was jumped by Bowyer's 5-Hour Energy crew.  After they were separated, Bowyer jumped out of his car on pit road, and sprinted to the No. 24 hauler, where he had to be held back before he could enter Gordon's hauler.

The race was red-flagged while the track was cleaned up, and the caution came back out after 15 minutes.  Kevin Harvick was the leader for the first green-white-checkered, and he was able to clear Busch, while Keselowski started to lose spots.  Coming through Turns 3 and 4, Danica Patrick spun across the track, but there wasn't a caution.  Harvick was able to win when a melee started behind him.  The cars began sliding in the oil left on the track by Patrick, and Newman, Kurt Busch, Kenseth, and Menard all got together.  Newman spun back across the track and collected Martin.

This wreck collected Martin, Newman, Patrick, Busch, and Menard (Todd Warshaw/Getty Images)

Denny Hamlin finished second, and was followed by his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch.  Kasey Kahne finished fourth, and Ryan Newman finished fifth after getting collected in the wreck, and sliding backwards across the line.  Brad Keselowski finished sixth, Greg Biffle was seventh, and Kurt Busch was eighth.  Paul Menard and Mark Martin rounded out the Top 10.  Matt Kenseth finished 14th.  Danica Patrick finished 17th after running in the Top 20 all day and wrecking with one lap to go.  Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 20th and 21st, respectively.  Clint Bowyer finished 28th after wrecking with Jeff Gordon, and Gordon finished 30th.  Jimmie Johnson finished 32nd, after he was able to pick up one spot on the last lap.  Martin Truex Jr. finished 43rd after blowing an engine at the beginning of the race.

The Championship picture looks drastically different than it did heading into Phoenix.  With Jimmie Johnson's troubles, he now trails Brad Keselowski by 20 points.  And it is now down to a two-man race, with neither Kasey Kahne or Clint Bowyer being able to catch Keselowski to win the Championship.  Here are the unofficial points, courtesy NASCAR.com:

The AdvoCare 500 promised to have drama heading into Homestead, but it may have over-delivered.  No one expected the crews of Gordon and Bowyer to go at it, and have to be held back by police officers.  Johnson had a rare slip-up, and it may have cost him his sixth championship.  Keselowski just needs to finish off his unbelievable race towards a championship next weekend, and he may have enough left in his championship run to do it.  Next week, the Sprint Cup Season ends when the best drivers in the world roll into Homestead for the Ford EcoBoost 400.  The race can be seen next Sunday at 2 p.m., only on ESPN.

Jerry Markland/Getty Images

Johnson Dominates Texas

Jimmie Johnson took the points lead after Martinsville, and he came to Texas hoping to stay ahead of Brad Keselowski in the standings.  He was able to get the pole, and lead the most laps en route to a maximum-points-day win.  

Johnson takes the checkered flag (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Jimmie Johnson, for the second week in a row, led the field to the green flag after winning the pole.  Johnson was able to get ahead of Greg Biffle heading into Turn 1 to take the lead.  Kyle Busch was able to get around Biffle for second, but by lap 12, he was already 1.1 seconds behind Johnson.  Brad Keselowski started eighth, and he was able to move up to sixth place on lap 26.  On lap 37, Bobby Labonte pulled off the track to make his first stop of the day.  This set off the first round of green flag pit stops, and Mark Martin pitted on lap 42.  When Kyle Busch tried to make his stop, Matt Kenseth pulled out of his stall, causing Busch to slide through his pit stall.  Brad Keselowski pitted on lap 47, and Johnson made his stop on lap 48.  When the stops had cycled around, Johnson was scored in second behind leader Greg Biffle, but he was able to quickly regain the lead.  Busch, who pitted from second place, ended up tenth after sliding through his stalls. 

On lap 87, with Johnson's lead up to over four seconds, Martin came in to make another green flag pit stop.  Keselowski came in on lap 93, and he made it off pit road without any problems.  Johnson gave up the lead on lap 94 to make his green flag pit stop.  Johnson cycled around as the leader when the stops were finished.  On lap 96, Juan Pablo Montoya scraped the outside wall, but the race was able to continue green. 

The 48 crew goes to work on pit road (Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

The first caution of the day came out on lap 99 for debris, most likely due to Montoya's scrape of the wall.  The field came down to pit under caution, and Keselowski was able to get out first when his crew decided to take two tires while Johnson took four.  Ryan Newman chose not to stop under the caution, and he was the leader when the race restarted on lap 105.  Newman was able to clear Keselowski going into Turn 1 to take the lead.  Keselowski stayed in Newman's tire tracks, and he was able to get the lead heading into Turn 3 on lap 106.  Keselowski was able to get that all-important bonus point for leading a lap. 

The caution came out on lap 109 when AJ Allmendinger spun through the grass, ripping the front end off the car.  Under the caution, most of the cars behind Mark Martin, who was running in tenth, made pit stops.  The race restarted on lap 119, and Johnson was getting help from Bowyer heading into Turn 1, but the caution came out before the field could get out of Turn 2.  Labonte's car started to billow smoke after he made contact with Trevor Bayne when Bayne spun his tires.  Montoya also got a lot of damage when he caught the grass trying to avoid the accident.

Keselowski leads Johnson to the green flag (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Johnson was scored as the leader when the caution came out, so he led the field to the green flag on lap 129.  Johnson was able to get ahead of Keselowski coming out of Turn 2.  In just ten laps, with help from the clean air, Johnson was able to pull out to a whole second ahead of Keselowski.  Clint Bowyer pitted on lap 162 because it felt like he had a flat tire.  Just one lap later, his teammate Martin Truex Jr. pitted because he also thought he had a flat tire.  That began the next round of green flag pit stops, a little bit earlier than most expected.  Keselowski hit pit road on lap 166 for four tires and fuel.  Johnson gave up the lead on lap 167 to make his pit stop. 

When the stops had cycled around, Johnson was once again the leader, but Keselowski was now right behind the 48.  Johnson led until the caution came out on lap 186 for debris in Turn 1.  The leaders made pit stops under the caution, and Johnson beat Busch and Keselowski off pit road.  The race restarted on lap 191, and Busch was able to slide up in front of Johnson coming off Turn 2.  Keselowski was also able to get around Johnson for second heading into Turn 3. 

Busch was able to pull away from Keselowski for a little while, but he was slowly able to reel Busch back in.  Busch was the leader when another caution came out for debris on lap 223.  The leaders pitted under the caution, and Busch was able to beat Johnson and Keselowski back off the pit lane. 

Johnson leads Keselowski through a corner (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

The race restarted on lap 228, and Keselowski quickly pushed Busch ahead of Johnson heading into Turn 1.  Johnson fought back on the high side of Keselowski, but he was able to get ahead of Johnson going into Turn 3.  On lap 232, Busch radioed in to his crew that he, while leading, was experiencing a vibration under the hood.  Keselowski started to put the pressure on Busch for the lead, and he finally was able to complete the pass for the lead out of Turn 4 on lap 235.  On lap 244, Jeff Gordon was able to get past his teammate Jimmie Johnson third, and then passed Busch on lap 251 for second.

With 64 laps to go, Gordon slowed when he felt a tire going down.  He came in to make a pit stop, and his right front tire was indeed going flat, and it relegated him to 25th.  Gordon's misfortune helped put Johnson back into second place.  The caution came out on lap 275 for debris.  The field came down to make what would most likely be their final pit stops, and Busch beat Johnson off pit road.  Keselowski slid through his pit stall, and dropped all the way to ninth. 

The race restarted on lap 280, and Busch was able to pull ahead of Johnson heading into Turn 1.  Johnson started to catch Busch, but he wasn't able to clear him.  On lap 311, Marcos Ambrose pounded the outside wall when he blew a right side tire, bringing out the caution and changing the complexion of the rest of the race.  The leaders came in to make their final pit stops, and Keselowski only took two tires and won the race off pit road. 

Keselowski led Busch and Johnson to the restart on lap 315.  Busch was able to get to the high side to get ahead of Keselowski, but he cleared Busch coming out of Turn 4 to take the lead.  The caution came out with 14 laps to go when Kasey Kahne blew a right front tire and hit the outside wall.  Keselowski led the field to the green flag, but Johnson was able to stay with him through Turns 1 and 2.  Johnson was able to get around Keselowski for the lead, but Keselowski was able to fight back and take the lead back.  Johnson then had to hold off Busch for second place.

Martin spins through the trioval (Jerry Markland/Getty Images)

Just when Keselowski thought he was good to go, Mark Martin wrecked coming through the trioval.  The race was pushed to a green-white-checkered, and Keselowski led Johnson to the green flag.  Johnson was able to clear Keselowski coming out of Turn 2, and he never looked back.  Johnson was able to win the race, and extend his lead over Keselowski for the championship. 

Keselowski was able to win a hard-fought battle with Kyle Busch for second coming to the checkered flag.  Matt Kenseth was able to finish fourth, and Tony Stewart was fifth.  Clint Bowyer finished sixth, and was followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in seventh.  Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Greg Biffle rounded out the Top 10.  Martin Truex Jr. finished 13th, and Jeff Gordon finished 14th.  Denny Hamlin had a dismal and uneventful day, and finished 20th.  Danica Patrick had a quiet day, and finished 24th.  Kasey Kahne finished 25th.  Mark Martin finished 29th after wrecking just laps from the finish. 

Jimmie Johnson was able to gain five points on Brad Keselowski, and now leads the driver of the Blue Deuce by seven points.  Also, Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are now mathematically eliminated from the Chase.  Here are the unofficial points, courtesy NASCAR.com:

Jimmie Johnson showed why he and his team won five straight championships.  They were strong early in the race, but then they couldn't find the lead once the track went through a transition period.  But when the race was on the line, Johnson was able to power around Keselowski to win yet another Chase race.  Next week, Johnson will once again be strong at Phoenix International Raceway.  The AdvoCare 500 can be seen next Sunday at 2 p.m., only on ESPN.

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Johnson Dominates Martinsville

Jimmie Johnson came into Martinsville needing to dominate the race and put pressure on Brad Keselowski.  Johnson came into Martinsville and dominated the race, leading laps en route to his fourth race of the season. 

Johnson celebrates another Martinsville win (John Harrelson/Getty Images)

Jimmie Johnson won the pole for the TUMS Fast Relief 500, and he led the field to the green flag.  Johnson was able to jump down in front of Brian Vickers heading into Turn 1 for the lead.  Vickers was driving the No. 55 car, which qualified second for the third race in a row.  Jeff Gordon had one of the best cars early, and, by lap 33, he was able to get past Vickers for second place.  But no one could catch Johnson, who was the leader when the first caution of the race came out on lap 45 for David Stremme, who blew a right front tire.  The leaders made their first stops of the day, and Johnson was able to beat Gordon off of pit road.  Denny Hamlin was penalized for speeding on pit road, and was forced to restart back in 32nd.

The race restarted on lap 52, and Johnson restarted on the bottom and he was able to beat Gordon out of Turn 2.  On lap 68, Gordon was able to take the lead away from his Hendrick Motorsports teammate.  The caution came out on lap 97 for David Gilliland, who blew a right front tire.  The leaders pitted, and Johnson led Kyle Busch and Gordon off pit road.

The race restarted on lap 104, and Johnson and Busch raced side-by-side for the first lap before Johnson was able to clear the 18.  Gordon was able to drive under Johnson on lap 107 to retake the lead.  Johnson got stuck on the outside, and dropped back to fourth.  On lap 115, Vickers was able to drive under Busch for second place.  On lap 128, Travis Kvapil spun in Turn 2, bringing out another caution.  Gordon, Busch, and Martin Truex Jr. stayed out while the rest of the field made pit stops.

The race restarted on lap 137, and Gordon was able to clear Busch for the lead.  Vickers was able to get around Gordon for the lead on lap 148.  On lap 149, Busch spun in Turn 4, bringing out the fourth caution of the race.  The leaders hit pit road, and Vickers was able to retain the lead, and he led the field back to the green on lap 156. 

Vickers leads Hamlin and Gordon (Tyler Barrick/Getty Images)

Vickers had a tight race for the lead with Johnson and Hamlin, but Hamlin was able to get the lead on lap 165, and Johnson followed him through for second place.  On lap 172, Johnson was able to get around Hamlin for the lead.  On lap 182, Clint Bowyer gave Johnson the bump and run to take the top spot.

Marcos Ambrose spun in Turn 2 on lap 199, to bring out the fifth caution of the race.  The leaders came in to make their pit stops, and Johnson beat Gordon and Bowyer off pit road.  Hamlin was once again caught for speeding, and had to restart 24th.  The race restarted on lap 205, and Johnson restarted as the leader on the inside.  Gordon was able to work his way around on the outside to take the lead.  The caution came out again on lap 212, this time for a spin involving Kvapil and Ambrose. 

Gordon led the field back to the green flag on lap 219, and he was able to get ahead of Johnson for the lead.  On lap 226, Bowyer was able to get around Gordon for the lead.  Kurt Busch spun after contact from Kevin Harvick, bringing out another caution on lap 228.  Bowyer led the field back to the green flag, and Johnson restarted on the high side and stayed alongside Bowyer for over a lap, but Bowyer was able to stay ahead of the 48.

Keselowski makes a pit stop (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Kevin Harvick pulled off the track on lap 336 to make a green flag pit stop.  Gordon came in on lap 337 for fuel.  Bowyer pulled off to pit on lap 350 to make his pit stop.  Hamlin became the leader when Bowyer made his stop, and Hamlin gave up the lead on lap 356 to make his pit stop.  Keselowski made his pit stop on lap 358, and his team said that he would be able to make it all the way to the end of the race without having to stop again.  On lap 364, Vickers gave up the lead to make his pit stop, and Kasey Kahne was the leader when stops had cycled around.

On lap 371, Hamlin slowed considerably on the backstretch, and he radioed in that his batteries were dying.  Clint Bowyer was able to get around Kahne for the lead.  Hamlin continued to stall his car out as his car lost and regained power, but finally he slowed to stop on the frontstretch, bringing out the caution on lap 391.  The leaders came in to pit, and Johnson beat Bowyer off pit road. 

Hamlin's car is pushed by the wrecker after losing power on the frontstretch (Jared Tilton/Getty Images)

Johnson led the field back to the green on lap 400, and he was able to clear Bowyer coming out of Turn 2.  On lap 422, Kevin Harvick radioed in to his crew that his engine was blowing up, but he was able to continue on.  Denny Hamlin came back onto the track on lap 423 after diagnosing the problem with a faulty master ignition switch.  On lap 438, Juan Pablo Montoya spun after contact from Johnson, bringing out the caution.

The race restarted on lap 445, and Johnson was able to get ahead of Gordon to get the lead.  On lap 475, Harvick's engine finally let go, bringing out the caution.  Most of the field came in to make pit stops, while Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt Jr. stayed out. 

Keselowski led the field back to the green flag on lap 481, followed by Earnhardt, Johnson, and Gordon.  Keselowski was able to get ahead of Earnhardt, but Johnson was able to get around him for second.  Johnson quickly began working on the bumper of Keselowski.  With 14 laps to go, Johnson was able to get around Keselowski for the lead, and Keselowski was soon shuffled back to fifth.  The caution came out on lap 490, when Sam Hornish Jr. dove into the corner, getting into the back of Carl Edwards, who spun into Earnhardt. 

Johnson led the field back to the green flag on lap 495, and he was able to get in front of Busch to take the lead.  Busch got close over the final five laps, but he couldn't get close enough to use his bumper.  Johnson would pull away to win his seventh race at Martinsville.

Kyle Busch finished second, and Kasey Kahne finished third.  Aric Almirola had a strong run, and finished fourth.  Clint Bowyer finished fifth, and was followed by Brad Keselowski, who had a strong outing at Martinsville.  Jeff Gordon finished seventh.  Brian Vickers, in his final race of the season, finished eighth.  Bobby Labonte got a rare Top 10, and finished ninth.  Greg Biffle rounded out the Top 10  Matt Kenseth finished 15th, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 21st in his first race back from a concussion.  Martin Truex Jr. finished 23rd, one lap down.  Tony Stewart finished 27th, the first car two laps down.  Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin finished 32nd and 33rd, respectively.

Brad Keselowski lost the points lead, and is now two points behind Jimmie Johnson.  Here are the unofficial points, courtesy of NASCAR.com:

Everyone knew that Jimmie Johnson would be strong at Martinsville, and he was.  He dominated in his win, and is now the points leader for the first time in the Chase.  But Brad Keselowski surprised everyone again, and was able to get a Top 10.  Next week, the Sprint Cup Series rolls into Texas for the AAA Texas 500.  The race can be seen next Sunday at 2 p.m., only on ESPN.

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Kenseth Survives Wreckfest at Kansas

Kansas Speedway repaved before the Hollywood Casinos 400, and it turned out to be a great move.  The race was exciting, with many of the front-runners having problems.  Matt Kenseth pancaked the wall when Aric Almirola spun in front of him, but it didn't affect him that much; Kenseth was able to pull away on multiple restarts and win his third race of the season.

Kenseth celebrate his third win of the season (Tyler Barrick/Getty Images)

Kasey Kahne won the pole and led Mark Martin, who qualified second for the second week in a row, to the green flag. Martin was able to get around Kahne coming out of Turn 2 to take the lead.  Clint Bowyer, who started third, didn't get a good start and dropped all the way back to eighth place by the end of lap one.  Aric Almirola caught Martin on lap five, and he took the lead on lap seven coming off Turn 2

On lap 32, Casey Mears blew a right front tire and pounded the outside wall to bring out the first caution of the day.  The leaders came down pit road, and Almirola won the race off pit road, followed by Kyle Busch.  Mark Martin came down in second place, but he came out of the pits in fourth. 

The race restarted on lap  37, and Almirola and Busch raced side-by-side through turns 1 and 2, before Busch got loose heading into Turn 3.  The second caution came out on lap 41 for Busch, who got out of the groove in Turn 4 and spun down the frontstretch.  Almirola led the field to the restart on lap 45, and he was able to jump down in front of Jimmie Johnson heading into Turn 1. 

Almirola was the leader when the caution came out on lap 71 for AJ Allmendinger, who wrecked between Turns 3 and 4.  The leaders made pit stops, and Jimmie Johnson was able to gain the lead coming off pit road.  Johnson led the field back to the green flag on lap 77, and he was able to get ahead of Almirola when he bobbled on the restart.  The caution came out on lap 83 for Jeff Burton, who got turned into the outside wall by Tony Stewart. 

Johnson led the field to the green flag on lap 87, and he was able to get ahead of Almirola heading into Turn 1.  Johnson pitted on lap 120 to start a round of green flag pit stops.  Almirola became the leader, but he blew a right front tire on lap 122 to bring out the caution.  The leaders came in, and Clint Bowyer won the race off pit road.  Bowyer led the field to the green flag on lap 128, but Kenseth was able to get the lead heading into Turn 1. 

Jimmie Johnson spun around and hit the outside wall in Turn 4 to bring out the caution on lap 136.  Matt Kenseth led the field back to the green flag on lap 142, but the caution came out for a spin by Bobby Labonte on lap 143.  Labonte backed into the outside wall after contact from David Gilliland.

Johnson takes his wrecked car to the pits (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

The race restarted on lap 147, and Matt Kenseth was able to pull ahead of Jeff Gordon to take the lead.  On lap 155, Landon Cassill and Danica Patrick got together, and they both spun out.  She over-corrected, and shot back into the outside wall.  Some of the leaders pitted under the caution, but the first four cars stayed out. 

Mark Martin was the leader and led the field back to the green flag on lap 163, and Martin was able to clear Denny Hamlin coming out of Turn 2.  The caution came out on lap 166 for a spun by Tony Stewart, who got loose coming off Turn 2.  The race restarted with 100 laps to go, and Martin was once again able to clear the field for the lead.  Bowyer jumped to the inside of Hamlin, while Kenseth went to the high side, shuffling Hamlin back to eighth.  Heading through Turn 3, Marcos Ambrose and Trevor Bayne made contacting, sending them both into the wall.

With 95 laps to go, Martin started above Almirola, and the two raced side-by-side through Turns 1 and 2.  Coming off Turn 2, Almirola got loose and spun down to the inside of the track, but the race continued on without a caution.  On lap 174, Biffle, who was running third, got loose and pounded the wall coming out of Turn 4, spinning into the grass to bring out another caution.  Under the caution, Kenseth pitted to fix damage he received when he hit the wall while Almirola spun.

 Martin led Bowyer to the green flag on lap 180, and he was able to clear him coming out of Turn 2.  One lap later, coming off Turn 4, Kyle Busch was racing Ryan Newman for seventh when he was spun and hit the outside wall.  Newman then turned into Sam Hornish Jr., and spun through the infield grass. 

Kyle Busch spins after contact with Ryan Newman (Tyler Barrick/Getty Images)

Martin led the field back to the green flag with 79 laps to go.  He was able to clear Bowyer coming out of Turn 2, and Bowyer began to race side-by-side with Paul Menard, before Menard was able to get second place the next lap.  With 59 laps to go, Hamlin came in to make a green flag pit stop.  The fuel window for the race was 45-50 laps, but Hamlin was going to try and push it.

Martin hit pit road with 55 laps to go for tires and fuel, handing the lead over to Menard.  While Martin was on pit road, Almirola hit the outside wall when he blew a right front tire.  His car caught fire, but it was extinguished by the time he got out of the car.  The field came in to make pit stops, and Mark Martin was the lucky dog.  Denny Hamlin, who pitted at the same time as Martin, was the first car a lap down.

The race restarted with 45 laps to go, and Kenseth led the field to the green flag.  Kenseth was able to get ahead of Tony Stewart heading into Turn 1, while Paul Menard shot around Stewart for second.  With 41 laps to go, Kasey Kahne got around Menard for second, and set his sights on Kenseth. 

Mark Martin leads the field (Geoff Burke/Getty Images)

On lap 230, Mark Martin began to slow down the frontstretch.  He radioed in to his crew and said that he believed that he had lost a cylinder.  On lap 234, Hornish hit the outside wall after blowing a right front tire to bring out another caution.  Under the caution, most of the cars in the back of the pack came in to make pit stops, including Denny Hamlin, who may have been short on fuel.  The No. 55 team went under the hood of Mark Martin's car to try and find out why his car was losing power. 

Kenseth led the field to the green flag on lap 239, and he was able to clear Menard heading into Turn 1.  Martin Truex Jr. was able to get around Menard for second place coming out of Turn 2.  With ten laps to go, Kurt Busch had a right front tire go down, and he hit the wall, but he was able to get around to the pits without a caution.  Kenseth was able to continue to pull away from Truex to win his third race of the season.

Martin Truex Jr. finished second, and was followed by Paul Menard.  Kasey Kahne had a fast car all day, and finished fourth.  Tony Stewart recovered from his spin and finished fifth.  Clint Bowyer finished sixth.  Regan Smith, filling in for Dale Earnhardt Jr., finished seventh.  Brad Keselowski finished eighth, and was followed by Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon.  Kevin Harvick finished 11th.  Denny Hamlin finished 13th after an uneventful day where he lost points to Keselowski and Johnson.  Mark Martin finished 24th, one lap down, after something in his engine broke.  Greg Biffle finished 40 laps down in 27th.  Danica Patrick finished 32nd after she wrecked. 

Brad Keselowski is still the leader of the Sprint Cup Points, by a mere seven points over Jimmie Johnson.  Denny Hamlin is now 20 points out of first, on the brink of being an unrealistic championship contender.  Here are the unofficial points standings, courtesy of NASCAR.com:

The Nationwide Series race on Saturday was very exciting, and it left everyone excited for the Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday.  The race proved to be one of the most exciting of the year, and Matt Kenseth was able to make it through the race with only a little incident and win the race.  Next week, the Sprint Cup Series should have another exciting race when they roll into Martinsville Speedway for the TUMS Fast Relief 500.  The race can be seen at 1 p.m. next Sunday, only on ESPN.

John Harrelson/Getty Images

Bowyer's Not Done Yet

Brad Keselowski was ready to win his sixth race of the season, and continue his run towards a Sprint Cup Championship.  But he ran out of gas while leading, and fell back in the pack.  Clint Bowyer took over the lead when the other leaders had to stop for fuel, and he was able to save enough fuel and hold off Denny Hamlin to win his third race of the season.

Bowyer celebrates his third win of the season (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Greg Biffle led Mark Martin and the rest of the field to the green flag.  Biffle picked the outside line on the start, and Martin was able to stay alongside him, and led lap two.  They stayed side-by-side until lap five, when Biffle was finally able to clear Martin for the lead coming off Turn 4.  The caution came out on lap 12 for Matt Kenseth, who blew a left rear tire and spun to the inside of the track. 

The race restarted on lap 15, and the caution came out as soon as the green came out.  The field stacked up, and Jeff Burton and David Ragan spun coming across the start/finish line.  Biffle led the field back to the green flag on lap 22, and he was able to pull ahead of the field.  Bowyer, who restarted second, didn't get a good restart, and Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. were able to get around him for second and third, respectively. 

Mark Martin races side-by-side with Greg Biffle (John Harrelson/Getty Images)

Paul Menard blew a right front tire and hit the outside wall to bring out the third caution on lap 36.  The leaders came in to make pit stops, and Jimmie Johnson beat Kevin Harvick and Martin off pit road after taking only two tires.  Biffle was 10th after stops, as he was the first driver to take four tires.  Brad Keselowski and Marcos Ambrose stayed out under the caution, and led the field to the green flag on lap 42.  Ambrose restarted on the bottom, but he was able to get around Keselowski coming off Turn 4 to take the lead.  Keselowski was able to get back around Ambrose for the lead on lap 44 heading into Turn 1. 

On lap 62, Regan Smith, who was driving the No. 88 car for Dale Earnhardt Jr., blew an engine and had to take his car to the garage.  By lap 67, Johnson had caught Keselowski for the lead, but was unable to make the pass.  Keselowski made his pit stop on lap 74, giving up the lead to Johnson, who pitted later than Keselowski.  On lap 80, Kasey Kahne made his pit stop to kick off a round of green flag pit stops.  Johnson gave up the lead on lap 85 to make his pit stop.  When Jeff Gordon made his pit stop on lap 86, Brad Keselowski cycled around as the leader. 

Regan Smith, driving the 88 car for the injured Dale Earnhardt Jr., blew an engine (Tyler Barrick/Getty Images)

By lap 97, Jimmie Johnson was able to catch Keselowski to get the lead back.  On lap 106, Denny Hamlin, who had fresher tires than Keselowski, got around him for second place going through turns 3 and 4.  On lap 125, Keselowski came in to start another round of green flag pit stops.  Denny Hamlin was the leader after the stops had cycled around on lap 137, followed by Keselowski and Johnson. 

On lap 141, Johnson was able to get a run on Keselowski for second place.  Johnson quickly caught Hamlin for the lead, but he wasn't able to make a move for the lead.  The fourth caution of the night came out on lap 166 for debris in Turn 1.  The leaders hit pit road, putting Keselowski back on the same cycle as everyone else.  Johnson led the field back to the green flag, and he chose the high side.  Greg Biffle, who restarted fourth, jumped to the outside at the green flag, and he got around Johnson and raced side-by-side with Hamlin for a lap before taking the lead.  Keselowski was able to follow Biffle past Hamlin for second. 

Biffle wiggled on lap 180, and it allowed Keselowski to get the lead, and Hamlin followed for second place.  On lap 189, Kyle Busch got around Biffle for third, and set his sights on Hamlin and Keselowski.  On lap 215, Martin Truex Jr. hit pit road to start another round of green flag pit stops. 

The caution came out for debris on lap 222 just as pit stops had ended.  Under the caution, Hamlin and Johnson came in to make another pit stop for fuel only.  The race restarted on lap 228, and Keselowski chose to restart on the inside, alongside Kyle Busch.  Keselowski was able to clear Busch coming off of Turn 2. 

Johnson leads Keselowski (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

On lap 259, Martin Truex Jr. made his pit stop to start another round of green flag stops.  With 59 laps to go, Brad Keselowski ran out of fuel while leading trying to stretch it on fuel.  Denny Hamlin took over the lead, and Johnson ran out of fuel trying to save it as well.  Hamlin was the final car to pit, and Greg Biffle was the leader when stops cycled around.  Keselowski ended up in 14th after running out of gas.  Keselowski still needed help to make it to the end, as did Johnson and Hamlin. 

With 25 laps to go, Kyle Busch and Mark Martin pitted from second and third place, respectively, for a splash of fuel.  Biffle gave up the lead to get a splash of fuel as well, and gave the lead to Clint Bowyer.  Keselowski made a pit stop for fuel with 23 laps to go.  After pit stops, Bowyer led Hamlin and Johnson, who all should have been good on fuel.  Hamlin started charging towards Bowyer, but Bowyer was able to hold him off, and won his third race of the season.

Denny Hamlin was able to save enough fuel, and finished second.  Jimmie Johnson slowed drastically to save enough, and he finished third.  Greg Biffle was strong all night, and finished fourth.  Kyle Busch finished fifth.  Mark Martin had a strong car throughout the weekend, and finished sixth.  Carl Edwards had another strong race, and finished seventh.  Kasey Kahne finished eighth, and was followed by Joey Logano.  Martin Truex Jr. rounded out the Top 10.  Brad Keselowski's fuel gamble didn't pay off, and he finished 11th.  Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth finished 13th and 14th, respectively.  Kevin Harvick finished 16th.  Jeff Gordon finished 18th, the first car two laps down.  Kurt Busch finished 21st in his first race with Furniture Row Racing.  AJ Allmendinger, in his first race back from his drug suspension, finished 24th with Phoenix Racing.  Regan Smith filled in for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is out with a concussion, and finished 38th after blowing an engine early in the race. 

Keselowski's points lead was cut in half, and he now leads Jimmie Johnson by only seven points.  Bowyer was able to move up with his win, but he is still 28 points out of first.  Here is how the points stack up, unofficially, courtesy of NASCAR.com:

Clint Bowyer won his third race of the season, and it came at the most perfect time in the Chase.  Bowyer now finds himself 28 points out of first, just on the brink of a Championship rally.  Everyone beneath him in the points, in my opinion, are out of the Chase for the Championship.  Next week, the Sprint Cup Series heads to Kansas Speedway for the Hollywood Casino 400, where Keselowski, Johnson, and Hamlin should all be strong once again.  The race can be seen at 1 p.m. next Sunday, only on ESPN.

John Harrelson/Getty Images

Matt Kenseth Survives Wild Talladega Finish

Matt Kenseth hasn't had the start to his Chase that he wanted.  He also didn't have the start to the Good Sam 500 that he wanted; he was almost spun out twice, but he was able to save it both times.  On the final lap, Kenseth was making a pass for the lead, which saved him from a giant melee that collected most of the field.  Kenseth was able to miss the wreck and win his first race of the Chase.

Matt Kenseth takes the checkered/yellow flag (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Kasey Kahne led the field to the green flag, and he was able to lead the first lap with drafting help from Clint Bowyer.  Kahne led until lap 11, when Trevor Bayne got a push from Bowyer to lead the race.  Bowyer and Bayne continued to fight for the lead, until Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the lead on lap 14.  On lap 16, Kyle Busch lead the outside line to the lead with help from Matt Kenseth.  The first caution of the race came out on lap 17, when Cole Whitt got turned around, and clipped Carl Edwards.  Joey Logano also sustained some damage in the accident.  The leaders came in to pit, but Kevin Harvick, Paul Menard, Jimmie Johnson, and Denny Hamlin stayed out.  Before the race went back green, those four driver made their pit stops, trying to stay in the back and out of trouble. 

The race restarted on lap 22, with Kyle Busch leading Kenseth, Earnhardt, Kahne, and Jamie McMurray.  On lap 24, Earnhardt pushed Kenseth into the lead.  Kenseth was able to hold off most of the threats from the drivers in the outside line until lap 35, when Earnhardt took the lead.  On lap 41, Kenseth took the lead back from Earnhardt.  The next lap, Greg Biffle accidentally turned Kenseth, but he was able to save it and didn't wreck, but he did fall to 31st. 

On lap 50, Earnhardt lost the lead to Casey Mears.  Jeff Burton got a push from Kevin Harvick on lap 51 to take the lead away from Mears.  By lap 53, Bayne was back in the lead thanks to a big push from Aric Almirola.  Mears got back to the lead on lap 58 with help from his former teammate Jeff Gordon. 

On lap 60, Sam Hornish Jr., Brad Keselowski, and Jamie McMurray brought their cars in to the pits to kick off a round of green flag pit stops.  Most of the leaders came in on laps 61 and 62, and Earnhardt was the leader when the stops cycled around.  Earnhardt had to give up the lead to make a pass-through penalty, however; he was too fast exiting the pits.  Kyle Busch and Trevor Bayne also had to serve pass-through penalties. 

Kyle Busch leads Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Todd Warshaw/Getty Images)

When Earnhardt pitted, Jimmie Johnson became the leader, and was followed by Mears, Gordon, Kahne, and Menard.  On lap 73, Gordon got alongside Johnson for the lead, and the next lap Kenseth pushed Gordon to the lead.  On lap 76, Earnhardt was lapped in Turns 3 and 4.  Jeff Gordon and Joey Logano almost made contact on lap 79, and he was forced to give up the lead.  He didn't stay away from the lead for long.  On lap 82, Kahne pushed Gordon back to the lead going through the trioval.  McMurray took the lead once again on the very next lap. 

On lap 90, Kurt Busch, with a push from Kenseth, took the lead for the first time during the race.  Kenseth was able to take the lead on lap 95.  Two laps later, Busch took the lead back from Kenseth.  The caution came out on lap 99 for Kurt Busch, who spun coming off Turn 2.  He hit the inside wall, and his day was done.  But Busch got out of the car, saw that he could still drive it, and drove away from the safety crews who were trying to help him.  Busch wasn't wearing his helmet, so he couldn't hear that NASCAR wanted him to stop.  Because of his actions, Busch was parked by NASCAR for the rest of the day.

The race restarted on lap 104, and Marcos Ambrose led the field to the green flag.  Kenseth charged to the lead during the restart. On lap 127, Aric Almirola pushed Biffle around his Roush-Fenway teammate Kenseth to take the lead.  He only led one lap, because Kenseth got back around him for the lead on lap 128.  Biffle pushed McMurray past Kenseth for the lead on lap 132, and Kenseth tucked right in line behind Biffle. 

The caution came out on lap 139 for debris, and Kyle Busch got the lucky dog, while Earnhardt got his lap back because he was ahead of the leaders when the caution came out.  The leaders hit pit road, and Casey Mears was able to get the lead.  The race restarted on lap 143, with Mears leading Keselowski, Busch, Biffle, and Harvick.  Mears and Busch cleared the field in Turns 1 and 2, but Biffle took the lead with help from Dave Blaney, who was a lap down. 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. gets a push past Matt Kenseth from Jamie McMurray (Todd Warshaw/Getty Images)

Biffle began to battle with Harvick for the lead, and they were side-by-side for over two laps.  On lap 147, Kenseth and Gordon made contact in Turn 2, but somehow they didn't wreck.  On lap 151, McMurray took the lead away from Biffle, but Biffle came back on lap 152 to take the lead once again.  On lap 155, Harvick pushed McMurray back to the lead.  Biffle was able to get to McMurray's bumper, and took the lead on lap 157. 

McMurray took the lead once again with 21 laps to go, but Earnhardt pushed Logano to the lead going through Turns 1 and 2, Harvick was pushed by everyone by Tony Stewart to take the lead.  With 18 laps to go, McMurray was pushed to the lead by Kenseth, but then Kenseth was able to duck out from behind him to take the lead for himself.  Casey Mears got around them for the lead on the next lap, for the 50th lead change of the race.  Coming out of Turn 4, Biffle got turned onto the apron, but he was able to save it and continue on.  By losing his drafting partner, however, Mears lost the lead to McMurray. 

Earnhardt and Gordon got hooked up, and tried to race their way up to the lead, but Gordon had to drift through the trioval when Earnhardt almost turned him sideways.  Earnhardt had to back off, and he fell through the field.  With 7 laps to go, Bowyer tried to get the outside line to work with help from Kenseth.  Bowyer got to the lead, but Kenseth was able to get under him to fight for the lead.  Coming through the trioval, Harvick turned McMurray, and he spun through the grass, but did not hit anyone.

Casey Mears was the first car that came in to pit under the caution, and most of the cars behind him came in.  Mears ran into the back of Biffle trying to leave his pit stall, causing both drivers to lost positions.  Clint Bowyer led Kenseth, Harvick to the green flag on the green-white-checkered.  Coming down the backstretch, Kenseth came down on Bowyer, causing the field to scatter.  Coming to the white flag, Stewart took the lead away from Kenseth.  Going through Turns 3 and 4, Stewart went up the track, and came back down on Michael Waltrip, spinning both cars across the track.  Stewart's car flipped over, and acted like a pinball while multiple cars ran into him.  The wreck collected at least 20 cars, while Matt Kenseth was able to stay ahead of it to win the race.

The Big One struck on the final lap (Todd Warshaw/Getty Images)

Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch finished second and third, respectively, and were able to get through the wreck.  David Ragan finished fourth, and Regan Smith was fifth.  Greg Biffle was sixth, while Brad Keselowski finished seventh.  Keselowski was hit during the wreck, but he was able to keep the car rolling.  Travis Kvapil finished eighth, Ryan Newman ninth, and Jeff Burton was tenth.  Kevin Harvick finished 11th after being spun in the last lap wreck.  Kasey Kahne finished 12th, and Martin Truex Jr. was 13th.  Denny Hamlin ran in the back for most of the race, but spun during "The Big One," and he finished 14th.  Jimmie Johnson was wrecked, but was able to keep his car rolling and finished 17th.  Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 20th.  Tony Stewart was able walk away from the accident, and he finished 22nd.  Clint Bowyer finished 23rd.  Michael Waltrip, in his final race of the season, finished 25th after the accident.  Jamie McMurray finished 34th after his late race spin.  Carl Edwards finished ten laps down in 36th place.  Kurt Busch finished 39th in his final race with Phoenix Racing.  He will be in the Furniture Row No. 78 next week in Charlotte.

Talladega always shakes up the points.  Here are the unofficial points standings, courtesy NASCAR.com:

Everyone knew that Talladega would be a wild card race in the Chase, with a wreck that would shake up the points.  The race had a wild finish that caused a big shakeup in the points, but one thing is still true: Brad Keselowski is leading the Sprint Cup points.  Next week, the Sprint Cup Series heads home to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Bank of America 500.  The race is the only night race in the Chase, and can be seen Saturday night at 7 p.m., only on ABC.

Jerry Markland/Getty Images

Keselowski Wins No. 5

Brad Keselowski has been on fire all year, but many wondered whether he would be a legitimate championship contender.  After winning the opening race of the Chase, Keselowski solidified himself as the points leader.  After losing it last weekend, Keselowski outsmarted Jimmie Johnson and the rest of the field to win his fifth race of the year, and reclaim the points lead.

Brad Keselowski celebrates his fifth victory of the season (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Denny Hamlin won the pole for the AAA 400, and led Clint Bowyer to the green flag.  He was able to clear Bowyer heading into the first turn to take the lead.  On lap 16, Kyle Busch blew by Bowyer for second place.  Hamlin's two-second lead began to shrink after he began to run into some lapped traffic, and on lap 34, Busch passed Hamlin for the lead. 

Kurt Busch hit pit road on lap 61 to begin a round of green-flag pit stops.  Right in the middle of pit stops, JJ Yeley blew a right front tire, bringing out the first caution on lap 69.  The caution trapped everyone a lap down except for the top six cars.  The leaders made their stops under caution, and Kyle Busch got out of the pits first.

JJ Yeley brought out the day's first caution (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

The race restarted on lap 77, and Busch beat Hamlin out of Turn 2 for the lead.  On lap 102, Jimmie Johnson caught Hamlin and they began to fight for second place.  Hamlin was able to stay ahead of Johnson, but they had fallen about a second behind Busch.  On lap 141, Kevin Harvick hit pit road to start another round of green-flag pit stops.  Brad Keselowski hit pit road on lap 151, handing the lead over to Kyle Busch after stops had cycled around.  Keselowski had a costly stop, spending 24 seconds in the pits after his jack broke.  Keselowski joined the field in sixth place, just ahead of leader Kyle Busch.

The caution came out on lap 179 for debris in Turn 3.   The race restarted on lap 185, with Busch leading Hamlin through Turn 1.  On lap 194, Greg Biffle radioed in that he had a front tire issue, and was forced to pit.  On lap 240, Brad Keselowski was able to get under Jeff Gordon for fourth place, and set his sights on Jimmie Johnson.  The day's third caution came out on lap 246 for debris.  The leaders pitted, and Busch got out of the pits in first.

Kyle Busch led 302 of 400 laps (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

The race restarted on lap 253, and Kyle Busch was able to get ahead of Johnson for the lead.  On lap 277, Johnson caught Busch while he was working his way through lapped traffic, but Busch was able to hold him off. 

The caution came out on lap 308, when Matt Kenseth broke a trackbar.  The leaders came in under the caution to pit, and Johnson was able to win the race off pit road.  The race restarted on lap 316, and Johnson pulled ahead of Busch for the lead.  Matt Kenseth spun entering Turn 3, bringing out the fifth caution of the day.

Matt Kenseth spins in Turn 3 (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

The race restarted on lap 322, with Johnson leading Busch into Turn 2.  On lap 350, Kasey Kahne, who had just cracked the top five, had began to complain of a vibration.  He came in to pit, but a mistake on pit road caused Kahne to pit again for a missing lug nut.

On lap 355, Kyle Busch got around Johnson for the lead, and Hamlin was able to get around Johnson for third.  Busch and Hamlin did not have enough fuel to make it to the end of the race, but Johnson was trying to save enough fuel to make it without stopping again.  With 14 laps to go, Brad Keselowski got around Johnson for third.  With 11 to go, Busch pitted for fuel, giving up the lead.  The next lap, Hamlin gave up the lead to pit for fuel, handing the lead to Keselowski. 

Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin, who had topped off under the last caution and were good on fuel, got around Johnson and set their sights on Keselowski.  Keselowski didn't run out of fuel, however, and was able to win the AAA 400. 

Jeff Gordon finished second, and was followed by Mark Martin.  Jimmie Johnson conserved enough fuel and finished fourth.  Carl Edwards had a surprisingly good race, and finished fifth.  Martin Truex Jr. finished sixth.  Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin, who pitted for fuel at the end of the race, finished seventh and eighth, respectively.  Clint Bowyer finished ninth, and Joey Logano finished tenth.  Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 11th after an uneventful day, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished 12th in a rare Cup appearance.  Kevin Harvick finished 13th.  Kasey Kahne finished 15th, and Greg Biffle finished 16th.  Tony Stewart finished 20th.  Danica Patrick finished 28th, seven laps down.  Matt Kenseth finished 35th after a rough day.

After this race, Brad Keselowski now has the points lead over Jimmie Johnson.  After only three races, it seems as though only the top 3 have a shot to win the championship.  Here are the unofficial points, courtesy of NASCAR.com:

Brad Keselowski made a statement with his second victory in three weeks.  Keselowski now leads the standings, while Jimmie Johnson is in second place once again.  Next week, the Chase heats up as the Sprint Cup Series heads into Talladega, where anything can happen.  The Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 can be seen at 1 p.m. next Sunday, only on ESPN.

Jerry Markland/Getty Images