Post by RR Redneck on May 14, 2007 9:20:41 GMT -5
CHECKERED FLAG: Jeff Gordon wins the Dodge Avenger 500 at Darlington.
Lap 367 -- WHITE FLAG: Jeff Gordon has one more lap and a large lead ahead of Denny Hamlin. David Gilliland blows up on the backstretch.
Lap 363 -- Jeff Gordon's lead on Denny Hamlin is 2.431 seconds. Johnny Sauter hits the wall and heads to pit road.
Lap 360 -- Denny Hamlin ducks low and moves around Jimmie Johnson in a three-wide pass and then passes Ryan Newman for second.
Lap 359 -- Denny Hamlin shoots around Dale Earnhardt Jr. to get fourth.
Lap 357 -- Jimmie Johnson moves past Dale Earnhardt Jr. to take third position and is chasing Ryan Newman for second.
Lap 356 -- Dave Blaney has blown a motor in Turn 3 and pulls into the pits.
Lap 355 -- GREEN FLAG: Jeff Gordon leads the field to the line again.
1. Jeff Gordon
2. Ryan Newman
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Matt Kenseth
Lap 352 -- Jeff Gordon's crew is telling him to turn off any electrical items he can.
Lap 351 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 10: David Stremme has blown an engine.
Lap 349 -- GREEN FLAG: Jeff Gordon gets the race going again as the top six cars stayed out. Jimmie Johnson will restart seventh.
• Jeff Gordon
• Ryan Newman
• Dale Earnhardt Jr.
• Sterling Marlin
• Mark Martin
Lap 347 -- Casey Mears' crew is pushing his car on pit road as it smokes.
Lap 345 -- LEAD CHANGE: Half the field comes to pit road, including leader Jimmie Johnson. Jeff Gordon becomes the leader, followed by Ryan Newman.
• Jimmie Johnson comes in to get fresh tires
• Kurt Busch gets a slight adjustment and tires
• Matt Kenseth also is in for tires and fuel
Lap 344 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 9: Debris is on the track following Casey Mears' engine trouble. He ran a full lap around the track with smoke coming from his machine.
Lap 342 -- Kurt Busch moves by Matt Kenseth to take fourth position, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. tries to follow to get into the top five.
Lap 339 -- GREEN FLAG: Jimmie Johnson gets the race going again.
1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Ryan Newman
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Kurt Busch
Lap 338 -- David Reutimann is on pit road with the hood up because of an overheating issue.
Lap 337 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jimmie Johnson inherits the lead when Dave Blaney makes his stop.
Lap 336 -- LEAD CHANGE: Dave Blaney stays out to lead. Jeff Gordon's car is spewing water out of the hood because it is running hot.
Lap 335 -- Leaders are on pit road:
• Jeff Gordon is trying to take tape off the grille and his car is running hot
• Ryan Newman's crew makes the car looser
• Jimmie Johnson gets a small air-pressure change and is out first
• Denny Hamlin has another slow stop and will restart eighth
Lap 334 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 8: Debris is on the racetrack
Lap 331 -- Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon are running more than 3 seconds ahead of third-place Kurt Busch.
Lap 324 -- After getting loose off the corner, Mark Martin has fallen from 10th to 15th. His teammate Sterling Marlin appeared to make slight contact with him.
Lap 313 -- Tony Raines is headed to pit road with a potential engine problem and smoke coming from the car.
Lap 312 -- There are no cars one lap down. Juan Montoya is the first car that is two laps down.
Lap 310 -- GREEN FLAG: Jimmie Johnson leads the field to green.
1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Kurt Busch
4. Ryan Newman
5. Carl Edwards
Lap 307 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jimmie Johnson inherits the lead when Elliott Sadler makes his pit stop.
Lap 306 -- LEAD CHANGE: Elliott Sadler stays out to lead.
Lap 305 -- Leaders are in:
• Ryan Newman is trying to pick up positions with minor adjustments
• Jimmie Johnson gets out first with a quick stop
• Clint Bowyer gains five positions and comes out sixth
• Denny Hamlin has a slow stop and is out 15th because of a dropped lug nut
• Tony Stewart gets his lap back and will start 20th
Lap 304 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 7: A.J. Allmendinger hits the wall coming off Turn 4, and Kyle Busch has damage to the front of his car after hitting Allmendinger.
Lap 300 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jimmie Johnson gets the lead by crossing under Denny Hamlin. Ryan Newman closes in, as does Jeff Gordon.
Lap 299 -- Jimmie Johnson is all over leader Denny Hamlin, but the slow car of Juan Montoya keeps him from making the pass.
Lap 292 -- Jimmie Johnson moves by Ryan Newman for second.
Lap 291 -- LEAD CHANGE: Denny Hamlin catches and moves by Ryan Newman for the lead coming off Turn 2. Jimmie Johnson is on Newman's tail for second.
Lap 279 -- Matt Kenseth has fallen back to fifth, as Jeff Gordon moves around him for position. Gordon's crew is no longer reporting a water temperature problem.
Lap 271 -- LEAD CHANGE: Ryan Newman gets back out front again, going by Matt Kenseth.
Lap 269 -- Ryan Newman has pulled up to the bumper of leader Matt Kenseth and is challenging. Meanwhile, Jimmie Johnson moves into fourth.
Lap 261 -- As the first car one lap down, Tony Stewart goes by Matt Kenseth and is now on the tail of the lead lap.
Lap 260 -- GREEN FLAG: Matt Kenseth leads the field to green.
1. Matt Kenseth
2. Ryan Newman
3. Jeff Gordon
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Jimmie Johnson
Lap 258 -- Turns out Matt Kenseth's right-rear tire was going down and he was risking blowing the tire before the caution.
Lap 257 -- Leaders are on pit road:
• Jeff Gordon's team is trying to cool the water in his car and clean the grille
• Matt Kenseth is out in 14.0 seconds with tires and fuel
• Ryan Newman gains three positions on pit road
• Mark Martin comes out in the top 10 with a quick stop
Lap 255 -- CAUTION FLAG NO. 6: Ken Schrader has blown a tire and hit the wall.
Lap 253 -- Matt Kenseth has battled brake problems all day and is reporting his brakes are overheating.
Lap 250 -- Jamie McMurray, who is running seventh, is reporting that his left arm is asleep.
Lap 247 -- Jeff Gordon is reporting the water temperature is up to 240 degrees and is concerned about his car.
Lap 244 -- GREEN FLAG: Matt Kenseth gets the race going again. Martin Truex Jr. is now one lap down, and Kevin Harvick is two laps down after pitting under green.
1. Matt Kenseth
2. Ryan Newman
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Denny Hamlin
Lap 243 -- LEAD CHANGE: Ken Schrader gives the lead to Matt Kenseth when he makes his stop.
Lap 242 -- Dave Blaney gives up second position to make his pit stop.
Lap 241 -- LEAD CHANGE: Ken Schrader stays out to lead. Dave Blaney also stays out and is running second.
Lap 239 -- Leaders are in:
• Jeff Gordon is in for adjustments and four tires
• Ryan Newman's crew makes minor adjustments for being too tight
• Matt Kenseth has a quick stop and comes out first
• Denny Hamlin loses two spots and comes out fifth
Lap 238 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 5: David Ragan makes contact with Ken Schrader and Ragan goes spinning after coming out of Turn 4. Schrader has right-front damage.
Lap 237 -- Martin Truex Jr., David Reutimann and David Stremme are on pit road.
Lap 234 -- Matt Kenseth catches and passes Denny Hamlin to take second position, 2.093 seconds behind leader Ryan Newman.
Lap 233 -- Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne begin green-flag pit stops.
Lap 222 -- LEAD CHANGE: Ryan Newman eases to the outside of Denny Hamlin to take the lead for the second time.
Lap 218 -- Ryan Newman has pulled to within a half-second of leader Denny Hamlin and is closing.
Lap 214 -- Tony Stewart is off the pace with a flat left-rear tire. He makes it to pit road safely. He was running in the top five at the time.
Lap 203 -- With a lead of nearly 2 seconds, leader Denny Hamlin brushes the wall coming off Turn 4.
Lap 201 -- Carl Edwards has worked his way to 19th after restarting at the back of the pack.
Lap 193 -- Paul Menard is being black-flagged for dragging his exhaust system. He heads to pit road.
Lap 190 -- GREEN FLAG: Denny Hamlin leads the field to the flag.
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Ryan Newman
3. Matt Kenseth
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Martin Truex Jr.
Lap 187 -- Carl Edwards is penalized for missing the commitment line during his green-flag stop. He hits pit road again for four tires and must restart at the tail of the longest line.
Lap 185 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jimmie Johnson hits pit road to make another stop. Denny Hamlin inherits the lead. A handful of other cars hit pit road, including Tony Stewart.
Lap 184 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 4: Debris is on the racetrack after green-flag pit stops have cycled through. The debris came from Joe Nemechek's car when he blew the tire.
Lap 182 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jimmie Johnson is out front after Matt Kenseth makes his pit stop.
Lap 181 -- LEAD CHANGE: Matt Kenseth is the new leader as Ryan Newman hits pit road. Carl Edwards is also on pit road, as is Jamie McMurray. McMurray nearly hit Newman as he was trying to get into his stall.
Lap 180 -- LEAD CHANGE: Ryan Newman inherits the lead as Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart are on pit road. It is the first time a Dodge has led in the COT.
Lap 179 -- Joe Nemechek has a flat left-front tire and is making his way to pit road.
Lap 178 -- Jeff Burton is on pit road and is saying he has no water pressure.
Lap 177 -- Kevin Harvick is in for tires and fuel.
Lap 176 -- Jimmie Johnson and David Stremme are in for their stops. Johnson gets four tires in 14.0 seconds. His right-front tire was down to the treads.
Lap 175 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. is on pit road for his stop. He is battling a loose racecar and gets four tires in 14.0 seconds.
Lap 174 -- Robby Gordon slams the wall in Turn 2 and has major damage to the right side. He gets onto pit road without a caution. David Gilliland is also on pit road.
Lap 173 -- Kasey Kahne is on pit road and has a tire going down. His stop is much earlier than he planned.
Lap 171 -- As green-flag pit stops approach, Carl Edwards continues to fall back. He has dropped from second to fifth in the last five laps.
Lap 169 -- Denny Hamlin has now led 500 laps in the Car of Tomorrow, more than any other driver.
Lap 167 -- Matt Kenseth has worked his way into the top 10 and is running ninth as one of the fastest cars on the track.
Lap 154 -- Ryan Newman has a patch on the front of his car that the crew placed there because his machine is running too cool. Newman is in fifth, the highest-running Dodge.
Lap 143 -- Carl Edwards has the fastest car on the track. He is running second, 0.744 seconds behind leader Denny Hamlin.
Lap 130 -- Kevin Lepage heads to pit road with problems.
Lap 128 -- GREEN FLAG: Denny Hamlin leads the field to the flag. The top 14 cars on the restart did not pit.
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Carl Edwards
3. Tony Stewart
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Ryan Newman
Lap 125 -- Eleven cars hit pit road, including Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne.
Lap 123 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 3: Brian Vickers crashes hard into the inside wall off Turn 2. Vickers touched the rear of J.J. Yeley in the corner, and Jamie McMurray hit Vickers from behind in the chain reaction.
Lap 121 -- GREEN FLAG: Denny Hamlin gets the race going again.
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Carl Edwards
3. Tony Stewart
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Lap 117 -- The leaders are on pit road:
• Carl Edwards gets an air-pressure adjustment and tires
• Denny Hamlin gets tires only with no changes and gets out first
• Tony Stewart makes some adjustments and gets tires
• Case Mears loses three positions and comes out seventh
Lap 116 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 2: Reed Sorenson is off the pace. He smacked the wall and has some damage on the right side from contact in Turn 4. He was directly in front of leader Carl Edwards trying to stay on the lead lap.
Lap 105 -- After green-flag pit stops, Carl Edwards has a 5.993-second lead on second-place Denny Hamlin.
1. Carl Edwards
2. Denny Hamlin
3. Tony Stewart
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5. Casey Mears
Lap 103 -- LEAD CHANGE: Carl Edwards takes the lead as Denny Hamlin tries to get up to speed.
Lap 101 -- Leader Denny Hamlin pulls onto pit road but gets loose coming down the banking. He gets an air-pressure adjustment but has some trouble on the left-rear tire and is off in 16.8 seconds. Jimmie Johnson is also in for adjustments.
Lap 100 -- Kyle Busch is in for adjustments. Jeff Gordon follows, as well as Juan Montoya, Jeff Burton and Ryan Newman.
Lap 99 -- Tony Raines, Kyle Petty, Carl Edwards and Clint Bowyer are on pit road. Bowyer gets an air-pressure and chassis adjustment. Edwards gets an air-pressure adjustment.
Lap 98 -- Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt Jr. lead a group of cars onto pit road. Kahne makes major adjustments, while Earnhardt has a loose car.
Lap 95 -- Jimmie Johnson scrapes the wall hard and has some cosmetic damage on the right side.
Lap 94 -- Matt Kenseth hits pit road to begin green-flag pit stops. He has a loose racecar.
Lap 87 -- Kyle Busch has worked his way up to 10th position after starting back in 37th.
Lap 78 -- Carl Edwards catches and passes Jimmie Johnson for second position, although Edwards' crew chief has asked him to conserve his equipment.
Lap 63 -- Denny Hamlin's lead is now 3.142 seconds ahead of Jimmie Johnson as he approaches lapped traffic.
Lap 52 -- Tony Stewart has worked his way to eighth and continues to move forward. He started 27th.
Lap 45 -- GREEN FLAG: Denny Hamlin gets the race going again.
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Carl Edwards
4. Clint Bowyer
5. Kevin Harvick
Lap 41 -- Everyone hits pit road:
• Carl Edwards gets some adjustments on air pressure and the track bar
• Kasey Kahne lowers the track bar and gets wedge, but loses three spots
• Denny Hamlin makes an air-pressure adjustment and is out first
• Clint Bowyer gained four positions on pit road
Lap 40 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 1: NASCAR waves the competition yellow so teams can check their tires due to racing on a clean surface.
Lap 36 -- LEAD CHANGE: Denny Hamlin has been flying and gets by Carl Edwards to take the point.
Lap 32 -- Clint Bowyer is battling a tight racecar and loses positions to Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears. He's now running fifth as the competition caution approaches.
Lap 28 -- Denny Hamlin moves by Clint Bowyer for second.
Lap 25 -- Denny Hamlin is on the move, passing Kasey Kahne for third position.
Lap 20 -- Ricky Rudd makes an unscheduled pit stop for overheating. He loses two laps.
Lap 18 -- LEAD CHANGE: Carl Edwards gets around Clint Bowyer to take the lead.
Lap 15 -- After contending for the lead, Greg Biffle has dropped second place to Carl Edwards and third place to Kasey Kahne.
Lap 8 -- Casey Mears has the fastest car on the track and has moved from 11th to seventh.
Lap 1 -- Clint Bowyer gets out front to lead the first lap at Darlington.
1:19 p.m. -- GREEN FLAG: Clint Bowyer and Greg Biffle lead the grid to the line to start the Dodge Avenger 500.
1:17 p.m. -- A competition caution will be thrown at Lap 40 because the racetrack is green without built-up rubber.
1:12 p.m. -- Cars are rolling on the track.
1:08 p.m. -- On Mother's Day, the Nextel Cup drivers' mothers deliver the command: "Sons and gentlemen, start your engines."
1:06 p.m. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team was forced to replace its mounts for the rear wing. The mounts were deemed inappropriate when going through pre-race inspection on Saturday. Earnhardt will keep his 21st starting position, but further penalties may come.
1:02 p.m. -- Lisa Hudson sings the national anthem.
1:01 p.m. -- Harold King delivers the invocation.
1 p.m. -- FOX's pre-race coverage is on the air. It's clear skies in Darlington as the Dodge Avenger 500 is being run a day late.
SATURDAY
8:48 p.m. -- The Dodge Avenger 500 has been postponed because of rain. The race has been rescheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. FOX will carry the broadcast.
8:31 p.m. -- Pre-race coverage has halted once again. Rain continues.
8:04 p.m. -- FOX has returned with its pre-race coverage despite the rain, which includes a sit-down interview with Dale Earnhardt Jr.
7:16 p.m. -- Rain has picked up at Darlington and the trucks, once circling the track, have stopped.
7:07 p.m. -- Trucks are circling the racetrack, although the rain continues to fall.
7:03 p.m. -- FOX pre-race coverage is on hold as the network diverts back to baseball coverage. Rain has slowed at the track, but once it stops a lengthy drying process should commence shortly.
7 p.m. -- News of the night: Rain. It has been pouring at the track with a chance of clearing. FOX is on the air.
Lap 367 -- WHITE FLAG: Jeff Gordon has one more lap and a large lead ahead of Denny Hamlin. David Gilliland blows up on the backstretch.
Lap 363 -- Jeff Gordon's lead on Denny Hamlin is 2.431 seconds. Johnny Sauter hits the wall and heads to pit road.
Lap 360 -- Denny Hamlin ducks low and moves around Jimmie Johnson in a three-wide pass and then passes Ryan Newman for second.
Lap 359 -- Denny Hamlin shoots around Dale Earnhardt Jr. to get fourth.
Lap 357 -- Jimmie Johnson moves past Dale Earnhardt Jr. to take third position and is chasing Ryan Newman for second.
Lap 356 -- Dave Blaney has blown a motor in Turn 3 and pulls into the pits.
Lap 355 -- GREEN FLAG: Jeff Gordon leads the field to the line again.
1. Jeff Gordon
2. Ryan Newman
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Matt Kenseth
Lap 352 -- Jeff Gordon's crew is telling him to turn off any electrical items he can.
Lap 351 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 10: David Stremme has blown an engine.
Lap 349 -- GREEN FLAG: Jeff Gordon gets the race going again as the top six cars stayed out. Jimmie Johnson will restart seventh.
• Jeff Gordon
• Ryan Newman
• Dale Earnhardt Jr.
• Sterling Marlin
• Mark Martin
Lap 347 -- Casey Mears' crew is pushing his car on pit road as it smokes.
Lap 345 -- LEAD CHANGE: Half the field comes to pit road, including leader Jimmie Johnson. Jeff Gordon becomes the leader, followed by Ryan Newman.
• Jimmie Johnson comes in to get fresh tires
• Kurt Busch gets a slight adjustment and tires
• Matt Kenseth also is in for tires and fuel
Lap 344 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 9: Debris is on the track following Casey Mears' engine trouble. He ran a full lap around the track with smoke coming from his machine.
Lap 342 -- Kurt Busch moves by Matt Kenseth to take fourth position, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. tries to follow to get into the top five.
Lap 339 -- GREEN FLAG: Jimmie Johnson gets the race going again.
1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Ryan Newman
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Kurt Busch
Lap 338 -- David Reutimann is on pit road with the hood up because of an overheating issue.
Lap 337 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jimmie Johnson inherits the lead when Dave Blaney makes his stop.
Lap 336 -- LEAD CHANGE: Dave Blaney stays out to lead. Jeff Gordon's car is spewing water out of the hood because it is running hot.
Lap 335 -- Leaders are on pit road:
• Jeff Gordon is trying to take tape off the grille and his car is running hot
• Ryan Newman's crew makes the car looser
• Jimmie Johnson gets a small air-pressure change and is out first
• Denny Hamlin has another slow stop and will restart eighth
Lap 334 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 8: Debris is on the racetrack
Lap 331 -- Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon are running more than 3 seconds ahead of third-place Kurt Busch.
Lap 324 -- After getting loose off the corner, Mark Martin has fallen from 10th to 15th. His teammate Sterling Marlin appeared to make slight contact with him.
Lap 313 -- Tony Raines is headed to pit road with a potential engine problem and smoke coming from the car.
Lap 312 -- There are no cars one lap down. Juan Montoya is the first car that is two laps down.
Lap 310 -- GREEN FLAG: Jimmie Johnson leads the field to green.
1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Kurt Busch
4. Ryan Newman
5. Carl Edwards
Lap 307 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jimmie Johnson inherits the lead when Elliott Sadler makes his pit stop.
Lap 306 -- LEAD CHANGE: Elliott Sadler stays out to lead.
Lap 305 -- Leaders are in:
• Ryan Newman is trying to pick up positions with minor adjustments
• Jimmie Johnson gets out first with a quick stop
• Clint Bowyer gains five positions and comes out sixth
• Denny Hamlin has a slow stop and is out 15th because of a dropped lug nut
• Tony Stewart gets his lap back and will start 20th
Lap 304 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 7: A.J. Allmendinger hits the wall coming off Turn 4, and Kyle Busch has damage to the front of his car after hitting Allmendinger.
Lap 300 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jimmie Johnson gets the lead by crossing under Denny Hamlin. Ryan Newman closes in, as does Jeff Gordon.
Lap 299 -- Jimmie Johnson is all over leader Denny Hamlin, but the slow car of Juan Montoya keeps him from making the pass.
Lap 292 -- Jimmie Johnson moves by Ryan Newman for second.
Lap 291 -- LEAD CHANGE: Denny Hamlin catches and moves by Ryan Newman for the lead coming off Turn 2. Jimmie Johnson is on Newman's tail for second.
Lap 279 -- Matt Kenseth has fallen back to fifth, as Jeff Gordon moves around him for position. Gordon's crew is no longer reporting a water temperature problem.
Lap 271 -- LEAD CHANGE: Ryan Newman gets back out front again, going by Matt Kenseth.
Lap 269 -- Ryan Newman has pulled up to the bumper of leader Matt Kenseth and is challenging. Meanwhile, Jimmie Johnson moves into fourth.
Lap 261 -- As the first car one lap down, Tony Stewart goes by Matt Kenseth and is now on the tail of the lead lap.
Lap 260 -- GREEN FLAG: Matt Kenseth leads the field to green.
1. Matt Kenseth
2. Ryan Newman
3. Jeff Gordon
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Jimmie Johnson
Lap 258 -- Turns out Matt Kenseth's right-rear tire was going down and he was risking blowing the tire before the caution.
Lap 257 -- Leaders are on pit road:
• Jeff Gordon's team is trying to cool the water in his car and clean the grille
• Matt Kenseth is out in 14.0 seconds with tires and fuel
• Ryan Newman gains three positions on pit road
• Mark Martin comes out in the top 10 with a quick stop
Lap 255 -- CAUTION FLAG NO. 6: Ken Schrader has blown a tire and hit the wall.
Lap 253 -- Matt Kenseth has battled brake problems all day and is reporting his brakes are overheating.
Lap 250 -- Jamie McMurray, who is running seventh, is reporting that his left arm is asleep.
Lap 247 -- Jeff Gordon is reporting the water temperature is up to 240 degrees and is concerned about his car.
Lap 244 -- GREEN FLAG: Matt Kenseth gets the race going again. Martin Truex Jr. is now one lap down, and Kevin Harvick is two laps down after pitting under green.
1. Matt Kenseth
2. Ryan Newman
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Denny Hamlin
Lap 243 -- LEAD CHANGE: Ken Schrader gives the lead to Matt Kenseth when he makes his stop.
Lap 242 -- Dave Blaney gives up second position to make his pit stop.
Lap 241 -- LEAD CHANGE: Ken Schrader stays out to lead. Dave Blaney also stays out and is running second.
Lap 239 -- Leaders are in:
• Jeff Gordon is in for adjustments and four tires
• Ryan Newman's crew makes minor adjustments for being too tight
• Matt Kenseth has a quick stop and comes out first
• Denny Hamlin loses two spots and comes out fifth
Lap 238 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 5: David Ragan makes contact with Ken Schrader and Ragan goes spinning after coming out of Turn 4. Schrader has right-front damage.
Lap 237 -- Martin Truex Jr., David Reutimann and David Stremme are on pit road.
Lap 234 -- Matt Kenseth catches and passes Denny Hamlin to take second position, 2.093 seconds behind leader Ryan Newman.
Lap 233 -- Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne begin green-flag pit stops.
Lap 222 -- LEAD CHANGE: Ryan Newman eases to the outside of Denny Hamlin to take the lead for the second time.
Lap 218 -- Ryan Newman has pulled to within a half-second of leader Denny Hamlin and is closing.
Lap 214 -- Tony Stewart is off the pace with a flat left-rear tire. He makes it to pit road safely. He was running in the top five at the time.
Lap 203 -- With a lead of nearly 2 seconds, leader Denny Hamlin brushes the wall coming off Turn 4.
Lap 201 -- Carl Edwards has worked his way to 19th after restarting at the back of the pack.
Lap 193 -- Paul Menard is being black-flagged for dragging his exhaust system. He heads to pit road.
Lap 190 -- GREEN FLAG: Denny Hamlin leads the field to the flag.
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Ryan Newman
3. Matt Kenseth
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Martin Truex Jr.
Lap 187 -- Carl Edwards is penalized for missing the commitment line during his green-flag stop. He hits pit road again for four tires and must restart at the tail of the longest line.
Lap 185 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jimmie Johnson hits pit road to make another stop. Denny Hamlin inherits the lead. A handful of other cars hit pit road, including Tony Stewart.
Lap 184 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 4: Debris is on the racetrack after green-flag pit stops have cycled through. The debris came from Joe Nemechek's car when he blew the tire.
Lap 182 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jimmie Johnson is out front after Matt Kenseth makes his pit stop.
Lap 181 -- LEAD CHANGE: Matt Kenseth is the new leader as Ryan Newman hits pit road. Carl Edwards is also on pit road, as is Jamie McMurray. McMurray nearly hit Newman as he was trying to get into his stall.
Lap 180 -- LEAD CHANGE: Ryan Newman inherits the lead as Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart are on pit road. It is the first time a Dodge has led in the COT.
Lap 179 -- Joe Nemechek has a flat left-front tire and is making his way to pit road.
Lap 178 -- Jeff Burton is on pit road and is saying he has no water pressure.
Lap 177 -- Kevin Harvick is in for tires and fuel.
Lap 176 -- Jimmie Johnson and David Stremme are in for their stops. Johnson gets four tires in 14.0 seconds. His right-front tire was down to the treads.
Lap 175 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. is on pit road for his stop. He is battling a loose racecar and gets four tires in 14.0 seconds.
Lap 174 -- Robby Gordon slams the wall in Turn 2 and has major damage to the right side. He gets onto pit road without a caution. David Gilliland is also on pit road.
Lap 173 -- Kasey Kahne is on pit road and has a tire going down. His stop is much earlier than he planned.
Lap 171 -- As green-flag pit stops approach, Carl Edwards continues to fall back. He has dropped from second to fifth in the last five laps.
Lap 169 -- Denny Hamlin has now led 500 laps in the Car of Tomorrow, more than any other driver.
Lap 167 -- Matt Kenseth has worked his way into the top 10 and is running ninth as one of the fastest cars on the track.
Lap 154 -- Ryan Newman has a patch on the front of his car that the crew placed there because his machine is running too cool. Newman is in fifth, the highest-running Dodge.
Lap 143 -- Carl Edwards has the fastest car on the track. He is running second, 0.744 seconds behind leader Denny Hamlin.
Lap 130 -- Kevin Lepage heads to pit road with problems.
Lap 128 -- GREEN FLAG: Denny Hamlin leads the field to the flag. The top 14 cars on the restart did not pit.
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Carl Edwards
3. Tony Stewart
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Ryan Newman
Lap 125 -- Eleven cars hit pit road, including Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne.
Lap 123 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 3: Brian Vickers crashes hard into the inside wall off Turn 2. Vickers touched the rear of J.J. Yeley in the corner, and Jamie McMurray hit Vickers from behind in the chain reaction.
Lap 121 -- GREEN FLAG: Denny Hamlin gets the race going again.
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Carl Edwards
3. Tony Stewart
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Lap 117 -- The leaders are on pit road:
• Carl Edwards gets an air-pressure adjustment and tires
• Denny Hamlin gets tires only with no changes and gets out first
• Tony Stewart makes some adjustments and gets tires
• Case Mears loses three positions and comes out seventh
Lap 116 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 2: Reed Sorenson is off the pace. He smacked the wall and has some damage on the right side from contact in Turn 4. He was directly in front of leader Carl Edwards trying to stay on the lead lap.
Lap 105 -- After green-flag pit stops, Carl Edwards has a 5.993-second lead on second-place Denny Hamlin.
1. Carl Edwards
2. Denny Hamlin
3. Tony Stewart
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5. Casey Mears
Lap 103 -- LEAD CHANGE: Carl Edwards takes the lead as Denny Hamlin tries to get up to speed.
Lap 101 -- Leader Denny Hamlin pulls onto pit road but gets loose coming down the banking. He gets an air-pressure adjustment but has some trouble on the left-rear tire and is off in 16.8 seconds. Jimmie Johnson is also in for adjustments.
Lap 100 -- Kyle Busch is in for adjustments. Jeff Gordon follows, as well as Juan Montoya, Jeff Burton and Ryan Newman.
Lap 99 -- Tony Raines, Kyle Petty, Carl Edwards and Clint Bowyer are on pit road. Bowyer gets an air-pressure and chassis adjustment. Edwards gets an air-pressure adjustment.
Lap 98 -- Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt Jr. lead a group of cars onto pit road. Kahne makes major adjustments, while Earnhardt has a loose car.
Lap 95 -- Jimmie Johnson scrapes the wall hard and has some cosmetic damage on the right side.
Lap 94 -- Matt Kenseth hits pit road to begin green-flag pit stops. He has a loose racecar.
Lap 87 -- Kyle Busch has worked his way up to 10th position after starting back in 37th.
Lap 78 -- Carl Edwards catches and passes Jimmie Johnson for second position, although Edwards' crew chief has asked him to conserve his equipment.
Lap 63 -- Denny Hamlin's lead is now 3.142 seconds ahead of Jimmie Johnson as he approaches lapped traffic.
Lap 52 -- Tony Stewart has worked his way to eighth and continues to move forward. He started 27th.
Lap 45 -- GREEN FLAG: Denny Hamlin gets the race going again.
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Carl Edwards
4. Clint Bowyer
5. Kevin Harvick
Lap 41 -- Everyone hits pit road:
• Carl Edwards gets some adjustments on air pressure and the track bar
• Kasey Kahne lowers the track bar and gets wedge, but loses three spots
• Denny Hamlin makes an air-pressure adjustment and is out first
• Clint Bowyer gained four positions on pit road
Lap 40 -- YELLOW FLAG NO. 1: NASCAR waves the competition yellow so teams can check their tires due to racing on a clean surface.
Lap 36 -- LEAD CHANGE: Denny Hamlin has been flying and gets by Carl Edwards to take the point.
Lap 32 -- Clint Bowyer is battling a tight racecar and loses positions to Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears. He's now running fifth as the competition caution approaches.
Lap 28 -- Denny Hamlin moves by Clint Bowyer for second.
Lap 25 -- Denny Hamlin is on the move, passing Kasey Kahne for third position.
Lap 20 -- Ricky Rudd makes an unscheduled pit stop for overheating. He loses two laps.
Lap 18 -- LEAD CHANGE: Carl Edwards gets around Clint Bowyer to take the lead.
Lap 15 -- After contending for the lead, Greg Biffle has dropped second place to Carl Edwards and third place to Kasey Kahne.
Lap 8 -- Casey Mears has the fastest car on the track and has moved from 11th to seventh.
Lap 1 -- Clint Bowyer gets out front to lead the first lap at Darlington.
1:19 p.m. -- GREEN FLAG: Clint Bowyer and Greg Biffle lead the grid to the line to start the Dodge Avenger 500.
1:17 p.m. -- A competition caution will be thrown at Lap 40 because the racetrack is green without built-up rubber.
1:12 p.m. -- Cars are rolling on the track.
1:08 p.m. -- On Mother's Day, the Nextel Cup drivers' mothers deliver the command: "Sons and gentlemen, start your engines."
1:06 p.m. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team was forced to replace its mounts for the rear wing. The mounts were deemed inappropriate when going through pre-race inspection on Saturday. Earnhardt will keep his 21st starting position, but further penalties may come.
1:02 p.m. -- Lisa Hudson sings the national anthem.
1:01 p.m. -- Harold King delivers the invocation.
1 p.m. -- FOX's pre-race coverage is on the air. It's clear skies in Darlington as the Dodge Avenger 500 is being run a day late.
SATURDAY
8:48 p.m. -- The Dodge Avenger 500 has been postponed because of rain. The race has been rescheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. FOX will carry the broadcast.
8:31 p.m. -- Pre-race coverage has halted once again. Rain continues.
8:04 p.m. -- FOX has returned with its pre-race coverage despite the rain, which includes a sit-down interview with Dale Earnhardt Jr.
7:16 p.m. -- Rain has picked up at Darlington and the trucks, once circling the track, have stopped.
7:07 p.m. -- Trucks are circling the racetrack, although the rain continues to fall.
7:03 p.m. -- FOX pre-race coverage is on hold as the network diverts back to baseball coverage. Rain has slowed at the track, but once it stops a lengthy drying process should commence shortly.
7 p.m. -- News of the night: Rain. It has been pouring at the track with a chance of clearing. FOX is on the air.