Ford 400

22 November, 2009, 6:39 PM ET

CHECKERED FLAG - DENNY HAMLIN WINS! JIMMIE JOHNSON IS THE 2009 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES CHAMPION!

WHITE FLAG - DENNY HAMLIN LEADS

Lee Spencer says on Lap 249: Bad decision for the 2 car to take two tires. Currently running 4th

Lee Spencer says on Lap 238: Watching Martin wheel it is some of the best damn driving I've ever seen.

Lap 231: In 10 laps, Martin has gained nine positions.

GREEN FLAG - Lap 221: Kurt Busch leads field to the green.

Lap 218: Pit stops are complete - Kurt Busch wins race out by taking two tires.

Lap 217: All the drivers will be able to make in on fuel after this round of pit stops.

CAUTION 7 - Lap 216: Debris on the frontstretch.

Lap 199: Jeff Burton takes the lead, eighth different leader tonight.

GREEN FLAG - Lap 198: Denny Hamlin leads field to the green.

CAUTION 6 - Lap 193: Robby Gordon spins coming off Turn 2 and hits the wall.

Lap 189: Race leader Kurt Busch is reporting tightness in the center but loose off.

Lap 181: After a spirited battle the last few laps, Kurt Busch finally completes the pass on Denny Hamlin to take the lead.

Lap 176: Kurt Busch is winding up on the high side and chasing down leader Denny Hamlin.

Radio chatter on Lap 173: Mark Martin - "I've got to turn better."

Lap 161: David Ragan's car is smoking - tire rub.

GREEN FLAG - Lap 161: Denny Hamlin leads field to the green.

Lap 160: Stewart will go to the tail end of the longest line for pitting too soon. Grubb said, "Ok, bud. It's time for us to get smart here."

Lap 157: Leaders pit - Denny Hamlin gains a position and takes the lead! Kurt Busch will drop to second.

Lap 157: NASCAR has penalized Juan Pablo Montoya two laps for aggressive driving.

CAUTION 5 - Lap 155: Juan Pablo Montoya, who is still fuming from the early accident that ruined his day, got into the back of Tony Stewart to send him into the wall and bring out the caution.

Lap 153: Tony Stewart has climbed from 29th to 14th since the restart.

Lap 139: Dale Earnhardt Jr. said there's debris on the track, he knows because he ran over it. "Maybe I should throw my tear off out the window. Maybe they'd see it then."

Lap 138: Dale Earnhardt Jr's tough year continues - he suffers a flat tire, gets damage to the right side of his car, and goes into the pits for fresh tires.

Lap 135: Kurt Busch takes the lead at the stripe

Lee Spencer says on Lap 134: Johnson has climbed to 18th...Martin lagging back at 25th

Lee Spencer says on Lap 128: Johnson has actually lost a spot since the restart.

GREEN FLAG - Lap 123: Kevin Harvick leads the field to the green, Denny Hamlin is second.

Lap 119: During the pits stops under the caution, Elliott Sadler, Reed Sorenson and a few other cars got damage as they piled up at the stat of pit road.

CAUTION 4 - Lap 117: Juan Pablo Montoya bounces off the wall in Turn 4. He and Tony Stewart were playing bumper cars seconds earlier and Montoya suffered a cut tire, leading to the caution.

Lap 114: Kurt Busch bounced off the wall coming off Turn 2

GREEN FLAG - Lap 112: Kevin Harvick leads the field to the green, teammate Jeff Burton is second.

Lap 110: Carl Edwards, Dale Jr. come back into the pits again. Edwards restarted 8th on the last stop.

Lee Spencer reports on Lap 109: Bowyer is complaining that his car wont turn through the corner. He asks about changing the tire pressures on the last stop. Crew chief Shane WIlson used the tire pressures from the 31 car on the last stop because he came up fast through the field.

CAUTION 3 - Lap 108: Marcos Ambrose hits the wall and brings out the caution again. Reed Sorenson gets the lucky dog free pass.

GREEN FLAG - Lap 105: Kevin Harvick leads the field to the green.

Lee Spencer reports on Lap 103: Jimmie Johnson asked his spotter Earl Barban to ask Clint Bowyer's spotter why he's racing him so hard. Crew chief Chad Knaus intervened and told Barban to stay put

Lap 102: Leaders pit. Kevin Harvick comes out in first, followed by Jeff Burton, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin.

Lap 101: Before the caution came out, there were several good battles for position - particularly for second as Jeff Burton dueled with JP Montoya.

CAUTION 2 - Lap 100: John Andretti hits the wall and has heavy damage.

Lap 97: Jeff Gordon is back up to 15th.

Lap 92: Juan Pablo Montoya up to second.

Lap 89: Jeff Gordon is falling off the pace - down to 17th.

Lap 88: Juan Pablo Montoya is up to fourth.

Lap 87: Kevin Harvick takes the lead from Stewart.

GREEN FLAG - Lap 85: Tony Stewart leads the field to the restart.

Radio chatter on Lap 82: Mark Martin - "We need to buckle down here and hope the track comes to us."

Lap 82: Leaders pit - Tony Stewart comes in and leaves as the leader.

CAUTION 1 - Lap 80: Marcos Ambrose spins off Turn 4 - tough day continues for that team. Scott Speed gets the lucky dog free pass.

Lap 79: Jeff Burton passes Dale Jr. for eighth - now three Richard Childress Racing teams are in the top eight.

Lap 73: Interesting observation - All four Hendrick Motorsports cars are in the top eight right now.

Lap 72: 28th-place Matt Kenseth is now down a lap.

Radio chatter on Lap 65: Dale Jr. complaining that his car is real tight throught the center right now.

Lap 65: Jimmie Johnson passes title rival Mark Martin for fourth.

Lap 64: Tony Stewart passes Harvick for the lead..

Lap 61: Kevin Harvick to the point.

Lap 55: Clint Bowyer takes the lead.

Lap 54: Kurt Busch pits from the lead. The pit stop sequences are complete

Lap 53: Race leader Tony Stewart pits, Kurt Busch takes the lead.

Lap 52: Championship leader Jimmie Johnson is in the pits.

Lap 50: Pit stop sequences begin, among those in now include Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr..

Lap 48: Mark Martin now up to eighth - he's going backwards.

Lap 41: Stewart and crew chief Darian Grubb discussing adjustements on the radio. a 1.238-second lead he's comfortable in the car but realizes things will change as the track cools down

Lap 39: Junior has adopted a very high line but appears to be catching his teammate Jeff Gordon (P9)

Lap 33: Tony Stewart passes Jimmie Johnson for the lead. Marcos Ambrose to the garage.

Lap 26: Marcos Ambrose is slowing again - engine issues? He's switched batteries and boxes -- nothing.

Lap 23: Dale Earnhardt Jr. is already up to 13th.

Lap 22: Tony Stewart passes Kevin Harvick for second place.

Lap 19: Ambrose now a lap down. Crew chief Frankie Kerr tells Ambrose not to worry, they'll get in back on the next caution.

Lap 18: Ambrose pits, changes all four tires just in case. He remains on the lead lap but is currently posted at P43

Lap 15: Ambrose is sliding down the charts - seems to have a flat tire on the right side of the car.

Lap 14: Jimmie Johnson reclaims the lead from Marcos Ambrose. Kevin Harvick slides into second.

Lee Spencer says on Lap 13: Martin predicted he would struggle in the heat. Expects to charge once the sun sets.

Lap 12: Mark Martin has dropped to fifth.

Lap 10: New race leader - Marcos Ambrose.

Lap 9: It's Jimmie Johnson's day, but that won't stop Marcos Ambrose from fighting for the lead. Ambrose is side-by-side with the three-time champ.

Lap 7: Kevin Harvick takes over third place. AJ Allmendinger has broken into the top 10.

Lap 5: Johnson's lead up front is 0.611 seconds. Kevin Harvick has caught up to Mark Martin and now they are battling for third place.

Lap 1: Jimmie Johnson leads a lap and gets five bonus points. Now he only has to finish 27th or better to clinch the championship. Mark Martin is up to third. Jeff Gordon is now mathematically eliminated from title contention.

Radio chatter before the start of the race: Mark Martin -- "Thank you guys. I hope you understand what you accomplished this year and we had a whale of a lot of fun doing it too."

GREEN FLAG: Polesitter and championship leader Jimmie Johnson leads the field to the green flag at the start of the race.

All cars have rolled off the grid and are on their parade laps. Robby Gordon will start at the rear of the field due to a driver change (Matt Crafton qualified the car while Gordon was racing in the Baja 1000).

ENGINES FIRED

Championship update: All Jimmie Johnson has to do today to clinch his record fourth-straight Sprint Cup Series championship is finish 25th or better.

BREAKING NEWS: Rick Hendrick skips today's race to be with niece in hospital.

Welcome to FOXSports.com's coverage of the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the final race of the 2009 Sprint Cup Series season.