Bojangles' Southern 500

 

WINNER: Jimmie Johnson wins! That makes 200 for team owner Rick Hendrick.

Lap 366: Jimmie Johnson is pulling away from the field at the white flag.

Lap 365: Jimmie Johnson slips away from the field on the restart. Denny Hamlin moves to second, with Tony Stewart third.

RESTART - Lap 365: Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Martin Truex Jr., Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer lead the field.

Radio chatter on Lap 365: Crew chief Chad Knaus: "Get that big build up again ... get ready to rock-n-roll."

Radio chatter on Lap 364: Crew chief Chad Knaus: "How much do you think you were saving us ol' boy." Jimmie Johnson: "I was running half throttle."

Lap 362: Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton among those pitting.

Lap 361: The field, under caution, is: Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Martin Truex Jr., Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer.

CAUTION 8 - Lap 360: Kurt Busch, who had hit the wall on the previous laps, hits hard and spins across the field. Ryan Newman also spins.

Lap 359: With the end nearing, Jimmie Johnson has an eighth of a second lead over Tony Stewart.

Lap 357: Jimmie Johnson builds his lead over Tony Stewart, moving to almost a second ahead.

Lap 356: Jimmie Johnson has pulled to slightly over half a second ahead of Tony Stewart. Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth follow.

Lap 354: Martin Truex Jr. clips the wall.

Lap 352: Jimmie Johnson's lead looks to be challenged as he conserves fuel. Kyle Busch, in third, is the fastest on the track while Tony Stewart has chipped into Johnson's lead.

Lap 351: Jimmie Johnson has a lead of .619 of a second over Tony Stewart.

Radio chatter on Lap 348: Crew chief Chad Knaus continues to offer Jimmie Johnson his own and Tony Stewart's lap times ... reminds him to save fuel.

Lap 346: Kasey Kahne moves to seventh.

Radio chatter on Lap 345: Crew chief Chad Knaus tells leader Jimmie Johnson to save his tires and his fuel.

Lap 340: Jimmie Johnson continues to pace the field. Johnson is trying to deliver team owner Rick Hendrick his 200th career Cup win.

Lap 338: Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth are the top five.

Lap 338: Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch three wide for position out of Turn 4.

Lap 335: Tony Stewart storms through the field to second.

RESTART - Lap 334: Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle lead the field.

Radio chatter on Lap 333: Steve Barkdoll warns Kurt Busch that Matt Kenseth has had problems on restarts.

Radio chatter on Lap 335: Crew chief Darian Grubb to Denny Hamlin: "Use it up and go get the win."

Lap 334: Kevin Harvick, Paul Menard, Carl Edwards, Jeff Burton, Ryan Newman, Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano and Aric Almirola among those pitting.

Radio chatter on Lap 332: Kurt Busch says to stay out, "This is the best the car has been all night." He is ninth.

CAUTION 7 - Lap 330: Reed Sorenson crashes.

Lap 330: Jimmie Johnson has a half-second lead.

Radio chatter on Lap 330: Greg Biffle: "These (expletive) tires are junk."

Lap 325: NEW LEADER - Jimmie Johnson has overtaken the top spot.

Lap 324: Jimmie Johnson is battling Kyle Busch for the lead. Jimmie Johnson slips past him and into the lead. He's already led 89 laps in this race.

Lap 320: There are 20 cars left on the lead lap. And they are getting racy for position at the front.

RESTART - Lap 318: Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson lead the field to the green.

Lap 317: Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr. pit.

Radio chatter on Lap 317: AJ Allmendinger: "It's killed."

Lap 316: AJ Allmendinger and Jamie McMurray pit. The leaders are getting a chance to conserve needed fuel during this period.

CAUTION 6 - Lap 315: Jamie McMurray and AJ Allmendinger wreck off Turn 4.

Lap 313: NEW LEADER - Kyle Busch passes Jimmie Johnson for the lead. Johnson tries to swing across his bumper and move back into the lead, but cannot quite catch him.

RESTART - Lap 312: Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle and Joey Logano lead the field.

Lap 309: During the pit stop, the top eight remained on the track. Several drivers who had been a factor are deep in the field. Martin Truex Jr. pitted and is 11th, Kurt is 14th and Kasey Kahne is 15th.

Radio chatter on Lap 309: Denny Hamlin is having trouble with his steering wheel.

Lap 309: Several leaders stayed out and are trying to conserve fuel to make it to the end of the race. Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle and Joey Logano will lead the field on the restart.

Lap 308: Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Newman, Martin Truex Jr. and Kasey Kahne among those pitting. Jimmie Johnson stays on the track and is trying to save fuel.

CAUTION 5 - Lap 306: Regan Smith spins. Smith was running 20th tonight - and won this race a year ago.

Lap 306: Carl Edwards moves around Kurt Busch to take 10th.

Lap 305: Greg Biffle slips past Joey Logano to take sixth.

Lap 304: Here he comes again - Jimmie Johnson slips to second on the restart.

RESTART - Lap 303: Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth lead the field.

Lap 302: Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth pit to top off fuel.

Radio chatter on Lap 302: Tony Stewart: "I had pressure on it when it went, it was like something gave. Something popped. Whatever happened, I did it with my foot." Crew chief Steve Addington says the smoke came from the fluid.

Lap 299: Pit stops. Tony Stewart has to be pushed to restart off pit road.

Radio chatter on Lap 298: Denny Hamlin: "I think we need tires, I swear we do."

CAUTION 4 - Lap 298: Bobby Labonte crash off of Turn 4.

Radio chatter on Lap 293: Crew chief Chad Johnston tells Martin Truex Jr. he's the fastest car on the racetrack. ... Truex says it should be a good day.

Lap 290: Martin Truex Jr. has a half-second lead over Denny Hamlin. Kevin Harvick, in eighth, was the fastest car on the track that lap.

Lap 287: Danica Patrick is assessed a penalty for a commitment-line violation on the pit sequence.

Lap 287: Denny Hamlin is closing in and challenging Martin Truex Jr. for the lead.

Lap 284: The top 10 are Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch.

Lap 284: After the green-flag pit sequence, Martin Truex Jr. takes the lead.

Lap 283: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick pit.

Lap 281: Ryan Newman pits; Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the leader.

Lap 280: Leader Denny Hamlin pits. Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Joey Logano, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth and Marcos Ambrose also pit.

Lap 279: Greg Biffle pits.

Radio chatter on Lap 278:  Tony Stewart reports: "Tight off of (Turn) 2 tight off the center in 3 and 4." He is currently fifth. 

Lap 275: Denny Hamlin continues to set the hot pace. Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart round out the top five. Regan Smith, the 2011 Darlington race winner, is running 16th.

Lap 270: The Roush Fenway Racing contingent is struggling a little now. Greg Biffle is seventh after starting from the pole position. Carl Edwards is 11th after running in the top five and Matt Kenseth is 14th.

Lap 269: Denny Hamlin is building on his lead once more. Hamlin has a .917 of a second edge over Martin Truex Jr. Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart round out the top five.

Radio chatter on Lap 264: Kyle Busch asks, "What's going on in front of me. ... Are they tight?" Crew chief Dave Rogers says Martin Truex Jr. is tight, Denny Hamlin is loose. 

Radio chatter on Lap 263: Last night's Nationwide Series race winner Joey Logano says he's loose off of Turn 4. Quarter entry is where he needs the most help. He is currently running sixth.

Lap 259: Brad Keselowski pits.

Lap 259: Denny Hamlin leads his 33rd lap in the race; that ties him with the laps led by Kasey Kahne tonight.

Lap 255: Dave Blaney, Jamie McMurray pit. Denny Hamlin holds a .572-second lead over Martin Truex Jr.

Radio chatter on Lap 253: Greg Biffle: "I can't even drive it. It's horrible."

Lap 250: Denny Hamlin looks on track to face a challenge. His lead over Martin Truex Jr. has dipped to .267 of a second. And Jimmie Johnson, in fourth, is turning the fastest laps on the track.

Lap 247: Jimmie Johnson, who has led the most laps this race, passes Tony Stewart for fourth.

Lap 246: Martin Truex Jr. is steadily cutting into the gap on Denny Hamlin.

Radio chatter on Lap 245: Greg Biffle: "The (freakin) tires are hard pieces of (crap)."

Lap 245: Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson are working their way toward the front once more. Stewart is fourth, Johnson fifth now.

Lap 242: Denny Hamlin has a .854 of a second lead over Martin Truex Jr., who was the fastest on the track that lap.

Lap 235: Greg Biffle makes a run at the leader, but loses momentum off the turn and falls back quickly. That leaves Hamlin with the lead.

RESTART - Lap 235: Denny Hamlin and Greg Biffle lead the field to the flag. Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano and Kyle Busch follow.

Radio chatter on Lap 233: Dale Earnhardt Jr. crew chief Steve Letarte: "Everyone is screaming loose, the track is getting freer ... you're doing a (great) job, still plenty of time." Dale Earnhardt Jr.: "I don't know what it is about the back end there. ... I don't understand about the package - the rear end wants to spin out. It's really hard to go through the throttle, really hard not to spin out." Letarte: "We got it way too free here. ... We just don't want to lose another lap."

Lap 231: Denny Hamlin wins the race off pit road. Hamlin is also a previous race winner at Darlington. In six starts at the track, He has five top-10 finishes, two of them top fives. He has never failed to be running at the finish at the track.

Lap 231: Leaders pit.

CAUTION 3 - Lap 229: Debris in Turn 3. Marcos Ambrose got into the wall; Dale Earnhardt Jr. gets the free pass.

Lap 227: Joey Logano passes Kyle Busch for eighth.

Radio chatter on Lap 224: Dale Earnhardt Jr. says his car is "too loose"... spotter T.J. Majors reminds him they're battling AJ Allmendinger for the free pass.

Radio chatter on Lap 222: Carl Edwards is having issues on the radio ... the team can't find a clear channel.

Lap 221: Kasey Kahne leads Denny Hamlin by 2.329 seconds. Martin Truex Jr., Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle follow.

Lap 220: Jeff Gordon to the garage. His string of tough luck in races just will not end.

Lap 218: Kevin Harvick has just moved into the top 10.

Radio chatter on Lap 213: Kurt Busch: "This is the worst the right front has felt." He is running sixth. 

Lap 210: Kasey Kahne continues to pace the field, leading by 1.774 seconds. Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch round out the top five.

Radio chatter on Lap 205: Jeff Gordon: "Something broke here, it wants to spin out. ... Something is broke here, boys. ... It was sideways from the beginning."

Lap 205: Jeff Gordon has hit the wall once more. He has hit Turn 2 wall with a flat tire.

Radio chatter on Lap 202: Kasey Kahne's spotter referring to Denny Hamlin: "We have a couple of fresh ones, he doesn't."

Lap 200: Kasey Kahne easily takes the lead from Denny Hamlin as Kahne has fresh tires.

RESTART - Lap 200: Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Martin Truex Jr., Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle and Jimmie Johnson are the top 10.

Radio chatter on Lap 199: Denny Hamlin says his temperature is 290, spitting water. His oil temp is 290 as well.
 

Lap 198: Denny Hamlin stayed out during the caution period and takes the lead.

Radio chatter on Lap 198: Jeff Gordon: "They threw the (expletive) caution as I'm hitting the line. There's no (expletive) help. ... I wonder what caused it." Crew chief Alan Gustafson: "That tire is too used up to tell."

Radio chatter on Lap 197: Throttle pedal is sticking on Kurt Busch's car.

Lap 196: Leaders pit.

Radio chatter on Lap 194: Jeff Gordon: "I have a flat left rear."

CAUTION 2 - Lap 194: Jeff Gordon has a flat tire.

Lap 193: Jeff Gordon off the pace.

Radio chatter on Lap 190: Spotter Earl Barban to Jimmie Johnson: Very nice work.

Lap 189: Jimmie Johnson takes the lead from Kyle Busch coming off Turn 4. Will he slip away this time?

Lap 187: Two car lengths separate leader Kyle Busch and challenger Jimmie Johnson, who has led a race-high 79 laps. Johnson is difficult to catch once he takes the lead tonight.

Lap 186: Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon are battling for sixth place.

Radio chatter on Lap 184: Spotter Tony Hirschmann to Kyle Busch: "Thatta boy, nice, get a rhythm now."

Lap 182: Kyle Busch leads Jimmie Johnson by less than half a second. Martin Truex Jr., Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle round out the top five.

Radio chatter on Lap 180: Crew chief Steve Letarte tells Dale Earnhardt Jr. that he's racing AJ Allmendinger, Ryan Newman and Jamie McMurray for the free pass.

Lap 180: Kyle Busch jumps to the lead off the restart.

RESTART - Lap 179: Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch lead the field to the green flag. Martin Truex Jr., Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle round out the top five.

Radio chatter on Lap 178: Matt Kenseth: "I don't feel like we're gaining on 'em very much, still too free."

Radio chatter on Lap 177: The crew tells Greg Biffle that his tires showed cords on the left rear but nothing since the first stop.

Radio chatter on Lap 177: Danica Patrick: "It's hard to use the hard arc when there are so many cars there."

Radio chatter on Lap 176: Kurt Busch's team takes a half pound out of both front tires, no track bar adjustment.

Radio chatter on Lap 176: Crew chief Darian Grubb tells Denny Hamlin: Drink all the fluid you can, that was a long stint there.

Lap 175: Jimmie Johnson holds the lead through the pit sequence.

Lap 174: Leaders pit.

Lap 173: Cars on the lead lap: Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick. 

CAUTION 1 - Lap 172: Debris in Turn 2.

Lap 170: Jimmie Johnson continues to hold the lead by 5.422 seconds over Kyle Busch. Martin Truex Jr., in third, is 10.736 seconds off the pace.

Lap 165: Martin Truex Jr. passes former race leader Greg Biffle for third.

Lap 163: Kevin Harvick goes down a lap to Jimmie Johnson. J.J. Yeley pits.

Radio chatter on Lap 159: Aric Almirola says that his car is really free.

Lap 157: Jimmie Johnson continues to pace the field, followed by Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle, Martin Truex Jr. and Carl Edwards. Kurt Busch, in 10th, was fastest on the track that lap.

Lap 155: Jimmie Johnson is hitting his stride once more. Johnson leads Kyle Busch by 3.822 seconds.

Lap 153: Kurt Busch passes Joey Logano to move back into the top 10.

Lap 150: Jimmie Johnson has a 1.785-second lead over Kyle Busch. Greg Biffle, Martin Truex Jr. and Carl Edwards round out the top five after the green-flag sequence.

Lap 149: Jimmie Johnson emerges from the pit stops with the lead, though it has been trimmed.

Lap 148: Martin Truex Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson among those pitting.

Lap 146: Paul Menard, Carl Edwards, Regan Smith, Kasey Kahne, Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch, Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray among those pitting.

Lap 144: Kyle Busch and Greg Biffle pit.

Radio chatter on Lap 143: Denny Hamlin: "I can't get the throttle down off (Turns) 2 or 4."

Lap 141: Martin Truex Jr. moves into second, passing Kyle Busch.

Lap 138: Jamie McMurray falls off the lead lap. Now only 14 cars remain on it.

Lap 135: Martin Truex Jr. passes polesitter Greg Biffle for third.

Radio chatter on Lap 134: Crew chief Nick Harrison tells Kurt Busch he'll take a little track bar out of the car on the next stop.

Lap 129: Jimmie Johnson continues to be on a mission. He's no1 6.120 seconds ahead of second place, which is Kyle Busch.

Lap 126: Kyle Busch passes Greg Biffle for second. AJ Allmendinger goes a lap down, leaving only 15 on the lead lap. 

Lap 125: Leader Jimmie Johnson is looking for his first win of the season. Johnson last won on Oct. 9, 2011, at Kansas - 16 races ago.

Lap 122: Martin Truex Jr., in fourth, was the fastest on the track this lap.

Lap 120: Jimmie Johnson is super fast. He is pulling further away from the field in the still caution-free race. Johnson now has a 5.027-second lead over polesitter Greg Biffle.

Lap 116: Kurt Busch is up 10th overall. He was very fast during practice sessions, but qualified 25th. He wasn't pleased with himself on Friday, but has made up for it.

Lap 115: It's a battle (sort of) between true Darlington veterans. Leader Jimmie Johnson and second-running Greg Biffle each have a pair of wins at Darlington.

Radio chatter on Lap 112: Denny Hamlin's spotter tells him the No. 99 of Carl Edwards is the fastest car on the racetrack. Edwards is currently sixth.

Lap 111: Jimmie Johnson is leading Greg Biffle - and the field - by 3.511 seconds. Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin round out the top five.

Lap 106: Jimmie Johnson leads Greg Biffle by more than three seconds.

Lap 100: NEW LEADER: After the green-flag sequence, Jimmie Johnson is the leader. Jimmie Johnson picked up two seconds on pit road while Dale Earnhardt Jr. lost a lap. Junior's team put two rounds in the left rear of the No. 88. Crew chief Steve Letarte has another plan should there be a caution, but currently Earnhardt Jr. has dropped off the lead lap to 21st.

Lap 99: Martin Truex Jr., Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer, AJ Allmendinger, Joey Logano, Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Danica Patrick among those pitting.

Lap 95: Greg Biffle leads Jimmie Johnson by .760 of a second.

Radio chatter on Lap 91: Kurt Busch: "I'm just a little loose now, too."

Lap 91: Kurt Busch grazes the wall off Turn 2. He is now 11th.

Radio chatter on Lap 90: Dale Earnhardt Jr.: "I'm running as hard as I can run. I'll run faster if you can get it tight." He is running 21st.

Lap 89: Denny Hamlin passes Kasey Kahne to take fifth place.

Lap 85: Greg Biffle continues to pace the field. His teammate, Carl Edwards, is the fastest on the track right now, though. He just turned the fastest lap in the field from his seventh position.

Radio chatter on Lap 82: Brad Keselowski is having trouble turning the car. He is now running 14th.

Lap 82: Greg Biffle leads Jimmie Johnson by .539 of a second. The pair are pulling away from the field, as Kyle Busch is more than three seconds off the pace.

Radio chatter on Lap 79: Kyle Busch: "Can't push the gas, can't pull on the steering wheel, we're way too (freakin') loose. Were we stupid enough to free the car up after the first run going into the second run, were we stupid enough to do that?"

Lap 78: Greg Biffle is once more the fastest car on the track, pulling slightly away from Jimmie Johnson.

Lap 76: Greg Biffle is holding Johnson off, but by less than two-tenths of a second.

Lap 74: The front pair of Greg Biffle and Jimmie Johnson waste no time pulling away from Kyle Busch.

Lap 73: NEW LEADER: Greg Biffle gets past Kyle Busch for the lead. Jimmie Johnson is right on Biffle's bumper and follows him past.

Lap 72: Continuing to turn the fastest laps on the track, Greg Biffle has caught Kyle Busch and is challenging for the lead.

Lap 71: Greg Biffle is the fastest car on the track this lap, fighting to hold onto third. Kyle Busch continues to lead the field.

Lap 66: Jimmie Johnson has caught Greg Biffle in Turn 4 to set up a battle for second.

Radio chatter on Lap 66: Spotter Tab Boyd to Danica Patrick, referring to David Reutimann: "He has his lefts on the dotted line through Turns 3 and 4 but you have him on exit."

Lap 64: Kyle Busch's lead over Greg Biffle is being trimmed each lap. Biffle now trails by .422 of a second.

Radio chatter on Lap 63: Kasey Kahne says his right front is better, the front is better, he's just a little free. 

Radio chatter on Lap 60: Kyle Busch's crew made a wedge adjustment and air pressure adjustment before he took the lead.

Lap 58: Carl Edwards, in seventh, was the fastest car on the track this lap.

Radio chatter on Lap 55: Crew chief Darian Grubb reports to Denny Hamlin: "Tire looks really good, just a little light rub on the wall."

Radio chatter on Lap 53: Carl Edwards: "Really, really hard to drive. The car is all over the place like the left tire is flat." Edwards is running seventh.

Lap 52: NEW LEADER: Kyle Busch takes the lead following the round of green-flag pit stops. Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr. follow.

Lap 52: Landon Cassill pits.

Lap 51: Landon Cassill leads during pit sequence.

Lap 51: Jimmie Johnson, Danica Patrick among those pitting.

Lap 50: Kasey Kahne, Martin Truex Jr., Jeff Gordon among those pitting.

Lap 49: Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart pit.

Lap 48: Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Juan Pablo Montoya among those pitting.

Lap 47: Brad Keselowski, Regan Smith pit.

Radio chatter on Lap 45: Steve Barkdoll tells Kurt Busch that drivers are making up time on the bottom through Turns 3 and 4.

Lap 44: As Greg Biffle approaches Casey Mears, Jimmie Johnson looks ready to make a challenge for the lead. Biffle almost touches Mears, but clears him. Johnson is staying close on Biffle's rear bumper.

Lap 42: Jeff Gordon has brushed the wall.

Lap 35: Regan Smith has brushed the wall.

Radio chatter on Lap 32: Kasey Kahne: "My back is a little free but I think I need my right front." his temps are 235 and 250 and he is running third. 

Lap 31: Greg Biffle has added slightly to his lead, though Jimmie Johnson remains less than a second back.

Radio chatter on Lap 29: Denny Hamlin: "It's snapping loose on me."

Lap 29: Joe Nemechek pits.

Lap 28: Danica Patrick drops off the lead lap.

Radio chatter on Lap 28: Crew chief Darian Grubb to Denny Hamlin: "Halfway on fuel and tires, you're doing a great job of managing there."

Lap 28: Denny Hamlin, in seventh, was the fastest car on the track that lap.

Lap 26: Both Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne have cut into the margin of Greg Biffle's lead.

Radio chatter on Lap 25: Spotter Tab Boyd tells Danica Patrick that as the car runs out of fuel, it should tighten up.

Radio chatter on Lap 24: Crew chief Matt Puccia to leader Greg Biffle: "You're doing great, just take care of your stuff."

Lap 22: Scott Speed pits.

Lap 20: Mike Skinner, David Ragan pit.

Lap 19: Greg Biffle continues to lead, holding a .420 of a second lead over Jimmie Johnson. Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. follow.

Radio chatter on Lap 18: Dale Earnhardt Jr.: "Really loose in, real loose off of two."

Radio chatter on Lap 17: Danica Patrick: "I'm a little loose in one and two."

Lap 17: Cole Whitt pits.

Lap 16: Leader Greg Biffle laps Mike Skinner.

Radio chatter on Lap 12: Denny Hamlin's spotter: "You're as good as anybody right here, stay smooth."

Lap 12: Greg Biffle continues to set the pace, holding a .436-second lead over Jimmie Johnson.

Radio chatter on Lap 10: Spotter Tab Boyd to Danica Patrick: "Pretty good exit there, you're pulling away from the people behind."

Lap 10: Greg Biffle, the polesitter and the points leader, has led all the laps so far.

Radio chatter on Lap 6: Dale Earnhardt Jr. is having issues with the right rear through Turns 1 and 2. He is currently running in 24th. 

7:18 p.m. ET: GREEN FLAG! Greg Biffle and Jimmie Johnson lead the field to the green flag. Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Regan Smith and Jeff Burton round out the top 10.

Prerace radio chatter: From Kurt Busch, considered a dark horse tonight: "All right, guys. Appreciate all the hard work, keep digging. We're getting into more of a rhythm each week. Let's do it."

Prerace radio chatter: Penske's Walt Czarnecki tells the No. 22 crew of AJ Allmendinger to keep their heads in the game, execute and everybody be safe.

Pole sitter Greg Biffle has won twice at Darlington. Last year's winner, Regan Smith, will start ninth. Who has won the most Darlington races among active drivers? Jeff Gordon, with seven victories. Jeff Burton (two wins), Jimmie Johnson (two) and Mark Martin (two) are also multiple-race winners at Darlington.

Prerace radio chatter: Juan Pablo Montoya: I'm starting to worry, it's already 125 (degrees) with the water.

Prerace radio chatter: Jimmie Johnson crew chief Chad Knaus: Let's get ready to roll. We have a really good race car and this is a real good racetrack for us. ... Remember, long, long race. Stay fresh. Who knows what will here ... could be two tires, could be four.

7:02 p.m ET: Lee Spencer reports that the Joe Gibbs Racing cars of Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch are expected to be the class of the field, however, Greg Biffle is also considered a favorite. Not to be forgotten -- Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards.

6:59 p.m. ET: Lee Spencer reports that teams and drivers will rely on tire management tonight after some tires in the Nationwide Series race were worn down to the cords.

Miss anything this weekend? Catch up here.

Greg Biffle will lead the field to the green flag tonight. The complete lineup is here. Want to see how he won the pole position? Check it out here.

Welcome to the FOXSports.com coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Darlington Raceway.

Coverage begins on FOX at 6:30 p.m. ET, with the race slated to begin shortly after 7 p.m. ET.