The net result was that Hamlin, with little fuel and old tyres, assumed first place followed by Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jamie McMurray and Reed Sorenson with Kenseth eighth, Truex Jr 10th, Kurt Busch 12th and Kyle Busch a despondent 15th after another tardy stop from the #5 Hendrick team.
Many thought Hamlin would be a sitting duck when the green flag waved but perhaps nobody realised just how much of a sitting duck he would be for when the pace car peeled off Hamlin could barely bring the field up to speed as his car spluttered. As Hamlin coasted across the start line chaos reigned behind as drivers dove left and right. Jeff Burton ran into the back of McMurray before Truex Jr cannoned into the rear of the crippled #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet, scattering cars everywhere and forcing an already irate Kyle Busch onto the grass.
Out came the yellow flags again to set-up a green white chequered finish with Johnson now leading from Carl Edwards (who moved from sixth to second during the previous melee, Earnhardt Jr, Sorenson and McMurray.
Sadly the expected fireworks between Johnson and Edwards never materialised for just one corner into the final restart Earnhardt Jr lost a left rear tyre going through turn one and hit the wall hard, taking McMurray with him. That final crash meant the race finished under caution with Johnson bringing the field to the chequered flag with a mixture of shock and delight.
Edwards second place was just as unexpected after he, like Johnson, rarely featured in the top five but the result was very much welcomed for a driver who has ensured something of a PR nightmare this week following his post race spat with Kenseth last week and his subsequent media ‘trashing' by several of his fellow drivers. Sorenson narrowly avoided getting caught up in the Earnhardt Jr/McMurray crash to take third with Kenseth fourth, a damaged Jeff Burton fifth, an equally damaged Clint Bowyer sixth and points leader Jeff Gordon seventh.
![Jimmie Johnson - Kobalt/Lowe's Chevrolet [pic credit: GM media]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/300233.jpg)
