After a brief to-and-fro with Hamlin Harvick established himself in the lead as the race passed its half way mark and kept the #29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet ahead through the only round of green flag pitstops between laps 200 and 215. However it all went horribly wrong for Harvick when the sixth caution period came out on lap 250, sending everyone to pit road once again.
As Harvick was leaving his pit he collided with rookie David Ragan, who was just entering his, spinning Ragan around and doing serious front end damage to the #29 machine. Although Harvick would stay on the lead lap he would never regain the track position.
Harvick's demise elevated Kurt Busch to the top of the pile in the #2 Penske Racing Dodge, a far cry from the start of the race where Kurt lost a lap following a lap four spin and dropped to 41st. Kurt led the way for nearly 20 laps until, for the second time in three weeks, he came undone on pit road by choosing to take fresh tyres on lap 280 while at least eight others stayed on track. Like Harvick, Busch would be unable to regain his lost track position.
The final 100 laps were blighted by no less than five caution periods and while Johnson inherited the lead when the elder Busch brother pitted, he then had to deal with his younger sibling throughout the final 120 laps. Kyle Busch, who started all the way back in 34th, seemed to have the better car on restarts and traded the lead with Johnson several times although on each occasion Johnson was quick to redress the balance.
The final green flag waved on lap 380 with the #5 Chevrolet ahead but Johnson took less than a lap to retake the lead and wasn't challenged for the remaining 19 tours. Kyle kept within striking distance throughout but couldn't prevent Johnson from rolling to his first win at RIR and the 27th of his career.
Behind the two Hendrick teammates there was battling aplenty as Hamlin narrowly prevented a Hendrick 1-2-3 with a late pass on poleman Gordon while Kurt Busch recovered to fifth after a late skirmish with Tony Stewart.
![Jimmie Johnson (#48) races Kurt Busch (#2) in the NASCAR's ever Car of Tomorrow event [pic credit: image.net]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/303479.jpg)
