This enabled Edwards to return to the lead, which he held through two red flag periods to clear debris and fluids after two separate accidents to win the race.

However, Edwards was issued a 25 points penalty after the right-rear of his vehicle was found to be too low in post-race inspection, and it was upheld in a subsequent appeal to the National Stock Car Racing Commission.

[6] Before the race, Jimmie Johnson and teammate Jeff Gordon were tied for the lead in the Drivers' Championship on 5,210 points, with Tony Stewart in third.

[9] Former V8 Supercars champion and Busch Series driver Marcos Ambrose was scheduled to drive for Robby Gordon Motorsports after team owner Robby Gordon offered him the seat to make up for an incident between the two in the NAPA Auto Parts 200 Busch Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

[10] Three part-time season drivers attempted to qualify for the Dover International Speedway round: Sam Hornish Jr. for Penske Racing South, Scott Wimmer in the No.

Martin Truex Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya, Bobby Labonte, Dale Earnhardt Jr., David Ragan, Scott Riggs and Gordon occupied positions four to ten.

[14] He was joined on the grid's front row by Montoya, the highest-placed rookie, who was 0.141 seconds slower, and had the pole position until Johnson's lap.

Hamlin qualified third, Kurt Busch took fourth after improving his car's handling, and the Autism Speaks 400 winner Truex took fifth.

[15] Edwards, another driver in the chase, set the 15th-fastest time, while the winner of the preceding Sylvania 300, Bowyer struggled on his lap en route to 42nd.

[16] The six drivers who failed to qualify were Ward Burton, Wimmer, Kevin Lepage, Dave Blaney, Jeremy Mayfield and Hornish.

Johnson, Bowyer, Gordon, Jamie McMurray, Martin, Truex and Earnhardt completed the top ten ahead of Sunday's race.

[21] Around the start of the race, weather conditions were sunny and clear with the air temperature at 79 °F (26 °C); a ten percent chance of rain was forecast.

Dan Schafer, Pastor of Calvary Assembly of God in Hightstown, New Jersey, began pre-race ceremonies with an invocation.

[1] America's Got Talent finalist Julienne Irwin performed the national anthem, and Chrysler chairman and chief executive officer Robert Nardelli commanded the drivers to start their engines.

Four laps later, the second caution was necessitated when Ken Schrader spun 360 degrees on the back straightaway after Reed Sorenson bumped him on the exit of turn four.

[1] The tire went airborne into Waltrip's pit stall, and struck the helmet of gas man Art Harris, causing him to fall to the ground.

Edwards got ahead of Kurt Busch (who was on worn tires because he did not make a pit stop) to move into second position on lap 122.

[22] 26 laps later, the fifth caution was waved to allow Harris to be transported via ambulance to a local hospital by opening a trackside gate since no tunnels were available.

[24] That lap, the ninth caution came out for John Andretti who lost control of his car, and made contact with Raines on the back stretch after leaving the second turn.

[25] Robby Gordon lost control of his car in the second turn on the 381st lap, and clouted a wall alongside the track, necessitating the eleventh caution.

The following lap, a multi-car accident prompted the twelfth caution and later the race's second red flag to clear debris and fluids in turn three.

[1][25] Once series officials lifted the red flag conditions 12 minutes later, some cars made pit stops for repairs and tires to enable them to finish the event.

Lap 393 had the thirteenth (and final) caution come out for a stray piece of sheet medal from Truex's damaged car that cut his right-front tire and fell on the track.

[31][32] Hamlin asserted he did not intentionally crash into Petty, and threatened to assault him the next time round, "You smack me on the helmet and I'm going to punch you in the face, bottom line.

NASCAR, through their punitive actions that have been arguably ill-advised, has affected a number of outcomes in championships for my teams in the last 20 years.

Edwards' car failed post-race inspection because its right-rear was found to be too low by three-eighths of an inch less than the minimum amount allowed by NASCAR.

[34] Although NASCAR determined that no malice was committed,[35] it transported Edwards' car to its Research and Development Center in Concord, North Carolina for further analysis.

Team owner Jack Roush stated the car was not altered in any form and spoke of his belief that a dent caused the rule violation.

[37][38] Roush Fenway Racing president Geoff Smith stated the team saw no logic to the penalty, which they felt was not fair, and announced their decision to appeal.

[37] The penalty attracted criticism from Damian Dottmore of Orange County Register who argued Edwards should have been allowed to keep all the points he scored at Dover and be forced to start from the rear of the grid, citing an earlier case from the Daytona 500 in February when Gordon was penalized for his car violating series regulations.