There were seven cautions and fourteen lead changes among ten different drivers throughout the course of the race, McMurray's second win of the season and his first ever at Indianapolis.

The result moved him up two spots to sixteenth in the Drivers' Championship, 625 points behind of leader Kevin Harvick and five ahead of Kasey Kahne.

[8] In the first practice session, Juan Pablo Montoya was quickest, ahead of Jimmie Johnson, Max Papis, and Robby Gordon.

[9] In the Friday evening practice session, Montoya remained quickest, ahead of Jamie McMurray and Mark Martin in second and third.

[11] During the fourth and final practice session for the race, Martin Truex Jr. was quickest, ahead of Burton and Bowyer in the second and third positions.

[14] Bowyer, Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Harvick and Burton rounded off the top ten.

[14] The race, twentieth out of a total of thirty-six in the season, began at 1 p.m. EDT and was televised live in the United States on ESPN.

[1] Howard Brammer, of Traders Point Christian Church, began pre-race ceremonies by delivering the invocation.

[15] Afterward, Sparrow Records recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman sang the United States National Anthem and Indianapolis Motor Speedway chairman Mari Hulman George gave the command to start engines.

[15] Then, Joey Logano and Todd Bodine moved to the rear of the grid during the pace laps because of engine changes.

[16] While under caution, Elliott Sadler, who was involved in the accident, drove his race car to the garage for repairs, and Sam Hornish Jr. received a stop and go penalty for speeding on pit road.

[17] On lap 12, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, A. J. Allmendinger, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. came to pit lane because of engine overheating issues.

[15][17] On lap 16, the second caution came out because Robby Gordon had a tire explode and Max Papis's car was engulfed in flames.

Afterward, Kevin Conway became the leader before giving it to Johnson for the restart because of beating Montoya off pit lane.

On lap 31, Greg Biffle moved into the fourth position, after passing his teammate Matt Kenseth.

All drivers drove to pit road to receive new tires and fuel, but Johnson and his crew were changing shocks.

Montoya's two-second lead reduced to nothing on lap 138 when the safety car was brought on the track because of the fifth caution.