Contested over 341 laps (extended from the scheduled distance of 334 laps due to two green-white-checkered attempts), it was the 34th race of the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season and eighth race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, and Jamie McMurray rounded out the top five.

The top rookies of the race were Kyle Larson (7th), Justin Allgaier (20th), and Austin Dillon (21st).

Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the lead from Tony Stewart with four laps to go and held off a hard charging Jeff Gordon to score his first career win at Martinsville Speedway.

This team on pit road was great and Steve (Letarte, crew chief) and the guys did a real good job all day.

The track measures 1.5 miles (2.4 km) around and is banked 24 degrees in the turns, and is of the oval design, where the front straightaway juts outward slightly.

“To be the first to run 200 mph average on a 1.5-mile is pretty cool.”[16] "It was three incredible laps and a great effort by our Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet team today," Jeff Gordon said.

[18] Jimmie Johnson was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 27.865 and a speed of 193.791 mph (311.876 km/h).

The race was scheduled to begin at 3:16 PM Eastern time, but started at 3:20 p.m. with Matt Kenseth leading the field to the green.

The first caution of the race flew on lap 42 after Josh Wise got loose, overcorrected and hit the wall in turn 2.

Harvick ducked onto pit road on lap 93 and the lead cycled back to Johnson.

Gordon hit pit road on lap 139 and gave the lead back to Johnson.

[21] Caution flew for the fourth time on lap 223 for a Ford grill plate that came off the front of Carl Edwards's car.

[21] The race restarted on lap 228 and Hamlin promptly lost the lead to Jeff Gordon.

[21] Jimmie Johnson beat Jeff Gordon off pit road to take back the lead.

Caution flew for the eighth time with 39 laps to go for a trail of debris left by Brett Moffitt.

Caution flew for the tenth time with 21 laps to go after Kasey Kahne got loose exiting turn 4, made contact with Marcos Ambrose and went through the grass on the front stretch.

[21] The eleventh caution of the race flew with 15 laps to go after Trevor Bayne hooked Kasey Kahne and sent him into the backstretch wall.

[21] Caution flew for the twelfth time with four laps to go after Clint Bowyer got loose, overcorrected and slammed the fall on the front stretch.

[21] Gordon lost the lead on the first attempt, made contact with Brad Keselowski, spun out and brought out the 13th caution of the race.

We’re not in the Chase and not where we want to be - fighting for the championship.”[23] There was a brawl on pit road involving Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick.

“We’re racing for the win,” said Keselowski of the on track contact as the crowd booed loudly during the interview.

I'd rather have enemies in NASCAR than have friends and be sitting at home.’’[25] “If you’re going to drive like that, you better be willing to fight,’’ Harvick said he told Keselowski.

I said, ‘You’re the problem, get in your own fight.’ ‘’[25] Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's senior vice president of competition, said that series officials will review what took place to determine what, if any, penalties will be issued.

24 team, were each fined $25,000 and suspended from NASCAR through the completion of the next six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship points races (returning for the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway, held on March 22).

[27] All three were found to be in violation of: • Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing[27] • Section 12-4.9: Behavioral penalty – involved in a post-race physical altercation with a driver on pit road[27] Dean Mozingo, mechanic with the No.

[27] He was found to be in violation of: • Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing[27] • Section 12-4.9: Behavioral penalty – involved in a post-race physical altercation with another crew member on pit road[27] Kenny Francis, crew chief of the No.

[27] They were found to be in violation of: • Section 9-4A: Crew chief assumes responsibility for the actions of his team members[27] • Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing[27] • Section 12-4.9: Behavioral penalty[27] "While the intensity and emotions are high as we continue through the final rounds of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the actions that we saw from several crew members Sunday following the race at Texas are unacceptable," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR senior vice president/competition and racing development.

"We reviewed the content that was available to us of the post-race incident along pit road, and identified several crew members who crossed the line with their actions, specifically punching others.

"A NASCAR championship is at stake, but we can't allow behavior that crosses the line to go unchecked, particularly when it puts others in harm's way.