Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Toyota, leads a pack of cars during the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) » More Photos

Greg Biffle was exiting Turn 4 on Lap 71, when he was tagged from behind by Juan Pablo Montoya, which turned Biffle hard into the frontstretch wall. Under caution on Lap 73, an ill Tony Stewart was pulled out of his car and replaced with J.J. Yeley, who on Friday had failed to qualify his Hall of Fame Racing Toyota.

This time, Earnhardt won the race off pit road ahead of Johnson, Busch, Gordon and Kahn. The track went green on Lap 75, with Yeley rejoining the race in 39th place. Johnson took the lead on the restart, ahead of teammates Earnhardt and Gordon.

Gordon took the lead on Lap 79, and at the halfway point the next time by, the four-time series champion led Earnhardt, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Johnson, Kenseth, Ragan, Martin, Vickers and Martin Truex Jr.

On Lap 82, Busch nearly wrecked on the backstretch and dropped to 37th, complaining of steering problems in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Suddenly, JGR, the dominant team on the season, had two of its three cars running 30th or worse.

It was Hendrick Motorsports 1-2-4 on Lap 100, with Gordon leading Earnhardt and Johnson fourth, behind the surprising Yates Racing Ford of Gilliland in third. Then it was Martin, Hamlin, Sadler, Edwards, Ragan and Newman.

Earnhardt then went back out front on Lap 103, pulling Gilliland into second with him, ahead of Gordon and Johnson.

On Lap 109, Sadler crashed into the Turn 4 after a blown right-front tire put him hard into the SAFER barrier to bring out the fourth caution of the evening. The leaders pitted on Lap 112, with Earnhardt keeping the lead ahead of Hamlin, Newman, Johnson and Gordon. Gilliland overshot his pit stall and came out 14th.

The caution period ended with the green flag on Lap 115, with Hamlin taking the lead on the low line with a push from Newman, as Earnhardt, Johnson and Gordon took the high line in their Hendrick Chevrolets.

Earnhardt took the lead back on Lap 118, as Newman got hung in the middle lane and began to fall backwards. Hamlin took the lead back the following lap as the intensity began to increase as the laps wound down.

At the three-quarter mark, Lap 120, Hamlin led Ragan, Earnhardt, Johnson, Gordon, Gilliland, Busch, Newman, Robby Gordon and Harvick. Two laps later, Earnhardt’s camouflage Chevy was back on the point.

On Lap 124, Gilliland got loose at the exit of Turn 4 and went into Newman and the outside wall, triggering a pile up that also collected Burton, who was turned by Vickers.

Two laps later, the leaders pitted for what should have been the final time. Boris Said stayed out and took over the top spot, followed by Hamlin and Waltrip. Then it was Earnhardt, Gordon, Busch, Johnson, Harvick, Martin and Kahne. Ragan got a pit-road penalty because the catch can was not attached to the car when he pulled out of the pits. He restarted 25th.