The first round of green-flag pit stops began on Lap 58, when Jeff Burton led the lead-lap cars in for fuel and tires. Three laps later, leader Biffle pitted, along with Earnhardt. After the stops cycled through, Busch led Biffle, Earnhardt, Kevin Harvick, Burton, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.

Burton started the second round of green-flag stops on Lap 116. After the cars cycled through Biffle led Busch, Earnhardt, Martin Truex Jr., Harvick, Travis Kvapil and Gordon. Busch hit Biffle hard from behind, nearly putting him into the wall in the process.

The yellow flew on Lap 141 for debris on the frontstretch. That brought the leaders in for another round of stops. Earnhardt took the lead on pit road ahead of Biffle, Gordon, Truex and Biffle. Busch fell all the way to 23rd after a loose lugnut on his pitstop, a mistake that nearly cost him dearly.

At the halfway point, Biffle had a lead of 2.268 seconds over Truex, Gordon, Earnhardt and Hamlin. But Biffle began complaining of a vibration in the front end of the car. He pitted on Lap 195, telling the crew that he thought his transmission was broken.

Green flag stops started on Lap 200, with Gordon the first of the leaders to pit. Biffle, despite his complaints about the transmission, led ahead of Truex, Denny Hamlin, Gordon and Earnhardt. On Lap 221, he had a 4.93-second lead, but frantically radioed the crew, saying, “We’re never going to make it!” He pitted less than 15 laps later, his Roush Fenway Ford terminal and his chance for winning over.

Hamlin took the lead for the first time under caution, ahead of Truex, Gordon, Earnhardt, Kurt Busch and Johnson. The track went green on Lap 240.