Patrick Carpentier led the field to the green in Sunday's LENOX Industrial Tools 301, jumping out to an early lead. The rookie driver was able to maintain a top-10 position until the first caution of the day. When the field came to pit road on Lap 87 under caution, Carpentier fell back in the field after taking four tires when the majority of the field opted for only two tires or fuel only.

Richard Childress Racing's Kevin Harvick got off to a quick start, getting around the No. 43 of Bobby Labonte for the second-spot at the drop of the green flag. By Lap 5 Harvick was able to move on the inside of Carpentier and take over the top-spot.

Harvick paced the field until Dale Earnhardt Jr. was able to make his way around the No. 29 to take the lead on Lap 44. Dale Jr. maintained the top spot until pitting from the lead on Lap 71 during the first round of green flag stops. A mediocre stop brought the No. 88 out in fourth-spot. Once the green flag stops worked their way through Harvick once again took over control of the field after pitting from the second-spot.

A caution for a Dario Franchitti spin brought out the first caution of the afternoon on Lap 86. This yellow flag brought the leaders to pit road on Lap 87, with the majority of the field taking just two tires.

Staying out during the second round of stops on Lap 87, Casey Mears proved he can run up front by using pit strategy to take the top spot. The recently announced free agent did not let the fact he was on old tires slow him down, as the driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet pulled way from the field and began lapping cars.

About ten laps away from hitting pit road, the second caution of the day flew on Lap 139 for debris on the race track. Mears led the leaders to pit road for service and a fast pit stop sent the No. 5 off in second place after a drag race with Tony Stewart.

The caution also helped Red Bull Racing Team's Brian Vickers who had also stayed out with Mears. Like Mears, Vickers was preparing to pit off sequence as the yellow flag flew. The team's strategy played out well as Vickers was able to restart the race from the fifth-spot.

Edging out Mears off pit road, Stewart took the lead for the first time in the afternoon. Stewart maintained the top spot for 64 laps until the fourth caution of the day came out when A.J. Allmendinger blew an engine on Lap 204.

Stewart led the field to pit road on Lap 205 and once again was the fastest car off pit road. Restarting on Lap 210, Stewart led Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears.

As the field took the green flag Stewart got a great jump out front as Michael McDowell's Toyota let go in front of a number of cars. A lap down, McDowell was restarting the race from the inside as his engine blew up right at the start/finish line. The rookie driver did an amazing job getting to the bottom of the track without collecting any other drivers and avoiding a yellow flag.

A caution on Lap 216 for a spin by Aric Almirola brought out the fifth caution of the day. The majority of the leaders stayed out on the track, but once again gambling on pit strategy, Casey Mears came to the attention of his crew from fifth-spot for fuel only. Crew Chief Alan Gustafson admitted to being just two laps short of the end, but hoped caution flags would fall just right and save them enough fuel to make it. The only problem was the No. 5 was mired mid-pack as the race went back to green.

Restarting the race with about eighty laps to go, crews began to look towards the sky as dark clouds moved in over the track. With rain a threat, the intensity picked up among the top-5. Teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson ran side-by-side for a number of laps as they battled for the second-spot. Johnson was able to get past and set his sights on Stewart in the top-spot.

With less than fifty laps to go, Johnson's pace picked up as he closed in on the back bumper of Stewart's No. 20 Home Depot Toyota. As the intensity grew amongst the leaders, most teams were going to have to hit pit road one more time before the end of the race.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was one of the first cars to pit road as he slowed his No. 88 Chevrolet on lap 270. Unfortunately for Dale Jr., as he slowed Jamie McMurray drove hard into the left rear of the No. 88. sending both cars spinning. McMurray slid up the track and back down into teammate David Ragan's left rear, brining out the caution flag.

This caution put an end to everyone's questions about fuel mileage, as the leaders hit pit road for their final stop of the day. While the majority of leaders took fuel only, Stewart's No. 20 team changed two tires, sending the No. 20 out behind a number of other cars.

Kurt Busch, Michael Waltrip, J.J. Yeley, Martin Truex Jr., Elliott Sadler, Reed Sorenson and Casey Mears stayed on the track and led the field to the green. Denny Hamlin - the first car to pit - restarted the race ninth, while Stewart was forced to restart in 14th.

The green flag did not last long as seventh caution of the day flew on Lap 280, when Sam Hornish Jr. and Clint Bowyer made contact going into Turn 3. The two slid through the corner, with Bowyer resting on the outside wall.

As the field took the caution, Juan Pablo Montoya and points leader Kyle Busch got together after racing hard. Upset with each other, Montoya turned down on the No. 18's left rear on the front stretch, sending Busch spinning. Busch's car spun back around and collected Montoya's Dodge as they entered Turn one.

Luckily for Kurt Busch the skies opened up as the field went around under caution. NASCAR brought the field to pit road and covered the cars as the one-mile track was drenched with water. It did not take NASCAR officials long to call the race and give Busch his first victory since August of 2007.

Busch was followed by a few drivers that desperately needed a great finish, Michael Waltrip and J.J. Yeley. Martin Truex Jr. came home in fourth, while Elliott Sadler rounded out the top-5.

Tony Stewart, who led 132 laps in total, was forced to settle for an extremely disappointing 13th-place finish.