After starting 20th, Kyle Busch has made his way to the front of the field as the Crown Royal 400 just past the one-quarter mark. The winner of the last two spring events at Richmond International Raceway tore through the field in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and finally grabbed the lead from teammate Denny Hamlin during a cycle of green flag pit stops.
Juan Pablo Montoya, who started from the pole, tangled with Ryan Newman exiting the second turn and did significant damage to the right-rear corner of his Chevrolet. The caution flag flew for debris, the first time the drivers had slowed behind the pace car tonight.
Hamlin, who had passed Kasey Kahne for the lead at lap 77, lost the top-spot when his team had a much slower pit stop than his teammate. Hamlin's problems dropped him to fourth. He had raced up to third before the caution flag waved.
The top ten: Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin, Mark Martin, Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, Carl Edwards, Brian Vickers, and Martin Truex.