The first caution of the Toyota/Save Mart 350 has flown at Sonoma with fewer than 30 laps remaining. Tomy Drissi, one of the road course ringers competing in today's race, crashed heavily in the esses to draw the first yellow of the race.
The caution flag erased Clint Bowyer's slim lead on Kurt Busch, who had closed down on the Michael Waltrip Racing driver. Busch, the defending Sonoma winner, was looking to rebound from a tumultuous season that nearly cost him his job in the Phoenix Racing Chevrolet.
Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, and Martin Truex Jr. rounded out the top-five. Completing the top-10 - after several drivers hit pit road for fuel and tires to carry them to the finish - were Kasey Kahne, Casey Mears, A.J. Allmendinger, Paul Menard, and Jeff Burton.
The caution is a big break for Jeff Gordon, who ran out of fuel trying to get to pit road for his previous stop. He dropped from second in the running order to 15th, well back of the battle up front. It is just the latest in a season of misfortunes for the No. 24 team and their four-time championship winning driver.