The night race at Bristol Motor Speedway is always one of the most exciting and infuriating races for the drivers on the Winston Cup circuit, and Saturday's Sharpie 500 was no exception. The 250 mile, 500 lap event tied the Winston Cup record for most cautions in a single race, with 20 cautions and more than of the race run under the yellow flag. Jeff Gordon posted the fastest time in qualifying to take his 3rd pole of the season and 45th of his career. Veteran Mark Martin joined him in the front row. Points leader Matt Kenseth qualified on the outside of the fifth row with a qualifying time just a tenth of a second slower than rival Dale Earnhardt Jr., who started 9th.

The trouble started early, for a 5 car incident on lap five that brought out the first caution of the day. Jeff Gordon led the field to the yellow flag, and extended his lead on the lap 11 restart. The second caution came on lap 63, after contact between Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton and several other cars. Most of the field headed down pit road for the first round of pit stops, but Jeff Green stayed out to take the lead. Only two laps into the restart, Jeff Gordon reclaimed the top spot from Green, who couldn't run as well as the teams with fresh tires and slid back through the field.

The third yellow came out when Michael Waltrip spun hard into the outside wall, then back down into 9-time Bristol winner, Rusty Wallace. Both cars had to be towed to the garage, and Rusty Wallace was sent to a local hospital, where he was examined and released. Again Jeff Gordon led the field to the green flag, and again, the caution waved almost immediately. One lap into the restart, Larry Foyt and Jeff Green collided to bring out the 4th caution of the race.

Gordon led the lap 108 restart, and pulled away from the field over a 50 lap stretch of green flag racing. Another wreck, this time involving Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte as well as Joe Nemechek and Casey Mears, brought the pace car back out to lead the field on lap 159. The leaders headed down pit road, where trouble with a lug nut cost Gordon the lead. Kevin Harvick won the race off pit road to take the top spot. Another quick caution slowed the race 10 laps later, and on the restart, several teams battled for the lead. Harvick lost the lead to Mike Skinner on lap 189, but Skinner was unable to hold off Jeff Gordon, and only held the lead for 3 laps.

Almost as soon as Gordon retook the top spot, the caution waved again for an accident behind him in the field. Gordon held the lead through the restart, but when the caution came out again just before the halfway point in the race, he, along with most of the field, headed to the pits. Sterling Marlin stayed on the track to take the lead. Another caution brought the field back together again, and on the restart, Marlin was unable to hold off Mark Martin, who took the lead on lap 262.

Christian Fittipaldi brought out the 11th caution of the race on lap 274, and Larry Foyt brought out the 12th just a few laps later. NASCAR threw the caution again on lap 300, this time for debris on the track. Mark Martin held the lead through all 3 cautions and restarts, but when another caution came out after only 2 green flag laps, Martin headed for the pits and Ryan Newman inherited the lead.

Sterling Marlin assumed the lead when Newman headed to the pits under the next caution, which flew when Bobby Labonte spun up the track on lap 339. Marlin held the lead through another short caution, but as the race went green, Kevin Harvick passed Marlin to take the top spot. Marlin held on to second for a few laps until a bump from the 3rd place car of Kurt Busch sent him spinning into the wall. On the restart, Busch flew past Harvick to take the lead. Marlin rejoined the race, several laps down, only to slow the race again when debris from his car brought out another caution.

Kurt Busch held on to the lead through two more cautions and the last hundred laps to take the checkered flag. He arrived in victory lane to a chorus of boos from fans upset over his incident with Jimmy Spencer at Michigan and his rough pass of Sterling Marlin in his bid for the lead.

Unofficial Results

1. Kurt Busch
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Jamie McMurray
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Jimmie Johnson
6. Ryan Newman
7. Dale Jarrett
8. Ricky Craven
9. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
10. Jeremy Mayfield

Unofficial Standings

1. Matt Kenseth
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. -351
3. Kevin Harvick -464
4. Jimmie Johnson -529
5. Jeff Gordon -532
6. Kurt Busch -602
7. Ryan Newman -621
8. Michael Waltrip -632
9. Bobby Labonte -685
10. Robby Gordon -757