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How the race was won
Busch
Jimmie Johnson had taken the lead from Busch and had checked out on the field when David Gilliland's engine blew up, bringing out the caution. On the restart with only two laps to go, Busch mashed the gas, went to the high side and managed to get around Johnson for the lead and the win.
Stories of the race
Busch's pass of Johnson. When most drivers would have settled for second, Busch went for the win, providing fans with a reason to root for him.
Carl Edwards having another win slip through his hands. Edwards had arguably the best car on the track, but he broke the front splitter on his car, ending his chance at victory.
Where was Dale Jr.? For the first time this season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. wasn't a factor. He wound up 16th.
Give 'em credit
Tony Stewart announces he's leaving Joe Gibbs Racing, essentially putting him and his team in lame duck status. Did it hurt him? Nope, he finished fifth.
Both Red Bull Racing cars finished in the top 15. Brian Vickers wound up sixth, while A.J. Allmendinger finished 13th.
What were they thinking?
TNT: It's enough that the network has done its pre-race drive around for every race at Pocono, but Saturday night it decided to cut to commercial with only 15 laps to go, leaving viewers wondering what was happening in the most critical part of the race.
Back in the hunt
Johnson
So Jimmie Johnson wound up second, but he and Chad Knaus showed they have figured out the 1.5-mile tracks after absolutely putrid performances on the 1.5-milers earlier this season.
Hotter than hot
Who's Kyle Busch's biggest challenger right now? How about Matt Kenseth, who posted his ninth top-10 finish (he wound up seventh at Chicagoland) in the last 10 races and is now up to eighth in the standings.
Grading the race
I thought this would be the worst race of the season, but it wasn't terrible. That said, it wasn't great, either. There was good racing right behind the leader, but only a few on-track passes for the lead. What saved it was Kyle Busch's pass of Johnson for the win, which provided the best finish of the season since the Daytona 500. Grade: B
From the source
Kyle Busch: "Jimmie (Johnson) was going to bring us down slow. I remember this from short track days when somebody was in your mirror and you creep up on them. You stop and they'll go up on you. Well, I just went – I pushed Jimmie Johnson to go and was like, 'Let's go man, here we go.' "
Jimmie Johnson: "On that last restart, I should have given him (Kyle Busch) the inside. When I heard the spotter, I knew I was in trouble. For a two-lap shootout, the outside always wins."
