NASCAR Atlanta Update: Bobby Labonte Wrecks, Brings Out Another Caution

As Jeff Gordon pulled away to a 2.5-second lead over Denny Hamlin, green-flag pit stops began around lap 75 and were completed by lap 80.

Gordon’s lead shrunk by a full second after the pit stops (to 1.5 seconds), but the driver in the runner-up spot was different: Kyle Busch instead of Hamlin.

Hamlin had to reverse and back out of his stall to avoid the car in front of him following his pit stop, and it dropped him to fifth after the running order cycled back through.

Busch came out of the pit stops second, followed by Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth and Hamlin.

The bad news continued for Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans, though: Junior was lapped on lap 91, which certainly doesn’t help the No. 88’s Chase chances. With the way Earnhardt Jr. is running, he’ll have to wait until Richmond to find out his Chase fate.

The caution flag waved on lap 94, though, when Bobby Labonte spun for the second time. Labonte impacted the inside wall fairly significantly, and his day appeared to be over.

Earnhardt Jr. did not get the free pass – Regan Smith had just been lapped by race leader Gordon – so he remains one lap down.

Here’s how they came off pit road following the caution (lap 95 of 325):