Race leader Tony Stewart was not one of them, as he faked to the pits and then stayed out.
Lap 129 — RED FLAG: Cars are being stopped on pit road at 4:52 p.m. ET.
Lap 128 — Jimmie Johnson’s car is smoking heavily. He is 10th on the leaderboard.
Lap 127 — Pace-car driver Brett Bodine says that the track has not yet changed colors due to the rain, but adds that it’s getting close. There has never been a rain-shortened race here.
Lap 126 — A NASCAR official reports that the rain is beginning to pick up in intensity.
Lap 124 — Tony Stewart throws a wicked fake on Denny Hamlin, and at the very last second, veers back onto the track without committing to pit road. Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin pit. Kenseth’s team leaves a tire unsecured.
Lap 123 — YELLOW FLAG NO.1: There’s rain in Turn 3.
Lap 122 — This the longest stretch of green-flag racing in a Sprint Cup race at Auto Club Speedway.
Lap 120 — Rain is now being reported by one of the drivers in Turn 4.
Lap 118 — Although he’s right there, Denny Hamlin hasn’t been able to make a move on Tony Stewart for the race advantage.
Lap 117 — After serving the stop-and-go penalty, Jeff Gordon is shown in 18th place, one lap down.
Lap 116 — Denny Hamlin has caught Tony Stewart for the lead.
Lap 114 — Rain is being reported in Turn 3.
Lap 112 — Tony Stewart’s lead over Denny Hamlin stands about 9/10ths of a second.
Lap 109 — After the stops, the top five are Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jooooon-yer!
Lap 108 — Jeff Gordon drops onto pit lane. He will have to serve a stop-and-go penalty for dragging his fuel can — as well as the gasman — out of his pits.
Lap 107 — Jimmie Johnson pits, handing the lead over to Jeff Gordon.
Lap 106 — Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch give up first, second and third to pit. Jimmie Johnson assumes the lead.
Lap 104 — Carl Edwards and Paul Menard are on pit road.
Lap 103 — Matt Kenseth, Juan Montoya, Brad Keselowski, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ryan Newman are pitting. Keselowski will be penalized for speeding while entering pit road.
Lap 102 — Kevin Harvick and Greg Biffle roll into their stalls.
Lap 101 — Regan Smith, Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex Jr. are stopping.
Lap 100 — Halfway! Jeff Burton is on pit road.
Lap 98 — There are currently 18 cars on the lead lap.
Lap 97 — Denny Hamlin goes under Kyle Busch for second place between Turns 1 and 2.
Lap 95 — A.J. Allmendinger is pitting.
Lap 93 — Kyle Busch has made slight contact with the wall coming off Turn 2. He’s still up to speed.
Lap 90 — Ten laps to the halfway flags, at which point the race would be considered official, and rain is still said to be closing on the race track.
Lap 88 — Just three laps after taking the lead, Tony Stewart is already 2.4 seconds ahead of Kyle Busch. Check that car for rocket fuel!
Lap 85 — Tony Stewart captures the lead, but Kyle Busch tries a crossover move between Turns 3 and 4 that doesn’t quite work. Busch’s progress was checked as he tried to put a lap on Juan