Phoenix, AZ (Best E Casino) - Jeff Gordon captured the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at the Phoenix International Raceway to tie Dale Earnhardt's career Nextel Cup win total of 76 (sixth all-time). The No.24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet took the checkered flag 0.697 seconds ahead of Tony Stewart.

The victory was Gordon's first of the season and first-ever at Phoenix. He was also the first Nextel Cup driver to win at PIR from the pole.

"I love racing with Tony (Stewart), we race hard, but we race clean," said Gordon. "I drove my guts out."

Gordon brought the 43-car field to the green flag for the first of 312 laps around the Phoenix International Raceway. The drivers settled right in despite this being the first COT race on a track of any length (the first two COT races were on half-mile tracks).

Gordon and Denny Hamlin quickly built a three-second lead on Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson. Gordon led 28 laps until he began to "tighten in the middle of the turns" and Hamlin drove underneath him for the lead.

Also of note was Johnson having to go to the backup battery after just 40 laps. It could signify a problem for later in the race.

Following an early debris caution the first significant accident took place on the restart involving David Stremme, Scott Riggs, Casey Mears and David Ragan.

Jamie McMurray, who sat on the front row with Gordon, fell one lap down on lap 59 when a windshield tearoff got stuck on his grill and the engine started to overheat.

Meanwhile, up front 2006 Subway Fresh Fit 500 winner Kevin Harvick was joining Hamlin and Gordon. The No.25 RCR Chevrolet got around Gordon on lap 84 and took aim on Hamlin.

Another debris caution sent everyone down pit lane for fuel and new tires on lap 99. But it was a disaster for Hamlin who was caught speeding on pit road and sent to the back of the lead-lap cars (31st).

Harvick inherited the lead after the Hamlin error and he used the open track to extend his lead over Johnson and Gordon to 1.657 seconds after 120 laps. Meanwhile, Hamlin worked his way to 20th and 25 laps later was 15th.

At the mid-point of the 312-lap race Stewart led, although Harvick was pressuring him. Hamlin's pit crew got him a couple more places and he was up to 13th.

Stewart, who led 257 laps at Bristol in the first race with the COT, was looking very strong at this point. His lead was 0.903 seconds as the field passed the 200-lap mark.

More caution flags, but the top-10 remained stable with Stewart, Gordon, Johnson, Kenseth and Harvick leading the way. Hamlin was up to 11th, but finding it harder to complete passes. Hamlin finally cracked the top-10 on lap 223.

Gordon cut Stewart's lead to under half-a-second, but there was no urgency yet as all teams still had 75 laps and one more pit stop to make. Stewart maintained his margin and in fact opened it back up to over one second with 60 laps remaining. He expanded the lead to more than two seconds with 50 laps to go. Gordon cut that back to one second with 40 laps to go and it looked like the race might come down to pit crew effort on the final stop.

With no caution flags, green-flag pit stops began around lap 278. Gordon came in on lap 284 just as a caution flag came out when Dave Blaney was sent spinning and collected J.J. Yeley in the aftermath. The flag left Gordon in 16th place but still on the lead lap and Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman one lap down.

Gordon was the only car still on the lead lap that had changed his tires and filled his tank with fuel so when pit lane was opened the leaders pitted and Gordon was sitting pretty in first place.

"I almost drove through the pit, but Steve (Letarte) made the call...he's so cool under pressure," said Gordon.

Behind Gordon was Stewart, Kenseth, Johnson and probably the fastest car on the track Hamlin.

The race would restart with just 19 laps remaining. Hamlin passed Johnson for fourth, would there be enough time?

Gordon was holding off Stewart but couldn't pull away. Meanwhile Hamlin got side-by-side with Kenseth for third.

Stewart went deep into the corner on lap 299 and passed Gordon on the outside, but Gordon answered back on the next lap. The battle was allowing Kenseth and Hamlin to catch up to make it a four-car race.

With nine to go, Hamlin got under Kenseth for third place, but Gordon was pulling away and held half-a-second with eight laps to go. The No.24 Chevrolet cruised to the checkered flag and then took a "Victory Lap" with a No.3 flag to honor "The Intimidator."

"I was worried how people might take that (the victory lap with the No.3 flag), but we wanted to honor Dale...it was something I never dreamed I would do in my career."

Hamlin, Johnson and Kenseth completed the top-five.

"That was all I had, every single lap," said Hamlin. "We just came up a few laps short at the end."

Gordon (1,326) will leave PIR with a 74-point lead over Jeff Burton (1,252), who finished 13th. Kenseth is third with 1,166 points.

The next race in the series is scheduled for Sunday, April 29th at the Talladega Superspeedway.