Burton crossed the finish line .588 seconds ahead of Kevin Harvick. Clint Bowyer was third, followed by Greg Biffle and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

When Hamlin's fuel pickup burped in Turn 4 of the next-to-last lap, it set up a 1-2-3 finish for Richard Childress Racing teammates Burton, Harvick and Bowyer on the .533-mile concrete short track that was resurfaced before the August race last year.

The Childress drivers also benefited when Harvick took out the race's dominant car, Tony Stewart's No. 20 Toyota, on Lap 498 to set up the two-lap run to the finish. After a restart on Lap 496, Hamlin passed Stewart for the lead. A lap later, in Turn 1, Harvick nosed inside Stewart, slid up into the No. 20 and sent Stewart spinning into the Turn 2 wall.

Stewart had led 267 laps to that point but had to settle for a 14th-place finish. It was the third straight spring race at Bristol where Stewart led the most laps, yet failed to win.

"I thought I left him plenty of room," a crestfallen Stewart said. "I was far enough ahead of him that I didn't see where he hit me or when he hit me. But I'm sure, somehow, it's my fault."

Harvick said the mistake was his. "I just freakin' lost it," Harvick said on his radio after the accident.

"I got up on the inside and I just lost it," he added later. "I was trying to win the race. I made a mistake, and they can take it for what it's worth and go on."