LONG POND, Pa. — Joey Logano was the first leader to fade, his tank empty with three laps left. Martin Truex Jr. struck E with two laps to go.
Kyle Busch knew his Toyota was about out, too, his shot at a fourth straight win tapped out on the last lap.
One by one, fuel woes cost the contenders in the Sprint Cup Windows 10 400. But the pain at the pump for drivers pushing toward the finish line was the break Matt Kenseth needed to coast past them all in the final thrilling laps to win at Pocono Raceway.
The 400-mile race came down to fuel and which cars had it — and which ones didn't.
"I couldn't catch them anyway," Kenseth said, "but I just wanted to get as close as I could in case they ran out."
Kenseth's win continued a sensational summer run for Joe Gibbs Racing, making it five wins in the past six races for the team. Busch, who had the other victories, failed in his bid to become the ninth driver since 1972 and the first since Jimmie Johnson in 2007 to win four straight Cup races.
Busch had won three straight Cup races and four of five, swept the Xfinity and Cup races last weekend at Indianapolis and won the truck series event Saturday at Pocono. He remained outside the top 30 in points, which he needs to crack to qualify for the Chase for the Championship.
"I wish I had saved a little more," Busch said. "I wish I had known (Logano) was that far from making it. It's a shame we couldn't get it done."
With a win, Busch would have had the points needed to at least crack the top 30, though he'd have to stay there for the final five races before the 16-driver field is set for the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
"We got greedy," Busch said. "But that's the position we're in."
Truex was 19th, Logano 20th and Busch 21st.
"I was saving fuel just to cushion it," Logano said. "I thought I was going to be good, and then I started running out and knew we weren't going to make it. We were so close."
Brad Keselowski was second, followed by Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Greg Biffle.
Kenseth won for the second time this season and for the first time at Pocono. "I never thought I'd win at Pocono," he said.
Kenseth won the fuel gamble and survived a race that resembled a demolition derby: Cars, crews, walls, equipment, all took beatings over the 400 miles.
Kasey Kahne kicked things off when his No. 5 got loose, found the opening to pit road and slammed the inside pit road wall. The hit buckled the wall and sent helmets flying and crew members scurrying for safety.
Keselowski slid through his pit stall and took out three members of his crew. Kevin Harvick's No. 4 suffered engine failure 20 laps in. Ricky Stenhouse's No. 17 was a crumpled mess after he slammed into Sam Hornish Jr. Kurt Busch spun, tried to save his car and was plowed into by Hornish. Trevor Bayne was knocked out of the race when a pipe went through his radiator. There were seven cautions in the first 70 laps.