Talladega Terrorizes Championship Contenders; Tony Stewart Snags First Win

It was a typically wild race at Talladega, full of crashes, including several “big ones.”  When the dust settled and the checkered flag flew, there still was not certainty as to who had won. 

Tony Stewart and Regan Smith were battling on the final lap when Stewart blocked and Smith went below the yellow line.  Both teams were celebrating and it took a NASCAR ruling to decide that Stewart did indeed secure the victory.

Sadly for rookie Regan Smith, NASCAR determined that he had advanced his position below the yellow line.  He was placed in the eighteenth finishing position and Tony Stewart was awarded the checkered flag.

But there was plenty of action prior to that last lap.  Tires were again an issue, as many drivers suffered blown tires. 

The worst was Denny Hamlin, who was leading at the time that his tire blew.  Hamlin hit hard into the wall and had the wind knocked out of him. 

Denny was taken out of his car on a stretcher.  Although awake and alert, he was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.  He is reportedly being treated for a foot injury.

Jeff Gordon also suffered from tire troubles, not his own but a blown tire by David Reutimann.  Gordon got collected in that wreck, hitting the wall hard himself. 

Although Gordon's team managed to get the car back on the track, he was only able to limp along, finally having to exit the race after leaking fluid on the track.

Jimmie Johnson had a very eventful afternoon.  His car lost the draft early and he suspected engine woes.  He also got caught up in several tussles, but managed to escape relatively unscathed. 

When the really “big one” came, Johnson threaded through the carnage.  As he sat on the track during the red flag, crew chief Knaus gently teased him, saying “Jimmie, we could win this thing, there’s only about five cars left in the race.”

Johnson responded, almost a little hysterically, “You don’t know how freaking lucky we are."  Johnson would finish the race in the ninth position.

When all was said and done, nine of the twelve Chase contenders had crashed or suffered some damage from the wrecks along the way, including Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Kyle Busch and of course Denny Hamlin. 

Only Chase contenders Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, Jimmie Johnson, and Jeff Burton remained in the race relatively unscathed. 

Jamie McMurray suffered the last of the blown tires at the end of the race, forcing a green, white checker finish.  With Tony Stewart in the lead, the game was on and the craziness continued.  Regan Smith gave it his all but dipped below that sacred yellow line. Stewart won his first ever race at Talladega Superspeedway.

The finishing top ten finishing order was:

1.       Tony Stewart

2.       Paul Menard

3.       David Ragan

4.       Jeff Burton

5.       Clint Bowyer

6.       Bobby Labonte

7.       Scott Riggs

8.       Robby Gordon

9.       Jimmie Johnson

10.     Elliott Sadler

A “shout out” should also be given to Bobby Labonte for his best season finish and for being inducted in the Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame.

The Chase standings are as follows after the Talladega race:

1.       Jimmie Johnson

2.       Carl Edwards

3.       Greg Biffle

4.       Jeff Burton

5.       Clint Bowyer

6.       Kevin Harvick

7.       Tony Stewart

8.       Jeff Gordon

9.       Matt Kenseth

10.     Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

11.     Kyle Busch

12.     Denny Hamlin

Photo Credit NASCAR.COM