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Stewart gets controversial win at Talladega By Reid Spencer, Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service Posted:0835hrs 
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But a controversial finish left rookie Regan Smith shouting, “Stop the wedding!” --(Cont'd From Front Page)-- In a green-white-checkered-flag finish that took the race two laps beyond its scheduled distance of 188 laps, Stewart was declared the winner, even though Smith crossed the finish line first. With a quarter-mile to go and Stewart protecting the bottom of the track, Smith was forced to dip below the yellow line, which divides the speedway proper from the apron, to complete the final pass for the lead. In NASCAR’s view, Smith’s move was out of bounds, violating NASCAR’s rule against improving position by passing below the yellow line. Accordingly, Stewart was awarded the victory, and Smith was demoted to an 18th-place finish as the last car on the lead lap. --Commentary: Regan Smith was robbed Smith’s penalty elevated Dale Earnhardt Inc. teammate Paul Menard to the second position, a career-best for the driver who will leave DEI at the end of the season to join Yates Racing. David Ragan ran third, tying a career best, and Richard Childress Racing teammates Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Though Stewart snapped a 43-race winless streak and picked up his 33rd career victory, the big winner was points leader Jimmie Johnson, who dodged a succession of wrecks that unfolded in front of him and came home ninth in a car that wasn’t as competitive as he would have liked. With his closest pursuers wiped out in a Lap 174 wreck that clobbered six cars competing in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Johnson leaves Talladega with a 72-point lead over second-place Carl Edwards and a 77-point advantage over third-place Greg Biffle. When Smith crossed the yellow line, Stewart and crew chief Greg Zipadelli were convinced they had won the race. “I made a counter move when I saw him (Smith) coming and got him committed in one direction and got back down to the line in a hurry,” Stewart said. Stewart said further that he had no qualms about blocking Smith. “I’ve lost Daytona 500s, and I’ve lost races here because somebody blocked,” Stewart said. “The nice thing is that I was on the right end of it this time. I have no regrets.” Smith saw it differently. “They always tell us in the drivers’ meeting, if you get forced to the inside, you can go for it, especially on the last lap,” Smith said. “I saw the replay when I was pulling in here (to pit road), and I felt like we won that race. I could have caused a big pileup, and you don’t want to do that, either. “The moved worked out just how I wanted it to, so I don’t know what else I could have done different.” Several competitors, including Johnson, said they had heard that passes below the yellow line would be allowed within sight of the checkered flag. That notion originally stemmed from a ruling that allowed Johnny Benson to improve from third to second at the finish of the February 2007 Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona. NASCAR, however, had the final say, and the sanctioning body’s position was clear-cut, though it did appear to contradict statements made by NASCAR spokespersons in the aftermath of the Daytona truck race. “You cannot improve your position any time you go below the yellow line,” said NASCAR vice president of corporate communications Jim Hunter. “In our judgment, he (Smith) improved his position, and the penalty for that is a pass-through, so he was moved back to the tail end of the longest line, or 18th position. “At the drivers’ meeting, we clearly state that you cannot improve your position by going below the yellow line. We do not feel he was forced below the yellow line. We respect Regan’s view, but we made the call, we think it’s the right call and the finish is final.” Notes: Denny Hamlin sustained an ankle injury during hard contact with the outside wall in Turn 2 on Lap 99. He was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. Joe Gibbs Racing president J.D. Gibbs said after the accident, “It was quite a shot -- kind of hurt his ankle a little bit, but that should be OK. He’s got a little headache, so they’re just going to watch him. Probably take him into Birmingham (Ala.) just to keep an eye on him. He’s alert and doing well.” ... The race produced 28 different leaders, a NASCAR record for all tracks, not just Talladega.
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