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After 450 miles of what resembled a Sunday drive, the action picked up and the outcome was what everyone has come to expect at Talladega: An unlikely winner, two spectacular crashes and an army of drivers frustrated about restrictor-plate racing.
“I think we all know that’s what’s going to happen when we come to Talladega,” said Jeff Gordon, who ran out of gas and then wrecked – all in a five-lap span.
Jamie McMurray was the surprise winner, snapping an 86-race winless streak by leading 32 late laps and holding on in a race that ended under caution with Enumclaw’s Kasey Kahne second. TheNewsTribune.com
Kasey Kahne overcame a start from the rear of the field because of an engine change to finish second. Rookie Joey Logano came home third.
“I saw the guys wreck behind me, and I didn’t know if you had to take the white [flag] in order [to win the race]—I wasn’t real sure what the rules were—and the 9 [Kahne] went to the outside because he saw the same issue, but I just moved up and kind of tried to block him,” said McMurray, who won the third Cup race of his career. “As soon as I crossed the start/finish line, I shut the engine off and pushed the clutch in and coasted around as far as I could.” NASCAR
FIN CAR DRIVER MAKE 1 26 Jamie McMurray Ford 2 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge 3 20 Joey Logano * Toyota 4 16 Greg Biffle Ford 5 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 6 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 7 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota 8 9 Brad Keselowski Chevrolet 9 19 Elliott Sadler Ford 10 171 Bobby Labonte Chevrolet 11 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 12 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 13 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 14 99 Carl Edwards Ford 15 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 16 43 Reed Sorenson Dodge 17 6 David Ragan Ford 18 36 Robert Richardson Jr. Toyota 19 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet 20 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 21 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 22 12 David Stremme Dodge 23 34 John Andretti Chevrolet 24 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 25 7 Casey Mears Chevrolet 26 0 David Reutimann Toyota 27 82 Scott Speed * Toyota 28 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet 29 113 Max Papis * Toyota 30 2 Kurt Busch Dodge 31 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet 32 7 Robby Gordon Toyota 33 44 A.J. Allmendinger Dodge 34 47 Marcos Ambrose Toyota 35 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 36 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 37 96 Erik Darnell Ford 38 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 39 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet 40 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge 41 66 Dave Blaney Toyota 42 98 Paul Menard Ford 43 187 Joe Nemechek Toyota
