That's the Rule - Get over it...
Stewart gets a pass - NASCAR - Yahoo! Sports
TALLADEGA, Ala. – Records are meant to be broken, not rules.
But somewhere along the way, Regan Smith got those two things radically confused in Sunday's Amp Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
The rule that Smith seemed to have a problem with in Sunday's race can't be more crystal clear: no passing under the yellow line to advance your position at Talladega. And there's no arguing that Smith did just that on the final lap of the race.
So even though he, not Tony Stewart, crossed the finish line first, NASCAR was correct in declaring Stewart the winner.
Smith can whine and complain, like he did, that Stewart blocked him, more or less "forcing" him below the yellow line, but that's also within the rules. Stewart was simply blocking Smith to maintain his own position and prevent Smith from getting around him.
"Damn right I did," said Stewart, who ended his 43-race winless streak. "I've lost Daytona 500s and have lost races here at Talladega because somebody blocked. That's just the name of the game."
In a race filled with accidents that damaged the championship chances of a number of Chase drivers, including top challengers Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle, it ultimately came down to Stewart, the seasoned veteran looking for his first victory of the year, versus Regan Smith, the 25-year-old looking for his first career Cup victory.
As the two took the white flag signaling the final lap, Stewart held the lead, with Smith glued to his back bumper.