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Kevin Harvick (29, far right) Breaks His Winless Streak With a Dramatic Pass of Jamie McMurray in the Final Metres at Talladega.

In a spring race noted for nearly 90 lead changes and breathtaking two-car draft breakaways, Kevin Harvick (29) proves that the beloved superspeedsway slingshot move still works at Talladega.

With nine laps remaining, the race shapes up as a potential dash between two Earnhardt-Ganassi teammates, Jamie McMurray (1) and Juan Pablo Montoya (42), yet a dustup between Jimmie Johnson (48) and teammate Jeff Gordon (24) down on the apron with four laps to go stacks up the midfield and prompts a wreck that collects instigator Mike Bliss (09), immediate victim Jeff Burton (31), Gordon, and Scott Speed (82). Gordon angrily afterwards blames Johnson for the melee as the competitive tension between the two Hendrick stars mounts.

The field sets up for a Green-White-Checker finish, yet as McMurray dashes to the white flag, another tussle triggered by Joey Logano’s (20) tipping of Ryan Newman (39) in the tri-oval leads to a massive shunt that collects Brad Keselowski (12), Elliot Sadler (19), Montoya, Bobby Labonte (71), Brian Vickers (83), Kasey Kahne (9), and Sam Hornish, Jr. (77).

During Green-White-Checker #2, a midpack scuffle caused when Johnson chops across the bow of Greg Biffle (16) on the backstretch leads to another caution when contact sends Johnson careening across the infield apron and hard into the barrier.

During the final permitted Green-White-Checker under NASCAR rules, McMurray and Kevin Harvick (29) swiftly hookup and form a two car draft breakway that easily clears the field. Left to settle matters, Harvick rides McMurray’s bumper through the white flag circuit. McMurray’s blocking skills seemingly win the day, yet on the Turn 4 exit into the tri-oval, Harvick gently kisses McMurray’s bumper to get him loose. McMurray wobbles and Harvick (29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) slingshots past the race leader to nose out a victory with only a few metres remaining to checkers. Harvick’s dramatic win breaks his 115 race winless streak, an unfathomable statistic given the quality of his cars and his driving skill.

The belated Nationwide race nightcap features a dramatic last lap race shunt that puts veteran racer Dennis Setzer into the catchfence:

Dennis Setzer Takes Flight on the Final Lap at NNS Talladega.

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Mark Martin (5) Takes A White Flag Toss-n-Tumble at Talladega.

NASCAR adds a strange twist to the fall Talladega event just moments before the start by prohibiting bump drafting in the turns, a complexion that leaves the drivers wary and prompts cautious, no-frills driving for the first fifty laps. The drivers finally starting dicing at about Lap 60 and a slew of drivers including Denny Hamlin (11), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (88), David Stremme (12), and Jamie McMurray (26 Roush Fenway Ford) take turns at leading the point.

Despite a wide host of drivers pushing their way to the lead in the closing laps, the ‘big wreck’ seemingly stays away, and McMurray, clearly sporting the strongest car, assert his dominance at the front with nineteen laps to go. The lead pack sets the table for a last dash to the flag, yet with five laps remaining, Marcos Ambrose (47), running in the midpack, gets pushed into the rear bumper of Ryan Newman (39).  The bump turns Newman hard left and his car soars airborne as the same skids down onto the apron. In a remarkable moment, Newman’s car flips nose-over-tail while in midair and crashes upside down upon the hood of Kevin Harvick (29), also involved in the melee. Newman skids up the banking, bounces off the wall, and then rolls back down the hill with a pair of flips along the way. With a crushed rollcage pinning him inside the wreckage, Newman must wait for track crews to cut away his roof before walking away in a snit over restrictor plate racing.

Race Control red flags the race before launching a Green-White-Checker finish, and McMurray seizes the lead. On the final lap to home, Brad Keselowski (09) turns Kurt Busch (2) left towards the apron. A mad scramble ensues before the collected car of Martin Truex, Jr. (1) breaks loose and left hard into the side of Chase contender Mark Martin (5).  Martin soars airborne upon contact and takes a rough tumble as McMurray dashes home for his first Cup victory  in over eighty starts.

Chase leader Jimmie Johnson (48) survives the afternoon by running in the back until the final laps before taking advantage of cars running out of fuel to promote up to sixth position before Martin’s final wreck.

Carl Edwards' Ford Fusion Sets a Vector for the Catchfence at Talledega.

Dashing around the 2.66 mile Talladega oval on its final circuit after a late race restart, Ryan Newman (39) and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (88) execute a nose-tail breakaway on the Turn 2 exit that seemingly lures observers into an apparent two-car shootout to the finish, yet Carl Edwards (99 Roush Fenway Ford) and Brad Keselowski (09 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet) form their own nose-tail train along the backstretch. Edwards and Keselowski, much to observers’ disbelief, creep up alongside and push past Newman and Earnhardt on the Turn 3 entry without even a flicker of a challenge from the latter pair (Earnhardt later admits to never even seeing the stealthy duo).  With all four cars fanning out for a final charge to the line, Keselowski dives left and low to slip past leader Edwards.  Edwards, watching Newman and Earnhardt, reacts late to Keselowski’s lunge, veers right to block, and instead gets turned in the left rear quarterpanel by Keselowski’s onrushing nose. In the most dramatic NASCAR moment since 2001 Daytona, universal physics generates the lift as Edwards’ 99 car first soars airborne and right, next pinwheels three times against the frontstretch catchfence, and then smashes back down on Earth moments before Newman plows into his disabled auto at full roar.  Young buck Keselowski dashes on for the dramatic restrictor plate victory, Edwards remarkable climbs from his wrecked ride and needlessly runs to the finish line in order to score, and NASCAR catches considerable heat from the media after several spectators suffer injury from flying debris that sprays off of Edwards’ car while up in the catchfence.