Rookie Regan Smith must have got a little too excited on Sunday, October 5, in the Amp Energy 500 and accidently forgot about the rules when passing on the final lap.

According to Jim Hunter, NASCAR's vice president of corporate communications, "You cannot improve your position anytime you go below the yellow line. At the drivers' meeting, we clearly state that you cannot improve your position by going below the yellow line."

With only three laps left in the race Smith, in second, tried to fake leader Tony Stewart by acting like he was going to pass the #20 car on the outside. Tony, a two-time champion, didn't fall for it. Smith then quickly passed Stewart on the inside but drove over the yellow, out-of-bounds, line.

"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. "

Officials ruled Stewart did not force him out-of-bounds.

Even though it was evident Regan crossed the finish line first, officials ruled it illegal and Stewart, who started 34th, headed to victory lane instead. Regan was given a penalty for pass-through and was moved back to the 18th position.

This victory is not only Stewart's first win of the 2008 season but it is also his first win at Talladega in a NASCAR Sprint Cup car. Stewart has placed second at this track six times and almost finished second again. He has not won a race since Watkins Glen in 2007.

Talladega is one of the most interesting races to watch for reasons like, it is the fastest, the biggest and it makes marks in history. Talladega stuck to its guns and history was made, Sunday, when 31 lead changes set a new record.

You just never know what's going to happen at Talladega. Anything is possible. For example, in 2003 Dale Earnhardt Jr.started in the 43rd position but moved his way up and won the race. Jr. has won five times at this track, four of those wins came consecutively. In 2007 Jeff Gordon started in 34th and finished first. This year, only 18 cars got to finish the full 190 laps.

Jr. had the car to win this past Sunday but he was taken out by the big wreck with only 14 laps left to the finish.

The biggest wreck happened on lap 174 causing the ninth caution of the race. As the saying goes; "Save the best for last". Five of the Chase drivers were wiped out and the one to blame was Carl Edwards. Edwards was bump drafting teammate Greg Biffle, which is actually meant to help increase speed, when he accidently pushed a little too much on turn three.This then caused Biffle to spin out and eleven cars suffered; Edwards, Martin Truex Jr., Dale Earnhardt Jr., David Blaney, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Reed Sorenson, Michael Waltrip, Kyle Busch, Juan Montoya and Travis Kvapil.

"Carl didn't mean to do it, it wasn't his fault. He caused it, but he was just trying to help and he pushed me all the way down the back and did everything he could to help," Biffle said. "We knew we were probably going to wreck here, because we've been in so many wrecks before."

This Saturday, October 11, forty-three drivers will duke it out under the night lights at the 1.5mile track Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina for the Bank of America 500. The race will air on ABC at 7p.m.

Last years Sprint Cup winners at Charlotte were Jeff Gordon and Casey Mears. Gordon has not yet won a race for this year and neither has Mears. Kasey Kahne took his first victory of the 2008 season at this track.

We are four races deep into the Chase and it will only get more cut-throat from here. Will Gordon get his first win along with Mears or will Jr. bring back that great Chevy engine?
Talladega Superspeedway Poll Results
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). Elliot Sadler