NASCAR implemented rule changes just before the race during the Drivers' Meeting.  They announced that drive through penalties would be assessed if a driver was deemed to have bump drafted through a corner.  It was not going to be allowed.

It left fans like myself wondering immediately how seriously they would administer that rule and exactly how it would affect the race.  To be honest, the racing was exciting for only a handful of laps.

Mark Martin led from the drop of the green flag, but both he and Jimmie Johnson dropped back, hopefully out of harm's way.  The first caution took only 5 laps to fly, when a cut tire put both Start-n-park driver, Joe Nemechek and Paul Menard into the wall. It was the first of only a handful of cautions.

The restart saw Jeff Gordon jump to the front, along with Greg Biffle, and of course, Dale Earnhardt Jr.  Many of the other Chasers, however, dropped back and formed another pack of cars, all running together.  The strategy behind this was obviously, to stay out of trouble, and keep with the Cream of the Crop, hopefully to stay out of trouble.

The Talladega freight train carried on, leading the commentators to say they hoped the drivers would actually start to race sometime.  Kurt Busch slid through the infield after some agressive bump-drafting had damaged his rear quarter panel and cut a tire.  Many of the cars had been on their way down pit lane at the time, juggling the order.  coming to the completion of the first 100 laps, Kevin Harvick, Elliott Sadler and Dale Earnhardt Jr were up front.

All the drivers were being very careful not to bump draft in the corners, as NASCAR had mandated, however, with 80 or so laps to go, it was becoming more difficult to do.  The inside line, especially was having difficulties as as soon as one driver let off on the gas to create space between himself and the car in front, the cars behind would start to accordian.   NASCAR warned all the drivers once again of the new rule, but it seemed, at least to this viewer, as if the space between cars was not always the fault of the driver that appeared to be the culprit.  Denny Hamlin received an individual warning from NASCAR when he had been observed glued to Clint Bowyer's car through the corner.

With 60 laps to go, the cars were running three wide and seemed to have adjusted to the lack of bump drafting in the corner.  They had realised they could still help each other out, without ramming into the car in front of them, and the action had ramped up the heart rate.  Unfortunately, it also lead the commentators to mention "The Big One" and the fact that we hadn't seen one.....yet.

Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards were still hanging out in the back, in the mid 30's, along with Kasey Kahne, while Jeff Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya and Denny Hamlin were running in the front.  That is until Denny Hamlin blew up.  NASCAR kept the cars out on the track while Denny got through pit road, leading to speculation that some teams may try to make it to the end on fuel.  After initial pit stops, but before the green flag flew again, many cars came back down pit road to top up on fuel.  Brad Keselowski led them to the green flag, but Jeff Gordon quickly assumed the lead.

With 43 laps to go, David Reutimann got very loose and almost went into the wall.  Dale Jr made a quick move to the inside to avoid him and the Big One was averted.  In the meantime, Kasey Kahne who had trouble very early on in the race took the lead for his turn, only to relinquish it to his teammate, Elliott Sadler.

With 35 laps to go, the dicing up front had become even more intense.  In the meantime, Tony Stewart, teammate, Ryan Newman and Jimmie Johnson were all running right at the back.  One of the best superspeedway racers, Michael Waltrip, was also running in the back.  During practice, Jimmie and Michael had been able to move quickly through the field together, leading the commentators to note that the two would likely find each other when it came time to move forward. 

By 30 laps to go, the Talladega freight train had stretched out again, with Jamie McMurray in the lead.  There had been only 4 caution flags so far.  With 25 to go, the freight train continued, but radio chatter had drivers picking their dancing partners for the run to the Checkers.  Dale Jr and Mark Martin pulled down to the bottom with 22 to go, and a slew of drivers moved with them.  Jimmie Johnson also started to move forward, trying to find the cars he wanted to draft with.   Dale Jr quickly moved to the lead, but lost Mark with the moves he'd been forced to make.  Mark settled into 5th.  Jimmie was trying to move up, but by virtue of moving out of line, almost lost the draft.

With 20 to go, Dale Jr lead, but Jamie McMurray was able to get by him once again, and Jr got shuffled back to 9th, in closer quarters to his Hendrick teammates.  He picked up Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon and the three, along with the cars who fell in behind them, once again moved to the front.  Jamie McMurray, however, continued to lead, moving from top to bottom and back again, to pick up the fastest movers. 

Jimmie Johnson tried to make a move forward with 15 to go, picking up Greg Biffle who was also riding around in the back.  Dale Jr got impatient with Jamie McMurray blocking him and made a daring move to the bottom to get away from McMurray.  Unfortunately, the bottom wasn't the best place for Jr to run, and the move slowed him, allowing the top two lanes to gain the momentum to the lead.  AJ Allmendinger's car blew with 11 laps to go, but AJ kept it on the apron, and no caution flag flew.

Ten to go and the pack was crammed into two lanes, with David Stremme leading the top line, and McMurray leading the lower line.  Eight laps to go and the two lanes had become three, four and five wide.  Johnson had moved up to 25th, joining teammate Dale Jr, who had dropped back.

Jamie McMurray continued to lead with seven laps to go, and with six to go, Kurt Busch dropped down with a flat tire - no caution.  Five to go, it was McMurray and Kenseth, pushed by Jeff Gordon. 

With four to go, no one saw it coming, but suddenly, Ryan Newman was in the air.  Kevin Harvick was there when  Ryan came down, his rear hood on Kevin's front hood.  The accident seemed to have been started when Ryan and his teammate and team owner, Tony Stewart got together.  Smoke had gotten into the wall.  Kevin pulled up next to Ryan where his car came to rest, on his roof in the grass and remained there until he saw Ryan moving around, the pulled out of the way of the safety crews.

With three laps to go, NASCAR Red Flagged the race, stopping the cars on the track.  Ryan was okay, but upside down.  The wrecker was brought out to bring the car back to right side up before attempts to remove Ryan from the car were made.  It was done ever so gently, and after the roof was peeled back, Ryan climbed from his car under his own power.

Cleanup finished up, and Ryan Newman didn't hesitate to speak his mind about his views on the "racing" we'd seen today.  He said the racing was disappointing, with no below the yellow line, no bump drafting in the corners, no gentlemen's racing and NASCAR not allowing the drivers to treat each other with respect. 

The green flag flew with three to go, and Jamie McMurray again jumped out to the lead, but the caution and the yellow would fly with one to go, and the race finished under caution.  Way to go, NASCAR, what a wonderful way to finish up an entirely unexciting race.

Involved in the final crash were Mark Martin, who flipped and still drove away, Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, David Reutiman, Casey Mears, Martin Truex Jr.,

The top five of the race were McMurray, Kasey Kahne, Joey Logano, Greg Biffle, and Jeff Burton.  I have to extend a huge congratulations to Jamie McMurray because he did have a dominant car and had lead a ton of laps.  It is a great move for a driver who has no ride for 2010.  Jimmie Johnson finished in 6th, and maintained his lead, now at 187 points.  

Normally, this would be the end of the recap, and i'd sign off, saying "what a race" but right now I'm pretty pissed.  You see, I understand safety, I really do, and you won't find too many more people in favor of safety than me, but this "race" was ridiculous.  If you read my "preview" it wasn't really one, and I commented that there would be one happy guy, the winner, and 42 others for whom the race was a nightmare.  I stand by that statement.  I'm not sure what NASCAR needs to do, but what they are doing isn't making the racing better, or the wrecks safer.  The racing isn't racing and the wrecks are even more spectacular and dangerous.  Mark Martin got touched by Juan Pablo Montoya and flipped. NASCAR, you need to seriously rethink what you are presenting to the fans, seriously.