Tags : Jamie McMurray, talladega
Jamie McMurray Wins Cup Race At Talladega
Talladega, AL (AHN) – Cars ended up upside-down in separate incidences, but Jamie McMurray stayed out front and avoided the carnage to win Sunday’s Amp Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
Due to an upside-down incident involving Ryan Newman with five laps to go, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series saw its fifth green-white-checker finish of the season and it was McMurray who was out front when the caution flew as the field took the white flag.
“I saw the guys wreck behind me and I didn’t know if you had to take the white (flag) and wasn’t sure what the rules were,” said McMurray, who led 31 laps. “It’s been a long time since I won. I appreciate this as much as anybody. I just can’t believe it’s here again.”
McMurray, who is still looking for a ride for next season, won for the first time in 85 races in the No. 26 Ford of Roush Fenway Racing, which will be parked next season as the team pairs down to the NASCAR-mandated four cars.
Kasey Kahne rallied from an off day to a runner-up finish, while Joey Logano ran third and was followed by Greg Biffle and Jeff Burton.
The top-10 was rounded out by Michael Waltrip, Elliott Sadler, Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
“We made it. I was really concerned during the red flag after Newman’s crash. I was like what am I going to do to get to the front?” said Johnson, who owns a 187-point lead in the standings. “Then cars started running out of gas. I didn’t expect that. I thought we were No. 20 at best.”
Chase contender Mark Martin was flipped upside down in the final wreck of the day that was triggered by Keselowski.
Martin was clearly disgusted with the turnabout of events. After running near the front most of the day he was relegated to a 29th-place finish.
“I hope the fans enjoyed the show. I didn’t see much from where I was at,” said Martin. “Congratulations to Jamie McMurray.”
Chase contender Tony Stewart sustained damage to the right-front and in the rear five laps earlier in the wreck that collected both him and teammate Newman.
In a race that saw 63 lead changes among 27 different leaders, Newman’s No. 39 Chevrolet skirted to the inside and was caught by the No. 29 of Kevin Harvick before flying upside down, sliding on its roof and flipping in the infield with five laps to go.
Newman’s ride came to rest on its roof and the Indiana native sat in the car for a several minutes before safety works flipped his car back over and extracted him from the wreckage.
Newman walked from his car without a limp to the ambulance and was treated and released from the infield care center without injury.
“Sore. I’m just really disappointed. I wish NASCAR did something. It was a boring race for the fans,” said Newman. “That’s not anything anybody wants to see. It’s no fun. There’s no good part of it. It’s not a good race for the fans.”
Newma was uninjured in a wreck that was much scary than it turned out to be. It was the second time in as many NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega that a car went airborne here after Carl Edwards’ No. 99 Ford flew into the catch-fence here earlier this year.
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