Tony Stewart, front left, leads a pack of cars through the tri-oval on the final lap of the NASCAR Sprint Cups Series' AMP Energy 500 auto race at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala., Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008. At right is Regan Smith (01) who passed the finish line first but was disqualified for passing below the yellow line. (AP Photo/Glenn Smith)

On the final lap Stewart was leading the pack as they headed towards the finish line. Second place driver Regan Smith dove below the yellow line and crossed the finish line ahead of Stewart. It took several minutes after the race for NASCAR to declare Stewart the winner saying that Smith had gone ‘out of bounds’ to advance his position, a violation of the rules. Smith was eventually scored in 18th place, the last car on the lead lap.

--(Cont'd From Front Page)-- The controversy stemmed from a call made during a Truck Series race in 2007. At the Daytona race in February, driver Johnny Benson went below the yellow line at the finish and gained a spot from second to third. When questioned the series director said that the rule applied during the race but that on the last lap heading to the checkered flag, ‘anything goes’.

Monday NASCAR issued a statement that insisted otherwise.

At (Sunday’s) Drivers Meeting, NASCAR reiterated the rule about passing under the yellow line and provided the same information to all drivers and crew chiefs in a hand out, as we've done in past Daytona and Talladega races. The verbatim language is:

"This is your warning: race above the yellow line. If, in NASCAR'S judgment, you go below the yellow line to improve your position, you will be black-flagged. If in NASCAR's judgment you force someone below the yellow line (in an effort to stop him from passing you), you may be black-flagged."

NASCAR president Mike Helton also defended their decision on Sunday.

"During the last lap of yesterday's race at Talladega Superspeedway the driver of the No. 01 violated NASCAR policy by driving under the yellow line to improve his position," said Helton. "In NASCAR's opinion he was not forced below the yellow line. NASCAR correctly took immediate action to enforce the policy by penalizing the No. 01 and scoring the No. 20 as the race winner."

As for the questionable statement made after the 2007 Truck race Helton tired to put any future controversy to rest.

"Since the end of the race there has been some confusion as to what is allowable during the last lap at Daytona and Talladega,” said Helton. “To be clear, as we go forward, there will be no passing under the yellow line at any time during NASCAR races at Daytona or Talladega, period. This includes any passing below the yellow line near the start/finish line on the final lap.”

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