Auto Racing

TALLADEGA — Drivers have long utilized NASCAR's version of Muhammad Ali's rope-a-dope strategy to success at the 2.66 mile Talladega Superspeedway.

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Slideshow: AMP Energy 500 View photos from the AMP Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

The advent of improved cars and their accompanying technology, coupled with skillful drafting and even more skillful bump-drafting, have made front-running a thing of the past.

Instead, some choose to hang back in the middle of the pack and conceal the true capabilities of their cars to the rest of their competitors, knowing it's likely they'll be able to make up as much ground as need be in the race's final 20 laps.

The technique is quite similar to the manner in which "The Greatest" defeated George Forman in the bout known as the "Rumble in the Jungle" more than 30 years ago. Ali camped out on the ropes and covered himself up in the early rounds while Big George wailed away and wore himself out. Ali, sensing that he had lulled his opponent to a proverbial sleep, TKO'ed him in the eighth round.

Sunday, in a race that included a NASCAR-record 28 different leaders, virtually none of the 43 participants were trying to show their hands too soon, especially considering a rumored "anything goes rule" that rookie driver Regan Smith may or may not have known was legal before the green flag dropped.

Drivers might have thought they had a trick under their sleeves they might be able to pull out in the final lap. Depending on whom you ask, some drivers were under the impression that a heard-but-not-spoken rule was in full effect. That rule deems it permissible, in the final lap, to pass below the yellow line as long as you can see the checkered flag.

That chicken came home to roost when Smith, seeking to make a run on eventual winner Tony Stewart, took inside position and crossed the yellow line on his way across the finish line to what would have been his first career victory.

But officials quickly ruled the pass illegal, announcing Stewart the winner. Smith was penalized and wound up finishing 18th, much to the rookie's chagrin.

"I had a nose inside and my only alternative was to wreck him so next time that's what I'll do (laughs)," Smith said. "And that's not a knock against Tony. I like Tony a lot. He's a great guy, but I wanted to win…"

Smith described his understanding of the ruling.

"The rule is that, Number 1, on the last lap, anything goes," Smith said. "They always tell us that in the driver's meeting. They always say, 'Well on the last lap it's NASCAR's discretion. I guess that was NASCAR's discretion, but I felt like I was forced down there."

Jimmie Johnson said drivers understood below-the-line passing would be OK in the final lap as long as you could see the flag man. But no team brought the issue to NASCAR officials with the hope of having an advantage.

"That all started this morning (and) like wildfire, it went through the garage area," Johnson said. "Everybody was kind of worrying about it, keeping it in their back pocket. That's why the question was never brought up in the driver's meeting. I promise you, the next driver's meeting we have for restrictor plate racing, it will be."

Nonetheless, Smith, who said he disagreed with the ruling "110 percent" even after viewing the tape, was pleased with his team's showing.

"I think the ruling still doesn't take away from the run that we had," he said. "You know personally, for me, definitely needed it (the win). It's been a rough year."