Associated Press

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88), Matt Kenseth (17) and Greg Biffle (16) crash during the AMP Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Sometimes the winner doesn't finish first.

Such was the case Sunday at the end of a chaotic and breathtaking Talladega race that will be remembered as much for what didn't happen as what did.

Before Regan Smith and Tony Stewart dueled -- and NASCAR ruled for Stewart -- nine of the 12 title contenders crashed, Denny Hamlin spent the night in a hospital and Jimmie Johnson moved closer to a third series title.

Yet, it is the finish and what would have been the race's 65th lead change that will be debated and dissected.

Smith crossed the finish line first, but NASCAR declared Stewart the winner. Series officials stated that Smith illegally passed Stewart by going below the yellow line -- NASCAR's version of out of bounds. So, it was Stewart who celebrated the end of his career-long 43-race winless streak, while Smith angrily debated NASCAR's decision that dropped him to 18th, the last car on the lead lap.

The controversy began about 1,000 yards from the finish. Smith, running second, moved high to take the lead. Stewart blocked. Smith darted low. Stewart blocked again.

"I just had to protect my line,'' Stewart said.

Smith moved lower and crossed underneath the yellow line separating the track from the apron as he pulled alongside Stewart.

Drivers were warned before the race that they can't go below the yellow line to pass or they will be penalized. Drivers also are told they can't force a competitor down there to keep them from passing.

Smith continued under the yellow line as they raced through the tri-oval. He passed Stewart and beat him by half a car length.

Smith's pit crew danced and hugged. Smith raised his fist out the window. Teammate Paul Menard, who finished second in the revised standings, tapped the side of Smith's car, congratulating him.

Seconds later, NASCAR called Stewart the winner.

Series officials said Smith needlessly passed below the yellow line.

"We do not feel he was forced below the yellow line,'' NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said.

Smith, anger and tears in his eyes, said NASCAR was wrong.

"I totally disagree with them 110 percent,'' said Smith, a rookie, who has never finished better than 14th in 35 career Cup races. "I clearly moved to the outside, moved back to the inside. My nose was in there. The only other option I had was to wreck him. They told me, 'Oh, you could have gotten out of the gas.' They probably would have liked that because it would have made it easier on them.

"I think as the week goes on, everybody that's asked will probably say it's a bad call.''

Smith admitted he nearly asked series officials in the pre-race drivers meeting about a last-lap move under the yellow line, but "I'm not enough of a veteran to ask questions in the meeting.''

Smith and even Johnson, the two-time defending champion, said after the race they thought that the rules were not as tight coming to the finish line. A NASCAR spokesman stated publicly after a controversial truck race finish at Daytona in February 2007 that such was the case.

Hunter, speaking for NASCAR on Sunday, said that was not true.

"From what the officials tell me, it was pretty black and white,'' Hunter said of the decision. "You can't advance your position. It doesn't matter how you get there. It's a no-no.''

While Stewart celebrated, his teammate Hamlin was in a hospital. J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing, said that Hamlin should be fine after suffering a possible ankle injury and a headache after his tire blew and sent him into the wall as he led.

Carl Edwards triggered a 12-car crash when he spun teammate Greg Biffle bump-drafting him. Biffle crashed into teammate Matt Kenseth and fellow title contenders Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch were collected.

Johnson suffered slight damage in one incident but remarkably avoided spinning cars amid smoke, dirt and sun glare in two other melees to finish ninth and extend his points lead on Edwards by 62 points to 72 points.

The only other driver more excited than Johnson afterward was Stewart, who had never won a Cup race at Talladega before Sunday.

"I've lost Daytona 500s, I've lost races here at Talladega because somebody blocked,'' Stewart said. "That's the name of the game. Today's race wasn't any different than the last 19 races I've run here. There's always been people blocking. The nice thing is I was actually on the right end of it this time. Trust me, I've got no regrets about what I did. I did exactly what I needed to do to win the race, and it worked out.''