Sadler sent on scary tumble near race's end

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- A frightening crash sent Elliott Sadler flipping five times into the grass on lap 182 of the EA SPORTS 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday.

	Sadler was alert and moving when his car came to a rest. Credit: AP

Sadler was running in the top 10 when he ran out of room in Turn 3, making contact with Kurt Busch before flipping end-over-end in his No. 38 Ford.

Miraculously, Sadler's car was not hit by the oncoming train of cars.

Sadler was alert throughout the entire crash, which brought out the red flag. He was transported to UAB-Birmingham Medical Center for observation. He was evaluated and released.

Robert Yates, Sadler's team owner, said no one and nothing -- including the new aero package -- was to blame for the incident.

"They were making some quick moves," Yates said. "It was still a good Talladega race.

"(Crew chief Parrott) Todd and Raymond (Fox) talked to him and they said he was fine. Never got knocked out or anything."

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"I talked to him, he's upset, but he's ok," Parrott said. "When he moved down, the 97 (Busch) got into the left rear, and he went airborne."

"With that scenario, I'm sure he was forced down that direction," Busch said. "We're just all on top of each other.

"Everybody was pretty safe and sane, and then you get under 10 to go and it just turns into a whole nightmare."

It was a bitter end for Sadler, who ran in the top 10 for 151 laps -- more than anyone else except Jeff Gordon -- after starting from the Bud Pole.

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He finished 30th and remained 20th in the Winston Cup standings.

The crash was another test for the recent yellow-flag rule, which prohibits drivers from racing back to the caution.

While controversial, the rule allowed emergency crews to reach the scene of Sadler's accident almost immediately.

Rusty Wallace, who experienced a similar end-over-end crash at Talladega 10 years ago, applauded the rule.

"When the caution comes out, we all stop," Wallace said. "I like that rule. You stop, and they get that emergency vehicle out there quick.

"I have never liked everyone screaming around the racetrack, and a guy's sitting there on fire."

NASCAR's tether system, which ties the tires, hood and rear decklid to the car, worked throughout the crash. TV replays showed the tether holding the rear decklid to the car during the crash.

NASCAR added a second tether to each tire following Ryan Newman's crash at Talladega in April.