Brian Vickers does his burnout before NASCAR officially named him the winner. Credit: Autostock

Lap-by-Lap: 'Dega

Lap 188 -- CHECKERED FLAG: Brian Vickers is declared the winner after NASCAR reviewed the tape. It's the first career victory for Vickers as boos fall down on Victory Lane following the frantic finish.

Brian Vickers earned his first career victory in the UAW-Ford 500. Credit: Autostock

UAW-Ford 500 Unofficial Results Pos. Driver Make 1. Brian Vickers Chevy 2. Kasey Kahne Dodge 3. Kurt Busch Dodge 4. Matt Kenseth Ford 5. Martin Truex Jr. Chevy 6. Kevin Harvick Chevy 7. Jeff Green Chevy 8. Mark Martin Ford 9. Carl Edwards Ford 10. Bobby Labonte Dodge • Complete results, click here • Unofficial standings, click here Victory LaneBrian Vickers celebrates in Victory Lane at Talladega Top finishersBurton, Martin and Kahne talk about Sunday's race Frustrating finishJimmie Johnson talks about getting knocked out on the last lap UnluckyDale Jr. tries to figure out what went wrong on the final lap Final lapsBrian Vickers rolls to the checkers after some controversy Gordon goneJeff Gordon is upset after getting caught up in a multi-car wreck Big wreckThe Big One wrecks over 10 cars in Talladega Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

Lap 188 -- YELLOW FLAG: Jimmie Johnson pulls out to make a challenge for the lead and then crashes with leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the backstretch. Brian Vickers clipped Johnson's bumper, sending Johnson into Earnhardt. Vickers continues on through, as Johnson and Earnhardt slide into the grass with major damage.

Lap 186 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. continues to lead a single-file line with two to go.

Lap 183 -- The entire field is single-file behind Dale Earnhardt Jr., waiting to make a move.

Lap 179 -- In one lap, Jeff Burton's point lead went from 87 points to 16.

Lap 178 -- Jeff Burton pulls to the bottom of the track on the backstretch. He has a flat left-rear. He was running fifth. He will lose a lap, as he changes four tires. He left his stall once two tires were changed, but the team made him back up.

Lap 178 -- GREEN FLAG: Dale Earnhardt Jr. gets the race going again.
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Brian Vickers
4. Kasey Kahne
5. Jeff Burton

Lap 175 -- Bobby Labonte gets the free pass. None of the leaders hit pit road.

Lap 174 -- Denny Hamlin is on pit road. His steering is in bad shape, and the crew beats under the wheel well. Tony Stewart is on pit road with front and rear damage but drives away.

Lap 173 -- YELLOW FLAG: J.J. Yeley gets sideways coming off of Turn 2 and collects several cars. David Stremme ran into the back of Yeley, turning him into the wall. Paul Menard and Tony Stewart collect significant damage.
Cars involved
• Denny Hamlin
• Paul Menard
• Tony Stewart
• David Stremme
• J.J. Yeley

Lap 165 -- LEAD CHANGE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. moves low and gets around Kasey Kahne. He immediately moves back to the high line in front of Kahne, but Kahne goes low to battle again.

Lap 163 -- NASCAR has warned Dale Earnhardt Jr. on using his bumper for bump-drafting. "10-4. 10-4, NASCAR," Earnhardt said over his radio.

Lap 162 -- Seven Chase drivers are running inside the top 10.

Lap 159 -- Tony Stewart gets past Kasey Kahne, but Kahne gets back in front as Stewart gets caught out of the draft. Jeff Gordon's damaged car cannot meet minimum speed and is taken to the garage.

Lap 158 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kasey Kahne ducks to the bottom and leads the line past Jimmie Johnson.

Lap 155 -- LEAD CHANGE: Without drafting help, Jimmie Johnson and a host of others move by Paul Menard.

Lap 154 -- LEAD CHANGE: Paul Menard gets a huge push from Dale Earnhardt Jr. to take the lead from Jimmie Johnson. He's driving one of Earnhardt's old racecars.

Lap 153 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jimmie Johnson leads a train around Martin Truex Jr. to take the lead. Brian Vickers follows.

	Dale Earnhardt Jr. led the most laps, but a last-lap crash ruined his day. Credit: Autostock
	Chase for the Nextel Cup After Talladaga (4th of 10 races) Pos. +/- Driver Behind 1. -- Jeff Burton Leader 2. +2 Matt Kenseth -6 3. -- Mark Martin -10 4. +1 Kevin Harvick -33 5. -3 Denny Hamlin -51 6. +1 D. Earnhardt Jr. -106 7. -1 Jeff Gordon -147 8. -- Jimmie Johnson -156 9. +1 Kasey Kahne -185 10. -1 Kyle Busch -185 • Complete standings, click here

Lap 152 -- GREEN FLAG: Martin Truex Jr. leads the field to green. Jeff Gordon is back on the track and running 14 laps down in 38th.
1. Martin Truex Jr.
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Brian Vickers
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Paul Menard

Lap 151 -- Joe Nemechek gives up the lead to make a pit stop. Martin Truex Jr. is now the leader. Several cars hit pit road to top off with gas.

Lap 150 -- Joe Nemechek stays out to lead while most of the field heads to pit road:
• Matt Kenseth is packing it full of fuel to try to make it to the end
• Kasey Kahne is gambling to make it the rest of the way on fuel
• Kyle Busch makes contact with Mike Bliss on pit road

Lap 149 -- Dale Jarrett gets the free pass.

Lap 148 -- YELLOW FLAG: Reed Sorenson's Dodge goes up in smoke with an engine problem. He is done for the day.

Lap 148 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jimmie Johnson gets a nose in front of his teammate Brian Vickers.

Lap 147 -- LEAD CHANGE: Brian Vickers skips to the high side and leads a group past Matt Kenseth. Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch follow for an all-Hendrick top three.

Lap 145 -- GREEN FLAG: Matt Kenseth gets the field going again as most drivers topped off late in the caution.
1. Matt Kenseth
2. Mark Martin
3. Robby Gordon
4. Brian Vickers
5. Jimmie Johnson

Lap 139 -- Jeff Burton takes the lead during pit stops.

Lap 138 -- Jeff Gordon heads to the garage as others make pit stops:
• Matt Kenseth is in for fuel only
• Mark Martin is in for fuel
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson are in for fuel

Lap 137 -- YELLOW FLAG: Big crash in Turn 1 as Casey Mears gets sideways heading into the steep banking. Carl Edwards tags Mears and a group of cars get collected. Jeff Gordon gets collected, and Jamie McMurray spins down onto the grass. Kevin Harvick has damage on the left side and on the front but should be OK. Denny Hamlin's fender and wheels have some minor damage. Greg Biffle is done because of major damage.
Cars involved:
• Greg Biffle
• Carl Edwards
• Jeff Gordon
• Denny Hamlin
• Kevin Harvick
• Sterling Marlin
• Casey Mears
• Jamie McMurray
• Kyle Petty
• Martin Truex Jr.

Three-wide racing was common all day long. Credit: Autostock

Lap 135 -- LEAD CHANGE: Matt Kenseth goes low and takes the lead as Clint Bowyer drops all the way to 10th position.

Lap 134 -- GREEN FLAG: Clint Bowyer leads the field to green again. Dale Earnhardt Jr. restarts 31st.
1. Clint Bowyer
2. Matt Kenseth
3. Kurt Busch
4. Jeff Burton
5. Ryan Newman

Lap 133 -- Michael Waltrip hits pit road, giving the lead to Clint Bowyer. Tony Stewart is penalized for speeding on pit road. J.J. Yeley is also penalized for using an extra man over the wall.

Lap 132 -- Denny Hamlin hits pit road, giving the lead to Michael Waltrip.

Lap 131 -- Denny Hamlin stays out to lead, while Michael Waltrip stays out and runs second.

Lap 130 -- The leaders hit pit road for adjustments:
• Matt Kenseth gets right-side tires only
• Kurt Busch gets right-sides and stalls the car
• Kevin Harvick takes four tires with plans of a two-tire stop later
• Brian Vickers gets four tires
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. gets the free pass

Lap 129 -- YELLOW FLAG: Debris is on the track, as Matt Kenseth was fighting with Clint Bowyer for the lead.

Lap 127 -- LEAD CHANGE: Clint Bowyer moves around Matt Kenseth.

Lap 124 -- LEAD CHANGE: Matt Kenseth takes command as Jeff Gordon shuffles back to 27th position once he gets out of the draft.

Greg Biffle led laps, but he was often in the middle of the action. Credit: Autostock

Lap 123 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jeff Gordon gets the lead as the front cars go by lapped traffic.

Lap 121 -- LEAD CHANGE: Three-wide racing for the lead allows Dale Earnhardt Jr. to pass the leaders and hang on to the tail of the lead lap. Kyle Busch gets the front spot as they work past lapped traffic four-wide.

Lap 116 -- Ken Schrader has major nose damage. He smashed into the rear of J.J.Yeley when Dale Earnhardt Jr. dropped out of line on Lap 103.

Lap 115 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. loses a lap as the field swallows him up. He runs 36th.

Lap 114 -- After green-flag stops, Brian Vickers leads the field.
1. Brian Vickers
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Casey Mears
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Kyle Busch

Lap 110 -- LEAD CHANGE: Brian Vickers gets the lead back when Mark Martin and Paul Menard pit. Martin's car slips off the jack after the tires are changed, with a touch of cosmetic damage.

Lap 109 -- LEAD CHANGE: Mark Martin inherits the lead as Jamie McMurray heads to pit road. Greg Biffle flat-spotted his tires and is forced to get new ones.

Lap 108 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jamie McMurray inherits the lead when Brian Vickers heads a group to pit road. Kevin Harvick gets right-sides. Kurt Busch gets a wedge adjustment. Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin and Vickers get two tires.

Lap 107 -- Jeff Gordon, Casey Mears and David Stremme begin green-flag stops. Kasey Kahne is also in. Gordon gets two tires and fuel.

Jeff Gordon's day was ruined by The Big One. Credit: Autostock

Lap 103 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. is slow on the apron. He has a flat left-front tire and is driving slow to avoid cosmetic damage. He finally makes it to pit road just as the field blows by to put him a lap down. He claims there is debris on the track.

Lap 102 -- LEAD CHANGE: Brian Vickers gets past Jamie McMurray.

Lap 93 -- LEAD CHANGE: A three-wide race for the lead drops Dale Earnhardt Jr. back, while Jamie McMurray takes command. He's followed by Mike Wallace.

Lap 91 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jeff Gordon gets the high line going again and takes the lead. But Dale Earnhardt Jr. drops below him and moves around to get the point.

Lap 90 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch leads the bottom line to take the lead. He's followed by Penske teammates Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman. Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. lead the high line.

Lap 87 -- Mark Martin is complaining of a high water temperature of 240 degrees. Jeff Burton's car has the same problem. And leader Jeff Gordon has mentioned his water is running hot, too.

Lap 80 -- Elliott Sadler is slow and heads to pit road. He's got a flat right-rear tire, and the team changes all four. He loses a lap.

Lap 77 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jeff Gordon leads the bottom line to get around Greg Biffle. He moves back in line to make it single-file for the first three cars.

Lap 75 -- GREEN FLAG: Greg Biffle leads the field to green single-file.
1. Greg Biffle
2. Carl Edwards
3. Sterling Marlin
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Jeff Gordon

Lap 73 -- Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Sterling Marlin stay out, but the rest of the field hits pit road.
• Matt Kenseth gets fuel only
• Jeff Gordon gets fuel and is out quickly, dodging Casey Mears
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. takes left-side tires and fuel
• Jimmie Johnson catches up with the field -- he had lost the draft
• J.J. Yeley gets the free pass

Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt Jr. all led laps at Talladega. Credit: Autostock

Lap 72 -- YELLOW FLAG: Dave Blaney is on the apron with a shredded left-rear tire and hits pit road.

Lap 71 -- LEAD CHANGE: Matt Kenseth finally makes his stop with Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards. Kenseth is almost out of gas. Biffle gets out ahead of his teammates and holds the lead.

Lap 69 -- Jamie McMurray is on for left-side tires and fuel. He's out in 9.7 seconds with teammate Mark Martin and J.J. Yeley as partners.

Lap 66 -- Hendrick cars Brian Vickers and Jimmie Johnson pit. Both get four tires, but Johnson stalls his car.

Lap 65 -- Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon lead a third pack onto pit road. Gordon's team didn't get a tearoff completely off the windshield.

Lap 64 -- Kevin Harvick leads another pack onto pit road but loses about five seconds because of problems.

Lap 62 -- Casey Mears heads to pit road with teammates David Stremme and Reed Sorenson. Two tires for all three Ganassi cars. Mike Bliss leaves his pit box with the fuel can still in. It falls off on pit road.

Lap 61 -- LEAD CHANGE: Matt Kenseth takes the lead as Dale Earnhardt Jr. heads to pit road with Martin Truex Jr. Earnhardt takes two tires and fuel and is out in 8.0 seconds.

Lap 60 -- LEAD CHANGE: Elliott Sadler ducks onto pit road for fuel only, as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jamie McMurray battle for the lead. Earnhardt has it for now.

Lap 59 -- LEAD CHANGE: Elliott Sadler moves to the inside of Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the lead. Clint Bowyer is on pit road early -- he didn't get enough fuel the first stop.

Lap 52 -- LEAD CHANGE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. goes back to the front. Kurt Busch leads the bottom line, while Matt Kenseth follows Earnhardt.

Lap 51 -- LEAD CHANGE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. drops to the bottom to get around Matt Kenseth, but Kurt Busch threads the needle and takes the lead.

Lap 47 -- LEAD CHANGE: Matt Kenseth gets some help from Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jamie McMurray to blow by Kyle Busch for the lead.

Lap 45 -- Jimmie Johnson is running 36th. He had problems with his pit stop and now complains that he can't see out of his windshield. Clint Bowyer's car was dropping fluid, and it landed on Johnson's car.

Lap 41 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kyle Busch takes the inside line and the lead while Dale Earnhardt Jr. stays outside and drops back seven spots. Scott Riggs, because of his penalty, is moments from going a lap down. His seat is burning him.

Lap 38 -- LEAD CHANGE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. takes the outside line and puts his Chevy out front.

Lap 36 -- LEAD CHANGE: Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch get around Tony Stewart as the pack gets tighter. Busch then moves past Edwards to take the lead. His brother Kurt Busch follows in second.

Lap 35 -- LEAD CHANGE: Tony Stewart gets by Greg Biffle with a head of steam. Carl Edwards follows in second.

Lap 33 -- LEAD CHANGE: After pit stops, Greg Biffle is back out front with his fast stop. The field is spread out after their trips onto pit road.
1. Greg Biffle
2. Tony Stewart
3. Carl Edwards
4. Kyle Busch
5. Matt Kenseth

Lap 32 -- LEAD CHANGE: Greg Biffle dips onto pit road, giving the lead to Carl Edwards. Tony Stewart is also in.

Lap 31 -- Much of the rest of the field heads to pit road for their stops. Two tires is the popular way to go. Scott Riggs gets penalized -- too fast entering pit road.

Lap 30 -- Green-flag pit stops have begun with Jeff Burton (two tires). Half of the field follows his lead and gets just left-side tires.

Lap 28 -- LEAD CHANGE: Greg Biffle gets around Jamie McMurray. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who started 33rd, is now in the top five.

Lap 24 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jamie McMurray is back to the front. Kenny Wallace is on pit road. His car was smoking from a tire rub.

Lap 23 -- The top 24 cars are within a second of each other.

Lap 20 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jeff Gordon gets a push and the lead. His teammate Brian Vickers trails him, while Jamie McMurray and Greg Biffle fight alongside with the Roush power.

Lap 18 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jamie McMurray dives down below Jeff Gordon to take the lead back.

Lap 7 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jeff Gordon drafts his way to the front with the help of Brian Vickers. Jamie McMurray drops in behind Gordon in the bottom lane.

Lap 4 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jamie McMurray edges out front to head the freight train. David Gilliland has fallen out of the draft and back to 30th.

Lap 2 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jeff Gordon takes the lead on the outside as Dale Jarrett drops into the middle lane and falls back.

David Gilliland and Dale Jarrett got the race started from the front row. Credit: Autostock

Lap 1 -- Dale Jarrett gets the push and is out front to lead the first lap while everyone else is two- and three-wide.

2:41 p.m. -- GREEN FLAG: Teammates David Gilliland and Dale Jarrett unleash the field on Talladega Superspeedway for the UAW-Ford 500.

2:35 p.m. -- No cars are going to the back of the field.

2:32 p.m. -- Cars are rolling off pit road.

2:28 p.m. -- Gary Casteel of UAW gives the command: "Gentlemen, start your engines!"

2:21 p.m. -- The 151st Army Band performs the national anthem.

2:20 p.m. -- Invocation by Rev. Mike Jackson.

2:11 p.m. -- The "Wally's World" guest is Sterling Sharpe, NBC's analyst for Football Night in America. He's a Dale Jr. fan.

1:41 p.m. -- Juan Montoya is in the infield watching today, two days after he made his stock-car debut in the ARCA race at Talladega... and finished third. Yes, third.
• Montoya not intimidated by NASCAR culture
• Former F1 driver finishes third in ARCA race

1:27 p.m. -- Mark Martin talks about his decision to leave Roush Racing and join MB2 Motorsports part time next year. Jack Roush said he was totally surprised. Martin first career victory came 11 years ago today at Charlotte.

1:23 p.m. -- NASCAR says it decided to mandate a smaller restrictor plate for today's race for safety reasons, that the decrease of 3-4 mph can keep cars from flipping. Would Elliott Sadler agree?
• David Newton: Is safety really the concern?

1:13 p.m. -- The huge story today at Talladega ... take your pick:
• NASCAR changes the restrictor plates
• Junior needs to get back in control of the plate tracks
• A rookie starts from the pole in his first trip to 'Dega
• Gordon, Johnson smiling from second row

1:01 p.m. -- NBC is on the air. Today, as Bill Weber said, is the longest road to the title as the Cup drivers hit the 2.66-mile chaotic Talladega Superspeedway.