TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) -Jamie McMurray was the unlikely winner of an uncharacteristically dull race at Talladega Superspeedway, where a ban on bump-drafting forced most drivers to coast until the end Sunday.
It almost cost three-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson dearly. He puttered around the back of the pack most of the afternoon and almost ran out of time to charge back through the field.
But when Ryan Newman's harrowing accident with five laps remaining caused a red-flag delay of nearly 13 minutes while Newman was cut out of his car, drivers ahead of Johnson began to run out of gas. He was credited with an eighth-place finish - enough to likely seal his NASCAR-record fourth consecutive championship.
Newman's accident set up a two-lap sprint to the finish, but the race still ended under caution because of another spectacular crash that sent Mark Martin flipping across the race track.
McMurray, stuck in an 86-race winless streak dating to Daytona in July 2007, coasted across the finish line for the third victory of his career.
Kasey Kahne was second, followed by rookie Joey Logano.
