Worst case scenario for NASCAR at Talladega

To be frank, NASCAR needed a particular sequence of events to occur at Talladega in order to liven things up, generate more fan interest as the 2009 season draws to a conclusion.  Additionally, they needed a clean race, especially after the way the previous two restrictor plate races ended.  Basically, they needed an incident-free race with Mark Martin, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Jeff Gordon finishing 1-2-3, and for Jimmie Johnson to finish 43rd due to a blown engine. 

The exact opposite was the case. Martin, Gordon, and Montoya were swept up in the final 13-car accident, while Johnson, who spent the majority of the race 30th or worse, moseyed his way up to sixth without a scratch on his car, stretching his championship lead to 184 points with three races remaining. Moreover, the race featured two horrific accidents within the last five laps, as Ryan Newman and Mark Martin both went airborne in two separate accidents.