Race Report.(Motorsports)(National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. came to Talladega with four wins in the past five Cup races there, but he didn't win this time. His DEI-prepared Chevrolet was clearly the fastest car for much of the day, seemingly leading at will, thrilling the partisan Alabama crowd. But after 188 laps of rubbing, bashing and fiendish bump-drafting unprecedented on the big 2.66-mile oval, a late caution flag handed Jeff Gordon the win... whereupon a good portion of the 160,000 fans cheerfully expressed their disagreement with the outcome by showering the track with beer cans and debris. Woo hoo! A good old time ...