DEI came up short at 'Dega but walked away victorious

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- They qualified well, they ran well and depending on who you ask, they finished well.

Dale Earnhardt Inc. posted one of its strongest showings in recent memory Sunday during the Amp Energy 500 in the midst of recent reports that the organization is on the decline after losing driver Paul Menard and retaining only one full-time sponsor for its intended four-car stable next season.

Last-lap letdown

Regan Smith crossed the finish line before Tony Stewart, but when all was said and done it was Stewart who was given the win at Talladega.

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"We needed a good run. We needed a good run for the company. It's been a long week for us and I'm just proud of everything everybody on the marketing side is doing -- Max Siegel, John Story, all those guys," Regan Smith said following his controversial finish at Talladega. "Everybody on the competition side, whether it is the engines, whether it is the cars, everybody at the DEI race shop are all doing an awesome job."

Smith thought he won the race when he passed Tony Stewart on the frontstretch and crossed the start/finish line before Stewart's No. 20 Toyota (watch video). NASCAR officials ruled the pass was illegal because Smith's No. 1 Chevrolet advanced a position below the yellow line and scored Smith in 18th place, the position at the end of the line of remaining lead-lap cars.

Drivers are not allowed to dip below the yellow line to advance their position, according to NASCAR rules.

"It might not say it in the rule or history book, but the No. 01 car won [Sunday]," Smith added.

The other DEI drivers felt they were victorious as well. They left the track with a renewed and much-needed sense of confidence.

Paul Menard, who announced his departure from DEI for Yates Racing next season, taking with him his Menards family sponsorship, finished a career-best second.

"It was a very cool day for DEI and I'm definitely looking forward to finishing out the year with these guys," Menard said.

Martin Truex Jr., driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet and only fully sponsored team next season, lead a lap and ran up front until collected early in a multiple-car crash caused by a blown tire from the No. 83 Red Bull Racing machine of Brian Vickers (watch video).

"Well, it is frustrating certainly. We had a great car. I just have to thank everybody at ECR [Earnhardt Childress Racing] for their engines, all the hard work back at the shop," Truex said. "We had a great racecar. Our cars are fast and that is what really matters. I am pretty happy with that."

Three of DEI's four cars led on the day, and had Smith's last-lap pass been legal, all four cars would have led at least one lap during the race.

Sunday's racing efforts were preceded by equally impressive qualifying efforts on Saturday. All four DEI cars qualified inside the top 10 -- Truex qualified 10th while Aric Almirola qualified third, Smith, fourth, and Menard, fifth.

And on the final restart of Sunday's race during a green-white-checkered finish, Smith, Menard and Almirola took off second, third and fourth, respectively.

Almirola was slow on the restart, shuffled out of the draft and finished 13th, however the rookie driver is still optimistic going forward. He led his first lap in Cup Series action Sunday on Lap 14.

"Let me tell you, we were much better than 13th," he said. "It's hard to swallow, because we had a really, really fast car [Sunday]. This was a great day for DEI and I just wish I could have been up there at the finish with my teammates Regan and Paul.

"I thought it was pretty cool that three DEI cars were running second, third and fourth for the final restart. I just had an awesome car and our finish should have been much better."

Smith agreed and thought the win belonged to him and his No. 01 team (watch video).

"I was pumping my fists like we won it, because I thought we did," Smith said. "I knew where I was going to make my move and I was always told that the rule is if you get forced down [below the yellow line], then you're the winner. They always say, 'well on the last lap it is NASCAR's discretion.' I guess that was NASCAR's discretion, but I felt like we got forced down there."