NASCAR, for all its faults (real and imagined), got it right. And for those who e-mailed before the dust had settled at Talladega, the knee-jerk reactions --generally something for which NASCAR gets raked across the coals -- were not becoming.

Couple things here:

“

To be clear, as we go forward, there will be no passing under the yellow line at any time during NASCAR races at Daytona or Talladega, period. This includes any passing below the yellow line near the start/finish line on the final lap.

”

-- MIKE HELTON

• Regan Smith chose to drive below the yellow line. The left side of his No. 01 -- not the entire car -- was out of bounds before the blocking maneuver was made by Tony Stewart.

• Stewart did not force Smith below the yellow line; he chose to stay there, ultimately wheeling his entire car out of bounds.

• Smith did have the opportunity to lift off the throttle, ride along side Stewart and keep his spot in second place (thus avoiding the penalty of being placed at the end of the lead lap).

In the end, NASCAR made the post-checkered flag judgment that Stewart won the race and Smith was relegated to 18th place (the last car on the lead lap). And NASCAR got it right.

Now before ripping off an e-mail and railing about Smith this, Stewart that, blah, blah, blah:

Regardless of the "get what you can get" mentality with the finish line in sight, Smith made a conscious decision to try to pass to the inside. It was a ballsy move, right there with Carl Edwards' banzai dash at Kansas.

However, this is the key factor in NASCAR's decision: Yes, Stewart blocked Smith -- but he already was below the yellow line and was in no way forced out of bounds. What Stewart did so well was keep Smith below the yellow, instead of leaving the door open for Smith to move up and in bounds.

Give both drivers credit for not losing focus, wreaking havoc and, possibly, wrecking the field coming to the stripe. Smith held his ground, drove for the flag. Stewart did likewise. And granted, on the last lap Smith had no intention of lifting off the throttle; it's not in a driver's DNA.

What makes NASCAR Nation so passionate is unmitigated opinions. However, don't lose the forest for the trees. Each driver hears the same pre-race speech:

This is your warning: race above the yellow line. If, in NASCAR's judgment, you go below the yellow line to improve your position, you will be black-flagged. If in NASCAR's judgment you force someone below the yellow line, in an effort to stop him from passing you, you may be black-flagged.

In the end, NASCAR president Mike Helton issued a statement on Monday that should settle the issue:

"During the last lap of [Sunday's] race at Talladega Superspeedway the driver of the No. 01 violated NASCAR policy by driving under the yellow line to improve his position. In NASCAR's opinion he was not forced below the yellow line. NASCAR correctly took immediate action to enforce the policy by penalizing the No. 01 [Smith] and scoring the No. 20 [Stewart] as the race winner.

"Since the end of the race there has been some confusion as to what is allowable during the last lap at Daytona and Talladega. To be clear, as we go forward, there will be no passing under the yellow line at any time during NASCAR races at Daytona or Talladega, period. This includes any passing below the yellow line near the start/finish line on the final lap."

Now let's all move on ... (Continued)