In the pre-race drivers meeting, drivers were warned that NASCAR would not tolerate excessive pushing or bump drafting in the corners. Throughout most of Sunday's AMP Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, most drivers seemed to be on their best behavior.

However, in the closing laps, the pressure was on, and two semi-big ones occured in the final 20 laps.

"I didn't see many people do it (bump draft) until the end of the race and then everybody just got aggressive," Joey Logano said after the race

Among those involved in the first of the two late-race multi-car incidents were Tony Stewart, Marcos Ambros, Kevin Harvick, and Ryan Newman. That particular crash ended with Newman's bouncing off Harvick's hood and landing on its roof. Chase contenders Stewart and Newman wound up with finishes of 35th and 36th as a result of the accident.

With just a hand full of laps remaining, Kurt Busch was turned in a crash that also involved David Reutimann, Mark Martin, and Jeff Gordon, among others. That accident saw Martin barrel roll. Chase drivers Gordon, Martin, and Busch wound up with finishes of 20th, 28th, and 30th.

After it was all said and done, Jamie McMurray took the checkered and yellow flags for his third-career Sprint Cup Series victory and his second restrictor plate win.

McMurray's win was the first for Ford since Matt Kenseth's victory at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., the second race of the season.

Kasey Kahne was the highest-finishing Chase contender, claiming the runner-up position after an engine change on Friday forced him to go to the back for the start of the race. Only two other Chasers posted top-10 finishes -- Greg Biffle fourth and Jimmie Johnson sixth.

"That is a good number," Johnson said of his sixth-place finish. His average finish in the Talladega fall race had previously been 24.8.

Joey Logano finished in the third spot, and Jeff Burton rounded out the top-five.

Finishing seventh through 10th were Michael Waltrip, Brad Keselowski, Elliott Sadler, and Bobby Labonte.

With his closest championship competitors, Martin and Johnson, falling victrim to the late-race contact, Johnson was able to build on his points lead. He now leads second-place Martin by 184 with three races remaining. Gordon, still in third, is 192 points back.