Motorsports

• New rules fail to keep cars grounded
TALLADEGA ? Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway just wasn't NASCAR's day.

• Jackpot
TALLADEGA ? Before the race, Mark Martin described the AMP Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway as "the Lotto." And like the real lottery, when the cars stopped bouncing around like pingpong balls, the winning number on Sunday couldn't have been predicted by anybody.

• Talladega notebook: Late move by Johnson pays big dividends
TALLADEGA ? Jimmie Johnson said his strategy for the AMP Energy 500 "backfired."

• Busch treats himself to win in trucks race
TALLADEGA ? Last year at Talladega Superspeedway, Kyle Busch got the trick. On Halloween at NASCAR's biggest track, Busch got the treat.

• Friendship put on hold for now
TALLADEGA ? Jeff Gordon was instrumental in getting Jimmie Johnson a ride in the Sprint Cup Series. He's listed as the owner of the No. 48 Chevrolet that Johnson drives for Hendrick Motorsports, where they are teammates. Johnson has been not only Gordon's protg but his friend.

• Talladega notebook: If victorious, Edwards has a plan
TALLADEGA ? Carl Edwards already has a spot picked out for the trophy if he wins the AMP Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway today.

• Busch chasing elusive win at Talladega
TALLADEGA ? Depending on how you look at it, Kurt Busch is either very lucky or very unlucky at Talladega Superspeedway:

• Hornaday closing in on title
TALLADEGA ? The past two years at Talladega Superspeedway, Ron Hornaday Jr. grabbed the points lead in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

• Junior sticks with McGrew
TALLADEGA ? Lance McGrew will stick with "the hardest job in the garage," serving as the crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 88 Chevrolet at Hendrick Motorsports for the 2010 season.

• Martin feels 'lucky' at Talladega ... now
You might want to sit down before you read the next sentence: Mark Martin says he "feels lucky" about his chances in the AMP Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway Sunday.

• A late push?
Rick Crawford has had another great year ? off the racetrack.

• Sadler saddles up in Ford
Elliott Sadler will be back in a Ford at Talladega Superspeedway in the AMP Energy 500 on Sunday, switching his No. 19 Dodge as Richard Petty Motorsports prepares to shift to the Big Blue Oval next season.

• One last gasp: Talladega likely final shot for Chase contenders to close gap on three-time champion Johnson
When it comes to the Chase for the Sprint Cup, there are two kinds of drivers: Jimmie Johnson and everybody else.

• TALLADEGA NOTEBOOK: Hamlin hoping for help from his friends at Dega
It would be safe to say that Denny Hamlin has pushed more cars to the front with his No. 11 Toyota than any other driver during the past four Talladega races. But, back in ninth in the standings, what he'd really like in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AMP Energy 500 is to get pushed to the front, and he's hoping Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Kyle Busch and Joey Logano can do that.