Talladega, AL (My Sportsbook) - Jeff Gordon survived a green-white-checker finish to capture the Aaron's 499 Nextel Cup race at the Talladega Superspeedway. The No.24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driver crossed the finish line 0.193 seconds ahead of runner-up Tony Stewart.

The victory was Gordon's third of the season and 72nd of his Cup career. Gordon led a race-high 139 of 193 laps and has won both restrictor-plate races in 2005. In fact he has won four of the last five "plate" races dating back to 2004.

"What an incredible race car," said Gordon. "The Chevrolet was just amazing today...I could just drive by guys. I don't know if I've ever had a race car like that. My hat is off to the team and to Hendrick Motorsports."

As is typical at Talladega, the race lead changed hands early. Pole winner Kevin Harvick gave up the lead to Gordon on the first lap. Harvick was having overheating problems and by lap 11 had to get out of the draft. He dropped back to the back of the 43-car field and waited it out until the first pit stop so that the team could remove some tape from the front grill.

That came on lap 21 when Kyle Petty's right-front tire blew. Also helped by the caution was Dale Jarrett, who was having communication problems with his spotter and team. If there is one track that you need your spotter - its Talladega.

On lap 28, Stewart and Matt Kenseth got together on the outside and challenged the defending Aaron's 499 champion. Gordon and Stewart raced side-by-side for a couple of laps before Gordon prevailed as his inside line was working well. It also helped that he had Hendrick Motorsports power in the three cars right behind him (Scott Riggs, Jimmie Johnson, Brian Vickers).

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip, who started 36th and 38th, respectively had also "hooked up" and moved into the top-10.

But Stewart didn't give up and just before Jeff Green spun out on lap 38, the No.20 Home Depot Chevrolet took the lead for the first time. Gordon also didn't fade and retook the lead one lap later. Of the first 50 laps, Gordon led 48 of them.

Harvick came all the way back from his early race overheating problem to lead lap 69 with a move on the high side past Gordon.

Through the next 40 laps, the lead changed hands between Harvick, Gordon and of course Earnhardt Jr. What would a race at Talladega be with an Earnhardt involved. An Earnhardt has won eight of the last 12 races at the Alabama superspeedway (Dale Sr. - 3, "Junior" - 5).

Still, Gordon was the dominant force on the afternoon, leading 76 of the first 100 laps.

The next laps were just a jumble of three-wide racing with positions changing on every turn. Elliott Sadler led some laps as did Mark Martin. But Gordon was obviously the man to beat. His No.24 Chevrolet ran well low or high.

Then the "Big One" happened on lap 132. At least 25 cars were involved including Sterling Marlin, Bobby Labonte, Casey Mears, Brian Vickers, Mark Martin, Joe Nemechek, Mike Wallace, Rusty Wallace , Ricky Rudd, Jason Leffler, Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth, Scott Riggs and Kasey Kahne.

It seemed to start when Mike Wallace took a bump from behind by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and slid into Jimmie Johnson in turn one. It turned Wallace sideways completely blocking the track. The rest of the cars just piled into the logjam in a cloud of smoke.

"I had no idea what happened, I just saw a big cloud of smoke," said Vickers.

That tune that was sung by most of those caught up in the pileup.

The red flag came out as NASCAR struggled to clean up the huge mass of crumpled sheetmetal and repair a portion of the SAFER barrier.

After 43 minutes, the race was restarted, but nothing changed. Gordon still led and the rest of the drivers, those that were still in one piece, still raced three wide.

The racing continued at its frenetic pace until the next crash with just two laps to go. It collected Harvick, Earnhardt Jr., Johnson, Biffle and Truex Jr. Waltrip may have caused this one when he lifted to avoid a problem with McMurray and faded back into a pack of cars headed by Harvick's No.29 Chevrolet.

That left the remaining drivers with the prospect of a green-white-checker finish to get past Gordon.

On the restart Gordon and Jamie McMurray jumped out to a little lead, but not for long. Stewart with Waltrip on his rear bumper made a charge at the leaders on the low side. They got past McMurray and to Gordon's rear bumper, but no further.

Gordon kept his Chevrolet in front of the pair and held the bottom line all the way to the checkered flag.

"Michael (Waltrip) pushed us all the way down the backstretch on the white flag and I still couldn't catch the No.24," said Stewart. "Jeff did an awesome job today."

"I definitely didn't want that restart, said Gordon.

Waltrip, Jeremy Mayfield and McMurray completed the top-five.

Gordon's third win of the season moved the four-time Nextel Cup champion into third place overall, just 151 points behind teammate Johnson, who finished 20th. Kurt Busch remained second overall, behind his seventh-place result, 130 points behind Johnson.

The next race in the series is scheduled for Saturday night May 7th at the Darlington Raceway.