The Associated Press

TALLADEGA, Ala. - The EA Sports 500 was bumper-to-bumper from the ninth lap to the checkered flag Sunday, a mayhem-filled race that sent two drivers to the hospital and even saw a crew member get struck in pit row.

Larry Foyt and Elliott Sadler were both flown to University Hospital in Birmingham for precautionary measures after separate crashes. They were evaluated and released Sunday evening.

Sadler's wreck was the scariest of all, but he was OK. The polesitter moved from sixth to third on the 182nd lap, then made contact with Kurt Busch's car and flipped a half-dozen times down onto the grass at Talladega Superspeedway.

"He said he was alert through the whole ride," said Todd Parrott, Sadler's crew chief. "He said, 'It was a pretty wild ride, wasn't it?'

"He's upset because he had a car capable of winning the race, but the main thing is he's OK."

Another fright came when Jerry Nadeau struck Archie Kennedy of Jack Mann's racing team in one of several pit row mishaps. Kennedy was OK.

RIPPING THE RULES: NASCAR again tweaked the rules for the restrictor plate race, widening the plate opening a hair to increase horsepower and offsetting it with raised spoilers for better handling.

The verdict?

"I don't think the aero package is the right way to go," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. "I see a lot of bumping and carrying on. I've never run into so many people and been run into so many times."

LITTLE E CLOSE TO DEAL: Earnhardt Jr. said he's "real, real close" to finalizing a new contract to remain with Dale Earnhardt Inc., the team founded by his late father.

SPONSOR EXTENSION: Home Depot has extended its sponsorship of Joe Gibbs Racing through the 2009 season.

The home improvement company backs Tony Stewart's No. 20 car.