​TALLADEGA, ALABAMA – OCTOBER 25: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 25, 2026 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) GettyNASCAR’s yellow-line rule has changed the outcome of four races, taking victories away from drivers who crossed the finish line first. The rule has sparked debate at Daytona and Talladega, where drivers often race in tight packs at high speeds.NASCAR uses the double yellow lines to mark the boundary between the racing surface and the apron. Drivers who gain an advantage below the lines or force another competitor beneath them risk a penalty.However, the rule’s application has drawn questions during close finishes, especially when drivers argue they had little room to avoid contact.According to Motorsport’s Nick DeGroot, four events stand out: three points-paying races across NASCAR’s national series and one exhibition race. Each case shows how a yellow-line ruling changed the official winner.NASCAR Yellow-Line Rule: Regan Smith Loses Talladega WinThe most well-known NASCAR yellow-line penalty came during the 2008 Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. Regan Smith challenged Tony Stewart on the final lap, moving to the inside in the tri-oval. Stewart squeezed the gap, and Smith went below the yellow line before crossing the finish line first.NASCAR ruled against Smith and awarded the victory to Stewart. Smith questioned the decision after the race.“I always got told that the rule is if you get forced down there, you’re the winner of the race. I had a nose inside of him, I could have piled up the whole field, and that would have been a cooler finish, I don’t know.”The ruling became one of NASCAR’s most debated uses of the yellow-line rule. It also raised questions about how officials should judge a driver who moves below the line while racing for the win.NASCAR Yellow-Line Penalty Changes Two More WinnersIn 2018, Justin Haley appeared to secure his first Xfinity Series victory at Daytona after making a late move beneath Elliott Sadler and Kyle Larson. NASCAR ruled that Haley had crossed below the yellow line and awarded the win to Larson.Haley questioned how officials applied the rule.“I just wish NASCAR could tell us how much of the car we can have below the yellow. There’s room for me to go up, so I don’t know why they’re calling me like that. Not how we wanted it to end.”A year later, Johnny Sauter lost a Truck Series victory at Talladega after a late blocking attempt against Riley Herbst. Both trucks ended up below the yellow line, but NASCAR penalized Sauter for forcing Herbst beneath the boundary. Spencer Boyd received the win.Sauter defended his move after the race.“It ain’t the first win NASCAR has taken from me. I went down to put a little block on him, but when I did, I got hooked sideways and that’s just plate racing. I didn’t bloc