Sunday’s Amp Energy 500 was not your typical Talladega race.

It began with a warning to drivers before the event from NASCAR president Mike Helton that bump-drafting through the turns at Talladega Superspeedway would not be tolerated.

The first couple of hours consisted of cars running around the track in single file.  Even the drivers were bored.  On lap 68, Kevin Harvick, in the lead position, jokingly asked for an iPod to sit in his drink holder.

When something exciting did happen, it was not what we wanted to see. On lap 183, Ryan Newman is involved in a scary crash, tumbling end over end, finally landing upside down. After a tense few minutes, his voice finally camer over the radio and NASCAR breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"I wish NASCAR would do something," Newman said. "It was a boring race for the fans. That's not something that anybody wants to see, at least I hope not. If they do, go home because you don't belong here.”

At the end of the race, Jamie McMurray ended an 86-race winless streak and emerged victorious.

He may have been one of the few drivers who was happy with the outcome of the race.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. expressed the frustrations of many drivers. No matter how much hard work and preparation they put into getting the cars ready to race, in the end, it’s a gamble.

"I feel lucky that I didn't wreck," Earnhardt Jr. said after his 11th-place finish. "When you come here, you just sit in the bus, wait for the damn race to start and see what your number is at the end of the deal. It's a lottery."

Sprint Cup points leader Jimmie Johnson spent most of the race in the back of the field. His conservative strategy was all about survival at Talladega and he never contended for the win.  Johnson’s only goal was to protect his points lead, and it worked out well for him as he unofficially ended up in sixth position.

His lead over second place increased to 184 points, leaving Johnson on his way to securing a fourth consecutive Sprint Cup Championship title.

What does it mean to win? The dictionary defines it as finishing first or succeeding. Johnson may not have won the race, but his success on the track is unquestionable.

The irony is that the next Sprint Cup Series Champion secured his championship by choosing not to race for a win at Talladega.