Talladega, Ala. ? About the only thing that went right for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Sunday was winning the Aaron’s 499.

Crew chief Tony Eury Sr. had to beat on the doors of a couple of his crewmen who overslept their 5 a.m. wake-up call after forgetting to reset their clocks.

When the crew of the No. 8 Chevrolet warmed up the engine after arriving at Talladega Superspeedway, the oil cooler filled up with water, requiring an engine change and forcing Earnhardt to start from the rear of the 43-car field.

Four laps into the 188-lap event, Earnhardt drove through the infield grass to avoid a wild 27-car crash. The bumpy ride tore up his front air dam, messing up the car’s aerodynamics and forcing a series of pit stops for repairs.

Earnhardt charged back to become the first driver to win four straight Winston Cup events on the 2.66-mile Talladega oval, but afterward he spent more time explaining a disputed pass than talking about his eighth career victory.

“Today was real tough,” Earnhardt said, shaking his head and grinning. “I didn’t feel like I had a very competitive car. But at the end of the day, we were able to make the moves we needed to make.”

Earnhardt fought his way into the lead twice in the last four laps, once with a pass below the yellow line on the track apron. The move had rival teams lined up at the NASCAR hauler after the race to complain.

Driving below the yellow line to improve position is prohibited at Talladega, and NASCAR warned the drivers before Sunday’s race that officials would be watching closely for such moves. But, after reviewing videotape of the pass, NASCAR ruled it a legal move.