Mark Martin won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the first time and kept his points lead in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship intact after taking Sunday’s Sylvania 300.
Martin, the oldest driver in the Chase at age 50 and the number-one seed, capitalized on pit strategies and then held off the field in three late-race restarts for his Sprint Cup Series leading fifth victory of the season. MiamiHerald.com
Martin’s victory produced a couple of milestones: His 40th career win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series and first in 26 tries at this track. It added to what’s quickly become his best and most magical season; a series-best fifth win that padded his lead in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship, something he’s never won. Yesterday was the first of 10 playoff races to determine the champion.
The enormity of the accomplishment made Martin’s head spin.
“Pinch me, I’m sure I’m dreaming,’’ Martin said. “This is my hardest place, it’s such a frustrating racetrack. [Crew chief] Alan [Gustafson] won that race. He took a driver that can’t drive Loudon, and put a set-up in it that we could run. I said if we could stumble around and get in the front, then I might be able to stay with it.’’ Boston Herald
With the victory, his first in 26 starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Martin increased his lead in the Cup standings to 35 points over three-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson, who ran fourth at the Magic Mile in the first race of the Chase, and Denny Hamlin, who finished second. NASCAR
FIN CAR DRIVER MAKE 1 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet 2 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 3 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet 4 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 5 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 6 2 Kurt Busch Dodge 7 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 8 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge 9 16 Greg Biffle Ford 10 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 11 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 12 0 David Reutimann Toyota 13 7 Casey Mears Chevrolet 14 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 15 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 16 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 17 99 Carl Edwards Ford 18 26 Jamie McMurray Ford 19 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet 20 47 Marcos Ambrose Toyota 21 20 Joey Logano * Toyota 22 171 Bobby Labonte Chevrolet 23 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 24 7 Robby Gordon Toyota 25 44 A.J. Allmendinger Dodge 26 34 John Andretti Chevrolet 27 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota 28 12 David Stremme Dodge 29 9 Aric Almirola Dodge 30 96 Erik Darnell Ford 31 82 Scott Speed * Toyota 32 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 33 6 David Ragan Ford 34 98 Paul Menard Ford 35 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 36 43 Reed Sorenson Dodge 37 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge 38 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge 39 64 Mike Wallace Toyota 40 187 Joe Nemechek Toyota 41 36 Michael McDowell Toyota 42 66 Dave Blaney Toyota 43 37 Tony Raines Dodge
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