NASCAR Martin puts end to 72-race slump

The MBNA 400 at Dover was crash-filled and not without controversy.
DOVER, Del. (AP) -- Mark Martin was excited, but not about to embarrass himself after ending a 72-race losing streak.
So, he skipped what has become the rite of a NASCAR winner.
"I didn't do a burnout because I don't know how," Martin said Sunday after winning the MBNA 400 at Dover International Speedway. "I would either hit the wall or do something stupid."
He saw no reason to damage one of the few cars that finished a crash-filled race without a dent.
Martin managed to avoid one massive pileup, got a break when runaway leader Kasey Kahne crashed, and rode to his 34th career victory.
"Everything went our way today," Martin said.
Shepherd hits wall
Perhaps his luck is changing. Actually, that began on the final lap of practice Saturday, when Morgan Shepherd hit the wall.
"Morgan blew up going into one and I was right behind him in the oil," Martin said. "I slid right to wall -- with my favorite race car. I almost hit the wall and I almost hit Morgan."
But he escaped unscathed, and a day later had reason to celebrate -- twice. His 12-year-old son, Matt, won a race in Florida.
"That's a pretty good weekend for the Martin family," he said.
Still, after so many missed opportunities, Martin couldn't help but think Sunday would end badly and that he would be outrun over the final laps by Tony Stewart.
"He had new tires and I didn't," Martin said. "I thought we were going to get our heart broke again."
Stewart is second
Stewart, in contention only because he made a blunder that left him so far behind he missed the 19-car pileup, finished second.
Kahne, who somehow got through the melee and seemed well on his way to victory, skidded in oil left on the track by Casey Mears and crashed with 18 laps to go on The Monster Mile.
"It was a gift," Martin said. "I was running right on the bottom when Kasey got into the oil."
Four cars were involved in that crash, which resulted in a red flag that lasted 20 minutes -- the second stoppage of a race that lasted 4 hours, 47 minutes.
Kahne just passed teammate Jeremy Mayfield for the lead on the backstretch with 54 laps remaining when the cars of Michael Waltrip and Dave Blaney made contact entering the third turn on the high-banked concrete oval.
Kahne squeezed through
With the track virtually blocked, Kahne squeezed through. The rest of the contenders crashed. That caused the first red flag, also 20 minutes in duration.
"The track was totally blocked," Martin said. "I just stopped. You can say I was smart. But I wasn't smart. I was just lucky."
Mayfield, the polesitter, and Jimmie Johnson, running third, were among those who ran into the pileup. Mayfield slipped off the track and spun his wheels in the mud.
Johnson jumped out of his car as flames shot out of the rear.
"They're racing three wide three or four laps down like a bunch of idiots," said Johnson, who was in position to take the points lead.
Instead, Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished third and retained the top spot.