Martin wins Darlington's wreck-filled Southern 500

Don't let Mark Martin's joyful demeanor fool you - he knows how well he's running and knows where that could lead this season. "It's early in the year," Martin said Saturday night. "A lot of cool things could happen the way things are going." Like maybe a Sprint Cup championship?

NASCAR

The 50-year-old Martin moved into playoff position, 11th in points, with his victory at Darlington Raceway ¿ his second series win in four races. Martin outlasted his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, three-time defending series champ Jimmie Johnson in a wreck-filled show.

In other, younger, Roush Racing years, Martin might have followed such a win by ticking off all the tracks down the road he planned to dominate.

"We don't need to say we're going to win a whole bunch of races," Martin said. "Don't take those kind of answers from me as pessimistic, or a lack of confidence. All I want to do is be happy and have fun doing this."

Martin's only other Darlington win was in the 1993 Southern 500, a 16-year stretch.

Martin's victory ended a long, hot day for NASCAR that began with the sobering news of Jeremy Mayfield's failed drug test and indefinite suspension, which was announced about two hours before the start of the race.

Mayfield, who had failed to qualify for the event, said in a statement he believed a mix of an over-the-counter drug and a prescription medication led to the failed test.

NASCAR also announced the suspension of two other crew members for failed drug tests under its new policy, which calls for weekly random testing. NASCAR does not reveal the banned drugs found in the positive tests.

"There is no place for substance abuse in our sport," NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said.

Martin ended a 97-race winless streak in Phoenix last month and proved there's no age limit on mastering the track "Too Tough To Tame."

Johnson wrecked in qualifying and had to start 42nd. He made it all the way to Martin's bumper before settling for second.

"This is one of the most difficult places we run," said Tony Stewart, who finished third.

Ryan Newman, Stewart's teammate, was fourth, followed by points leader Jeff Gordon. Brad Keselowski, in seventh, gave Hendrick four cars in the top seven.

Gordon held on to his points lead, while Stewart took over second place from Kurt Busch. Johnson moved up two spots to fourth.

Kyle Busch, the defending race champ and last week's Richmond winner, saw his chance to repeat disappear when he slammed the wall on lap 274.


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Terra Autos / AP