Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 10, 1994 TAG: 9404100128
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BRISTOL, TENN. LENGTH: Medium
Mark Martin made the dumbest move of his career Saturday at Bristol International Raceway, but it led to the wildest finish yet in the 1994 NASCAR season.
Cruising under a yellow flag on the last lap of the Goody's 250 Grand National race, Martin suddenly veered off the track about 300 yards shy of victory and literally handed the race to a startled David Green, who was running second.
Instead of winning his second GN race of the year, Martin finished 11th - the last car on the lead lap.
"What can I say? I thought the race was over. I made a mistake," Martin said as he climbed into his Winston Cup car for the final practice before today's Food City 500. "That was the dumbest thing I've ever done in my life."
It was a rare blunder for a driver and team that take enormous pride in their dedication and attention to detail.
And it might have been avoided if Martin had someone on the team coaching him on that last lap. But everyone, including car owner Jack Roush and crew chief Steve Hmiel, were so certain of victory, they let their guard down.
Roush, who had been spotting for Martin high above the track, left the spotter's area moments before Martin pulled off the track.
"If I had still been spotting for him, I would have told him," Roush said. "But I was on my way down the ladder."
"I left the pits with five laps to go to work on the Winston Cup car," Hmiel said. With the yellow flag out for Robert Pressley's wreck in turn 3, there appeared to be no need for Hmiel to stay in the pits.
"That's not losing, that's giving them away," Hmiel said.
Green, who led only those final few hundred yards, said he was so startled by Martin's move that he almost followed him.
"I don't really look at the [starter's] flag that often, but I happened to look at it this time" when the white flag flew, signaling the last lap, Green said. "And then I saw Mark peel off and the checkered flag hadn't come out yet. I stayed out another lap and another one after that just to make sure."
Green also never received any instructions from his team. "Those last couple of laps under caution, everybody just kinda went blank," he said. "They never told me anything. I think they just went into shock."
It was Green's second career GN win and his first victory in almost two years.
Before stirring things up on the last lap, Martin had done his best to put everyone to sleep, leading 195 of the 250 laps, including 83 of the final 84 circuits.
Martin said he became confused when Tommy Houston pulled up next to him and waved congratulations. "I thought [Houston] came down the back pits after he came up beside me and waved," Martin said. "Everyone was picking up and leaving. I thought it was over.
"I've been pulling for David Green. I've wanted him to win a race. But not like that. I just made a mistake. But I bet that won't ever happen to me again."
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB