DATE: Sunday, March 2, 1997                 TAG: 9703020194

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C6   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER

DATELINE: RICHMOND                          LENGTH:   50 lines

LAST-LAP CRASH GIVES MARTIN WIN IN RICHMOND GN RACE

When Jeff Burton's crew pushed his car out of Victory Lane on Saturday at Richmond International Raceway, it was not as the winner.

Still, the car and the crew received the winner's share of the applause from a rain-soaked crowd that was rewarded for its perseverance with one of the wildest, most entertaining finishes in recent NASCAR history.

Burton dominated the race, but Mark Martin won after a fender-banging duel between Burton and Jason Keller that extended through the final two laps and ended with Burton sliding sideways into Victory Lane.

``Those last few laps were pretty intense,'' Martin said. ``It was hard racing. The cars were sliding all over the place.''

Burton, who led 180 of the 250 laps, was leading as he came through turns 3 and 4 before taking the white flag. But Burton's car slipped and Keller banged into the rear bumper. The impact knocked Burton out of the groove and allowed both Keller and Martin to pass. But there was plenty of action still to come.

``I had the race won,'' Keller said. ``I just lost it getting into (turn) 3 (on the last lap). I just lost my concentration and messed up.''

Keller slid out of the groove, allowing Martin to make the race-winning pass just a few hundred feet from the checkered flag. Then Burton tried to follow Martin.

``I saw a hole and I thought maybe I could beat Mark to the line, so I stabbed the throttle and took off and ran all over (Keller),'' Burton said.

Both Keller and Burton spun out, with Burton ending up in Victory Lane - as the second-place finisher. Steve Park finished third, followed by Phil Parsons and Keller.

``I expected to come in behind Jason and just put a little pressure on him,'' Martin said. ``I thought he probably had the race won, and his car starting sliding entering (turn) 3 and it just wouldn't quit.''

Martin led only two laps Saturday. Keller led 26 laps.

There were seven yellow flags, including five in the final 100 laps. One was for a nine-car crash in turn four. No injuries were reported. The start of the race was delayed almost an hour by rain and a wet track. ILLUSTRATION: [Photos]

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rodney Combs (43) and Elliott Sadler (29) slip down to the apron at

Richmond International Raceway to avoid a multi-car crash on lap 201

that involved Shane Hall, Stevie Reeves, Brandon Butler and Doug

Reid.

Mark Martin celebrated in Victory Lane on Saturday after Jason

Keller and Jeff Burton crashed on the final lap.

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