NSCS - Subway Fresh Fit 500 4/18

Mark Martin returns to victory lane! Everyone from Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Jack Roush and NASCAR president Mike Helton pushed through a very crowded victory lane to pay their respects.

"The thought went through my mind -- 1989 with Jack Roush (Martin's former car owner) -- when I got my first win at Rockingham, I said, 'My life is fulfilled,'" Martin said in victory lane. "I thought about saying that again tonight, but I'll stop short of that. But it means that much. It means just as much as getting that first one to me. We made a couple of early adjustments, but after that we never made adjustments. There were cars better than us in the middle of the race, but it came to us. At the end, nobody could run with us."

At 50, Mark Martin becomes the oldest driver to win in the series since March 20, 1993 when Morgan Shepherd won @ Atlanta at the age of 51. Martin becomes the fourth different over-50 driver to win a NSCS race.

"I feel fine right now, I tell you" Martin said post-race. "I told the guys in victory lane when they asked something about that, it was like, you know, I don't have any problem keeping up with a 25 year old, at least not for the next 15 minutes, because I have got the biggest shot of adrenaline that you've ever seen."

Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

Martin started from the pole and dominated from the start. He would go on to lead five times for the race high 157 laps.

"There's nobody that dislikes Mark", said Tony Stewart who lead 19 laps himself and is seeking his first win as an owner-driver. "Mark has taught us all a lot about what it takes to be not only a good driver in this series, but a good competitor and somebody that everybody respects."

Tony Stewart finished second followed by Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle. Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., David Reutimann, Sam Hornish Jr. and Carl Edwards completed the top 10, as a late caution for an accident involving Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Casey Mears scrambled the finishing order.

There were 6 cautions for 29 laps and 14 lead changes among 10 drivers:
M. Martin 1-55; M. Waltrip 56; M. Martin 57-103; B. Labonte 104; Kurt Busch 105-167; D. Earnhardt Jr. 168-219; T. Stewart 220-238; M. Martin 239-240; D. Reutimann 241; J. Johnson 242; B. Vickers 243-244; D. Earnhardt Jr. 245-255; M. Martin 256-302; R. Newman 303-306; M. Martin 307-312.