Martin takes victory at Dover Downs

It was his 31st career win and second of the season.

Following the pair across the stripe were Dale Jarrett, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte and Jeff Burton - the only cars of 43 starters on the lead lap.

'This is a big one for me,' said a jubilant Martin. 'This race team hasn't given up and we've kept posting top-fives.'

Martin now trails Jarrett by 257 points in the Winston Cup championship, with Stewart in third - down 284 points.

Green flag racing, not the usual crash-fest one expects here, left just 15 cars on the lead lap by halfway and six at the finish.

Polesitter Rusty Wallace, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon took turns leading the field at a torrid pace around this high-banked, one-mile oval speedway.

Cars with the wrong chassis set up lost a lap quickly.

Not since 1991, when Harry Gant lapped the entire field - nearly twice - has the race win been fought by so few real contenders.

Dover, paved in cement rather than asphalt, played fickle this day as Gordon, Stewart and Wallace were laps-down to the leaders when the halfway crossed flags were displayed.

'The tyres were very inconsistent,' said an unhappy Stewart. 'We didn't know what to do. You didn't know what you had (until you were on the track).'

'I had great Goodyear's on my car,' said Martin.

Another member of the mixed-emotions club was Richard Childress, owner of Dale
Earnhardt's Goodwrench Chevrolet.

'We finished 8th and we were the top Chevrolet,' said Childress.

'After a while you get tired of coming and coming and coming to the track, and it's not fair to these guys.'

Asked how NASCAR might change the rules, Childress simply said, 'Downforce, we need downforce if we want to run good for more than a couple of laps.'

Gordon's performance at a track near his sponsor's headquarters was unusual.

Many wondered if rumors of the departure of his long-time crew chief - Ray Evernham - distracted the legendary team.

Stewart's set-up went wrong after a lap 154 pit stop.

Wallace fought a sour engine while Jarrett and Martin mowed down the field with less than a second between them.

Defending race winner Bobby Labonte lost a lap early but overtook the pair in the mid-race, then moved through the top ten.

A pit stop miscue on lap 247 slowed Martin, who trailed Jarrett by two seconds, followed by Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte and Jeff Burton. .

The yellow flag drought, commencing on lap 153, was finally broken after routine
pit stops as Ricky Craven's Chevrolet spun in turn one on lap 353.

The big winner was Stewart who, pitting out of cycle, regained a lap and took the next green running fourth, behind Martin, Jarrett and Matt Kenseth.

Kenseth, in just his fourth Winston Cup start, was a steady top-five fixture.

The talented Busch Series driver was first called upon to replace an injured Bill Elliott and he reciprocated with a sixth place finish at Dover.

Kenseth will drive Winston Cup full-time next year and drove a car prepared by Roush
Racing while using his Busch crew for pit stops.

'It's an opportunity of a lifetime to drive this car,' said Kenseth.

Stewart, with fresher tires, bumped his way by Kenseth for third on lap 364, and Jarrett for second on lap 371.

Martin was more formidable an opponent.

The leader kept the better part of two seconds between himself and the rookie, whose
tyres suffered in the dash to the front.

Stewart took the chequered flag 1.1s behind Martin.