Ford Drives ‘Em Wild Martin Leads Taurus Runaway With Little 10th, While Gm Teams Fume

Mark Martin outlasted a vibration that threatened to end his race early, then found himself fending off a different challenge following the inaugural Las Vegas 400.

“You can’t expect the sanctioning body to fix all your complaints,” Martin replied Sunday in answer to a barrage of questions about the rout by a squadron of new Ford Tauruses.

After the 400-mile race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Martin said his car “wouldn’t have gone 500 miles.”

Despite the unexplained vibration, Martin led a sweep of the top seven positions by the Tauruses, which have replaced the discontinued Thunderbirds. They also took 14 of the top 15 positions in just their third Winston Cup race.

Martin drove the best of those Fords to his 23rd career victory, beating Roush Racing teammate Jeff Burton to the finish line on the 1-1/2-mile oval by 1.605 seconds - about 20 car-lengths.

The teams fielding General Motors cars - Chevrolets and Pontiacs - immediately reacted with outrage over recent aerodynamics rule changes they say have given the Fords a decided advantage.

“It’s just a bad deal when you put out everything you do and you’re trying and everybody is working their hearts out and the rules are just this unbalanced,” said Richard Childress, owner of the Chevrolet Monte Carlo driven to eighth place by Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt.

In agreement was Bobby Labonte, who finished 19th.

“This Pontiac was as good as it can be,” he said. “It’s obvious NASCAR needs to look at something.”

Soon, Ernie Irvan, hopes after a 30th-place finish in his Pontiac.

“Downforce is even more critical at Atlanta,” he said of next Sunday’s venue. “If they think it was bad here, it’s going to be worse at Atlanta.”

The problem, as GM teams see it, is that they need a better aerodynamic package than that provided under a rule that mandates five-inch-high spoilers and air dams for the Tauruses and Chevy Monte Carlos. The Pontiacs have almost-identical specs.

Jack Roush hopes the sanctioning body will be mindful that despite the rout Sunday, Chevys won the first two races this year.

“I’d be really disappointed with NASCAR if they made a change after the Taurus won its first race,” Roush said. “There isn’t a basis yet.”

But Roush noted that if NASCAR can show him wind-tunnel numbers that prove a change must be made to even up the competition, “I’d go along with it.”

Pole-winner Dale Jarrett and series points leader Rusty Wallace were the only drivers aside from Burton who appeared to have any chance against Martin on Sunday.

But Jarrett went out with an engine problem while running second on lap 218. Wallace, who finished third, was unable to mount a challenge after Martin moved past him to take the lead on the 201st of 267 laps.

The Roush team, which expanded from three cars to five this season, also had Johnny Benson in fourth, Ted Musgrave sixth and Chad Little 10th - the final car on the lead lap.

After an engine problem led to a 38th-place finish in the opener at Daytona, Martin finished third and led the most laps at Rockingham. He again led the most laps, but said it wasn’t easy.

“About 120 laps into the race, we had a terrible vibration, and I was sure I was going to fall out,” said Martin, who raved about the new Las Vegas track. “I prepared myself to accept it. I said to myself, “I want to be leading if that happens.’ So we went to the front and tried to stay there.”

Martin, who averaged 146.530 mph, wound up leading six times for 82 laps - including the last 23.

Wallace extended his points lead over Earnhardt from 33 to 56. Martin climbed to seventh, 96 points behind the leader.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Las Vegas 400 1. (7) Mark Martin, Batesville, Ark., Ford, 267, $313,900. 2. (15) Jeff Burton, South Boston, Va., Ford, 267, $202.850. 3. (10) Rusty Wallace, St. Louis, Ford, 267, $156,500. 4. (16) Johnny Benson, Grand Rapids, Mich., Ford, 267, $121,200. 5. (32) Jeremy Mayfield, Owensboro, Ky., Ford, 267, $101,500. 6. (23) Ted Musgrave, Franklin, Wis., Ford, 267, $96,450. 7. (29) Jimmy Spencer, Berwick, Pa., Ford, 267, $112,650. 8. (26) Dale Earnhardt, Kannapolis, N.C., Chevrolet, 267, $84,500. 9. (4) Bill Elliott, Dawsonville, Ga., Ford, 267, $77,900. 10. (17) Chad Little, Spokane, Ford, 267, $72,950. Series points leaders: 1. R.Wallace 505; 2. Earnhardt 449; 3. Mayfield 446; 4. Spencer 429; 5. Elliott 427; 6. Gordon 412; 7. Martin 409; 8. T.Labonte 394; 9. Little 380; 10. Hamilton 373.