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MBNA 400: A Salute to Heroes - Dover International Speedway
Martin Survives to Win at Dover
Mayfield Wins Pole at the Moster Mile
The MBNA 400 “A Salute to Heroes” turned into NASCAR’s version of Survivor, with veteran Mark Martin snapping a 72-race winless streak to emerge with the title of Sole Survivor. The event at Dover International Speedway featured a total of 90 laps ran under the caution flag, two red flags, and a restrictor-plate type “big one” that involved some 19 cars, wiping out a majority of the contenders. The time of the race totaled 4 hours, 7 minutes, 19 seconds. After leader Kasey Kahne got in oil dropped by Casey Mears and crashed on lap 382, Martin took over the lead for the first time of the event. Martin then outran Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr., who had a spirited battle for second place, by 1.702 seconds. The victory is the 34th career win for Martin and his first since Charlotte in 2002. Stewart, who dominated most of the day, leading three times for a total of 234 laps, nipped Earnhardt for the runner-up spot in the finishing order, while Earnhardt settled for third. Jeff Burton crossed the stripe in fourth place, his best effort of the 2004 season, while rookie Scott Riggs garnered a fifth-place finish, his first top-five finish in 13 races.
Jeremy Mayfield won the pole position for the MBNA 400: A Salute to Heroes, lapping Dover International Speedway in 22.288 seconds, at an average speed of 161.522 mph, shattering the track record in the process. Mayfield broke Rusty Wallace’s track-qualifying record of 22.505 seconds, 159.964 mph, set September 24, 1999. This is Mayfield’s eighth career pole in 322 Nextel Cup races, his most recent pole came at Talladega on April 4, 2003 - 41 races ago. Ryan Newman had the second-fastest time with a qualifying lap of 22.410 seconds, at 160.643 mph, and will join Mayfield on the front row. It is his fourth top-five start in his five races at Dover, and his 10th top-10 start in 2004, his sixth on the front row. Brian Vickers will roll off from row two, starting third, while Wallace will start from the fourth position.
