VIDEO: Chicago - Martin Wins At Chicagoland

Sprint Cup

VIDEO: Chicago - Martin Wins At Chicagoland

Mark Martin is racing like a kid again, winning the LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday night...

Jeff Gluck | http://www.scenedaily.com | Posted July 12, 2009 Joliet, IL

VIDEO: Watch Mark Martin win the LifeLock.400 at Chicagoland Speedway on SPEEDtv.com

VIDEO: Watch Mark Martin win the LifeLock.400 at Chicagoland Speedway on SPEEDtv.com

Apparently 50 is the new 30. Maybe even the new 20.

Mark Martin is racing like a kid again, winning the LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday night for his fourth victory of the season.

The driver who pushed his rocking chair aside to return to full-time racing again after being lured by Hendrick Motorsports' No. 5 car now has more wins than anyone this season.

He held off teammate Jeff Gordon on a final restart with two laps to go, completing a dominant night - but in a race that appeared at one time would slip from his grasp.

But Martin was the one who ended up in victory lane after leading 195 laps - an early birthday present for team owner Rick Hendrick.

As Martin crossed the finish line, crew chief Alan Gustafson hollered, “You stomped ‘em, Mark Martin, you stomped ‘em. You’re the man, buddy!”

Martin, still disbelieving of his success this season, replied, “I can’t believe that. We won, right?”

Gustafson laughed and said, “We didn’t just win, you crushed ‘em, baby, you crushed ‘em!”

“That’s big, that is big,” Martin said. “I just knew those dumbass double-file restarts were gonna cost us.”

They nearly did, when teammate Jimmie Johnson snatched the lead from Martin on a double-file restart with 43 to go.

Johnson himself lost the lead on another restart – thanks to a shove from Denny Hamlin that allowed Brian Vickers to briefly take the lead as Johnson and Kurt Busch slammed into each other like they were driving a short track.

When the craziness settled, Martin was the one who had the lead again, pacing the final 16 laps to take the win.

“I love you guys,” Martin radioed to his team.

“We love you,” Gustafson replied.

After the race, he summed up the experience.

"That was fun," Martin said with the smile that has been so often seen on his face this season.

VIDEO: Watch Mark Martin win the LifeLock.400 at Chicagoland Speedway on SPEEDtv.com

Martin moved into a tie for 16th on the all-time wins list and also moved back into the top 12 in points. The top 12 drivers after the season's 26th race will make the field for the Chase For The Sprint Cup.

"We are? Really? I thought we were still 13th," he said. "We got to make the Chase for those [bonus] points to count for anything."

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