Mark Martin has three top-five finishes in the last five races. Credit: Autostock

Sunoco Pit Move of the Week: Bristol

BRISTOL, Tenn -- As Jeff Gordon has shown in the past, misunderstanding the pit rules at Bristol happens to the best of them.

But Mark Martin's mistake in the Sharpie 500 might be more costly.

VIDEO Sunoco Pit Move Mark Martin takes the long way off pit road

Martin, currently 35 points out of a spot in the Chase for the Nextel Cup, drove down both pit roads at the 30 mph speed limit during the rash of green-flag stops

midway through the Sharpie 500 at Bristol on Saturday.

At Bristol, cars are required circle the length of the track during yellow flag stops, but during green flag stops, cars are allowed to blend in traffic after pitting on their

side of the track.

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Martin, on the lead lap before the green-flag stops, lost two laps because of the mistake. Instead of finishing near the top-five, he wound up a lap down in 13th.

"I messed up and cost us a lap there," Martin said. "(Crew chief Tryson) Pat told me to go straight out of the race track but I was either concentrating too much or

not enough, I guess.

"I had never done a green flag stop here. I know it happened last time. I know he said it on the radio, I just wasn't listening."