Mark Martin's crew was the class of pit road on Sunday. Credit: CIA Stock Photo

Sunoco Pit Move of the Week: Atlanta

The second-guessing has already started. You knew it was coming.

Why didn't Mark Martin pit while leading with 23 laps to go in the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta?

VIDEO Sunoco Pit Move Pit Move of the Week: Atlanta

Martin said after the race that the caution that flew on Lap 301 was a lose-lose situation -- and he was right. The caution came out when Kevin Harvick couldn't get his car off pit road. If the caution hadn't flown, Martin would have won.

But it did, and Martin stayed on the track. It was an understandable call at the time, but when everyone pitted behind him, Martin knew he was in trouble.

"(Crew chief) Pat Tryson was a sitting duck. He lost either way when they threw that caution," Martin said. "If I find out that that caution was for the show, I'll choke.

"I saw the 29 car coasting slow and if I'd have been NASCAR, I would have told somebody to push him off of pit road."

It's possible that someone would have stayed out, but no one except Martin did.

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Martin lost the lead on Lap 310 and never led again, even though he came in and got tires on Lap 312. But that time, it was too late.

"If we pitted, they stay out and win," Martin said. "If we stay out, they pit. So it was nobody's fault, but those caution flags."

It was a shame that Martin's pit decision played into the race's outcome. If Martin had pitted, it was likely that he wouldn't have lost much ground, because Martin's crew was outstanding all day.

Martin's pit crew consistently got him off pit road in 15 seconds (or less) all day, and Martin retained the lead with his crew pulled off a perfect 14.3 second stop on Lap 288.