Martin says he wasn't blocking for Kenseth

McMurray: 'He wouldn't do something like that'

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. - Mark Martin is one of the most respected drivers in the Nextel Cup garage area, so when he was called to the NASCAR trailer after the Subway 400 at North Carolina Speedway, Martin couldn't believe his ears.

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Martin was allegedly called to the trailer because he was blocking Kasey Kahne and Jamie McMurray.

Martin was a lap down when the race went green with 31 laps to go, restarting on the inside of leader Matt Kenseth, who happens to be Martin's Roush Racing teammate.

Martin is also listed as the owner of Kenseth's car.

As Kenseth scooted away, Kahne and McMurray raced to get around Martin.

"I never held (Kahne) up," Martin said. "I left him the outside when he was there, and when he wasn't there, I used the racetrack."

Kahne, who fell .01 seconds short of beating Kenseth for the victory, wouldn't call what Martin did blocking.

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"He definitely slowed me up there for a minute," Kahne said. "It was one lap, and then he pulled down and let me go. That's why you have teammates, I guess. Me and Jeremy (Mayfield), maybe, will be able to do something like that sometime and get a win for (car owner Ray) Evernham."

But McMurray, who ended up third, said Martin was not blocking.

"I don't know Mark real well, but I know him well enough to know he wouldn't do something like that," McMurray said. "He was trying to get out of the way."

And that's what upset Martin. He didn't understand why he was called to the trailer.

	Jack Roush

"I'm just disappointed because the people in the sport know that I have a lot of integrity," Martin said. "I watched it on the tape and didn't see anything. I'm a big fan of (NASCAR). I'm a big fan of Jamie McMurray.

"I don't care who wins that race. I wanted to win the race. I was racing. I wasn't in anybody's way, and I never got in anybody's way."

NASCAR president Mike Helton wouldn't say why Martin was summoned to the trailer and wouldn't talk about what the discussion with Martin and car owner Jack Roush was about.

"We had a conversation with Jack and Mark up here," Helton said. "What goes on up here stays up here."

Martin said he was simply racing like it was any other lap. He ended up 12th, the third car one lap down.

"When you double-file restart these things and you put the lap-down cars in the inside for the sake of the show, things like that happen," Martin said. "I was on the lead lap all day, and I restarted 15th, but 30th on the racetrack. I wrestled the lapped cars all day."

And he wrestled the leaders when he was supposedly blocking, Martin said.

"This is rare," Martin said. "I couldn't believe it when they said that. But they're taking that real serious. I hate it, but I didn't cause those guys to get side-by-side.

"Once they got side-by-side, I was going to be in somebody's way. But I never held the outside lane up - ever, ever, ever. I wouldn't do that."