Gustafson's fuel gamble fails, Martin falls to bubble

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Neither Van Gogh nor Pavarotti, with their exquisite talents would've had a prayer of displaying the facial pain or the agony in Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Alan Gustafson's voice as Sunday's sun began to set on Michigan International Speedway.

Gustafson's driver, Mark Martin, and their team have won a league-leading four races -- including a Michigan fuel mileage special in June -- but Martin sits only 12 points away from falling out of the 12-man field for the Chase after his car apparently ran out of fuel on the last lap and Brian Vickers, one of three drivers who still has a shot to race his way into the Chase, won the Carfax 400.

In June, Martin went from third to first on the final lap when Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle ran out of fuel in front of him. Martin's car also ran out of fuel coming out of Turn 4, but he had enough steam to win -- but not Sunday.

Shortly after, the lanky, 6-foot Gustafson stood behind his hauler, team cap pulled tight down on his brow, dark glasses hiding his eyes, as he watched his crew load Martin's No. 5 Chevrolet and its equipment.

Pushing the car was lightened by its lack of fuel, which dropped Martin from just outside the top 10 at the white flag to 31st in the final rundown.

The weight of losing at least 52 points as the race to the Chase reaches its most critical point, with only three races remaining until the Richmond cutoff, is something that'll take a little longer to purge.

"I blew it," Gustafson said. "I had a chance to top-off [with fuel] there, and if I would have, we probably would have finished second at worst, if not won. So there's no way to make it pretty, or nice.

"It cost our team a lot of points and it's on my shoulders -- so I feel terrible about it, because I blew it, there's no other way to put it."

Martin, who hoofed it back to his hauler after his car coasted across the finish line, changed clothes, bolted out the side door of the transporter, grabbed a bottle of water from an assistant and then out-hustled everyone who was tailing him as he left the track. (Continued)