Benson's drought over

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. -- Johnny Benson ended one of the longest winless streaks in NASCAR on Sunday, holding off Mark Martin to win the Pop Secret 400 for his first victory in 226 starts.

Benson, known as the best driver to never win a Winston Cup race, led the final 28 laps but had to battle Martin over the final dozen laps at North Carolina Speedway.

Martin, in the thick of the Winston Cup championship chase, was racing for the win and several times drove his Ford onto the bumper of Benson's Pontiac.

When he couldn't bump Benson out of the way, he tried to pass him in the lower grooves of the race track.

None of it worked and the 39-year-old Benson beat him to the finish line by .261 seconds to become the fifth first-time winner this season.

"I thought for a couple of years that I'd never get a win," Benson said. "I was always going to be the best guy who never won a race."

Kurt Busch, who came into the event on a two-race winning streak, led 105 laps but faded and finished third. Jeff Burton was fourth, giving Roush Racing three Fords in the top four.

Toyota 500: Jimmy Vasser charged past Michael Andretti on a restart two laps from the end of the Toyota 500 in Fontana, Calif., and pulled away for an easy victory in the fastest 500-mile race ever.

Vasser's winning speed of 197.995 easily beat the previous 500-mile record of 189.727, set in 1990 in a CART race at Michigan International Speedway by Al Unser Jr.

-- From wire reports