Marlin nabs somber win

CONCORD, N.C. -- Sterling Marlin won the UAW-GM Quality 500 in a somber race Sunday in which the drivers watched images of the U.S. attacks on Afghanistan minutes before the start.

Marlin beat Tony Stewart to the finish line at Lowe's Motor Speedway by more than six seconds, about a quarter of the track.

His crew then ran to him with an American flag, but NASCAR refused to let Marlin take the customary victory lap. He instead drove straight to the winner's circle, carrying the flag out his window.

This was the second victory of the season for Marlin and the third for a Dodge, which made its return to NASCAR this season after a 15-year absence.

Ward Burton, the other Dodge driver to win a race this season, finished third and was followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a Chevrolet and Jeff Burton in a Ford.

Dale Jarrett finished sixth and Rusty Wallace was seventh. Kevin Harvick, Mark Martin and Bobby Labonte rounded out the top 10.

Houston GP

HOUSTON -- Gil de Ferran led all 100 laps and took the lead in the CART FedEx Series championship with his victory in the Texaco/Havoline Grand Prix of Houston.

The win, combined with a seventh-place finish by Kenny Brack, turned a five-point deficit heading into the race into a 10-point de Ferran lead, with three races and a maximum of 66 points remaining this season.

Dario Franchitti wasn't even within sight of the leader's Honda-powered Reynard as he wound up second, 3.430 seconds behind. Memo Gidley was third.

-- From wire reports