/

This time, Martin had to show as much patience as speed, handling a record 17 cautions on Darlington’s 2-year-old pavement.

The wrecks surpassed the previous high of 15 set in Darlington’s spring race 14 years ago, and more than doubled the eight of last year after the track was freshly paved.

Johnson wrecked in qualifying and had to start 42nd. He made it all the way to Martin’s bumper before settling for second.

“This is one of the most difficult places we run,” said Tony Stewart, who finished third.

Ryan Newman, Stewart’s teammate, was fourth, followed by points leader Jeff Gordon. Brad Keselowski, in seventh, gave Hendrick four cars in the top seven.

“This is as good as I’ve seen us in some time,” Alan Gustafson, Martin’s crew chief, said of Hendrick’s garage.

Gordon held on to his points lead, while Stewart took over second place from Kurt Busch. Johnson moved up two spots to fourth.

One by one, the slick surface knocked out the top contenders.

Kyle Busch, the defending race champ and last week’s Richmond winner, saw his chance to repeat disappear when he slammed the wall on lap 274.

Not long after, Carl Edwards was tapped by teammate Greg Biffle, hit the wall and was hemmed in as the field moved around him. Edwards then was hit with a one-lap penalty after he drove right instead of left to make it into the pits.

Next came Biffle. Just like a year ago, he led the most laps (117) and looked to have the strongest car. While his 2008 race was ruined with a busted transmission, this time he hit the wall and missed out on his third Darlington win in the last five races.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s season-long struggles continued. He hoped to break his winless career at Darlington and finally break through for his first victory in 11 months. And he got as high as second early on, but pitting after the race’s 10th caution, one of his tires escaped the pit box and Earnhardt was sent to the back of the field.

Darlington also cost Clint Bowyer his string of 83 straight races running at the end. Bowyer and A.J. Allmendinger hit and Bowyer bounced off the outside wall before rolling across the track and crunching an inside wall. Bowyer ended a race shy of Herman Beam’s feat of finishing 84 straight races from 1961-63.