updated 3:18 p.m. ET Feb. 22, 2005

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Mark Martin climbed out of his car and listlessly walked from pit road to the garage area.

He passed Victory Lane — again without stopping — as fans chanted his name and clamored for autographs.

He ended the Daytona 500 just like he did 20 times before: outside the winner’s circle. The biggest difference this time, though, was that Martin doesn’t plan on taking another shot at NASCAR’s premier event.

“I’m relieved,” said Martin, who will retire from full-time racing after this season. “I don’t particularly love this place. It never has been that kind to me.”

Rusty Wallace could say the same thing.

FREE VIDEO Battle to end Feb. 20: Dale Earnhardt Jr. talks about his narrow defeat, and Mark Martin, Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson also discuss the race. NBC Sports

Two of NASCAR’s most popular drivers, Martin and Wallace competed in their last Daytona 500 on Sunday and walked away without a victory at NASCAR’s most famous track. Nonetheless, they started from way back in the field, worked their way into the top 5 and finished strong. Martin crossed the finish line sixth, and Wallace was four spots back in 10th.

Not bad for two old-timers.

“I wanted to win this race, but that’s OK,” Wallace said. “It really isn’t OK, but I told everybody if I didn’t win, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. ... I’m done with it. I’ve had a lot of fun, and I enjoy it.”

Martin started 32nd and had moved into third with 20 laps remaining. He dropped back to eighth on the final restart, but picked up two positions in the frenzied three final trips around the 2½-mile oval.

“We didn’t have a dominant car today, but I felt like we had a chance in the end,” Martin said. “That’s all you can ask for. I’m OK that I don’t have that Daytona 500 trophy.”

Wallace started 36th but advanced all the way to fifth midway through the race. He was 11th on the restart and improved one spot at the end.

Still, both drivers would have liked more in their Daytona 500 farewell.

Martin has 34 career victories, four second-place finishes in the points championship and more than $46 million in earnings in 23 seasons. He finished in the top 10 in points 14 times in the last 16 years, including fourth last year.

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But his best showing at the Daytona 500 was third in 1995.

With his retirement looming, the 46-year-old driver was clearly the sentimental choice to win the season-opening race Sunday.

His chances of getting to Victory Lane for the first time here looked bleak after a crash during one of the qualifying races Thursday. However, his crew worked long hours to repair damage to the No. 6 car, and Martin made it pay off with his eighth top-10 finish in the 500.

Wallace’s feat was equally impressive.

The 48-year-old driver also wrecked during qualifying and had to switch to his backup car.

Still, Wallace expected to run strong and did.

The series champion in 1989 and fourth on the career earnings list with nearly $44 million in 25 seasons, Wallace now has nine top-10 finishes in 23 Daytona 500s.

But like Martin, he never won the big one. And now he never will.

“I told everyone I want to go out on top,” Wallace said. “I wanted to win the Daytona 500 today. I had a car good enough to win, but we’ll just go to California, or Mexico or Vegas now.”

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