The Race Report.(Racing)(Johnny Benson wins Pop Secret 400 automobile race)

On the day Johnny Benson got his breakthrough win and Mark Martin created some championship excitement, an eighth-inch of missing spring coil ruled at North Carolina Speedway. That eighth-inch and any subsequent point penalties might well determine who wins this year's Winston Cup.

Benson, in a Pontiac, led the final 28 laps of the Pop Secret 400 for the first win of his 226-race career. Ford driver Martin badgered him hard before settling for second over Ford teammates Kurt Busch and Jeff Burton and Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon.

Martin's apparent runner-up finish hacked 59 points from the 146-point lead Tony Stewart took into the race. That left Martin as Stewart's only challenger since Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman and Rusty Wallace saw their slim prospects dashed with finishes outside the top-20.

But deep into Sunday evening, after almost everyone had left, NASCAR officials said they'd found ``an issue'' with Martin's left-front spring. By rule, it should have had four and a half coils. According to series director John Darby, the spring in question had four and three-eighths coils.

``I don't think it's an intentional violation,'' he said. (Martin, crew chief Paul Andrews and team owner Jack Roush were long gone.) ``We look at springs every weekend, so this wasn't something new we threw at 'em. I think it's an honest mistake. ...