March 6, 1999 8:03 PM EST

By Bruce Martin SportsTicker Contributing Editor

LAS VEGAS (Ticker) -- Mark Martin gave the betting folks a lesson in probability by winning today NASCAR Busch Series Sam's Town 300 in dominant fashion.

Bookmakers at some of the casinos had Martin listed at 10-1 to win the 300-mile race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. They apparently overlooked the fact that Martin is the all-time series victory leader with 35 wins.

In front of a crowd estimated at 70,000, Martin started on the pole and led 150 of the 200 laps. He piloted his Ford Taurus to the checkered flag 0.687 seconds ahead of the Chevrolet Monte Carlo of Joe Nemechek.

Martin averaged 134.374 miles per hour and won $87,625.

"It was awesome, this team has done a great job with this car and it was really the car to beat here this weekend," Martin said. "This car was really hooked up today. We started off a little too loose then we tightened the car up too much so on the last car, we set the car up in-between.

"I love this race track and this race team. The car was fast and worked perfect all week. It was good in qualifying and good in the race."

It was Martin's second win at this track. He also captured last year's inaugural NASCAR Las Vegas 400.

Winston Cup drivers swept the top five positions. Jeff Burton -- Martin's teammate at Roush Racing -- was third, followed by Jeff Gordon and defending champion Jimmy Spencer.

The highest finish for a Busch driver was Dale Earnhardt Jr. at sixth. After Burton's Ford, the next 12 cars were Chevrolets.

In the final lap, Nemechek was closing on Martin but the leader was able to maintain his advantage.

"I told the guys, `I know he's coming, let me get serious here and buckle down,'" Martin said. "Nemechek was strong today and he was right there at the end."

Gordon, the two-time defending Winston Cup champion, ran a Busch race for the first time since 1992.

"The (Chevrolet) car was tight," Gordon said. "It took a lot to put this thing together and to come out of here with a top-five finish was pretty good. Ray Evernham and my wife Brooke put together a heck of a team. It was a good day for us.

"You have to put yourself in a different mind-set because the Busch cars are so much tighter than the Winston Cup cars."

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