DARLINGTON, South Carolina (Ticker) -- Pole-sitter Mark Martin wants his farewell NASCAR Busch Grand National series season to end in style.

Today, Martin held off Roush Racing teammate Jeff Burton, both driving Ford Tauruses, in an exciting final lap side-by-side battle to win the SunCom 200 at Darlington Raceway by 0.192 seconds over the Chevrolet of last year's champion Matt Kenseth, who also passed Burton to the finish.

"We raced side-by-side down there in (turn) one and two and that's something you're not supposed to be able to do, but we had to because it was for the win," said Martin, who averaged 113.510 miles per hour.

"It's too bad for Jeff Burton, he had the fastest car there at the end but I've lost a lot of races that way. We had the track position and the race was over before he had a chance to get us back."

Martin has won three of four Busch events entered this season, earning victories at Rockingham and last week in Atlanta. Burton won at Las Vegas and Kenseth at the season-opening race in Daytona. The Winston Cup veteran is scheduled to compete in 14 Busch races in 2000.

After starting on the front row, Martin and Burton exchanged leads for most of the race, but in the end Martin recorded his 43rd career checkered flag.

"It was a great race," said Burton. "I'm real proud of both teams. We went through there side-by-side and the back of my car started coming around and I just had to lift. I'd rather finish dead last than get into him."

Martin started the race from his second straight pole at the 1.366-mile track known as "Too Tough to Tame". He won the spring race in 1994 and 1996 and has taken six Busch races at Darlington, the most of any driver.

Jeff Green, Todd Bodine, Hank Parker Jr., David Green and Ron Hornaday claimed the next five spots in Chevrolets. Elton Sawyer was ninth in a Ford, followed by Lyndon Amick's Chevrolet to round out the top 10.

Kenseth leads the series standings by 98 points over Martin, with Bodine a distant third, 140 points behind.

The race was slowed by five caution flags for 28 laps and there were 22 lead changes among six racers. Martin led 60 laps, while Burton was in front for 65.

The circuit moves to Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee for next Saturday's Cheez-It 250.

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