MARTIN COMES UP EMPTY, ENDS UP 10TH.

Byline: Nathaniel Levine Daily News Staff Writer

For Mark Martin on Sunday, the white flag had an unusual meaning: surrender.

As his No. 6 Valvoline Ford passed under the flag, which normally signals the beginning of the last lap and a fight for finishing position, Martin stepped on the gas and came up empty in the California 500.

All Martin could do was coast, losing six positions before crossing the finish line in 10th after a little push from Ted Musgrave's No. 16 car.

``We had a good run, we had a contending car - that's all we can do,'' Martin said. ``Today we finished 10th.''

It was an ironic end to a day that saw Martin overtake leader and eventual winner Jeff Gordon on Lap 234 of the 250-lap race, only to return the lead to the No. 24 Chevrolet five laps later so his Ford could pick up enough fuel to finish the race. But Martin's team rushed the stop and the car did not have enough gas for the final lap.

Martin's crew chief Jimmy Fenning would not comment on the team's fuel mishaps, but Steve Hmiel, the team's general manager, offered some explanation.

``We didn't put enough fuel in at Lap 192, that's what happened,'' Hmiel said, noting the pit crew was also a gallon or two shy on the final stop.

It was a tough conclusion for a team that clearly thought it had the better car going into the race's final laps.

Monitoring the No. 24 car's communications, the Valvoline team knew Gordon, also running low on fuel but trying to avoid a stop, was considering allowing Martin to pass in order to draft off him.

``They talked about letting me go, but I was faster than him at the time and I caught him jammed up in traffic,'' said Martin, who took the decision out of Gordon's hands.

But gas mileage, not speed, turned out to be the determining factor in the race.

``I have no idea how they went 61 laps - that's 5-1/2 miles to the gallon,'' Hmiel said.

Of course, Gordon's team wasn't going to explain that, except that the car actually went 55 laps without pitting. The 5-mpg average is the top end of the NASCAR mileage spectrum, but nothing supernatural.

``I learned how to conserve fuel today,'' said Gordon, describing how he rationed gas by slowing down and drafting behind other cars. ``I never had to do that before. It was pretty interesting.''

Gordon's crew estimated that he was one lap short on gas, but the team's gamble paid off as his fuel lasted almost through the victory lap. The No. 24 car had pitted on Lap 195, giving it a three-lap fuel advantage over Martin.

Dropping from fourth to 10th at the race's end cost Martin 21 points in the Winston Cup standings, extending Gordon's lead by 92 points. Martin, who led the race three times, has two victories and eight top-five finishes this season.