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HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Mark Martin accepted NASCAR's silver medal for the fifth time Sunday night, unable in the season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway to derail Jimmie Johnson's march toward stock-car immortality, while Martin joined Richard Petty and Bobby Allison as the only drivers to finish No. 2 in the points standings five times.

"There's no frustration, man," Martin said. "I know you'd love it. I know you'd love it. I know all y'all would love it. But there's no frustration. There's none. I'm very proud of what we accomplished."

Martin finished this season 141 points behind Johnson, a gap 33 points larger than it was when the race began. Jeff Gordon was third, another 38 points back, but giving Hendrick Motorsports a historic 1-2-3 finish in the standings. And soon after the checkered flag fell, Martin was among the first people to offer a congratulatory handshake to Johnson and the No. 48 car's crew chief, Chad Knaus.

"It was such an incredible achievement to have a chance," said Martin, also NASCAR's runner-up in 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002.

HENDRICK HELPS WITH NIECE: Team owner Rick Hendrick was not at Homestead-Miami Speedway because he stayed in North Carolina to be with an ailing niece.

A Hendrick spokesman says that Alesha Gainey is in critical condition at a North Carolina hospital awaiting an emergency liver transplant. She is the 29-year-old daughter of John Hendrick, one of the 10 people killed in a 2004 plane crash. Also killed in that accident were John Hendrick's twin daughters.

"Heavy hearts and prayers with the boss man and the family," Martin said.

INSIDE GAMES: Jimmie Johnson showed his agitation more than once over his team radio as other drivers -- Juan Pablo Montoya and Clint Bowyer -- nearly got into him on the track.

"There were two times we almost got pinched in the wall (by Montoya)," Johnson said. "Then when Juan and (Tony Stewart) spun, I could see it coming."

Stewart and Montoya had a second run-in on Lap 156. Montoya came back out after repairs were made from his first incident with Stewart and he wrecked Stewart. NASCAR penalized Montoya two laps for rough driving.

Both drivers left the track Sunday night without comment.

BUZZ KILL: Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, was the honorary race chairman.

Neil Armstrong and Aldrin were on Apollo 11's lunar module, which landed on the moon on July 20, 1969.

The 79-year-old Aldrin has made a career of being the second man on the moon.

"First means a lot; second means hardly a (darn) thing," Aldrin said. "I was very adversely affected by the public intention that came after going to the moon."

Contact Dustin Long at 373-7062 or dustin.long@news-record.com