Mark Martin: will he just keep on racing?
On Sept. 8, 2007, it was announced that Mark would share the #8 car with Aric Almirola in the 2008 Sprint Cup Series with sponsorship from the U.S. Army.
Independent Contractor
3/11/2008
After racing in the short dirt tracks in the state of Arkansas for several years, Mark Martin debuted in the American Speed Association (ASA) in 1977.
He won the circuit's Rookie of the Year title in 1977 and then three consecutive championships from 1978 to 1980.
Martin began his Cup career in 1981. After bouncing about with different sponsors and teams from 1981 to 1983, he returned to ASA in 1984. In his only full year in Cup during this period, he ran his own team and even had five top 10s, but ran out of money. In 1986, he won yet another ASA championship.
In 1987, Martin gave NASCAR racing another shot by running in the NASCAR Busch Series. After a win in Dover, Del., he was spotted by car owner Jack Roush. In 1988, Martin began a long relationship with Roush that continued for 19 years.
Overall, Martin has 35 career NASCAR Cup wins and has finished second in the Nextel Cup Series point standings four times (1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002).
However, after 19 years of racing for Jack Roush, he has never been able to capture the championship, though this is not from a lack of effort. He has also achieved a record 47 victories in the NASCAR Busch Series. In 1990, a 46-point penalty at Richmond for using an illegal (but non-performance enhancing) carburetor spacer caused him to lose to Dale Earnhardt by 26 points in the final standings.
Martin has also won five IROC titles (1994, 1996, 1997 1998 and 2005) in addition to 13 races, both records for that series.
Martin announced he would retire after the 2005 season, dubbing the season the "Salute to You" tour as a thank you to his fans. After series champion Kurt Busch suddenly opted to leave the Roush Racing organization, Roush didn't have another driver lined up for 2006. Martin ultimately opted to run one more season at the request of Roush.
In June 2005, it was announced that Jamie McMurray would replace Mark Martin in the #6 car in 2007. This left Roush without a driver for that car in 2006. Martin later agreed to drive for the 2006 season. Ultimately, it was announced that McMurray would be released from his contract and would take over for Kurt Busch instead in car #26 (formerly #97), and David Ragan would replace Mark Martin in the #6 AAA Ford Fusion in 2007.
On Oct. 6, 2006, it was announced that Mark Martin would instead split time with current Busch Series driver Regan Smith in the Ginn Racing #01 U.S. Army Chevrolet in 2007. Roush Racing announced that because of to team limits imposed by NASCAR, they could not field a team for Martin for all 20 races he wanted to run in 2007, forcing Martin to move on, at least in the Nextel Cup Series.
However, Martin drove two races for Roush Fenway Racing in the Busch Series, and also drove in three races for Hendrick Motorsports, sharing the #5 with Kyle Busch.
Martin finished second in the 2007 Daytona 500, only two-tenths seconds behind Kevin Harvick. Martin had led going into the final lap before Harvick stormed from eighth to win on the outside. There has been much controversy over whether or not the caution flag should have came out, which could have affected the outcome of the race.
Normally, the caution flag is shown as soon as a car or more make contact with the wall.
2007 was Martin's first season to start with three consecutive top-five finishes. It is also the first time he has had three consecutive top-five finishes since 2002. Martin is also the oldest driver in the modern era to lead the Nextel Cup points for more than one week. Martin led the Nextel Cup points from the second race of the season, the Auto Club 500, through the fourth race of the season, the Kobalt Tools 500. Martin sat out the Food City 500, becoming the first driver since Cale Yarborough to sit out a race as the points leader.
On July 25, 2007, Dale Earnhardt Inc. announced it had acquired Ginn Racing.
Mark Martin would join Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Martin Truex, Jr., and Paul Menard as a driver for DEI starting at the 2007 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. He would share the #01 car with Aric Almirola for the rest of the season.
On Sept. 8, 2007, it was announced that Mark would share the #8 car with Aric Almirola in the 2008 Sprint Cup Series with sponsorship from the U.S. Army and he keeps on racin’!
Here’s a capsule of his career:
1977 ASA Rookie of the Year
Four-time ASA Champion (1978, 1979, 1980, 1986)
Five-time IROC Champion (1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005)
Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998)
For more information on Martin and his career, click here.