Mark Martin

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Mark Anthony Martin

Born:	January 9, 1959 (1959-01-09) (age 49)
Birthplace:	Batesville, Arkansas
Achievements:	—
Awards:	1977 ASA Rookie of the Year 4-Time ASA Champion (1978, 1979, 1980, 1986) 5-Time IROC Champion (1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005) Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics
Car #, Team	8 - Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
2007 Sprint Cup Position:	27th
Best Cup Position:	2nd - 2002, 1998, 1994, 1990 (Winston Cup)
First Race:	1981 Northwestern Bank 400 (North Wilkesboro)
First Win:	1989 AC Delco 500 (Rockingham)
Last Win:	2005 Banquet 400 (Kansas)
Wins	Top Tens	Poles
35	390	41
NASCAR Nationwide Series Statistics
Car #, Team	5 - JR Motorsports
2007 NNS Position:	55th
Best NNS Position:	8th - 1987
First Race:	1982 Kroger 200 (Indianapolis)
First Win:	1987 Budweiser 200 (Dover)
Last Win:	2008 Sam's Town 300 (Vegas)
Wins	Top Tens	Poles
48	145	30
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Statistics
Car #, Team	21 - Wood Brothers/JTG Racing
2007 NCTS Position:	38th
Best NCTS Position:	19th - 2006
First Race:	1996 Fas Mart Shootout (Richmond)
First Win:	1996 Lowe's 250 (North Wilkesboro)
Last Win:	2006 Ford 200 (Homestead)
Wins	Top Tens	Poles
7	19	3
Statistics current as of June 8, 2008.

Mark Anthony Martin (born January 9, 1959 in Batesville, Arkansas) is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and drives the #8 U.S. Army Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS part-time, and is also a part-time driver in the Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports in parnership with Hendrick Motorsports. Martin is known for his consistency, as he frequently finishes in the top 10. He also qualified for the Chase for the Cup all 3 years he raced full-time during its existence. Mark Martin also currently holds the record for most Nationwide Series wins with 48.

[edit] Career

[edit] Early career

After racing in the short dirt tracks in the state of Arkansas for several years, Martin debuted in the American Speed Association (ASA) in 1977. He won the circuit's Rookie of the Year title in 1977 and then 3 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 5 top 10s, but ran out of money. In 1986, he won yet another ASA championship.

[edit] Roush Racing

In 1987, he gave NASCAR racing another shot by running in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, which was called the Busch Series during this time. After a win at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware, 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 Sprint 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. 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 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 Martin in the #6 AAA Ford Fusion in 2007.

[edit] Ginn Racing / DEI

On October 6, 2006, it was announced that 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 due 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 .02 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 September 8, 2007, it was announced that Martin would share the #8 car with Aric Almirola in the 2008 Sprint Cup Series with sponsorship from the U.S. Army.

Martin made his 700th career start at the 2008 Auto Club 500.

On March 1, 2008, Mark Martin won the 2008 Sams's Town 300 driving the #5 Delphi Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. It was Martin's 48th career Nationwide Series victory and JR Motorsports' 1st win.

[edit] Personal life

Martin currently resides in Batesville, Arkansas in a home overlooking the White River with his wife Arlene and five children (four of whom are from wife Arlene's first marriage). Martin's father, stepmother and stepsister died in a tragic plane crash on August 8, 1998 in Nevada near Great Basin National Park.^[1] Martin enjoys listening to rap music.^[2] Martin is also an avid pilot and flies his Cessna Citation CJ2 to and from races. He also currently owns a car dealership located in Melbourne, Arkansas and another, Mark Martin Ford-Mercury, in Batesville, Arkansas.

[edit] Gallery

Mark Martin's 1989 Winston Cup car during a pit stop at Phoenix.	Martin at Pocono in 1997	Mark Martin's 2006 Nextel Cup car.	Mark Martin's 2007 Nextel Cup car at Texas.
Mark Martin racing the #5 Hendrick Motorsports Busch Series car at the 2007 Ford 300 at Homestead.	2008 racecar

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Mark Martin

• Mark Martin's Official Website
• Mark Martin's NASCAR statistics
• Mark Martin Chevrolet Dealership
• Mark Martin's Driver page at NASCAR.com
• Matt Martin's Official Website (Mark's son)