Mark Martin: Difference between revisions
5th at Charlotte |
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Best_Cup_Pos = 2nd - [[2002]], [[1998]], [[1994]], [[1990]] (Winston Cup) | |
Best_Cup_Pos = 2nd - [[2002]], [[1998]], [[1994]], [[1990]] (Winston Cup) | |
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Wins = 35 | |
Wins = 35 | |
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Top_Tens = |
Top_Tens = 356 | |
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Poles = 41 | |
Poles = 41 | |
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First_Race = [[1981]] [[Northwestern Bank 400]] ([[North Wilkesboro Speedway|North Wilkesboro]]) | |
First_Race = [[1981]] [[Northwestern Bank 400]] ([[North Wilkesboro Speedway|North Wilkesboro]]) | |
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Named one of [[NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers]] ([[1998]])| |
Named one of [[NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers]] ([[1998]])| |
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Updated_On = [[October |
Updated_On = [[October 15]], [[2005]] | |
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Revision as of 21:07, 27 October 2005
Template:NASCAR current driver
Mark Martin (born January 9, 1959) in Batesville, Arkansas is a stock car racing driver for the Roush Racing team in NASCAR's Nextel Cup series.
Career
Martin has always been known as a "racer's racer". This basically means that he is willing to race any kind of vehicle in any kind of conditions anywhere in the world...and he usually wins.
Right now, Martin is sitting in the current Chase For The Nextel Cup point standings in 5th after finishing a top 5 at the Lowes Motor Speedway last week (as of October 21st). The believed he was out of contention, but a win at Kansas bumped him well back into the race for the championship. He is believed to be ready mentally and physically for the race at Martinsville this weekend.
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 Winston Cup career in 1981. After bouncing around 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.
In 1987, he gave NASCAR racing another shot by running in the Busch Series. After a win in Dover, Delaware, he was spotted by car owner Jack Roush. In 1988, Martin began a long relationship with Roush that continues to this day.
Overall, he has 35 career NASCAR wins and is currently the driver of the Viagra-sponsored #6 Ford car. Martin has finished second in the Winston Cup point standings four times (1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002), and has achieved a record 60 victories in the Busch Series. His sponsors have included Stroh Beer, Folgers coffee, Kraft and Valvoline motor oil. He may retire from driving in the Nextel Cup at the end of the 2005 season; he is calling this season "Salute to You", as a sort of "thank you" to his fans. However, seeing as how his potential replacement in the 6-car (Jamie McMurray) is under contract with Chip Ganassi Racing until the end of 2006, Martin may continue on full time in the Nextel Cup circuit in the Roush car that he's made famous. The possible sponsor for next year's Number 6 Roush Racing Ford has yet to be announced, but the team will run the Ford Fusion in 2006.
Martin has also won 5 IROC titles (1994, 1996, 1997 1998 and 2005) in addition to 13 races, both records for that series.
Personal Life
Martin is married to Arlene and has 5 children: Amy, Rachel, Heather, Stacy, and Matt, who is also a race car driver.
References
Much of the stastical information from this article is culled from the Mark Martin Official Website. However, the words are the author's own.