Having scored top-10 finishes in three of the last four races, Mark Martin and the No. 8 U.S. Army Team will take a week off from the rigors of point racing for Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe's Motor Speedway near Charlotte.

WORTHY NOTE

Martin is one of three active drivers with multiple All-Star wins.

THE ALL-STAR

Starts: 18
Wins: 2
Top 5's: 6
Top 10's: 8
Poles: --
Highest finish: 1st (twice)
First time: 1990 (3rd)
Last time: 2007 (3rd)

LAST YEAR AT THE All-STAR

MAY 19, 2007
Lowe's Motor Speedway
Started 18th, Finished 3rd

Mark Martin took over third place on Lap 66 of 80 and never looked back in Saturday night’s Sprint All-Star Challenge at Lowe’s Motor Speedway near Charlotte.

Martin, who had the fastest car on the track for the majority of the final 14 laps, was able to close in on the leaders while pulling away from the rest of the field.

Martin had a horrible day on Friday, losing an engine in practice and spinning out during the three-lap qualifying session. But after starting the All-Star race 18th, Martin was able to drive to 13th by the end of the first of the four 20-lap segments.

Crew chief Ryan Pemberton opted to keep Martin and the No. 01 Army Chevrolet out on the track after the first segment, while the majority of the field pitted for tires. The move paid off with a net gain of seven positions for Martin, who finished the second segment in sixth position.

Martin restarted segment three in sixth and broke into the top five on Lap 44. He opened the fourth and final segment in fifth place.

A TRUE ALL-STAR

This will be Martin's 19th straight All-Star race. Driving a retro-93 paint scheme, Martin won his second All-Star race in 2005. He won the event formerly known as The Winston in 1998. Martin has posted eight top-10 and six top-four finishes in "The All-Star." He finished third in the event last season.

LOVING LOWE'S

Martin lists Lowe's Motor Speedway as one of his favorite tracks on the circuit, and his results there back up his liking for the 1.5-mile track. In addition to his two wins in the All-Star race, Martin boasts four Cup wins, six Nationwide wins and two IROC victories at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Martin has 10 wins and 30 top-five finishes at LMS in Nationwide and Cup racing.

MARTIN IN 2008

Martin has scored two top-five, four top-10, five top-15 and six top-20 finishes in eight races this season. He has led 69 laps in 2008, one more than he led all of last season.

MAKING A STRONG POINT

Despite running a limited schedule and having missed three of 11 events in 2008, Martin is ranked 26th in the Sprint Cup point standings; ahead of 11 drivers who have competed in more events. In addition, Martin's four top-10 finishes are more than 19 drivers who have taken part in all 11 events. Martin has as many or more top fives than 21 drivers who have competed in every event this season.

CHASING THE OWNER POINTS

While neither Martin nor co-driver Aric Almirola are in contention for a Sprint Cup Driver Championship, the No. 8 U.S. Army team accumulates points each week as with any other team. The No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Inc. Team has tallied five top-10 finishes in 11 events this season and four top-eight runs in the past six races, and is currently 15th in owner points; only 20 points outside of the top 12 and the Chase cutoff point.

QUOTING MARK MARTIN ON ALL-STAR RACE

"The All-Star Race is one of the coolest events of the season. It's a race where all the teams can throw the points out the window and just go for it. I've always enjoyed racing in the event and we've been fortunate enough to come out on top on a couple of occasions. The win in '98 was a huge surprise, because we were running in second and Jeff (Gordon) ran out of gas. The win a couple of years ago was really awesome and one of the highlights of my career. We didn't have the best car in the field that night, but just really let it all hang out and went for it. We were able to get in the lead and we just never gave it up.

"I'm looking forward to racing in it this weekend with this No. 8 U.S. Army Team of DEI. I know they have won it before and I know that we would all like to go back to victory lane there together this Saturday night."

MARK MARTIN - FAST FACTS

Martin will compete in his 19th straight All-Star event.

Martin won the event in 1998 and in 2005.

Martin has posted six top-five and eight top 10s at the All-Star event.

Martin finished third during his first All-Star, in 1990 and third last season.

Martin is one of three active drivers to have won the event twice.

The No. 8 U.S. Army team is only 20 points outside of the top 12 in Sprint Cup Owner Points.

Mark Martin Looks For Third Triumph In Sprint All-Star Race
May 12, 2008

CHARLOTTE – Mark Martin has visited NASCAR Victory Lane an amazing 90 times during his 26-plus year racing career, so it makes sense that he would have a difficult time singling out his favorite memories. However, the veteran driver from Batesville, Ark. will readily admit that his two victories in the Sprint All-Star event rank at the top.

Martin won the 2005 All-Star event driving a 1993 special ‘throw-back’ paint scheme. The win - one of his last in the No. 6 car – made for a special night for Martin and his team. Martin took the lead in the last segment and drove away from the field to claim his second All-Star victory - one of the most fulfilling of his career.

“That was just a great night,” said Martin who will start is 19th consecutive All-Star event this Saturday night and his first behind the wheel of the No. 8 U.S. Army Chevrolet of Dale Earnhardt Inc.

“We were running a throw-back paint scheme from the 1993 season when we won four straight races. We didn’t have the best car that night, but we just wanted it more. We took the lead during the first segment and they inverted the field. We drove back through the field and took the lead again with about 20 to go and just pulled away from the field. It was just one of those special nights where it all came together.

“You race for nights like that and it was a very rewarding win for us.”

Martin’s 1998 victory was a different story, but no less special to the veteran driver.

Martin won the 1998 version All-Star event – then called The Winston – after Jeff Gordon ran out of fuel on the last lap.

“I’d have to say that those wins do rank high on the list,” said Martin. “Sometimes the sweetest victories are the ones that you don’t expect. They say that second place doesn’t pay, but it sure does when the guy leading runs out of gas on the last lap. Jeff (Gordon) ran out of fuel and we passed him and got a very surprising win that day.”

A third All-Star win for Martin would tie him with Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Jeff Gordon for most All-Star victories.

“That would be pretty special,” added Martin. “It is one of the most exciting events of the season. People can just forget about points and all of that stuff and just go for it. That makes it a great show for the fans and it makes it a pretty fun race to drive in. I’m looking forward to getting out there and seeing what we can do.”

In addition to Martin’s wins in 1998 and 2005, the No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Inc. Team boasts a win in the All-Star event in 2000. The pair would like nothing more than to make a return appearance together this weekend at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

“We would love to go in there and win this thing together,” said Martin. “Tony Gibson (crew chief) and these guys have done an outstanding job this season. We’ve had some great race cars and I can’t think of a much better way to Victory Lane than by winning the All-Star Race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.”

Mark Martin Post Race Notes and Quotes - Dodge Challenger 500
GM Racing

MARK MARTIN, NO. 8 U.S. ARMY IMPALA SS -- Finished 16th

"This was a really tough race," said Martin. "But these guys on this U.S. Army team are just incredible. They just don't give up and they got us so many positions on pit road. We were able to just hang in their and bring home a respectable finish.

"You don't always have the fastest car out there and everything doesn't always go perfect. On those nights you just have to dig deep and give it all you have. That is what these guys did tonight and I'm incredibly proud to drive their car each week."

Mark Martin Race Report - Dodge Challenger 500
Martin Battles to 16th-Place Finish at Historic Darlington
DEI

DARLINGTON, S.C. (May 10, 2008) --Mark Martin and the No. 8 U.S. Army team experienced an unidentified power steering issue, but still managed to post a solid 16th-place finish in Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Darlington Raceway.

"This was a really tough race," said Martin. "But these guys on this U.S. Army team are just incredible. They don't give up and got us so many positions on pit road. We were able to hang in there and bring home a respectable finish."

"You don't always have the fastest car out there and everything doesn't always go perfect," added Martin. "On those nights you just have to dig deep and give it all you have. That is what these guys did tonight and I'm incredibly proud to drive their car each week."

The veteran driver, who started 27th, patiently bided his time early in the race as several cars continued to collide with the wall. In the end, Martin's Chevrolet Impala SS was one of only a handful of cars that did not tag the wall and collect the famous Darlington Stripe.

With the help of quick pit work by the Army over-the-wall crew, Martin did run as high as 12th during the 367-lap, 501-mile race.

The No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Inc. team is now 5th in the Sprint Cup owner point standings, just 20 points outside of 12th and the cutoff point for the Chase.

In the driver standings, Martin is ranked 26th, despite only having competed in eight of 11 events. He is ahead of eight drivers who have competed in all 11 races this season.

The No. 8 team will take a week off from point racing for the Sprint All-Star Challenge Saturday night (May 17) at Lowe's Motor Speedway near Charlotte. The next points race is also at Lowe's -- the Coke 600 -- Sunday, May 25.Martin won the All-Star event in both 1998 and 2005 and won the Coke 600 in 2002.

Martin, No. 8 U.S. Army Team Driving Point Home
Veteran Driver Strong as ever in 'part-time' role with Dale Earnhardt Inc.
DEI

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (May 7, 2008) -- Fresh off the strength of back-to-back top-five finishes at Phoenix and Richmond, Mark Martin has helped lead the No. 8 U.S. Army Team to a 14th-place position in the Sprint Cup owner points -- only 31 points outside of the top 12.

The top 12 is the cutoff point for teams eligible for the Chase for the Sprint Cup title. The recent strength of the No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Inc. team could very likely create an interesting scenario that would see the No. 8 Team with Martin and co-driver Aric Almirola run for an Owner's Championship come September.

Martin had realistic opportunities to win each of the last two Cup races, while Almirola finished eighth in his debut in the No. 8 at Bristol in March and ran inside the top 10 at both Martinsville - where he qualified third - and Talladega, before running into trouble.

"This is a really good race team," said Martin of his No. 8 U.S. Army Team. "These guys are a group of really dedicated racers who want to win. They aren't worried about all of the problems that could stand in the way. They aren't worried about which driver is in the car or the problems it might present. These guys are worried about winning races and running up front.

"Tony Gibson (crew chief) and these guys want to win races and we have a common goal of running up front and being competitive. It's an honor to drive this team's race cars and I look forward to getting in the No. 8 Chevrolet each week."

Martin's third place finish at Richmond last weekend was not only is best in the No. 8 car, but his best in over a year. It also marked the first time that Martin has finished inside the top five in consecutive races since the beginning of 2007, a feat that the No. 8 team only accomplished only once last season.

A top-five finish this weekend at Darlington would mark the first time Martin has posted three straight top-fives since the beginning of 2007, and the first time the No. 8 team of Dale Earnhardt Inc. has posted three consecutive top-five finishes since April, 2004.

In addition to the No. 8's impressive standing in the points, Martin is ranked 28th in driver points, despite having missed three of 10 events in 2008. Martin is ahead of nine drivers who have competed in more races in 2008. He has more top-10 finishes (4) than 19 drivers how have raced in all 10 events, and his two top five finishes are more than 21 of the drivers who have raced in every Sprint Cup race this season.

Martin and the No. 8 U.S. Army team will look to continue their success when they roll into historic Darlington (S.C.) Raceway this weekend, where Martin won the famed Southern 500 in 1993 and has totaled 16 top-five finishes and 25 top 10s. In addition, Martin is the track's most successful driver in the Nationwide Series, where he has accumulated a track-high eight wins.

Mark Martin Racing Preview - Dodge Challenger 500 (Sprint)
DEI

MARTIN LOOKS TO TAME THE 'LADY' ONCE MORE

Mark Martin and the No. 8 U.S. Army/Dale Earnhardt Inc. Team race into Darlington on the heels of back-to-back top-five finishes at Phoenix and Richmond, with Martin having scored top-10 finishes in three straight races. They will aim to continue that trend this weekend, as they look to make their return to victory lane at historic Darlington Raceway.

WORTHY NOTE

Martin finished seventh in his first career Cup race at Darlington in 1982.

MARTIN AT DARLINGTON

This will be Martin's 42nd career Cup start at Darlington Raceway, where his 16 top-five and 25 top-10 finishes are the most among active drivers and second most ever. Martin has finished inside the top 10 in 62 percent of his races at the 'Lady in Black', and he has finished eighth or better in five of his last seven and in the top five in three of the last seven. He will be looking for his fifth top-10 in the last six races at Darlington this weekend, where he made his first start on April 4, 1982, finishing seventh. He won the famed Southern 500 there in September, 1993; his only Cup win at the track. His eight Nationwide wins at Darlington are a track record, setting him as one of the most successful drivers in the track's famed history.

Starts: 41 (21)
Wins: 1 (-)
Top 5’s: 16 (10)
Top 10’s: 25 (17)
Poles: 2 (2)
Highest finish: 1st (9-’93)
First time: 4/482 (7th)
Last time: 5/13/07 (12th)

LAST YEAR AT DARLINGTON

May 13, 2007
Started 37th, Finished 14th

Darlington is known as the track 'Too Tough to Tame’ and Mark Martin and the U.S. Army Racing Team spent much of the day battling the track and its inaugural race with the Car of Tomorrow.

Martin and the team struggled the entire weekend with the car, qualifying 37th and turning lap times in the low 30’s during happy hour. The team never gave up however, continuing to work with the setup throughout the weekend.

Persistent rainfall on Saturday night forced NASCAR to run on Mother’s Day for the first time since 1986. Having changed the setup after happy hour, Martin and the team were unsure going into the race on Sunday, but Martin wasted little time moving through the field.

Starting 37th, the veteran powered his No. 01 U.S. Army Chevy into the top 30 by lap 33. He broke inside the top 25 on lap 48 and passed former teammate Matt Kenseth on lap 80 for the 20th position. Martin moved all the way to 15th by lap 96 and he would run inside the top 15 for the majority of the race from that point on.

HE'S BAD, HE'S NATIONWIDE

Martin's history at Darlington in the Nationwide Series is virtually untouchable. He has won a record eight Nationwide races at the 'Lady in Black', where he has a track record 14 top five and 18 top-10 finishes in 28 Nationwide starts. Martin will run this weekend in the Nationwide Series in the No. 5 Chevrolet. He won his last Nationwide race in the No. 5 at Las Vegas.

ON A ROLL

Martin's top-five finish at Richmond marked the first time he has posted back-to-back top fives since the second race of 2007. It is also the first time he has finished in the top 10 in three straight since the start of the 2007 season.

MAKING A STRONG POINT

Despite running a limited schedule and having missed three of 10 events in 2008, Martin is ranked 28th in the Sprint Cup point standings; ahead of nine drivers who have competed in more events. In addition, Martin's four top-10 finishes are more than 19 drivers who have taken part in all 10 events. Martin has more top fives than 21 drivers who have run all 10 events. Martin and Aric Almirola have the No. 8 Team in 14th in the Owner Standings, just 31 points outside of the top 12.

OWNER'S POINTS

Martin and Aric Almirola have the No. 8 Team in 14th in the Owner Standings, just 31 points outside of the top 12 and the cutoff point for the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

MARK QUOTES ON DARLINGTON

"Darlington is a cool track that I've always liked. I ran second there to Dale Earnhardt twice in '89 and '90 and finally won in '93. Sometimes I think that people seem to forget that I won a Southern 500. I've had a lot of success at Darlington and an enormous amount of Nationwide wins. The place brings back some great memories of some great battles. Actually the win in '93 was four Cup wins in a row and that was a big deal.

"It's a jagged oval. It's not a smooth radius turn. The wall goes in and out and in and out. Your line is as smooth as anywhere else, but the track's all over the place. You go from touching the apron to touching the wall and you've never even changed directions. It's really narrow and banked a lot. The cars go really fast and the track goes everywhere so it's always a challenge. Plus, they have repaved it this year and that always makes for a new challenge. It won't be the same old Darlington, but I'm sure it will have hints of it."

MARK MARTIN - FAST FACTS - DARLINGTON

Martin’s 25 top-10 and 16 top-five finishes are the most of any active driver at Darlington.

Martin won the famed Southern 500 at Darlington in September, 1993.

Martin has finished inside the top-eight in five of the last seven races at Darlington.

Martin has finished inside the top-five in three of the last seven at Darlington and he has posted three top 10s in the last four races.

Martin’s eight Nationwide wins at Darlington are a track record. He’ll run this weekend’s Nationwide race for Hendrick Motorsports in the No. 5 Chevy.

Mark Martin Race Preview - Diamond Hill Plywood 200 (Nationwide)
JR Motorsports

MARTIN AT DARLINGTON

In 28 NASCAR Nationwide Series career starts at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, Mark Martin has recorded eight wins, eight pole positions, 14 top-five finishes (50 percent of the time) and 18 top-10s (64.3 percent). He has led a total of 575 laps and has an average start of 8.1 and an average finish of 14.3.

DARLINGTON SUCCESS

Martin, driver of the No. 5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, has won three of his last five Nationwide Series races at the 1.366-mile South Carolina oval, including two victories from the pole in 2000. Most recently, he started 26th and finished second at Darlington in May 2007 driving the No. 5 Chevy.

IN THE SERIES

Martin, who ran his first full season in 1987, is the winningest driver in the Nationwide Series with 48 wins. In 226 races, Martin also has recorded 30 poles, 108 top-five finishes and 145 top-10s. His average start is 10.2, and his average finish is 12.3. In a 2006 NASCAR poll of both fans and media, Martin ranked No. 1 among the "25 Greatest NASCAR Nationwide Series Drivers." Martin made his debut in the series on Aug. 13, 1982.

JR MOTORSPORTS' FIRST WIN

Martin won during his last outing in the No. 5 Chevrolet, which was March 1 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He led 81 laps en route to giving JR Motorsports its first win.

NATIONWIDE LINEUP

This weekend marks the second of five times this season that Martin will pilot the No. 5 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. Martin's next race will be Aug. 16 in the No. 5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet at Michigan International Speedway. Martin also will drive the No. 5 Chevy at Kansas Speedway on Sept. 27 and at Texas Motor Speedway on Nov. 1.

JR MOTORSPORTS CHASSIS

Crew chief Chad Walter has chosen JR Motorsports Chassis No. 473 for this weekend's Nationwide Series race at Darlington. This is the same Chevrolet that Martin won with in early March at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Martin led 81 of 202 laps at the 1.5-mile oval. Dale Earnhardt Jr. also drove this car at Texas Motor Speedway on April 5. Earnhardt finished the race seventh.

UP NEXT FOR THE NO. 5

Jimmie Johnson will pilot the No. 5 Lowe's Chevrolet on May 24 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, and rookie Landon Cassill will be behind the wheel of the No. 5 National Guard Chevrolet on May 31 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.

MARK MARTIN, DRIVER OF THE NO. 5 GODADDY.COM CHEVROLET (ON HIS NATIONWIDE SERIES SUCCESS AT DARLINGTON)

"We've had a great deal of success at Darlington over the years and a whole lot in the Nationwide Series. It's a place where you have to figure out how to go fast into the corner, and it's all about who can stay on the gas and hang on the longest. Managing your tires has also been important, and that is something that I've been pretty good at there as well."

MARTIN (ON DARLINGTON'S NEW TRACK SURFACE)

"As far as the new pavement, I think it will still make for great racing. It probably won't be the same old Darlington that we are used to, but it will have shades of the old Darlington. I can remember when we had new pavement there before sometime in the mid '90s and it was different then as well. It's better with the worn out pavement in a lot of ways. It's easier to pass, and I think a lot of fun, but it was ready for a new dress and it got it."

MARTIN (ON DRIVING THE NO. 5 GODADDY.COM CHEVROLET FOR JR MOTORSPORTS AT DARLINGTON)

"We had a blast in that last race and winning at Las Vegas in that No. 5 meant a lot to me. We'll have the same outlook this weekend, to win. We almost pulled if off last year at Darlington and we'll look to finish the deal this time around."

Mark Martin 2008 Schedule
DEI
January 7, 2008

Martin, Dale Earnhardt Inc. Announce 2008 Sprint Cup Schedule; Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600 and Brickyard 400 highlight Martin's 26-event schedule.

Mooresville, N.C. (Jan. 7, 2008) -- Mark Martin will race in 26 Sprint Cup events in 2008, including 24 point races and two non-point events. Martin will kick off the 2008 season and his tenure in the No. 8 U.S. Army/Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolet with his record-extending 20th-consecutive Budweiser Shootout. Highlights of Martin's 2008 schedule include the 50th running of the Daytona 500, the Coca-Cola 600, Brickyard 400 and Sprint Cup All-Star event.

Martin will share the No. 8 ride with rookie Aric Almirola, who will run the remaining 12 events in the car. Martin will enter in the first four point races of the season before handing the wheel over to Almirola at Bristol (March 16) and Martinsville (March 30).

"I think it's going to be an exciting season," said Martin, who will enter his 26th year of Cup racing. "I'm so excited to be behind the wheel of the No. 8 U.S. Army Chevrolet and to be working with Tony Gibson (crew chief) and the No. 8 Team. It's an incredible honor to drive the No. 8 car for Dale Earnhardt Inc. and we are excited about moving into the season.

"Those guys on this team really had some fast cars a year ago, and we are looking to build on that. Our goal is to be competitive and race up front this season."

Martin will compete in both the Budweiser Shootout and Daytona 500 before making his 700th career start at California Speedway in February.

Martin has combined for 156 top-five, 246 top-10s and 21 wins at the 16 tracks that make up his 2008 schedule. In addition, he has one win in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona (1999) and two wins in the Nextel All-Star Challenge (1998 and 2005).

MARK MARTIN'S 2008 SPRINT CUP SCHEDULE