2006 Season Articles - June
2006 Season Articles - June
Mark Martin - Starts 7th, Finishes 9thStewart Wins Daytona Road Course IROC Race
By Jenna Fryer
AP Auto Racing Writer
June 30, 2006DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Tony Stewart proved he knows his way around every inch of Daytona International Speedway by winning the International Race of Champions event on the road course Thursday night.
Stewart, who has seven career victories on the superspeedway, started 11th but wasted no time working his way through the 12-car field. He was third after the first full lap, and took the lead on the fourth lap.
"The guys told us to watch out for the first corner because of cold brakes," he said. "So we just lifted early and everybody starting wrecking. We were fourth, and then got up to third, and just kind of worked our way forward after that."
It put him out front and away from all the spins behind him from drivers not accustomed to road courses. This was the first road course race for the IROC Series since Rusty Wallace won at Watkins Glen in 1991.
Stewart had several challenges from open-wheel racer Max Papis, who was the only driver who could keep up with him. But Papis never mounted a serious passing attempt, allowing Stewart to win his fourth career IROC race - second this year - and move him on top of the points standings.
"It's awesome, it was just an awesome day," Stewart said. "I got five laps of practice, and I guess that was enough."
Papis was second and said he never had a clear shot at Stewart.
"I tried really hard, but I don't think I had the speed to beat Tony Stewart," Papis said. "Overall, I am pretty proud because to finish second to a two-time NASCAR champion is not bad."
Ryan Newman was third and Indy Racing League drivers Scott Sharp and Sam Hornish Jr. rounded out the top five.
Martin Truex Jr. was sixth and was followed by Max Angelelli, who was competing just 30 minutes after he teamed with Wayne Taylor to place fourth in the Grand Am race.
Frank Kimmel was eighth and was followed by Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth, who came into the race as the points leader, but had an early spin and finished 10th.
Steve Kinser and Ted Musgrave completed the field.
Stewart now holds a 15-point lead over Kenseth, and Papis and Newman are tied for third.
"Decent day for us, I don't know where we stand in the points, but I think we're one of four cars that probably has a shot for the championship," Newman said.
The fourth and final race of the IROC series will be run at Atlanta Motor Speedway in October. The overall champion earns a $1 million payout from Crown Royal, the series title sponsor.
Mark Martin Q&A
Ford Racing: News
June 30, 2006Mark Martin, driver of the No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion, is fourth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series point standings and is only eight points out of third. He spoke about the weekend before Friday’s first practice session.
MARK MARTIN – No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS WEEKEND?
“I’m feeling pretty good. I’ve got a pretty good team here with these AAA guys and we’re off to a pretty good start.”
HOW DO YOU LIKE THIS PLACE?
“It’s all right. I’ve got some that I like better and I’ve got some that I don’t like as much. It is home for me. I’ve had some good races here and have some really great memories, but then I’ve had some really big disappointments here.”
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THESE NEXT 10 RACES AND THE CHASE?
“The next 10 are important, but the first 10 make the next 10 more important. If you did the right things in the first 10, then there wouldn’t be any real stress in the last 10. There are 26 races and it’s an accumulation. It doesn’t matter which race you do good in or which race you do bad in, if you do an overall good job and you have some good luck, then you should be there.”
ARE YOU SURE YOU DON’T WANT TO RE-THINK YOUR DEAL FOR NEXT YEAR? “I’m not thinking about it.” ARE YOU GLAD HOW IT WORKED OUT NOW?
“I couldn’t tell you what my life would be like if all I was doing was the Craftsman Truck Series. I don’t know. I’ve had a really, really good relationship with AAA and had the opportunity to work on teen driver safety and other traffic safety issues that are important to me. I’ve driven some great race cars and we’re halfway through it. I couldn’t tell you what I might do in 2007 for sure.”
DO YOU THINK ABOUT AS GOOD AS THINGS ARE GOING THAT THEY COULD TURN BAD FAST?
“I’ve known that all along. We’re not secure. We’ve got to continue to have good runs and we’ve got to have great performances. We’ve had that most of the year, but we haven’t had it every race. We’ve got to continue to have great performances if we’re gonna make it.”
2006 Mark Martin Track Notes - Saturday - July 1, 2006
Pepsi 400 / Daytona International Speedway
No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion
June 29, 2006DRIVER: Mark Martin
TEAM: No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion
OWNER: Jack Roush
CREW CHIEF: Pat Tryson
AAA Team Roster THE CAR
Chassis: RK-284 Last ran in Feb. Daytona 500, where it led 18 laps and finished 12th.
MARK MARTIN - FAST FACTS - DAYTONA
- Mark Martin has two wins in the IROC series and a Bud Shootout victory at Daytona.
- Martin has finished inside the top six in five of his last nine races at Daytona.
- Martin has finished inside the top-10 in 15 of his last 29 at Daytona and seven of his last 14 Pepsi 400's.
- Martin has nine top five and 15 top-10 finishes in 42 starts at DIS.
- Martin has finished in the top-10 in 54 percent of his 74 restrictor -plate races.
- Martin's 34 top-10 finishes in restrictor plate races are the most ever.
- Martin is one of six drivers to have completed in all 74 restrictor-plate races.
QUOTING MARK MARTIN AND CREW CHIEF PAT TRYSON ON DAYTONA
Mark Martin:
"We haven't had a lot of luck at Daytona. It's actually been pretty rough on us over the years. We've had some really fast cars there in recent years, but we've gotten caught up in some accidents and we've had some other stuff go on that wasn't necessarily in your control. Everyone knows that I'm not a huge fan of restrictor-place racing in general, but we have had some good cars. Hopefully we can build on that, go there and stay out of trouble and bring home a descent finish, before we head to Chicago where we'll be doing a little more of what we like to do.
"We didn't have the best car at Sonoma, but the team just dug down and worked hard and we were really able to dodge a bullet there. We came out with a solid finish and we actually gained a spot in the points on a day when it could have been much worse for us. I think that says a lot about the determination of this team. Now we'll turn our attention to Daytona and hope that we are lucky enough to finish the race and stay out of the wrecks."
Pat Tryson:
"We've actually had pretty good cars at Daytona the last few years. We are taking the same car that we ran there in February when we were really strong and Mark was able to drive to the front of the field and lead the race. We had a mishap in the pits that cost us on the finish, but we were pretty strong there and hopefully we'll be able to pick back up where we left off. If we can stay out of trouble then we should be pretty competitive this on Saturday."
Martin Runs to 13th-Place Finish at Sonoma
Mark Martin and the #6 AAA Racing Team
Infineon Raceway/June 25, 2006SONOMA, CA. – Mark Martin and the No. 6 AAA Race Team ran to a 13th-place finish in Sunday’s Dodge Save/Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway. The team battled a slow car for virtually the entire weekend at the 1.99-mile road course, but was able to qualify eighth on Friday and bring home the top-15 finish. The finish moved Martin up one space to fourth in the Nextel Cup point standing, 321 points behind first and only eighth points out of third.
“That was probably one of the worst road course cars that we’ve ever had,” said Martin. “We came a long way with it and the team was able to make it better, but it was just never fast enough. Still, we hung in there and the AAA Team never gave up and kept fighting and we got a solid finish out of it and we were really able to dodge a bullet.
Martin struggled with the car’s handling and speed during Friday’s practice session, but he was still able to turn a fast lap during the qualifying session and started the race eighth. He moved up to sixth early on and ran inside the top 10 for the first 68 laps of the 110 lap event. Martin had put his No. 6 Fusion in eighth when the team came down pit road for the second time of the day, under green, on lap 68. The AAA crew fired off a 13.8-second stop and Martin went back out in 18th place, as different cars were on various pit cycles.
He moved back inside the top-15 on lap 76, where he would run for the remainder of the race. Martin drove his way to 12th place on lap 83, but several late cautions would hurt the team’s chances of a top 10 finish, as it would allow several teams on different cycles to stay out on fuel and maintain their track positions.
“We said going in that we had a 20 to 25th place car,” said Martin. “And I said that if we could get a top15 out of it that I would be ecstatic and we were able to do better than that and we’ll take that and move on to next week and Daytona. It was a decent points day and we were able to survive on a day where our car was just a little off. Pat Tryson and the team did a great job and I’m proud of them for the effort.”
The finish was Martin’s 13th top-15 in 16 races this season. The team will return to action next week at Daytona International Speedway in Saturday night’s Pepsi 400.
Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Mich., based Roush Enterprises which operates 14 motorsports teams; five in NASCAR Nextel Cup with drivers Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, six in the Busch Series with Martin, Kenseth, Biffle, Edwards, Todd Kluever and Danny O'Quinn, Jr., and two in the Craftsman Truck Series with Martin, David Ragan, Michel Jourdain, Jr. and Erik Darnell.
Mark Martin: Let Me Ride!
By Lacey S. Banis
VIBE.com
June 26, 2006It’s a somewhat modern-day Shakespearean story. On one side is a 47 year-old NASCAR driver from the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, whose sport has been seemingly mired in its Confederate roots. On the other, a 26 year-old rapper from the Bronx, signed to Kid Capri’s No Kid’N label and primed to make a name for himself in a genre that would sooner relive the height of the East Coast vs. West Coast battle.
Their respective fans may not understand the foray into uncharted territory (minus the 2004 pairing of Nelly and Tim McGraw), but to Mark Martin and Budda Early, the time has come to add more color trackside.
Comment The result of this unique teaming is an aptly titled rap anthem, “Start Your Engines.” Calling the track a farewell gift to Martin in his final season, it jump-starts with a revving engine and ends in true NASCAR tradition with a sample from Martin thanking his fans and sponsors.
With fair skin and softly weathered lines - courtesy of not only time, but also G-force - that bump draft his crow’s feet when he smiles, Martin looks like anything but your typical hip hop fan. “Everybody makes fun of me because I’m 47 and I listen to that stuff, “ Martin says in his southern drawl, “but I like to hear the stories that they tell.”
In fact, Martin listens so well that when Budda and his producers took the song to him for the first time, he says he didn’t need to read the lyrics to point out an error. Budda mistakenly wrote “the only driver with four IROC titles,” but as Martin told him with pride, “It’s five.” And whether it’s because Martin’s a race legend or because Budda is especially driven, it now sounds like Budda hits the “five” especially hard.
“That’s one of my most proud accomplishments. It’s very hard to do, and to someone who doesn’t know about my career, it’s what my life’s been about for the last 30 years or so,” relays Martin.
For his part, Budda was roped into the project by Derrick Garrett and Kevin Dent, owners of Round House Multimedia. Knowing Martin’s affinity for the genre, the partners approached Roush Racing Chief Diversity Officer, Sam Belnavis, about creating the track. Likely seeing the potential to appeal to a crowd that listens to more than Lynyrd Skynyrd, Belnavis had Martin listen to the first half of the song with successful results. “Mark absolutely loved it,” says Garrett, “We had to make some changes here and there, but Mark loved it from the gate.”
Though he’s not a huge race fan, Budda didn’t let that hinder his lyrical abilities. After doing a “little” research, Budda was able to knock out the 2:39 ode to Martin’s 30-plus year career within a couple of hours. “I pretty much summed up what [Martin’s] been doing out there so his fans should love it, and I still kept it real for the hip hop side.”
Real is good for Martin, who was introduced to rap by way of Eminem’s Slim Shady LP. “With Em, if you listen to each one of his songs, there are powerful messages,” he says. From Eminem, Martin naturally turned to Dr. Dre and calls The Chronic his favorite album. “It’d be cool to meet Dre someday,” Martin says, adding that he’s also a “big fan” of Snoop. “I admire those guys. They’ve done great things.”
With his old school taste, one might wonder if Martin minded having an upstart spit his life story, but he insists he wouldn’t change a thing about the track. When pressed, though, Martin does admit that if Budda hadn’t been chosen, his dream rappers would’ve been Bubba Sparxxx or who? Mike Jones! “To me, their styles are sort of similar,” Martin laughs, “Of course maybe I don’t know what I’m hearing.” He goes on to reveal that he would probably pick Sparxxx largely because the Georgia rapper had called him once. “Bubba read somewhere that I liked him, so he called. He actually left me a message that said, ‘Wow, I can’t believe you know who I am.’ It was kind of cool.”
It’s this excitement that NASCAR’s betting on to help fuel the diversity initiative in a sport that needs to attract more minorities if it ever hopes to topple the NFL in popularity. On the other hand, with NASCAR licensed retail sales totaling upwards of $2 billion, there isn’t anyone – regardless of shade – who wouldn’t want a grip on that wheel. Their only obstacle may be the monochrome faces beneath the helmets and in the stands.
While the solution to this dilemma cannot solely be found with “Start Your Engines,” it’s definitely a move in the right direction. And with Martin behind the wheel and Budda riding shot gun, the results are bound to be less tragic than Shakespeare, though Martin did say, laughing, “I wouldn’t mind running around with rappers, but I’m not really into getting shot or stabbed.”
To thine own self be true.
Mark Martin Post Qualifying Notes and Quotes - Infineon
Ford Racing: News
June 25, 2006MARK MARTIN – No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion (Qualified 8th)
“It’s just pathetic. We have just been horrible. I can’t believe that we ran that fast. I’m really thrilled with that. I thought we were gonna qualify about 20th or so. That will give us a decent starting spot, but we’re in big, big trouble unless we find out why this thing is so evil. We’ve got an hour and a half tomorrow. I hope we figure it out. I haven’t been able to help them at all today. I felt really bad. I haven’t been able to tell them how to make it better for me. The thing is just out of control. I wish I could tell them what it needs. We’ve got to get it tightened up, but we’ve got to get it turning too. That’s a hard thing to do and pick up about a second a lap on top of that. We’ve got our work cut out for us.”
Mark Martin Q&A
Ford Racing: News
June 25, 2006Mark Martin, driver of the No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion, is fifth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series point standings going into this weekend’s race. Martin, who won this race in 1997, spoke about the challenges road course racing offers prior to practice on Friday.
MARK MARTIN – No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion
HAVE THERE BEEN MORE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS FOR ROAD COURSES THAN OVALS OVER THE YEARS?
“I don’t think more than ovals. I never did heel and toe downshift anyway, even before we did Jerichos (transmission). I downshifted the same way I do now, so that hasn’t changed for me. Technically speaking I think it’s about the same as the ovals as far as the advancements. There have been a lot of advancements in shock technology and things, but we’ve seen that everywhere.”
HOW WILL THE HEAT TREAT YOU GUYS INSIDE THE CAR THIS WEEKEND?
“It won’t be nice to them and it won’t be nice to us either. It’s been hot out here before and made for a really tough race, especially if the red flag it, which I hope we don’t have. That’s the worst. It’s brutal for the drivers if they red flag it.”
THERE ARE ONLY FOUR GUYS IN THIS RACE WHO HAVE EVER WON IT BEFORE. WHAT MAKES A GOOD ROAD RACER?
“I grew up in Arkansas driving on the dirt roads – hilly and turning dirt roads – the same thing as this – and I did a lot of driving as fast as I could go and stay out of the ditch. That’s all I do here. It’s the same thing.”
YOU DO A LOT WITH AAA AND TEEN SAFETY.
“Yeah, not only the teen driving safety program but also child like safety seats and stuff like that – child passenger safety as well. We’re working on that quite a bit and I’m really pleased and excited to be working on something so important. It’s probably been the highlight of 2006 for me and I’m having a lot of fun with it.”
IT DOESN’T SEEM LIKE KIDS HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE SAME TYPE OF TRAINING AS YEARS AGO, DO YOU AGREE?
“I don’t know if I agree with that. I think it’s a lot tougher today than it used to be to get a driver’s license. They have the graduated driver’s license now and they’re working more on that in more states to restrict teens, curfews and the number of teens that can be in a car – those kind of things. It’s all real important work.”
HALF OF THE TOP 16 DRIVERS ARE FROM WESTERN STATES. WHY IS THAT?
“Because they’re good. The best are working their way into the series no matter where they’re front. The best are working their way in.”
ARE THERE PEOPLE WHO ARE BEAT BEFORE THEY GET THROUGH THE GATES HERE TO A DEGREE?
“Not me (laughing). I don’t know. Attitude does have a little bit to do with it, but some of these guys that don’t have the best attitude if they climbed in the best car, their attitude would change. So, yeah, attitude from a driver will make a difference. Attitude from a team will make a difference. At the end of the day, there are very few that can carry a poor driver or a poor car to a great finish here or a great showing, so it really takes all of that. But a good car will do wonders for a guy’s confidence.”
WHEN YOU’VE GOT A GOOD CAR IS THE HARDEST THING HERE TO STAY PATIENT AND NOT TRY TO GO TOO HARD TOO FAST?
“I think more than that even is know your limits. On an oval knowing your limits is sort of confined. There is only so much in that area. Here there is everywhere. Knowing your limits on braking, knowing your limits on downshifting, knowing your limits on every part of the course, knowing your limits on how far you can stick a tire off the course and not get in trouble. There are so many more opportunities to mess your weekend up here than there are at an oval, so I think it’s even more in knowing your limitations than it is patience, but it does take a great amount of patience as well.”
HERE THERE AREN’T A LOT OF PLACES TO REST.
“And every place is different on the race track at a lot of turns because you don’t make that turn as many times, you don’t make as many laps. You do turn one at Pocono every lap and you do it for a lap. It takes longer and you do less laps here and you have a dozen different turns to mess with that do different things, so the window of opportunity for messing up is greater here and bigger here.”
IN 10 WEEKS THE CHASE STARTS. WHAT ARE YOU DOING AS A TEAM TO TRY AND GET SOME MOMENTUM?
“We’re just trying to get our pit stops strong on pit road and keep our race car sharp.”
ARE YOU DOING ANYTHING DIFFERENT THAN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS TO WIN THE TITLE?
“No, we tried as hard as we could then and we’re still trying as hard as we can. That’s all you can do is try as hard as you can.”
Martin is not as optimistic as he once was heading into the Sonoma race
By Mike Mulhern - Journal Reporter
Winston-Salem Journal
June 23, 2006SONOMA, Calif. - Mark Martin was once one of NASCAR's road-course kings, but it has been a while since a streak of four wins when he seemed virtually unbeatable on the brake-and-shift tracks.
Now in his final season on the Nextel Cup tour, heading into his final race at Infineon Raceway, what does he expect?
It has been a very good season so far. But here, "I don't know," he said. "I'm a little nervous about it. It hasn't been what I had hoped for the last four or five times."
Martin and crew chief Pat Tryson should know more this afternoon after qualifying for Sunday's Dodge/Save Mart 350, a 110-lap race around Bruton Smith's hilly 12-turn road course just north of San Francisco. Jeff Gordon set the track record (75.95 seconds) last summer, but he was knocked out in a race marred by numerous transmission failures.
Martin has four road-course wins with car owner Jack Roush, but none recently.
"At one time I looked real good at it. But lately I haven't looked that good at it," Martin said. "It has a lot to do with what you're driving. And we're just not going through the corners fast enough. Maybe we will this year, but the last few years we haven't been fast enough through the corners, so we didn't get the results we're used to getting on a road course.
"I'll tell you - your car makes a lot of difference."
Do more drivers and teams have better road-racing programs now?
"I haven't seen that," Martin said. "They always wanted to do good, but some guys are just better at it than others."
And Martin still may be one of the best. He won here from the pole in 1997, and he has finished second at Infineon four times. He's a top-10 driver here almost every time and top-five almost half the time.
"I grew up learning how to drive on those old winding dirt roads of Arkansas, and that's a lot like what road-course racing is like," Martin said. "So I've always liked the road courses."
Regardless of what happens here, it has been a very good season for Martin and Tryson.
"It's been real easy on the track for me," Martin said, "because 80 percent of the time we've had more race car than we had in 2005.
"We haven't been as good the last couple of races, and the rain didn't help us out last week (at Michigan), and we ended up with a finish that was worse than our performance. But we'll just have to bounce back.
"Despite the disappointments we've had this year, having cars that strong enabled me to run an average of ninth; last year we would have finished 15th. That's why I say we are so close to being a championship contender. We aren't right now, but we have the one ingredient that most of the time I haven't had - speed.
"We didn't have the speed in 2004 or 2005 to win a championship. Today we do have enough speed to be a contender, if we can get everything else in sync and harmony."
Martin is more than 300 points down to leader Jimmie Johnson, but he is fifth in the standings, and the top 10 coming out of Richmond in September will make the Chase for the Championship.
Still, Martin worries.
"I have a problem of overdrive," he said. "My tendency is to want it too much and to work too hard and to push too hard and accept nothing less.
"I was concerned going into Daytona because on media day I still didn't give a flip. Unfortunately I blasted right through that and on into probably as bad as I've ever been on intensity, and it's taken a lot of effort from me to try to contain my intensity and not let it spill over into a negative.
"My challenge since Phoenix has been to not push this thing over into the destructive side. And to be brutally honest, I am right on the edge. I'm on the chip, I'm on the rev-limiter. I've been working hard to stay off it.
"The performance we've had at Dover, Phoenix and Atlanta shows the promise. It gives us that hope that if we do wind up in the Chase, we can have a chance. That's all I ask for. I don't ask for a Cup, I just ask for a chance at the Cup."
And some would say that it would be fitting for Martin to win this year's championship, after having come so close and missing so many times. Roush has made that one of his top goals this season.
"He's trying harder than he ever has, because he feels we haven't had what we needed when we were in our prime," Martin said of Roush. "But he can't make me 27 years old again. He can do everything else, but he can't do that."
Mike Mulhern can be reached at mmulhern@wsjournal.com
M6M comment...Maybe Mark could come to Pennsylvania and urge our governor to change the motorcyle helmet law. Hmmm, maybe even talk with Big Ben. All you have to do is look at his situation and realize it needs to be changed.
AAA Michigan Urges Veto of Helmet Repeal
AAA race car driver Mark Martin favors helmet useDEARBORN, Mich., June 22 /PRNewswire/ -- AAA Michigan today (June 22) urged Governor Jennifer Granholm to veto legislation that would repeal Michigan's 37-year-old mandatory motorcycle helmet law, saying that the new law would recklessly endanger Michigan citizens.
During an 11 a.m. news conference conducted in the State Capitol Rotunda, AAA Michigan joined a broad coalition of safety and insurance stakeholders to denounce the legislation as bad public policy.
"Lawmakers have known for some time that a helmet repeal would result in at least 22 additional fatalities each year, as well as 742 additional injuries and $140 million in added economic costs to Michigan citizens," said Jack Peet, manager of Community Safety Services for AAA Michigan. "This is based on the experience of other states where repeals have been enacted."
The per capita rate of motorcycle fatalities in 2004 was 41 percent greater in states that do not require helmets for adult motorcyclists, according to a Scripps Howard News Service study of 2004 federal accident data.
Seven of the 10 states with the lowest death rates have mandatory, universal helmet laws.
NASCAR veteran Mark Martin, driver of the #6 AAA Ford Fusion in the Nextel Cup Series, also appealed to the governor to veto the repeal, stating in his letter that, "Michigan's 37-year mandatory motorcycle helmet law has helped make roads safer."
Sponsored by Sen. Alan L. Cropsey, R-DeWitt, SB 297 would remove the mandatory helmet requirement for all riders and passengers 21 years of age or older. In 2005, there were 3,605 motorcycle-involved crashes in Michigan in which 122 riders were killed and 2,721 injured.
Nationwide and in Michigan, motorcycle deaths continue to rise. In 2004, more than 4,000 people died on motorcycles in the United States -- an increase of 8 percent from the previous year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
A 2004 study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) has determined that 44 percent of motorcyclists involved in a crash are not legally licensed to operate a motorcycle. In Michigan, where a valid license is required for insurance coverage, that means the vast majority of this number are also uninsured.
AAA will continue to oppose legislation that leads to unnecessary deaths and injuries on our highways at a cost that would be mostly borne by the citizens of Michigan. A recent EPIC/MRA poll indicated some 70 percent of Michigan voters agree that motorcyclists should be required to wear helmets.
Source: AAA Michigan
Martin eyes one final victory lap
By Joe Stiglich
ContraCostaTimes.com
June 22, 2006Loyalty is one of Mark Martin's more admirable traits, but it sure has a way of disrupting his career plans.
You might remember the "Salute to You" tour that marked Martin's 2005 season, supposedly his last driving in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series.
He made time for the fans. He made time for the media. It was Martin's way of giving back to everyone who helped him during a standout Cup career that began in 1982.
Then his team owner, Jack Roush, got in touch during the latter part of last season.
Roush was having a heck of a time finding Martin's replacement for 2006, and he had a big favor to ask.
So much for that farewell tour.
"I owe a lot of the success I've had in NASCAR to Jack Roush and to my team, and they needed me," Martin said earlier this season. "When I'm in need, and I ask for help, I need to get it. So I'm there for the people that I love."
That's how the Arkansas native ended up returning for a 22nd season that he may want to dub the "Deja Vu" tour.
He's tackling the Nextel Cup schedule one last time (again) as a full-time driver of the No. 6 Ford.
The craziest part of it all? Martin wasn't even supposed to be around this season, and he stands a great shot at winning his first Nextel Cup title.
Martin ranks fifth in the standings heading into Sunday's Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma.
Just 11 events remain before the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup begins. All Martin has to do is remain in the top 10 or stay within 400 points of the leader to qualify for the Chase, the season-ending "playoff" that decides the season champion.
What a fitting final chapter that would be if Martin is clutching the championship trophy after the season finale Nov. 19 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
That is, if you truly believe he's calling it quits.
"I don't think any of us really think he's going to go away," current points leader Jimmie Johnson said with a laugh.
But that's the catch. Even if Martin gives up Nextel Cup racing, he has no plans to stop competing.
Martin already is scheduled to run the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series full time in 2007 for Roush Racing, a plan he wanted to carry out this season until Roush asked him to pilot the No. 6 car one last time.
The Craftsman Truck Series is the third tier of NASCAR competition, just below the Nextel Cup and Busch Series.
It's generally reserved for up-and-coming young drivers and veterans who can't find a Cup ride.
"For me as a spectator, truck racing is the best racing in NASCAR," Martin, 47, said. "And it is definitely what I want to do."
He already has dived headfirst into Craftsman Truck racing, which oddly enough makes 2006 one of the busiest seasons of his long career.
Originally, he was entered in only a few truck races this season. But after he won the season's first two events at Daytona International Speedway (Fla.) and California Speedway, his sponsors asked him to expand his Truck Series agenda.
He's now scheduled to compete in 14 of the 25 Truck Series races, which most weekends take place at the same site as the Nextel Cup events.
"Yeah, absolutely, I've lost my mind," Martin said only half-jokingly. "And so have the people that are asking me to do all this stuff."
But as the season chugs along, it's his attempt at that elusive Nextel Cup title that will capture everyone's attention.
He has notched 15 top-10 points finishes in his career, including runner-up finishes in 1990, 1994 and 1998.
He can bolster his chances with a strong showing at Infineon, where he won in 1997 and owns more top-10 finishes in Nextel Cup competition (13) than anyone else.
Despite the absence of a Cup title on his resume, Martin has earned enormous respect among his driving peers.
"He's the voice," Johnson said. "He doesn't say much, (but) when he does, everybody respects him. It doesn't matter if you're a rookie or veteran, over the years with what he's accomplished and the way he conducts himself, he probably has the most respect in the garage among all age groups and drivers."
Road Course Master Martin Ready for Infineon
Martin, No. 6 AAA Team look to get on track at InfineonCONCORD, N.C. (June 21, 2006) - Mark Martin and the No. 6 AAA Racing Team will take to the wine country of Sonoma this weekend as the NASCAR circuit takes a right turn for the first time of the season with road course racing at Infineon Raceway. Untimely and persistent rain help drop Martin and the team to a 28th-place finish at Michigan last week and the team will look to get back on track this weekend in Sonoma.
“It kind of takes you back to your roots in racing and it’s a good test of a driver,” said Martin. “The fans out west are great and they have always been very supportive of us as long as we’ve went out there. We haven’t been a strong at the road courses in the last few years as we once were, but we would love to change that this weekend.
“I love road racing,” said Martin. “I grew up learning how to drive on the winding, curvy dirt roads of Arkansas and road racing is a lot like that. The only difference is the roads are paved, the cars are a lot faster and the competition is a whole lot steeper."
Martin’s 14 top-10 finishes at Infineon are the most of any driver. In addition, Martin has eight-top five finishes and he won there – from the pole – in 1997. Martin has finished in the top 10 in 10 of his last 12 races at Sonoma and he has finished in the top 10 in 82 percent of his 17 races there. Martin’s lone pole at Sonoma came in the 1997 victory, but he has started inside the top 10 in 12 of the 17 races and inside the top five on nine occasions, including a third-place start last season.
Martin has always enjoyed racing on the road courses and his statistics show it. In addition to the win at Sonoma, he has three wins at Watkins Glen - all from the pole - giving Martin four wins (all from the pole) on road courses. Martin’s 32 top-10 finishes on road courses are the most of any active driver.
Martin’s four wins at road courses tie for the ninth most in NASCAR history and his four poles tie for the eighth most. "I just enjoy the road courses," said Martin. "We've had a lot of success on those type of tracks. They are fun to race on and a lot is in the hands of the driver, so it's always a challenge.”
Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Mich., based Roush Entersprises which operates 13 motorsports teams; five in NASCAR Nextel Cup with drivers Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, six in the Busch Series with Martin, Kenseth, Biffle, Edwards, Todd Kluever and Danny O'Quinn, and three in the Craftsman Truck Series with Martin, David Ragan, Erik Darnell and Michel Jourdai.
2006 Mark Martin Track Notes - Sunday - June 25, 2006
Dodge/Save Mart 350
No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion
June 21, 2006DRIVER: Mark Martin
TEAM: No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion
OWNER: Jack Roush
CREW CHIEF: Pat Tryson
THE CAR
Chassis RK-204 ran both road-course races last season at Sonoma and Watkins Glen.
MARK MARTIN AT INFINEON RACEWAY - FAST FACTS
- Mark Martin won at Infineon from the pole in 1997, a feat that has only been accomplished four other times.
- Martin leads all drivers with 14 top-10 finishes at Sonoma.
- Martin has finished in the top 10 in 10 of the last 12 at Sonoma.
- Martin has competed in 37 career road-course races scoring four victories and 32 top-10 finishes.
- Martin has finished either first or second in 30 percent of every Nextel Cup race at Sonoma.
- Martin has finished inside the top 10 in 82 percent of the NC races at Sonoma and inside the top five in 47 percent of the races.
- Martin's four wins at road courses tie for the ninth most in NASCAR history and his four poles tie for the eighth most.
- Martin has competed in all 17 races at Sonoma, scoring four second-place finishes, in addition to one win.
MARK MARTIN AT INFINEON RACEWAY
Starts - 17
Wins - 1
Top 5's - 8
Top 10's - 14
Poles - 1QUOTING MARK MARTIN AND CREW CHIEF PAT TRYSON ON INFINEON RACEWAY
Mark Martin:
"I grew up learning how to drive on those old winding dirt roads of Arkansas and to me that's a lot like what road course racing is like, so I've always like the road courses. The good thing about it is that the cars are a lot faster now, but the competition is pretty steep as well. Sonoma ia a fun road course to race at and we always look forward to going out west and seeing the fans out there. We've had a lot of success out there over the years and we've been pretty good on the road courses in general, so we are looking forward to the challenge.
"We haven't been as good the last couple of races and the rain didn't help us out last week and we ended up with a finish that was worse than our performance, but we'll just have to bounce back and take our best effort to Sonoma this weekend.
Pat Tryson:
"We are ready to get out to Sonoma and see what we can do on the road course. Mark has always been one of the best drivers in NASCAR on the road courses, so it's always a lot of fun to work with him on those types of tracks. We've been a little off the last couple of races, so we'll be looking to rebound with a strong run this weekend."
Mark Martin Speaks About this Week's Road Course at Infineon
Ford Racing: News
June 20, 2006Mark Martin, driver of the No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion, has one NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series victory at Infineon Raceway (1997). As the series heads to Sonoma for Sunday's annual road course event, Martin speaks about his hopes for the weekend and the rest of the season.
MARK MARTIN - No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion
WHAT KIND OF RACE WILL SONOMA BE FOR YOU?
"I don't know. I'm a little bit nervous about it. It hasn't been what I had hoped for the last four or five times out there, so we'll find out when we get there."
IS THERE SOMETHING DEFINABLE THAT YOU HAVE TROUBLE WITH?
"We're just not going through the corners fast enough right now. Maybe we will this year, but the last few years we haven't been fast enough through the corners, so we didn't get the kind of result that we're used to getting on a road course, so we'll just have to wait and see."
ARE YOU SEEING GUYS TAKING ROAD COURSES MORE SERIOUSLY THAN 10-12 YEARS AGO?
"I don't know. I haven't seen that. They always wanted to do good, but some guys are just better at it than others. I'll tell you, your car makes a lot of difference. At one time I looked real good at it, but as of lately I haven't looked that good at it, so it has a lot to do with what you're driving."
THAT BEING SAID, DOES HAVING THE CARS LIKE YOU'VE HAD THIS YEAR KIND OF SINK IN AND TEMPER YOURSELF EVEN MORE?
"Not really. It's been real easy on the race track for me this year. Eighty percent of the time we've had more race car than we had in 2005. After the disappointments that we've had this year, having cars that strong, have enabled me to come back and run an average of a ninth-place, whereas if that would have happened last year, we would have finished 15th. That's why I say we are so close with what we have here to being a championship contender. We aren't, in my opinion right now, a championship contender, but we have the one ingredient that most of the time I haven't had, which is speed. We didn't have the speed in 2004 or 2005 to win a championship. Right now, as of today, we do have enough speed to be a contender, if we can get everything else in sync and harmony."
JACK HAS KIND OF TAKEN THE BLAME FOR NOT GIVING YOU THE EQUIPMENT IN THE PAST, LIKE WHEN YOU AND TONY BATTLED A COUPLE OF YEAR AGO. DO YOU THINK THAT'S WHY HE'S TRYING SO HARD NOW TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING BEYOND EXCEPTIONAL?
"Yes, he's trying harder than he ever has because he feels that we haven't had what we needed when we were in our prime. He can't make me 27 years old again, though (laughing). He can do everything else, but he can't do that."
IS IT UNFAIR TO HAVE A DRIVER FEEL LIKE HE HAS TO PUT A TEAM ON HIS BACK?
"It didn't use to be. You used to be able to do that if you had a strong driver with broad shoulders who could put the program on his back and he could carry it, but in today's competition that's impossible. There's no driver in the series. The closest guy being able to do that is Carl Edwards and even Carl can't do enough to carry it to success if the team wasn't there and the stuff wasn't there for him. He can certainly do a lot, but he can't do enough to take a mediocre team and make it a top-five running team. You could do that 10 years ago."
Rain Forces Premature Ending at Michigan, Martin Forced to Settle for 27th
Mark Martin and the #6 AAA Racing Team
Michigan International Speedway/June 18, 2006BROOKLYN, MICH. – Heavy rains forced an early end to Sunday’s 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway, on a day when little went right for Mark Martin and the No. 6 AAA Race Team. Martin was running in 14th position when the field went green after the eighth caution of the race on lap 115, but he was forced to fight a loose-handling racecar on the restart and dropped back to 20th position by lap 122. The ninth and final caution was called just one lap later as light rainfall set on the race. Uncertain of the race’s future the team opted to four tires and a wedge adjustment, with Martin coming out in 27th place. However moments later the rain would pick up, ultimately forcing NASCAR to call the race after just 129 of the scheduled 200 laps.
Martin had started the race eighth after a strong qualifying run on Friday, but the car was loose from the start with Martin falling back to 13th position by lap eight. After the day’s second caution was issued for rain on lap nine and Martin came into the pits for right side tires. The majority of the field stayed out and Martin found himself in 22nd place on the restart. The third caution on lap 23 afforded the team the opportunity to put on left-side tires and make a chassis adjustment and Martin moved up to 21st when the field went back to green-flag racing.
After another four tire stop on lap 30, the handling of Martin’s car became extremely loose, but he eventually broke back into the top 15 on lap 46. By lap 60 he had advanced his No. 6 AAA Fusion to 12th position, but the loose condition of his car again worsened and he fell back to 15th by lap 62.
He was able to hover in and around the top 15 for the next 40 laps, moving back into 14th place just after the race’s midway point on lap 103. He was still in 14th when he came down pit road under caution on lap 111 for four tires, fuel and an adjustment to hopefully improve the car’s handling issues. However, the nature of the car failed to improve, with Martin dropping all the way back to 20th by the time the final rain caution was issued on lap 123.
The team will look to bounce back next weekend at Infineon Raceway, where Martin boasts 1 win and 14 top-10 finishes in 17 starts.
Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Mich., based Roush Enterprises which operates 14 motorsports teams; five in NASCAR Nextel Cup with drivers Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, six in the Busch Series with Martin, Kenseth, Biffle, Edwards, Todd Kluever and Danny O'Quinn, Jr., and two in the Craftsman Truck Series with Martin, David Ragan, Michel Jourdain, Jr. and Erik Darnell.
Martin Comes Up Just Short of Victory; Finishes Second in Truck at Michigan
Late cautions halt Martin’s bid for victory at Michigan
Mark Martin and the #6 Scotts Racing Team
Michigan International Speedway/June 17, 2006“That was really a good run for the Scotts Team,” said Martin. “The truck was good and we were able to get out front and lead some laps.” - Mark Martin after Saturday’s Truck Race at Michigan
BROOKLYN, MICH. – Once again Mark Martin led the most laps in Saturday’s Craftsman Truck Series Race at Michigan International Speedway, but he came up just short of his fourth win of the year in the series, coming in second behind Johnny Benson. Martin led on six different occasions for 33 laps and moved in on Benson on a couple of occasions in the closing laps of the race, but a string of late cautions halted Martin’s advancement, as he had to settle for the second-place finish. The finish was Martin’s fifth finish of second or better in seven Craftsman Truck Series race this season.
“That was really a good run for the Scotts Team,” said Martin. “The truck was good and we were able to get out front and lead some laps. All of the cautions really hurt us at the end there, but Johnny (Benson) was fast and you can’t take anything away from him. He ran a good race and deserved the win.
“We’ve had a lot of things fall our way this year in the truck,” added Martin. “This time it just didn’t work out, but still it was a good solid run and Mike Beam and the guys did another great job this weekend.”
Martin started the race ninth and never ran outside of the top 10 for the entire race. He moved into the top five by lap 10 and took the lead for the first time on lap 24, after engaging in a tight race for the lead with Mike Skinner. Once by Skinner, Martin led the next 10 laps before giving up the lead on pit road on lap 37 after the race’s third caution.
Martin came out in fifth place when the race resumed green-flag racing on lap 39 and only needed 11 laps to regain the lead on lap 53. He would hold the lead until lap 73 when he was passed by Benson just after a restart on lap 72. Martin would make inroads in catching Benson down the stretch, but a series of late cautions would prove detrimental to his chances, as Benson was able to hold onto the top spot, including holding off Martin in a green-white-checkered finish to the end.
Martin will return to the Craftsman Truck Series on August 23rd at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Mich., based Roush Enterprises which operates 14 motorsports teams; five in NASCAR Nextel Cup with drivers Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, six in the Busch Series with Martin, Kenseth, Biffle, Edwards, Todd Kluever and Danny O'Quinn, Jr., and two in the Craftsman Truck Series with Martin, David Ragan, Michel Jourdain, Jr. and Erik Darnell.
Mark Martin Post Race Notes and Quotes - Con-way Freight 200
Ford Racing: News
June 17, 2006MARK MARTIN—6—Scotts Ford F-150 (Finished 2nd)
IT LOOKS LIKE CAUTIONS KIND OF DID YOU IN AND WAS THE STORY OF THE RACE FOR YOU TODAY.
“I take nothing away from Johnny Benson and his team, they did an awesome job today, he was really fast, especially on short runs. And the chance we had was a long run and that was where we were strong with our Scotts F-150. And we did it at the end, but golly, you know things have gone our way a lot this year and we had our run at the end.”
MARK, THAT WAS A HECK OF A DUAL THERE DOWN IN THE LAST FEW LAPS.
“Well I would have liked to make it more exciting, when I was standing up in the seat and straight up as I could. You know congratulations to Johnny [Benson] and his team; they were on it all day, strong. They were really, their strong suit was the shorter run and our strong suit was the longer run, and we didn’t get it in the end. We’ve had a lot of things go our way this year, and things didn’t fall you know just right for us, but we fought hard and we made a good race out of it and Johnny certainly earned his win.”
EARLIER YOU SEEMED TO BE STRONGER ON THE BOTTOM AND AT THE END YOU WERE ON THE TOP, WAS THAT YOUR CHOICE OR WAS IT JOHNNY?
“Johnny was all over and he was pretty much on the bottom, you know I had my chance to make the pass and it was going to be on top, but he wasn’t much going to give the inside lane up, so you know I had to try and make the top work, which was my second choice. You know, so it made it a chore and Johnny as strong as he was down low.”
Mark Martin Post Qualifying Notes and Quotes - Nextel Cup
Ford Racing: News
June 16, 2006MARK MARTIN -- No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion (Qualified 8th)
"Getting in those things after that truck is a pretty big jump. I knew not to overshoot the corner because it's so easy to with this 900-horsepower monster gorilla motor here, so I let off early enough that I was OK, and then I thought, 'I'm not in far enough so I might as well just jump in the gas,' and I jumped in the gas pretty early. It was pretty hairy getting out of there. I don't know. It's gonna be better, I thought the lap time would have been three-quarters of a second slower than that, so even if it's in the middle of the pack, it was lucky to make it. A smarter man would have let off because I couldn't do it again."
YOU GOT EVERY INCH BECAUSE YOU EVEN TICKLED THE CONE AT THE FINISH LINE.
"I was trying to get it all. That's what we're doing. We're out here to get it all. I probably tickled the wall off of two, but I was bad loose trying real hard. Stepping cold turkey from the truck to the car here is a chore. I don't know if that will be 20th or whatever, but whatever it is a smarter man wouldn't have run that."
HOW WAS THE LAP?
"You don't know how lucky I am just to have made it back. I was right on the edge and wherever that starts us we'll take it."
Mark Martin Notes and Quotes - Craftsman Practice
Ford Racing: News
June 16, 2006Pulling double-duty this weekend in the Truck Series and the Cup Series, Mark Martin, No. 6 Scotts F-150 was the top Ford in Truck Series practice. Martin spoke about his final practice run in the No. 6 truck as he headed out to qualify his No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion.
MARK MARTIN-6-Scotts Ford F-150
YOU WERE RUNNING UP TOP ALL DAY, HOW IS THE TRUCK FEELING TODAY?
The truck feels real good; we're not worried that much about qualifying. You know, we're not going to be up there for that, but for racing, I think we're in real good shape."
HERE AT MIS YOU ALWAYS SEEM TO RUN IN THE TOP FIVE OR TOP 10 IN ANY SERIES YOU RUN. ARE YOU HAVING FUN RUNNING ON TOP WITH THE TRUCK GUYS HERE?
"The truck is just a blast, I really love it and I really look forward to doing more truck races."
Mark Martin on why Michigan is such a favorite track and more
Ford Racing: News
June 16, 2006Mark Martin, driver of the No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion, is tied with Dale Jarrett for the most NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series wins at Michigan International Speedway among active drivers with four. Martin, who is third in the point standings, talked about why MIS is such a favorite.
MARK MARTIN – No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion
IT SEEMS MICHIGAN IS THE OPPOSITE OF POCONO WHERE YOU CAN JUST GET THE CAR RIGHT AND NOT WORRY ABOUT THE TRACK SO MUCH.
“Yes, it is. Maybe it’s because I’ve had more success here than some people, but it seems like it is as simple as you put it. It’s straightforward, let’s just go out here and get this car right and everything is gonna be fine. You’re less handicapped by horsepower here. You’re less handicapped by some things that you can’t control and you’re more handicapped by your own abilities and your car’s abilities and your ability to work with your team to fix that car. It’s always been more in my hands here than most race tracks of this size -- my hands meaning mine and my crew. You go to a restrictor plate race track or a Pocono race track or at Indy, and if it won’t run on the straightaway, it won’t run on the straightaway. It’s over. All you can do is make the best of an ugly situation. Here, if it doesn’t run on the straightaway, if you make it handle and stay on the tires, you will pass those guys. That’s a breath of fresh air for example. Now I don’t have to deal with that anymore because we’ve got some giant motors, but that’s just an example of how it is in the worker’s hands here.”
THIS TRACK IS ALWAYS AT THE TOP OF THE DRIVER’S LIST FOR FAVORITE TRACK.
“Yeah, it is. You’re not limited to one groove. Martinsville is so frustrating because what you have is what you have and that’s it. Here, it’s not the end of the world. What you have is like, ‘Well, let’s just see what we can do with it up here,’ or, ‘Let’s go down there and see what we can do with it.’ It’s not over once you have a problem with the handling characteristics. It isn’t death to the effort like it will be at a place that you’re confined like, let’s say, a Martinsville.”
WILL 400 MILES HERE SEEM LIKE A SPRINT COMPARED TO 500 MILES AT POCONO? IT CAN BE A LONG DAY THERE.
“Yes, but you know we have the ability to make even a 400-miler take a long time (laughing). I’m gonna be careful with what I say (laughing). I’m hoping this feels like a sprint race.”
A YEAR AGO WE WERE WRITING RETIREMENT STORIES AND NOW YOU’RE DOING SO WELL IN A COUPLE OF SERIES. WHAT’S UP?
“I’m so busy that I can’t even think about 2007, so I have no idea what 2007 brings and don’t even care about 2007 right now. I’ve got a lot on my plate, the most I have ever had in my career, and we’re trying to make the most of it. We’re focused on what’s right here in front of us and trying to make the chase and make another run at the championship. We’ll worry about 2007 when I get all of that taken care of.”
LOOKING BACK ON HOW IT’S WORKING OUT, ARE YOU HAPPY ABOUT COMING BACK?
“I’m happy with everything about 2006, especially the opportunity to work with AAA and teen driving safety and seat belt issues and things like that. I am regretful for the intensity of my schedule. If I had to do it over again and had the flexibility to say what I would and wouldn’t do, I would have cut some things out.”
DID YOUR FAMILY HAVE A BIG SAY IN YOUR DECISION?
“They supported this.”
AT THE START OF THE YEAR YOU DIDN’T KNOW HOW YOU WERE GOING TO REACT TO COMING BACK. DO YOU FEEL THAT CHAMPIONSHIP FIRE STARTING TO BURN A BIT?
“I have a problem of overdrive. My tendency is to want it too much and to work too hard and to push too hard and accept nothing less. That’s me. I was concerned going into Daytona because on media day at Daytona I still didn’t give a flip. Unfortunately, I blasted right through that and on into probably as bad as I’ve ever been on intensity and it’s taking a lot of effort from me to try to contain my intensity and not let it run or spill over into a negative or deficit. My challenge since Phoenix has been to not push this thing over into the destructive side of it and to be brutally honest with you, I am right on the edge. Anyone that would ever question needs to look at that and say, ‘The guy has lost his mind.’ I’m on the chip. I’m on the rev limiter. I’ve been working hard to try to stay off of it. We have shown, to this point, that we have the capability of being a championship contender if we can just get all the stars lined up. It’s not a long reach. It’s not a far-fetched deal. It’s not a long reach. The kind of performance we’ve had on the race track at places like Dover and Phoenix and Atlanta, and some of these places, shows the promise that if we can just get it all lined up and keep emotions in check and keep our eye on the target, that it gives us that chance and that hope that if we do wind up in the chase, which things are headed in the right direction if we can keep it going that way, we can have a chance. That’s all I ask for. I don’t ask for a Cup, I ask for a chance at the Cup.”
DOES RUNNING THE TRUCK SERIES GIVE YOU A DIFFERENT OUTLET FOR THAT INTENSITY?
“It helps me keep things in perspective and keeps me having fun. I was having a blast up until May and then when we hit the stretch in May it became a little bit of overload with testing three weeks in a row and running all those races and doing all the things that we have to do off the race track. It got to be too much of a good thing for me, so when I get to climb in that truck it’s sort of a release or an outlet for everything, where I can just go race and not worry about all those other things and not worry about whether or not we make the chase or score a point. Let’s just go race and have fun and it’s been real good therapy for me. I’m having a good time with it.”
DO YOU GET TO HELP MATT WITH HIS CAREER AS MUCH AS YOU WOULD LIKE?
“No.”
HOW DISAPPOINTING IS THAT FOR YOU?
“I just don’t have time for that right now. I don’t have time for the emotions that are associated with it. I’m keeping my focus where my family is concerned – on them – not on his racing, but on being able to absorb my last chance to hang out with him while he’s 14 and we’re making the best of that and it’s really, really, good. There’s just not quite enough of it."
2006 Mark Martin Track Notes - Sunday - June 18, 2006
3M Performance 400 / Michigan International Speedway
No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion
June 14, 2006DRIVER: Mark Martin
TEAM: No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion
OWNER: Jack Roush
CREW CHIEF: Pat Tryson
THE CAR
Chassis: RK-315: The No. 6 team will run RK-315 this weekend at Michigan. RK-315 finished ninth two weeks ago at Dover, leading 39 laps in the process. The car finished eighth at Darlington, ninth and Fontana and sixth at Las Vegas. Martin used the car in his win at Kansas last season.
MARK MARTIN - FAST FACTS - MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
- Mark Martin's 26 top-10 finishes at Michigan are the most of any active driver.
- Martin has four wins at Michigan in the Cup car, the third most of any active driver.
- Martin has led 22 races at Michgan for a total of 851 laps.
- Martin has finished in the top 10 in six of his last nine at Michigan, including a third place finish there last spring.
- Martin boasts two Busch wins at Michigan.
- Martin has finished top three in two of his last three Cup starts at MIS.
- Martin has finished inside the top 10 in four of the last six and inside the top 15 in nine of the last 11.
MARK MARTIN AT MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY - NEXTEL CUP
Starts - 40
Wins - 4
Top-5’s - 15
Top-10’s - 26
Poles - 1QUOTING MARK MARTIN AND CREW CHIEF PAT TRYSON ON MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
Mark Martin:
"Michigan is a great race track. It's easy to pass and if you have your car set up right you can really have a great time there. We've run really well there the last few times we've been there. We finished third there in the spring last year, and we had a good car there in the fall as well, so hopefully we can keep moving forward and go there and contend for a win.
"We've had a tough couple of weeks, especially last week at Pocono, so we'll just have to make sure that we bounce back and go out and put our best foot forward. Michigan is usually a good track for us, so I'm confident that we'll be able to go out and run up front and get back on track. We are still third in the points and we've had great cars this season. The team gets better in the pits each week and I think we have a lot of potential as we move into the summer."
Pat Tryson:
“Michigan has been one of our strongest tracks the last few years, so we are optimistic going in there this weekend. We kind of stumbled at Pocono last week, so we know that we can't take anything for granted, but we also know that if we can get the car where we want it that Michigan is one of Mark's best tracks and we should be able to run well and be competitive."
2006 Mark Martin Track Notes - Saturday - June 17, 2006
Con-way Freight 200 / Michigan International Speedway
No. 6 Scotts Miracle-Gro Ford F-150
June 14, 2006DRIVER: Mark Martin
TEAM: No. 6 Scotts Miracle-Gro Ford F-150
OWNER: Jack Roush
CREW CHIEF: Mike Beam
Mark Martin will make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at MIS when he competes in the Con-way Freight 200 on Saturday. The long-time NEXTEL Cup regular, in his final season of competition in NASCAR's highest series, is driving the No. 6 Scotts/ Miracle-Gro Ford in the Craftsman Truck Series. Martin will look to win at MIS in his fifth different series after posting victories in the NEXTEL Cup (4), Busch (2), IROC (1) and ASA (1) Series at the two-mile oval.
Catching up with ... Mark Martin
Hardin County News
June 14, 2006Mark Martin, third in Nextel Cup points after a 17th-place finish at Pocono on Sunday, is set to retire from full-time Nextel Cup competition at the end of the season and become a regular in the Craftsman Truck Series, where he has three victories in six starts this season. He recently spoke with Cox News Service reporter Jeff Hood about his change of pace.
Q. What about Todd Kluever taking over Martin's No. 6 car in 2007?
A. "I feel like we have not given Todd a chance to show what his true potential is. But we've got to get there pretty soon. He's a very solid guy. He's a really good driver and a really good person. There's still time, but we've got to get on the stick and give him an opportunity to rise to the occasion."
Q. How big a deal is it to win at Michigan, the backyard of the auto manufacturers?
A. "Only if you don't. If you do, it's not a big deal. ...We've won there a bunch of times and it really wasn't a big deal. But going into it, they make a big deal out of it."
Q. How is your son Matt doing with his Late Model racing career?
A. "He's coming along OK. He's just 14. He's got a good bit of talent. He doesn't race a lot, but races some. He makes progress with every race."
Q. What did you think about Kyle Busch tossing his HANS device at Casey Mears' No. 42 Dodge at Charlotte?
A. "I don't think it was that big of a deal. It was a big deal because of who did it and his history. That's what the big deal was."
Q. How different is it competing in the Craftsman Truck Series?
A. "The racing is more like it used to be. It's the best racing in NASCAR right now. It's the least spoiled by commercialism. It feels very pure."
Q. How do you maintain such a hectic schedule?
A. "I put my foot down this year and said no triple-headers. I did that in November at Homestead. It's not the racing. It's the drivers meetings, qualifying, practice sessions. You take all that out, and I'd do triple-headers every weekend."
Mark Martin Enjoying Successful Season In Craftsman Truck Series
Michigan International Speedway
June 13, 2006NEXTEL CUP VETERAN WINNER OF THREE RACES IN SIX 2006 STARTS
BROOKLYN, Mich. (June 13, 2006) -- NASCAR NEXTEL Cup veteran Mark Martin might say that the future of racing in the Martin family lies in the hands of his 14-year-old son Matt, but as he enters Saturday's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Con-way Freight 200 at Michigan International Speedway, the senior Martin isn't quite ready to give up his own youthful success just yet.
In just six starts behind the wheel of the No. 6 Scotts Miracle-Gro Ford in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Martin's first extensive foray into driving a truck has been a Roush-ing success. Driving for owner Jack Roush against 10-year truck veterans and having made only three previous NCTS starts, Martin has amassed three victories and five top-fives, with his only finish out of the top five a solid 13th in Charlotte. Though he won't make a full leap into the trucks until 2007 when his NEXTEL Cup commitment is complete, Martin will make eight more starts this season, including one this weekend at MIS.
"Michigan is a great race track, where we've had a lot of success over the years in both the Cup and the Busch cars, so we are really looking forward to going out and running the Scotts Ford F-150 there this weekend," said Martin. "Mike Beam and the guys on the Scotts team have done a great job with that program and we've just had a lot of fun going out and competing in the truck races.
"In my opinion it's the best racing in NASCAR, and I'm glad to get to be a part of it. It's the least spoiled by commercialism. It feels very pure."
Martin has made 61 previous starts at MIS and has eight checkered flags, four of which are from the NEXTEL Cup Series. Martin has been successful at MIS with the Cup car lately, with 6 top-10 finishes in his last 9 starts. His first Michigan win came in September 1986 under the banner of the American Speed Association, and he most recently emerged victorious in an August 1997 NEXTEL Cup race.
On June 2, Martin became the first driver in the history of Dover International Speedway to complete the trifecta of victory in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, Busch, and Craftsman Truck Series when he edged Carl Edwards for his third truck victory of 2006. Don't think, however, that the veteran will let that get to his head.
"I don't keep score," said Martin humbly when reminded of his triumvirate of Dover successes.
Also not lost on the 47-year old veteran is success in his full-time gig behind the wheel in the NEXTEL Cup Series. Through 14 races, Martin is third in NEXTEL Cup points and has eight top-10 finishes. He credits much of his success across both series to a healthy relationship with Roush.
"For me, I got so invested in this program that it would've been ridiculous to bail at some point, you know, 10 years ago or so," Martin said. "We built this together, on each other's backs, holding hands, when things weren't good and things needed a lot of work, when we needed to learn a lot and each of us needed a lot of learning. At this point, I would be afraid to think about what might've happened if I had chosen to do something else."
After Martin completes the last of his 24 seasons on the NEXTEL Cup circuit, he'll fully devote himself to the trucks and to guiding the budding career of young Matt. Before he starts contributing to the youthful, however, Martin is enjoying a few kicks of his own. After all, he's a rookie in the pickup, and rapper Budda Early released a rap anthem titled Start Your Engines in honor of Martin, the unlikely hip-hop fan. Even as he moves out of NASCAR's premier series, Martin continues to have the time of his life.
"The truck racing is the most fun I've had in years and years," he said.
Martin Finishes 17th at Pocono
Mark Martin and the #6 AAA Racing Team
Pocno Raceway/June 11, 2006“We gambled and stayed out there at the end and it just didn’t work out.” - Mark Martin after Sunday’s race at Pocono
POCONO, Penn. (June 11, 2006) – Mark Martin and the No. 6 AAA Racing Team ran to a 17th-place finish Sunday at the Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway. Martin and crew chief Pat Tryson had maneuvered up the field and were sitting in eighth place when the race restarted for the final time with only six laps to go on lap 194. However Martin’s car had become uncontrollably loose over the previous long run and he struggled to keep the No. 6 Ford Fusion in the top 20 for the final six laps, eventually hanging on to the 17th place finish as the checkered flag fell.
“We gambled and stayed out there at the end and it just didn’t work out,” said Martin. “The car was just too loose at the end of the run and we just were not able to do anything with it. We were off most of the day and it was a tough day for the No. 6 AAA Team. We’ll just have to regroup and bounce back when we go to Michigan next week.”
Martin was running in 13th position when the day’s seventh and final caution was issued on lap 189, when Jeff Gordon crashed into the wall in turn one, causing the race to be stopped for several minutes as track workers and NASCAR officials worked to repair extensive damage to the wall. Martin and the team opted to stay out for track position and restarted in eighth position for the final run. However, the team would not get the result they hoped for and would be forced to settle for 17th.
Martin qualified 20th on Friday and despite struggling with a loose race car for most of the race, he steadily moved up the field, breaking into the top 15 on lap 15. Martin had worked his Ford into 14th place when the day’s third caution was called on lap 50. The team came into the pits for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment to help adjust the car’s handling. The AAA crew delivered a 14.30-second stop and Martin returned in 12th place. The stop allowed Martin to stay out under caution on lap 62, advancing him into the top 10 when the field went green on lap 66.
Caution number five was called three laps later and the team came back down pit road for two tires and fuel. The move dropped Martin back to 24th when he returned to the field and he would struggle with the car, falling back to 26th place by lap 79, before regrouping to move back up inside the top 20 on lap 88.
The field would cycle through two green flag stops, with Martin and the team advancing to 16th by the time caution number six was waved on lap 140. Martin again stayed out and restarted in 12th place on lap 145. The race would again embark on a long green-flag run with the field again cycling through a set of stops under green and Martin was still running in 12th with 25 laps remaining in the 200 lap race. Gordon would spin into the wall with 11 to go, setting up the final unfavorable scenario for Martin and the crew.
Martin’s finish was enough to hang on to third in the Nextel Cup point standings. He is currently 238 points behind first place, and ironically 238 points ahead of 10th. The team returns to action next week at Michigan International Speedway, where Martin has four wins, 15 top-five and 26 top-10 finishes.
Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Mich., based Roush Enterprises which operates 14 motorsports teams; five in NASCAR Nextel Cup with drivers Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, six in the Busch Series with Martin, Kenseth, Biffle, Edwards, Todd Kluever and Danny O'Quinn, Jr., and two in the Craftsman Truck Series with Martin, David Ragan, Michel Jourdain, Jr. and Erik Darnell.
Mark Martin Post Qualifying Notes and Quotes - Pocono 500
Ford Racing: News
June 9, 2006MARK MARTIN – No. 6 AAA Fusion (qualified 20th)
“I’ll take it. I was hoping for a little bit better than that. But that’s not really that bad. Usually we qualify better than that. The car feels really good in race trim. I know we’ll be good in the race, and we’re due a little bit of luck on pit road, so this will be a good one for us.”
SCENE Daily: Martin says he's not planning to buy RYR
By Jeff Owens
June 9, 2006Mark Martin says he knows nothing about a recent Internet report that has him possibly buying Robert Yates Racing or buying into the organization.
"I don't know where that came from," Martin said Friday at Pocono Raceway. "There hasn't been any discussions about it."
Martin, who is running his last full-time season in Nextel Cup, says he currently has no interest in owning a Cup team outright. Martin owns an interest in the No. 17 Roush Racing team of Matt Kenseth.
"I learned last year to never say 'never,' and I have said never would I own one of these teams," he said. "At the same time, would I think about it? I don't know. I can tell you this much, there has been no discussion and no thought from me at all.
"That is not on my radar screen. I'm really focused on the AAA car and trying to make this Chase and make a run for the championship and do a good job and meet all my obligations and have some fun with the fans. I'm not really worried about all that other stuff."
Consistency The Key For Mark Martin Down The Stretch
Mark Martin and the No. 6 AAA Team have finished inside the top-15 in 12 of 13 in 2006CONCORD, N.C. (June 7, 2006) – No other driver in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series has been more consistent than Mark Martin in 2006. In 13 starts in 2006, Martin has finished inside the top 15 on 12 occasions. In fact only an unavoidable accident at Talladega has kept Martin outside of the top-15 in the previous 17 races, dating back to Atlanta last November.
This consistency is a major component of what has Martin sitting third in the Nextel Cup point standings as the season rolls into race number 14 this weekend at Pocono.
“We’ve had really fast cars and pretty good luck,” said Martin. “Our luck has actually been up and down, but we’ve been able to finish races and finish with respectable positions, and that is what it takes to stay where you want in the points. We’ve had years where we had problems or we couldn’t stay out of other people’s accidents, and it really puts you behind the eight ball. Hopefully, we’ll keep building on what we are doing and get in that chase and then it’s a whole new game from there.”
That’s not to say that Martin and the team have not experienced their share of up and downs in 2006. Martin had cars capable of winning at Daytona, Phoenix, Richmond and Dover, but had to battle back from a various array of adversity. Each time Martin’s car ran top-five for much of the race, but had to settle for finishes ranging from 9-12. In fact at Phoenix, Martin led a race-high 111 laps, while clearly exhibiting the fastest car on the race track. The team would battle a mishap in the pits and survive running out of fuel with one lap to go, while still managing to bring home an 11th-place finish, and while not near as grand as a win, the finish helped keep Martin clearly inside the top-10 in the Nextel Cup point standings.
The one factor for Martin and the team is their inability to give up in the face of adversity, and that trait has paid off. At the half-way point of the ‘Chase’ cutoff, Martin is in third place, 216 behind first, but more importantly 223 points ahead of 10th place with 13 races remaining before the points are cleared and the “Chase” begins.
“Pat (Tryson) and the team have done an outstanding job with the cars this season and the work in the pits continues to improve each week. If we can keep building on this and we can get in that Chase, then hopefully we can make some noise in those final 10 races.”
2006 Mark Martin Track Notes - Sunday - June 11, 2006
Pocono 500 / Pocono Raceway
No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion
June 7, 2006DRIVER: Mark Martin
TEAM: No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion
OWNER: Jack Roush
CREW CHIEF: Pat Tryson
THE CAR
Chassis: RK-314 Finished fourth two weeks ago at Charlotte. Finished 11th and second only other two runs this season at Texas and Atlanta.
MARK MARTIN FAST FACTS - POCONO RACEWAY
- Mark Martin has finished second at Pocono on six different occasions.
- Martin has finished second or third in over 25 percent of his 38 starts at Pocono.
- Martin's 19 top-five finishes at Pocono are the most of any driver.
- Martin's 27-top 10 finishes at Pocono leads all drivers.
- Martin has posted 27 top-10 starts in 36 races at Pocono.
- Martin has finished second in three of his last seven at Pocono.
- Martin has finished inside the top 15 in 12 of 13 races this season.
MARK MARTIN AT POCONO RACEWAY
Starts - 38
Wins - 0
Top-5’s - 19
Top-10’s - 27
Poles - 3QUOTING MARK MARTIN AND CREW CHIEF PAT TRYSON ON POCONO RACEWAY
Mark Martin:
"Pocono is one of my favorite race tracks. It's really hard to believe that we've never won there, but we've run really well and we've finished second a whole bunch of times. We've had some really good cars there over the years and we've been really fast the last several times that we've raced there. Hopefully we'll be able to build on that and finally get over that hump and get our first win at a track that I really love to go race at.
"We had another awesome car last week at Dover, we just were not able to put all the pieces together and get the finish that we feel like we could have. Still the team fought back and once again Pat Tryson and the guys gave me a great car, so hopefully we can build on that and go after another one this weekend at Pocono."
Pat Tryson:
"Pocono has been one of our strongest tracks over the last couple of years and we are excited about going back this weekend. We've been able to give Mark some good cars there and we'll look to do that again this weekend. Hopefully, with a solid effort in the pits and another fast car, we'll be able to help Mark get to victory lane for the first time at Pocono."
Stars want to win at Eldora, without tearing up cars
By Greg Billings - Staff Writer
Dayton Daily News
June 7, 2006ROSSBURG | The field for tonight's Prelude to the Dream race at Eldora Speedway isn't short on contenders. Among them, three drivers who qualified for the 2005 Chase for the Nextel Cup are scheduled to run. Veteran Ken Schrader is always a threat to win on dirt. With that in mind, Kenny Wallace doesn't want to hear talk of him defending his Prelude title.
Most drivers listed track owner Tony Stewart as the driver to beat in the charity event that puts professional drivers in control of Late Models at Eldora. But Stewart was forced out of the Prelude with a shoulder injury suffered during NASCAR racing.
As the remaining drivers eye the finish line, they haven't lost site of the real winner. Proceeds benefit the Tony Stewart Foundation and Kyle Petty's Victory Junction Gang Camp.
Drivers admit, though, that competitive desire often fires up with the roar of the engine. Some drivers with little dirt experience have been tutored by Late Model veterans.
"I'll almost be getting thrown to the wolves," said J.J. Yeley, a Nextel Cup driver who has sprint experience at Eldora but has driven a Late Model once. "I know what you have to do to go fast there. At the same time, I don't want to go out there and get beat up by guys like Ryan Newman who don't have a lot of dirt experience. There's a little bit of pressure to go out there and perform."
For drivers borrowing Late Models there's also pressure to return them in one piece. Like last year, some teams competing in the Dirt Late Model Dream — a $100,000 to-win-event on Friday and Saturday — are lending cars for the Prelude.
Drivers such as Bobby Labonte and Schrader have their own cars. Mark Martin is expected to borrow Jarod Lander's ride. Lander is the son of Martin's partner in their Ford dealership in Arkansas and is expected to run on the weekend.
"Kevin Harvick tore one up in practice last year," said Mark Martin. "It would be great heartbreak if I was to tear it up. Jarod has potential to be a contender. I certainly don't want to mess that up for him."
Still, that's not holding some drivers back. NHRA driver Ron Capps took it easy last year in Eldora regular Brian Ruhlman's Late Model. Ruhlman already gave the Funny Car points leader permission to push it.
"This year he told me I can get a little more aggressive," Capps said. "He knew I was holding back. He told me to drive it like I own it. ... As Tony Stewart said, I looked like a windshield wiper going down the frontstretch because I couldn't keep the car straight at first. It's going to be fun to get out there a little more."
Earnhardt in 2007?
Don't count out Dale Earnhardt Jr. testing the Eldora dirt at next year's Prelude. Earnhardt — who will have track-side duties tonight — plans to take private dirt-driving lessons from Kenny Wallace this summer.
"We're going to work with Junior," Wallace said. "There was a form of embarrassment when I started dirt-track racing. A lot of people made fun of me. He wants to do it, but we're going to prepare him. I can't put words in his mouth, but look forward to Junior driving in some dirt down the road. Dale Jr. is a good kid and a good driver, but he's never run dirt before."
Schrader's schedule:
Ken Schrader has about 30 cars in his racing stable. But there is one car he'll never steer toward. Schrader said he won't be taking up NHRA Funny Car points leader Ron Capps' offer to take his Brut Dodge Charger on a 300-mph test drive down a quarter-mile dragstrip.
"I'll pass. I really respect what they do," Schrader said.
"That's cool to hear those guys say it because as far as I'm concerned they're the greatest race car drivers in the world," Capps said. "When they respect what we do that much, it's a great feeling."
Schrader does plan to jump in an ARCA truck for the first time. "They're all just cars going in circles," he said.
Quotable:
"The best way to explain Eldora to somebody is the same way Jack Hewitt told me. He said, 'Would you rather get hit with my fist a half inch away from your nose or let me draw back and hit you? I had the strangest look on my face, like, what are you talking about? He said, 'If you're going to hit the fence, would you rather be right on it or would you rather be halfway down the track and slide up and hit it where it makes you flip or tear your car up?' " — J.J. Yeley
"It was pretty wild last year when we drove up. We were pretty much out in the middle of hardly anything. To have that many people show up at the racetrack and support us is a pretty outstanding accomplishment for what Tony has there and for all the guys involved." — Kevin Harvick
"I'm certainly humbled by (the fan support). I would assume because you have so many great stars coming there, my being there wouldn't make that big a difference to the fans. But maybe it does. We have some AAA No. 5 fans that might show up that might not have otherwise, which is really cool." — Mark Martin
Stewart may be the life of the 'potty' at Eldora event
More stalls added to Speedway's restrooms for this week's Prelude to the Dream race.
By Greg Billing - Staff Writer
Dayton Daily News
June 6, 2006ROSSBURG — Tony Stewart received rave reviews during his open-wheel racing days. He's been cheered during his Nextel Cup championships. But chances are he's never heard kudos for commodes.
That might change Wednesday.
About 20,000 spectators are expected to invade Stewart's Eldora Speedway for the Nextel Prelude to the Dream. Many of them will be thankful for the recent upgrades to the historic half-mile clay oval in Darke County. The most significant change since 2005's event: About 16 stalls added to the women's restroom in the grandstand and about six stalls and eight urinals for the men.
"It was our first (Prelude) and it was bigger than any of us expected," Eldora promoter Larry Kemp said. "We learned we need to be more organized, have more accessibility for the fans as far as concessions and restrooms."
Fund-'racing' event:
Proceeds from the Prelude benefit the Tony Stewart Foundation and Kyle Petty's Victory Junction Gang Camp. As defending champion Kenny Wallace puts it, "I want everybody to remember the Nextel Prelude to the Dream is becoming a great event, but don't forget it's for the Victory Junction Gang. I want everybody to bring their money and their credit cards."
The lineup:
At last count, 21 professional drivers were expected to race late models at Eldora. Most come from the Nextel Cup series and include Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick. Earnhardt Jr. isn't expected to drive, and neither will Stewart.
Quote:
"I know about Eldora, just haven't been there. Tony is king and so is Eldora. It's much more fitting than a little frog pond racetrack Tony might have gotten himself involved in. The king of driving and the king of dirt (tracks) together makes a lot of sense." — Mark Martin
Martin Fights Back for Top-10 Finish at Dover
Mishap in pits spoils strong bid for victory, but No. 6 AAA Team battles back for ninth-place finish
Mark Martin and the #6 AAA Racing Team
Dover International Speedway/June 4, 2006“That was a tough one today. We had a car that was capable of winning the race…but we didn’t give up and we were able to hang in there and get a top 10.” - Mark Martin after Sunday’s top 10 finish at Dover
DOVER, DEL. (June 4, 2006) – Mark Martin passed seven cars in the final 45 laps of Sunday’s Neighborhood Excellence 400 at Dover International Speedway to battle back to a ninth-place finish and his eighth top-10 of the season. The finish was bitter sweet for Martin, who had one of the fastest cars in the race, leading 39 laps on two different occasions. Martin found himself in 16th position when the field went green with just 50 laps remaining in the race. Running the fastest times on the track, Martin was able to fight his way back inside the top-10 and to ninth place by the time the checkered flag was waved.
“That was a tough one today,” said Martin. “We had a car that was capable of winning the race and in the end we didn’t get it done. But, we didn’t give up and we were able to hang in there and get a top 10 out of it. The team did a great job with the car and we were able to drive to the front. I wish that we could have gotten a finish more indicative to where we ran most of the day or what we were capable of, but we were able to hang in there and get a descent finish.”
Martin was leading with a firm control over the race when the race’s third caution was called on lap 263. The team opted to come down pit road for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment, but had to come back down pit road after officials ruled that the car had a loose lug nut on the left front. After Martin had brought the car back down pit road he was back in 11th when the field returned to green on lap 269.
After three more quick cautions the team opted for a two-tire strategy in an effort to regain the lost track position. Taking the two-tires only and making a wedge adjustment moved Martin back to third when the field went green on lap 311. The strategy worked, but the adjustment would prove too much, resulting in a ‘loose’ handling car. Martin would drop back to seventh by the time caution number nine was called on lap 345. The team was forced to come back down pit road to adjust the car’s handling, and Martin fell back to 16th when the race went green for the final time on lap 350. The adjustment worked, with Martin’s No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion once again becoming the fastest car on the track, as he was able to drive back to ninth by the race’s end.
Strong from the start, Martin qualified sixth on Friday and needed only one lap to break into the field’s top five. By lap 15 he was in fourth position and turning the fastest times on the track. On lap 26 he took over the lead from the No. 19 car and led the next 10 laps before caution was called for the first time of the day on lap 36. After a 15.44-second stop to take on four tires and make an air pressure adjustment, Martin returned in third when the field went green on lap 41. He moved his Fusion back into second on lap 57, but eventually dropped back to fifth when the car’s handling tightened up and began to ‘push’.
After another adjustment and taking on fresh tires under caution on lap 115, Martin dropped back to sixth position before eventually beginning to work his way back through the field. Again turning the fastest lap times on the track, Martin moved back to third where he was running when the team came in for a green-flag pit stop on lap 206. After a fast stop of 13.08, Martin found himself back in third once the field had cycled through its stops on lap 213. He then retook the lead on lap 238, and held it for the next 25 laps, before losing it in the pits after being penalized for the loose lug nut.
Martin remains in third place in the Nextel Cup point standings, 216 points behind first and 142 points behind second. After 13 races, Martin is 232 points ahead of 10th place, with 11 races remaining before the Chase cutoff.
The team will return to action next weekend at Pocono, where Martin has never won, but boasts six second-place finishes, and a driver high 19 top-five finishes.
Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Mich., based Roush Enterprises which operates 14 motorsports teams; five in NASCAR Nextel Cup with drivers Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, six in the Busch Series with Martin, Kenseth, Biffle, Edwards, Todd Kluever and Danny O'Quinn, Jr., and two in the Craftsman Truck Series with Martin, David Ragan, Michel Jourdain, Jr. and Erik Darnell.
Mark Martin Post Race Notes and Quotes - Neighborhood 400
Ford Racing: News
June 4, 2006MARK MARTIN – No. 6 AAA Fusion (finished 9th)
“We had a winning race car and had a bad day with it. Ran ninth.”
Q & A - Mark Martin
Ford Racing: News
June 3, 2006Mark Martin added to his career-long success at Dover with a victory in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series AAA Insurance 200 Friday night. In the Nextel Cup Series, Martin, driver of the No. 6 Fusion, has four victories and 19 top-five finishes in 39 career starts at the one-mile, high-banked track. He made his debut at Dover in 1982 with a fifth-place finish. Martin, who will start sixth in tomorrow’s Cup race, met with reporters before practice Saturday morning.
MARK MARTIN – No. 6 AAA Fusion
“We just did this, didn’t we? I feel like we just left the press room.”
ALMOST HALF OF YOUR CAREER CUP STARTS HERE HAVE RESULTED IN TOP-FIVE FINISHES. YOU MUST ALWAYS FEEL LIKE GOOD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN HERE.
“Yeah. I’ve always liked this. I first came here back in 1982 and qualified [seventh] with my Cup car – I think I ran a 25.40, 144 mile an hour, they were flipped out about it, the pole being 144 miles an hour. Top-10 finish, I think, the first time here. It’s always been good to me. First Busch win here, the whole thing.”
HAS YOUR APPROACH TO THIS TRACK CHANGED OVER THE YEARS? “No.” IS THE TRACK SIMILAR TO WHAT IT WAS IN THE ’80S?
“No, it’s nothing like it was because it was asphalt then and now it’s concrete. I don’t care for the concrete, but this is the best concrete track that we race on. It still would be a lot better if it was asphalt. It is what it is.”
SO YOU DON’T EVER GET TIRED OF COMING BACK TO THIS TRACK?
“I like racing here. I’m very optimistic when we come here. It’s always been a place that we get around good.”
THIS WEEKEND HAS BEEN GOOD FOR YOU. YOU WON THE TRUCK RACE AND QUALIFIED WELL FOR THE CUP RACE. DOES ANYTHING FROM THE TRUCK TRANSFER TO THE CAR AT THIS TRACK?
“No. It’s quite a bit different. The logic is still the same. You still use the same kind of logic. You use the hardware.”
A NUMBER OF DRIVERS YESTERDAY SAID QUALIFYING WAS IMPORTANT HERE BECAUSE PIT SELECTION IS VERY IMPORTANT HERE.
“It’s a tough pit road. It’s one of the really tough ones. It’s tough to get in your box when you’ve got other cars parked in their boxes. And that’s one of the tougher things about this race track.”
TODD KLUEVER HAS STRUGGLED BUT HAD A GOOD RUN AT CHARLOTTE. DO YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT HIM TAKING OVER THE 6 CAR NEXT YEAR?
“We feel like we have not given Todd a chance to show what his true potential is yet, but we’ve got to get there pretty soon. He’s a very solid guy. He’s a really good driver and he’s a really good person, and all that. There’s still time, but we’ve got to get on the stick and give him the opportunity to rise to the occasion.”
YOU INTRODUCED THE RAP ANTHEM A WEEK AGO AT CHARLOTTE. WHAT HAS THE PUBLIC REACTION BEEN?
“Well, it’s got more attention than most things that I’ve done. It got a lot of attention.”
THE SERIES RACES AT MICHIGAN IN TWO WEEKS. THAT’S THE BACKYARD OF THE MANUFACTURERS. IS IT A BIG DEAL TO WIN THERE FOR BRAGGING RIGHTS?
“Only if you don’t. If you do, it’s not a big deal, but if you don’t then it is, so to speak. We’ve won there a bunch of times and it really wasn’t a big deal. But, going into it, they make a big deal out of it. It is what it is. If you don’t win it, you can’t win. It’s the same thing as the Daytona 500. If you don’t win, you don’t win.”
YOUR SON, MATT, WON A LATE MODEL FEATURE A FEW MONTHS AGO. HOW’S HIS CAREER PROGRESSING?
“He’s coming along okay. He’s just 14. He’s got a good bit of talent, he doesn’t race a lot. He makes progress with every race.”
YOU’VE SAID THE TRUCK RACING IS SO MUCH FUN. BESIDES WINNING, WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT IT?
“The racing is more like it used to be here. It’s the best racing in NASCAR right now. It’s the least spoiled by commercialism. It feels very pure.”
HOW DO YOU MANAGE YOUR SCHEDULE ON A WEEKEND LIKE THIS? YESTERDAY, THE RACE WAS DELAYED; YOU’RE BACK FIRST THING THIS MORNING… “I’m tired.”
HOW DO YOU UNWIND?
“I’m glad I’m not racing the Busch car. I put my foot down this year and said no tripleheaders. I did that in November at Homestead. It ain’t the racing, man, it’s the drivers’ meetings, it’s qualifying, it’s practice sessions. You take all that out and I’d do tripleheaders every weekend. I don’t have any problem with the racing, but it’s all the hospitalities, drivers’ meetings, qualifying sessions. You’ve got to be one place and then the other and then the other and then the other. My son’s racing at Lakeland tonight, quarter mile, that’s a superspeedway for him. I really hate that I’m not up to going, but I can’t physically do that and give 100 percent here tomorrow, so I’m going to be here standing by the phone.”
YOUR ASSOCIATION WITH JACK ROUSH HAS BEEN SO LONG. SOMETIMES, DRIVERS AND OWNERS, THAT’S A SHORT SHELF LIFE.
“For me, I got so invested in this program that it would’ve been ridiculous to bail at some point, you know, 10 years ago or so. We built this together, on each other’s backs, holding hands, when things weren’t good and things needed a lot of work, when we needed to learn a lot, each of us needed a lot of learning. At this point, I would be afraid to think about what might’ve happened if I had chose to do something else.”
DID YOU EVER HAVE ANY MAJOR DISAGREEMENTS?
“Oh yeah.”
DOES HE ALWAYS WIN?
“I don’t know; you’d have to ask him. He is the boss. But I’m pretty feisty.”
This Week In Ford Racing - Dover
Ford Racing: News
June 1, 2006MARK MARTIN – No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion
“I almost like everything about racing at Dover. I can’t think of anything I dislike about it. I liked it better when it was asphalt, but it is the best concrete track that we race on. As far as your driving style, you can drive hard. You don’t have to drive easy or be careful. You can really drive hard and race hard there. I like that.”
DOES DOVER GIVE YOU MORE SENSATION OF SPEED THAN SOME OTHER PLACES?
“Relatively speaking, not really. It’s a lot of fun. It is a big giant short track with a lot of banking. As a driver you can be fairly aggressive and you don’t have to really overly finesse anything. A driver can carry a car a little bit there.”
