Mark Martin Post Race Notes and Quotes - Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500
Ford Racing: News
October 30, 2006

MARK MARTIN – No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion (Finished 36th)

“I don’t know what happened. I haven’t seen it yet, but the 14 car just veered up in front of me, so I don’t know. We were running good. I didn’t see it yet. The 14 car just veered up in front of me. I’m not sure what happened because you can’t see through all the cars. I don’t know what happened in front of him.”

WHAT ABOUT YOUR CHASE CHANCES?

“I don’t know. I’m just happy that we’re running good. I’m proud of the AAA team and I want to thank all the fans for cheering so loud. We’re fighting and scrapping for it. We’ve got three more races and we’ll keep doing what we’re doing.”

Mark Martin Post Race Notes and Quotes - EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200
Ford Racing: News
October 28, 2006

MARK MARTIN -- No. 6 Scotts F-150 (Finished 36th)

WHAT HAPPENED?

"It got away from me. These things are real sensitive when there are trucks on the outside of you and I should have known better and lifted down there. I thought I was gonna be able to clear David there and I didn't. I should have rolled out of the throttle and let it get away from me."

WILL YOU GET IT BACK IN THERE?

"No, it was just my mistake."

Mark Martin Post Race Notes and Quotes - IROC Race 4
IROC - Home Page
October 28, 2006

MARK MARTIN (NASCAR NEXTEL CUP) Finished Sixth

(On what happened with Ryan Newman) "I don't know; I'd have to watch it. I don't know what happened. Ryan said he was three-wide and someone was inside of him. All I know is it wasn't very roomy out there on the outside."

2006 Mark Martin Nextel Cup Track Notes – Sunday, October 29, 2006
Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 / Atlanta Motor Speedway
No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion
October 26, 2006

DRIVER: Mark Martin

TEAM: No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion

OWNER: Jack Roush

CREW CHIEF: Pat Tryson

THE CAR

Chassis: RK-392 - New car, tested at Homestead last week. It will make its first official run this weekend.

MARK MARTIN – FAST FACTS – ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY

• Mark Martin has tallied 21 top 10's and 13 top fives at Atlanta, with top-five runs in the last four of five races there.

• Martin has won twice at Atlanta. Both wins came in the fall in ('91 & '94).

• Martin has started in the top 10 in 24 of his 41 races at Atlanta. He has started inside the top five 17 times. He has earned one pole (3/92) and has started on the front row six times.

• Martin scored his first top 10 at Atlanta in only this second start there, on November 7, 1982.

• Martin has led 924 laps at Atlanta, with 272 of them coming in the last four races.

• Martin has three wins and two poles in the Busch car at Atlanta.

QUOTING MARK MARTIN AND CREW CHIEF PAT TRYSON ON RACING AT ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Mark Martin:

"Atlanta is a really cool race track. It's a big, fast race track. The pavement has gotten a little older and it has finally given up and made it a really fun place to race. From top-to-bottom, it's one of the best places that we go to race. It usually makes for a great show and a great race. We've been really strong there over the years and we've had some good runs the last few times that we've went there. We've been close to a couple of wins there in the past few races and we finished second in the spring, so hopefully we can break out of our string of bad luck and get a solid finish this weekend.

"We've had really good cars the last couple of weeks and pretty bad luck. My car last week was as good as any car I've had at Martinsville and we got ourselves caught up in someone else's wreck again and were lucky to stay on the lead lap and finish the race. This weekend we need to get the best finish we can, so we can stay within striking distance in the points. There is still a lot of racing left and we haven't given up yet."

Pat Tryson:

"Atlanta has been a great track for us over the past couple of years. Mark really likes racing there and we've been close to a couple of wins there. Hopefully this weekend we can avoid the wrecks and if we run the way we should I know that Mark can take this car to victory lane."

2006 Mark Martin Craftsman Truck Notes – Saturday, October 28, 2006
EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200 / Atlanta Motor Speedway
No. 6 Scotts Miracle-Gro Ford F-150
October 26, 2006

DRIVER: Mark Martin

TEAM: No. 6 Scotts Miracle-Gro Ford F-150

OWNER: Jack Roush

CREW CHIEF: Mike Beam

THE TRUCK

Chassis: No. 43 - Finished second earlier this year at Atlanta and Michigan and won at Fontana.

QUOTING MARK MARTIN AND CREW CHIEF MIKE BEAM ON RACING AT ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Mark Martin:

"I love driving that No. 6 Scotts Ford F-150 for Mike Beam and those guys. It's just an awesome team and they give me great trucks each week. Driving that truck this season is some of the best fun I've ever had in racing and I really appreciate the opportunity to work with these guys and I really appreciate all the hard work that each of the guys on the team have put into this season. We have three more races this year and hopefully we'll be able to go out and compete for the win in each of those races."

Mike Beam:

"This will be our second race at Atlanta with Mark in the Scotts Ford F-150 this season. We were able to get a second place in the first one and hopefully we'll be able to go back and compete for the win this weekend. It's always great to work with Mark, especially in the Scotts truck and we are excited about the chance to go out and hopefully compete for another win."

Martin could drive Ford in limited truck schedule
Veteran says he has opportunity to race Chevys in Busch Series
By Ryan Smithson
NASCAR.com
October 26, 2006

HAMPTON, Ga. – Mark Martin’s days with Ford are not over yet.

Martin said on Thursday that his 2007 race schedule will likely include 5-10 races in a Ford in the Craftsman Truck Series. He also said that he is likely to run a 5-10-race Busch Series schedule in a Chevrolet.

At Talladega this month, Martin announced that he would drive a 20-race Nextel Cup schedule in the No. 01 Chevrolet for MB2 Motorsports next season.

Martin said that his Busch plans will involve an unnamed Chevrolet team, possibly one different than MB2.

"I am pretty close to a truck deal," said Martin, who has run 11 truck races this year, winning five of them. "I think the first hurdle has finally been cleared on that.

"I think I will race a Ford truck next year, and five, maybe even 10 races and I think I will race a Busch car five to 10 races in a very exciting variety, possibly three different teams. The Busch team will be a Chevrolet, and the truck will be a Ford, if I race it."

The move to MB2 Motorsports shocked the industry. There is arguably no driver more associated with a team than Mark Martin and Roush Racing -- the two have been together for 19 years -- but Martin did not want to run a full schedule in 2007.

MB2 Motorsports has struggled mightily this season -- the two-car team has scored just two top-10s all season -- but Martin says the team will surprise some people in 2007.

"Things were getting better before I signed on," Martin said. "In the past they have been a great team and a great contender. They started turning the corner."

Roush driver not cleared to run Atlanta
By Jenna Fryer
AP Auto Racing Writer
October 24, 2006

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- David Ragan failed to gain clearance from NASCAR to race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and Roush Racing withdrew its entry for him on Tuesday.

Ragan, recently tabbed to replace Mark Martin in Roush's flagship No. 6 Ford next season, had been scheduled to run in both the truck series and Nextel Cup events this weekend in Atlanta. But he first had to be approved to race on superspeedways, and NASCAR declined to give him the go-ahead.

"The committee met and decided his level would remain at tracks 1 mile in length or less," NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said. "We look at things like experience and qualifications, and his status will continue to be reviewed."

NASCAR did, however, approve A.J. Allmendinger to run the Cup race at Atlanta, even though Allmendinger has only two truck series starts on his resume.

Ragan, on the other hand, has 26 truck starts, seven Busch Series races and two Cup events. But he's wrecked in both of his Cup races, including a three-car accident last Sunday at Martinsville Speedway that infuriated veteran Ken Schrader and other veterans.

"We had a rookie out there that was kind of a dart with no feathers out there, but other than him everything was pretty much sane," Tony Stewart complained.

Schrader picked up a piece of his car following the accident and angrily threw it down before walking to his pit stall.

Ragan, the 20-year-old son of former Cup racer Ken Ragan, was remorseful after the accident.

"(My dad) is probably going to tell me, 'Man, you have got to call Schrader and talk to him,'" Ragan said after the race. "You don't want to make any enemies."

Ragan finished 25th and was on the lead lap at Martinsville. In his first start, in Dover, Del., last month, he completed just 46 laps and finished 42nd.

Bad Luck Continues for Martin, No. 6 Team with 24th-Place Finish at Martinsville
Martin fights to the finish line, after sustaining radiator damage in late race accident
Mark Martin and the #6 AAA Ford Fusion Racing Team
Martinsville Speedway/October 22, 2006

“That was as good of a car as we’ve had at Martinsville, we just got caught up in someone else’s accident again and we were lucky to be able to finish the race.” - Mark Martin after Sunday’s race at Martinsville

MARTINSVILLE, VA. - Mark Martin and the No. 6 AAA race team got their second straight dose of bad luck on Sunday, when Martin was caught up in a late accident during the Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Once again Martin looked poised to notch a top-five finish, but his No. 6 Ford Fusion was struck from behind and knocked into the No. 14 car of Sterling Marlin after the cars checked up for an accident on lap 469. The damage to Martin’s car did not appear severe at first, but Martin soon lost water pressure and the team discovered that the radiator had been punctured and was loosing water. The No. 6 AAA crew worked feverishly to replace the lost water under the remaining cautions, and Martin was able to hang on for a lead-lap finish in 24th position.

"We had a great car today. I was real proud of our effort,” said Martin moments after the race. “We survived it, luckily. Of course, at the end we had a hole in the radiator, so we didn't get a good finish. These guys did a super job. We had a fight and a good race car."

Martin and the team battled adversity from the start at Martinsville, with Martin hitting the wall early in Friday’s practice. The team was forced to go with a backup and qualify with very little practice. Still, Martin rebounded to qualify 25th. He patiently made his way up the field once the green flag dropped on Sunday, breaking into the top 20 on lap 42. Martin was running in 19th position when the second caution of the race was issued on lap 65 and the team was able to pick up five positions to 14th after a 14.43-second stop to take on four tires and fuel.

Martin moved up to 13th just a few laps later and was running there when the team came down pit road for the second time, this time under caution on lap 162. Another quick stop moved Martin into 11th place when the field resumed green-flag racing. Martin remained in 11th before pitting again under caution on lap 244 for right-side tires. Some of the cars in the field opted to stay out, so Martin restarted in 19th place. He made his way to 18th, but pitted again for four tires and fuel under caution on lap 280. With the fresh tires Martin again started making his way through the field, breaking back into the top 15 on lap 316. He had moved his AAA Ford Fusion all the way to 12th when the day’s ninth caution was called on lap 332. Crew chief Pat Tryson again brought Martin down pit road for four tires and fuel.

Martin broke into the top 10 for the first time of the day on lap 371 and moved all the way to seventh, before pitting under caution number 13 on lap 399. Several teams again stayed out, while some took two tires, and Martin returned in 18th position when the field went green on lap 406. Martin again worked his way to 14th place before pitting again for four tires under caution on lap 449. Martin returned in 16th position, where he was running when he got caught up in the accident on lap 469.

With the damage to the radiator, all the team could do was continue to replace the lost water and hope to make it to the end. Martin was able to keep the car on track until the end of the race, while remaining on the lead lap.

The finish dropped Martin to seventh in the Nextel Cup point standings. With four races remaining in the “Chase” for the Cup, Martin is currently 99 points out of first. He trails fifth by 48 points and second by only 60.

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 - Subway 500
Ford Racing: News
October 23, 2006

MARK MARTIN – No. 6 AAA Fusion (Finished 24)

“We had a great car today. I was real proud of our effort. We survived it, luckily. Of course, at the end we had a hole in the radiator, so we didn’t get a good finish. These guys did a super job. We had a fight – good race car.”

Mark Martin Post Qualifying Notes and Quotes - Subway 500
Ford Racing: News
October 20, 2006

MARK MARTIN – No. 6 AAA Fusion (Qualified 25th)

ALL THINGS CONSIDERED TODAY, THAT WAS NOT A BAD LAP.

“I’m real tickled with that lap time. My heroes are the guys that work on this car. They’re my champions. We were not good, we made a lot of changes before qualifying that would put us a little more conventional. We’ve got some more to go, but I’m very happy with that run, and happy with this team. And, hopefully we’ll get better.”

Mark Martin Post Race Notes and Quotes - Kroger 200
Ford Racing: News
October 21, 2006

MARK MARTIN – No. 6 Scotts F-150 (Finished 4th)

“Mike Beam and the Scotts F-150 team did a super job here today, executed a great race. We were just a whisker off and we just couldn’t pass. We were fine, we never got passed all day, but we only made one pass all day. That’s what we had.”

LATE IN THE RACE YOU GOT A CHANCE TO RACE AGAINST YOUR TEAMMATE ERIK DARNELL.

“Erik did a great job today; it was an absolutely flawless race for Erik. Super job, and I didn’t want to be the one to mess his day up, so I had to be kind of careful.”

Martin, Yeley share blame for violent wreck
Veteran says he should've seen wave, but Yeley was in bad spot
By Ryan Smithson, NASCAR.COM
October 20, 2006

MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- As simple as it sounds, a lighter-colored racing glove might have made the all the difference in Mark Martin's title run.

Mark Martin did not see J.J. Yeley entering the pits on Lap 240 of the Bank of America 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway last week, and further inspection reveals the strange circumstances that can alter races, championship battles -- even careers.

As J.J. Yeley learned last Saturday night, hitting Mark Martin is like hitting a cop, especially when Martin was hurled into a SAFER barrier at 170 mph.

Simply put, no one wins.

The crash sent Martin to a 30th-place finish and severely damaged his hopes for a Nextel Cup title. Martin comes to Martinsville 102 points behind leader Jeff Burton.

All because of an avoidable crash.

"I might get away from wearing black gloves to green or red," Yeley said. "Something more visible."

Martin said he might have seen Yeley waving had he been wearing a white glove, but Martin also admitted that he had his eyes locked on his rearview mirror.

"That [brighter gloves] is definitely a good thought, no doubt. It is really hard to see in these cars," Martin said. "I was not looking ahead probably when he was waving. I was coming out of the pit when he was waving. I was making sure I was clean and clear going into Turn 3.

"When I looked ahead, he wasn't on the bottom and I was in the gas on new tires. I was doing what I needed to do, unfortunately, I was probably checking behind me when he was waving."

Mark Martin exited his pits after a poor green-flag stop on Lap 240, and because the leader was bearing down on him, he kept his eyes fixed in the rearview mirror. He was trying to make up for lost time, and he had rookie J.J. Yeley directly in his path on the backstretch.

Because green-flag pit stops were occurring, standard procedure calls for each driver to wave his hand up and down while heading down the backstretch. Yeley says he was furiously pumping his hand out the window, but Martin never saw it.

Martin was battling a loose race car, and passing Yeley on the high side was not an option, partly since he had just completed his pit stop, and partly because Yeley was pitting from the second groove.

Because Martin was on sticker tires, the possibility of spinning out in the high groove is exponentially greater, so he hugged the low line. He didn't see Yeley until the last minute. By that time it was too late.

As NBC's cameras rolled, Martin's crew chief, Pat Tryson, angrily motioned toward Yeley as the driver entered the garage for repairs. Yeley said Tryson was also waiting for him after the race.

"Pat was waving and it looked like someone was trying to hold him back," Yeley said. "As I rolled out onto the racetrack after they got the car fixed, his team was loading up their pit box and you could hear guys clapping ands waving and cursing.

"I guess that is just the intensity of their championship run."

According to Yeley, the two apologized to each other when the two tested this week at Homestead.

At the very least, Martin did not see Yeley waving his hand to enter the pits. Yeley, who was wearing a black racing glove for the night race, said that he will consider wearing a glove that is easier to see for night races.

"There is no doubt -- you can't really even see [Yeley waving] on the tape," Tryson said. "[Yeley] was higher up than that when Mark went to pass him down low. What most people do, they pull down at the end of the backstretch, they are on the bottom. It's just one of those things, I guess. That is not the right place to make up time."

Lowe's Motor Speedway also does not house team spotters in a tight-knit area atop the grandstand. Its setup is more spread out, making pit warnings harder to communicate.

The results were disastrous. At the last second, Martin realized that Yeley was intending to pit. Because it was a green-flag stop, Yeley pitted from a slightly higher line. As it turns out, it was directly in Martin's path.

The two touched. According to Yeley, the contact was so slight that it barely damaged his car. After Yeley bounced off Martin, Robby Gordon crashed into Yeley, sending both to the garage.

Martin was not so lucky. The contact sent his Ford violently into the Turn 4 wall. It hit so hard that the impact sent the 3,400-lb chassis completely off the ground.

Yeley saw how hard Martin hit the wall. The accident enraged Martin's team members, several of whom jeered Yeley as he returned to the track after he stopped in the garage for repairs.

"I think [crew chief Addington] Steve went over and talked about what happened," Yeley said. "He just said that he had a horrible pit stop, came out and wasn't paying a lot of attention, he was checking his mirror, looking for the leader, said he never saw me wave off."

Martin agreed that the blame could be split down the middle, and added that Yeley's car should not have been that high in the groove.

"I didn't see him waving and that was my fault," Martin said. "He pitted out of the middle, the second groove, and that was his fault."

"You obviously don't want to take out a championship contender," Yeley said. "But at the same time, we are all out there racing, and like Mark said, it was just a racing accident."

"It was partly my fault, and partly his fault and that is where we should stand."

Yeley has struggled as a rookie this season. It hasn't helped that he has been involved in several accidents in the second half. His accident at LMS was his third in the row.

"It is going to be tough, me being a rookie because automatically I am going to get blamed for making some kind of mistake," Yeley said. "If the roles had been reversed and I had hit him as he was pitting, I know that I would have been blamed even more so."

Burton battling good friend Martin for title
By Mike Harris
AP Auto Racing Writer
October 19, 2006

Mark Martin is the most pessimistic driver in the NASCAR Nextel Cup garage.

Through a career that has seen many successes, including four runner-up finishes but no championships, Martin always has been quick to bemoan his fate and accept the downside of the sport.

Last Saturday night at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Martin was taken out by rookie J.J. Yeley, who suddenly darted from the middle of the track toward pit lane and slammed into Martin, sending the veteran hard into the wall.

Within minutes, Martin, who was not injured and had no way of knowing how the points were shaping up at that point, moaned, "The championship is not really something that was meant for me, ever."

That crash certainly could have been a deal breaker for Martin in the Chase for the championship. But, thanks to the problems of other contenders, all it turned out to be was a setback for the 47-year-old Martin.

Heading into Sunday's race at Martinsville, the sixth of 10 races in the Chase, Jeff Burton holds a 45-point lead over Matt Kenseth, with Kevin Harvick, Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. all within 106 points of the leader.

When Burton heard what Martin said after the crash, he laughed. He knows Martin and his attitude well.

When Burton joined Roush Racing in 1996, his third full season in NASCAR's top stock car series, Martin was long established as Roush's premier driver and one of the best in the business.

Martin proved to be a great mentor for Burton, eight years younger, and their close relationship easily survived Burton leaving Roush to join Richard Childress Racing in the middle of the 2004 season.

Burton said he still seeks out his friend at the track or calls him on the telephone on a regular basis to talk about racing and life in general.

Now, Martin is nearing the end of his career and Burton is having a renaissance in his, with both among the 10 drivers vying for the 2006 Nextel Cup.

Before Martin wrecked, he and Burton swapped the points lead several times during the race. That prompted someone to ask Burton if Martin is just not meant to ever win a title.

"If Mark Martin is a cursed individual, then life's not fair at all," Burton said. "He's genuinely a good person. He is a kind person you'd want your children to grow up and emulate - except for the pessimism.

"You would like them to be a little more optimistic," Burton added, breaking into a smile.

Martin is in what likely will be his final full season in Cup. He is moving to MB2 Motorsports next season to run a partial schedule.

That means this is probably his last shot at winning the championship that has eluded him for so long. But Martin isn't fixating on the title. He doesn't want to be disappointed again.

"I'm not worried about it," he said, shrugging. "I wasn't before and I'm not now. I'm having fun. If I don't win (the championship), it doesn't matter. I'm having a blast."

Burton, who also would love to win a championship after struggling just to be competitive the past few years, remains a Martin fan, no matter what the outcome.

"If Mark Martin never wins a championship and never wins another race, you know what, it doesn't matter," Burton said. "Because he has had a positive impact on this sport. He will leave it better than when he got here, and he's had a huge impact on a lot of young drivers. He's taught a lot of young drivers the racing etiquette that is proper.

"You know, Mark is the kind of person that deserves a championship, and I can understand that people look at championships as a way of defining greatness. But, with Mark Martin, he is a great driver and he is a great person, with or without a championship."

2006 Mark Martin Nextel Cup Track Notes – Sunday, October 22, 2006
Subway 500 / Martinsville Speedway
No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion
October 18, 2006

DRIVER: Mark Martin

TEAM: No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion

OWNER: Jack Roush

CREW CHIEF: Pat Tryson

THE CAR

Chassis: RK-221 – In 2006, the car finished 11th at Loudon in September. It finished fifth at Richmond and fourth at Loudon in July. It also won at the All-Star Challenge in 2005.

MARK MARTIN – FAST FACTS – MARTINSVILLE - NEXTEL CUP

• Mark Martin has two victories at Martinsville (spring '92 and spring '00).

• Martin has 20 top-10 and 11 top-five finishes in 39 starts at Martinsville.

• Martin posted both of his wins and 10 of his 19 top-10 finishes at Martinsville in the spring.

• Martin has three poles at Martinsville.

• Martin finished third in his first ever attempt at Martinsville on 9/29/81. He started the race fifth.

QUOTING MARK MARTIN AND CREW CHIEF PAT TRYSON ON RACING AT MARTINSVILLE - NEXTEL CUP

Mark Martin:

"It's pretty much no secret that I don't care much for racing at Martinsville, but that seems to have little to do with success, as they keep reminding me that I have a pretty good record there. I love Pocono and have never won there, so I guess it doesn't matter that much if you love a track or not. Martinsville can be physically demanding and a lot of times you leave there feeling really worn down. Martinsville has always been a real challenge for me, because in the end, it just doesn't fit with my driving style. But, we ran okay there in the spring and we like the car we are taking back this time.

"We had a good run going at Charlotte last week and it's just unfortunate that our night had to end that way. Still, that kind of stuff happens and all we can do is come back as strong as we can and go into this week looking to win the race. We'll keep on keeping on and keep fighting and just see how this thing turns out. No matter what happens, nothing can take away from the effort of this AAA race team."

Pat Tryson:

"Martinsville really isn't our best track, but we've had some pretty good runs there. We are taking the same car that we used at Loudon and Phoenix this year, and it has some pretty good runs, so hopefully we'll be able to get it hooked up and give Mark a piece that he can go out and compete with. We all know what he is capable of here if we can give him the car he needs to get the job done."

2006 Mark Martin Craftsman Truck Notes – Saturday, October 21, 2006
Kroger 200 / Martinsville Speedway
No. 6 Scotts Miracle-Gro Ford F-150
October 18, 2006

DRIVER: Mark Martin

TEAM: No. 6 Scotts Miracle-Gro Ford F-150

OWNER: Jack Roush

CREW CHIEF: Mike Beam

THE TRUCK

Chassis: No. 46 – This car finished 10th at Loudon in September.

MARK MARTIN – FAST FACTS – MARTINSVILLE – CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES

• This will be Martin's 14th career Craftsman Truck Series race.

• This will be Martin's second truck race at Martinsville Speedway.

• Martin has two wins and three poles at Martinsville in the Cup series. He has led 318 laps there.

• Martin has finished in the top 10 in 12 of his 13 truck starts.

• Martin is scheduled to take part in 14 Truck Series races in 2006, one of 63 total races that he plans to run during his 'encore' Salute To You Tour. Martin has truck races remaining at Atlanta, Phoenix and Homestead.

QUOTING MARK MARTIN AND CREW CHIEF MIKE BEAM ON RACING AT MARTINSVILLE – CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES

Mark Martin:

"I love driving that No. 6 Scotts Ford F-150 for Mike Beam and those guys. It's just an awesome team and they give me great trucks each week. Driving that truck this season is some of the best fun I've ever had in racing and I really appreciate the opportunity to work with these guys and I really appreciate all the hard work that each of the guys on the team have put into this season. We have four more races this year and hopefully we'll be able to go out and compete for the win in each of those races."

Mike Beam:

"This will be our second race at Martinsville with Mark in the Scotts Ford F-150 this season. We were able to get a top-five in the first one and hopefully we'll be able to go back and compete for the win this weekend. It's always great to work with Mark, especially in the Scotts truck and we are excited about the chance to go out and hopefully compete for another win."

Martin's Promising Night Comes to Crashing End in Late-Race Accident
Careless move by No. 18 car entering pits, knocks Martin into wall and out of the race
Mark Martin and the #6 AAA Ford Fusion Racing Team
Lowe's Motor Speedway/October 14, 2006

“…It's not going to get me down. I'm having a good time; having a blast. The AAA car was pretty good tonight and Yeley was up on top in the middle of the track…” - Mark Martin after Saturday night’s crash at Lowe’s Motor Speedway

CONCORD, N.C. – Mark Martin was truly in his element for most of the race Saturday night at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Running at his favorite race track, Martin started seventh and had run virtually the entire race inside the top 10. He took over the Nextel Cup points lead on lap 175 and he passed the No. 8 four laps later to move into the top five for the first time of the race. Martin just completed a green-flag pit stop on lap 239 when moments later his promising night came to a crashing halt, when rookie J.J. Yeley made a careless move attempting to enter the pits. Martin attempted to clear Yeley’s No. 18 car low, but Yeley cut him off, sending him crashing in the wall head on. A testament to NASCAR’s safety initiatives, Martin was able to climb out of the car unharmed, even standing on the side of the car and saluting the cheering fans in turn four.

“I want to thank Humpy (Wheeler) and Bruton Smith and God for the soft walls,”’ said Mark, after leaving the infield care center. “I'm having fun. The championship is not really something that was meant for me ever, probably isn't this year and it's not going to get me down.

“From my viewpoint, he let the 17 pass him on the inside and I was coming too and I didn't know he was going to pit, he was up on top in the middle of the track. Usually when I pit, I get on the inside of the race track and then come off. It's just one of those things that happens. We had brand new tires. We were probably coming faster than they knew, or his spotter knew or whatever, we were on brand new tires. I had no idea that he was going to turn down across the race track.”

Martin was strong all weekend, qualifying strong on Thursday night. Like most of the field he battled with a tight race car for much of the early going during the race, as the crew continued to make adjustments, while rotating two-tire and fuel only pit stops over the course of the race. By lap 163 the adjustments started to pay off with Martin radioing that the car was beginning to loosen up. Martin took the points lead just 12 laps later and told crew chief Pat Tryson that the car was at its best of the race on lap 186 as he powered his No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion into the top five and all the way to third before pitting under green on lap 202.

Martin pitted under green for the 10th and what would be the final time on lap 239 to take four tires and fuel. The team had a problem on the left rear of the car, but points leader Jeff Burton stalled in the pits, giving Martin as much as a 25 point lead when he returned to the track. However, Martin’s point lead and night would come to an abrupt halt, just seconds later as Yeley came down the track and sent Martin’s Ford crashing into the wall.

“That was a bad one,” added Martin. “I wasn't ready to meet my maker tonight. Still, we are having a blast. I want to thank all the fans and I thank the AAA team for giving me a pretty good race car and I was having fun out there. I was on new tires and coming hard and J.J. let the 17 go by on the inside and I was coming hard to do the same and had no idea that he was going to pit from the center of the track. Just thank goodness for all of the safety equipment and the safe walls.”

The accident dropped Martin one place to fourth in the Nextel Cup point standings. Martin now goes into this weekend’s race at Martinsville in fourth place, 102 points behind Burton with five races left in the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

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.

M6M comments regarding Mark's post race interview:

First of all, I’m happy that Mark was not injured in the race Saturday.

Me so happy too that Mark “had fun.” How many times did he say it in the interview below? Go ahead, count.

It makes it hard being a fan when you read comments like the ones he made below. I know he’s a realist, but come on, you would hope that he could be a wee bit optimistic. No matter what, I’m sure his fans are still pulling for him. It isn't over for the fans.

Mark Martin Post Race Notes and Quotes – Bank America 500
Ford Racing: News
October 14, 2006

MARK MARTIN-6-AAA Ford Fusion (finished 30th)

WAS THE 18 WAVING AS FAR AS YOU COULD SEE?

"You can't see in those cars, I don't know. I want to thank Humpy and Bruton Smith and God for the soft walls. I'm having fun. The championship is not really something that was meant for me ever, probably isn't this year and it's not going to get me down. I'm having a good time, having a blast. The AAA car was pretty good tonight and Yeley came to the middle of the race track. I don't, he let the 17 go, I didn't see it, but from my viewpoint, he let the 17 pass him on the inside and I was coming too and I didn't know he was gonna pit, he was up on top in the middle of the track."

ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO BE SO PESSIMISTIC? THERE ARE A LOT OF GUYS HAVING PROBLEMS TONIGHT.

"I don't know, I haven't seen nothin'. I'm having fun (laughs)." (Watching the TV replay) "It's not far enough back. It needs to be from my windshield, that doesn't capture it, he's already made his commitment from down across the race track at that point. You know it's just one of these things, Matt, I had just passed him on the inside and he [Yeley] was up in the middle of the race track. Usually when I pit, I get on the inside of the race track and then come off. It's just one of those things that happens. We had brand new tires. We were probably coming faster than they knew, or his spotter knew or whatever, we were on brand new tires. Having fun."

YOU LOOK PRETTY GOOD FOR A GUY THAT JUST HIT THE WALL VERY, VERY HARD.

"Yeah, that was a bad one. I wasn't ready to meet my maker tonight. Just you know, having a blast. I want to thank all the fans and I thank the AAA team for giving me a pretty good race car and I was having fun out there. I was on new tires and coming hard and J.J. let the 17 go by on the inside and I was coming hard to do the same and had no idea that he was gonna to pit from the center of the track. I'm good man."

YOU WERE UP IN THE POINTS AND THEN THIS HAPPENED.

"It don't matter. I'm having fun man. You know, it wasn't meant to be and if it was, I'd already have a Cup. They tell me that a lot of people were having trouble anyway but we didn't need to throw that away. We had a good car and a good run and were having fun and we had an accident."

YOU MENTIONED THE SOFT WALLS.

Yeah, I wasn't ready to hang it up here tonight. Thank goodness for all of the safety equipment and the safe walls and Bruton Smith and NASCAR and everyone. I was having fun tonight."

ON THE CHAMPIONSHIP.

"I'm not worried about it. I wasn't before and I'm not now, I'm having fun now."

YOU'RE NOT THAT FAR BACK.

"Hey, I had a better chance before I wrecked (laughs)."

TELL US AGAIN WHAT HAPPENED.

"I came out on brand new tires and I was coming really hard. The 17 went by the 18 going into the turn and the 18 was up in the middle of the race track, I had no idea that he was going to turn down across the race track. I was coming so fast, he probably didn't even know that I was coming. I was there when he went to pit, I had no idea. You can't see in these cars and you can't see. I was looking at the 17 passing him and I though that was what was going on. I thought he was leaving the bottom lane open for the cars that were coming."

Mark Martin Post Qualifying Notes and Quotes - Bank of America 500
Ford Racing: News
October 12, 2006

MARK MARTIN-6-AAA Ford Fusion (Qualified 8th)

"Our car was really good, better than in qualifying in a long time, so I'm real proud of it. I didn't get a perfect lap - not even near perfect - like we do a lot of times, so the car was good enough to kind of cover that up and give us a good starting spot. Hopefully it will be good in race setup."

WITH THE SMALLER FUEL CELLS FOR THIS RACE, HOW IMPORTANT IS QUALIFYING IN REGARDS TO PIT SELECTION?

"Pit selection is important, starting up front isn't, but having a fast race car and being smart is."

Mark Martin Thursday Interview
Ford Racing: News
October 12, 2006

Mark Martin, driver of the No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion, is third in the Chase for the Nextel Cup going into this weekend's race. Martin spoke about the Chase and other issues before Thursday's practice session.

MARK MARTIN-6-AAA Ford Fusion

YOU SAID THAT IF YOU WERE STILL IN THE HUNT FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER TALLADEGA THAT YOU COULD WIN THIS THING. CAN YOU WIN THIS THING NOW?

"Well, we got through Talladega and we're sitting good. Right now, I hope that we have the performance that we're capable of. We're going to have some strong competition, but we're sitting pretty good. We'll just have to see what happens. If we can string together a six-race hot streak, we'd win this championship, without question."

YOU ARE THE ONLY DRIVER IN THE CHASE WITH NO DNFS THIS YEAR.

"Well, part of that is luck. Mechanically, this is true. It's been a long time since we've had a mechanical failure. But, with today's mechanics, a lot of times what really causes a DNF is a wreck that you can't fix. We've had some wrecks that my guys have been able to fix and get back out, so it isn't like we haven't had bad races. It still makes us proud. We have mechanically been very sound and our guys are incredible. They've been able to put back together some wrecks that I didn't think they could."

TALK ABOUT YOUR ABILITY TO AVOID MAYHEM?

"That comes with time and experience. If you haven't been bitten before, and you're incredibly talented, as some of these guys are, you don't get bitten very often by putting yourself in positions that are risky. But, you do sooner or later. I assess the high-risk situations and try to do best I can with them, and that comes from a lot of years of experience."

YOU SEEM TO BE HAVING MORE FUN THIS YEAR WITH THE CHASE.

"Well, it's incredibly fun. This has been one of the best years of my career, mostly because of the fans and the fans' response has been overwhelming. Second of all, getting a chance to work with AAA on teen driving has been really rewarding for me, and important. Third of all, this team is great. It's awesome to come to work every day and work with these guys. And, lastly, it's been a great performance on the race track, and it's a privilege to be in contention for the championship. We have six races to go, and we've got a great shot at it. We're 10 points out of first place right now. So, with six to go, that's pretty incredible. No matter what happens, we'll enjoy it."

WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON DAVID RAGAN?

"Well, I've known David since he was even more of a kid than he is today. He is a really fine young man. He's an incredibly talented young race car driver who has reached a level that is astonishing based on the amount of experience that he has. In other words, he hasn't had the experience that a lot of drivers have at his age, and he's already getting it done. He comes from a great family, and that's what makes him such a good, solid person, and I'm going to be watching him with great enthusiasm."

WHICH OF THE FINAL SIX TRACKS MAKE YOU NERVOUS?

"I would say all of them with a little less emphasis on Martinsville, but all of them. Martinsville, the last few times we've been there, we've run well, so I don't dread Martinsville by any means. We should have won Phoenix last time. You can't predict one from the other, but we sure ran good there the first race, so I have great optimism going back there again, and these other race tracks are right up my alley."

BECAUSE THEY ARE MILE-AND-A-HALFS?

"And we excel at tracks like that, handling race tracks with some size to them."

HOW WILL YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR CHAMPIONSHIP HOPES IF YOU COME OUT OF MARTINSVILLE IN THE SAME POSITION YOU'RE AT NOW?

"I'll feel good, but with Martinsville, it will go from six to four to go, and obviously the closer you get to the end, and you're still in contention, you're in better shape than ever. But, it can still go bad and come back to us. It could go bad at Martinsville and still come back to us. There's still a lot more races than people realize, but it is an honor to be in contention in my last round in the 6 car. It's been a blast, and I've been having fun like I told you I was going to do. The fans have supported me this year like I've never dreamed. We're having a good time."

WHAT IS IT ABOUT NEXTEL CUP RACING THAT MAKES YOU NOT READY TO WALK AWAY FROM IT TOTALLY?

"Because I can still get it done and I didn't think I would be able to."

EVEN TWO YEARS AGO?

"I didn't think I'd be able to. In 2003, I was sure that I wasn't going to be able to keep up with these guys any more. We had a tough season in '03 and finished 17th in the points. But, what I've learned since then is that I didn't have a fast car that year. And, I've also felt a lot of love from the fans. I've felt a lot of respect from the competitors, and I made a decision that I wouldn't come back full time after '05, and then I made a decision after Kurt left and they needed me to come back for Roush Racing, but especially for Jack Roush, and even more for Pat Tryson and this team. During that time, I saw a window of opportunity to be able to do what I really wanted to do, which is compete on a limited basis in Nextel Cup in what I hope to be a competitive car. That would be the dream come true for me. I was chasing some dreams in 1974, and today I'm chasing the last bit of those dreams."

WOULD NASCAR BE DOING A FAVOR TO THE DRIVERS TO SHORTEN THE SEASON?

"Yeah, but they'd be hurting the fans, though. I'm a fan, too. Remember, I want to watch some of these things. It's a tough grind, but the fans love it, and I'm a fan. When I'm not driving in '07, I'm going to be on the couch with the remote control telling everyone to be quiet and let me listen. I'm a big fan of this sport and I just think it's for the younger and the strong at heart. When you get to be my age, if you've been doing it 20 or 30 years, and your family is not gone yet - my son's not - you start to need to have a little bit, and phase out rather than dropping completely out. I would miss you guys, seriously. I would desperately miss the competitors, and I would also miss the kind of fan response that I've gotten the last couple of years if it happened all at once. I could do it all at once, but I feel better about doing it in a step. I will know a lot more about how I feel about all of this after the first race in '07 that I sit at home, which will probably be Bristol."

WHY HAS THE FAN SUPPORT CAUGHT YOU OFF GUARD?

"It just feels like it's grown, but maybe I'm just noticing it more. It feels like it's been stronger and more passionate this year than ever. I've been around longer than most of these guys. There aren't many out here, and I've been fortunate enough to have success pretty much all of the way through, and the fans have just shown me a lot of love. I don't know. There are a lot more fans than there were 10 years ago. It seems like they've shown respect because they know that I've been here so long. Even if they're not my fans, if they're Dale Junior fans, but they appreciate the fact that I raced against Dale's dad and knew Junior when he was this high, for example, and they respect that. I might not be their number one guy, but there is some kind of kinship for the fans that have been around that aren't brand new fans. They feel much like the competitors do when we walk through the garage and we see one of the guys that was here in the early 80s, and we've known since then, and we just feel some kind of kinship that is stronger than the guy that we've only known for two years."

Ragan Gets the Reigns of No. 6 Cup Series Ford for 2007
October 11, 2006

Roush Racing today announced that David Ragan will be the full-time driver of the team's flagship No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion in 2007. The No. 6 has been the foundation of the Roush Racing stable, dating back to Jack Roush's beginning into NASCAR's premier series in 1988.

"We are very pleased to have David Ragan going into the No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion next season," said Jack Roush. "David is a driver with outstanding talent and as a result of his actions he is the young man I selected to fill the seat. The No. 6 is obviously a special car to me personally and this organization and we are confident in David's ability to step up and get the job done."

Ragan currently shares the No. 6 Scotts Ford F-150 with Mark Martin and also pilots the No. 50 Roush Racing Ford F-150. Ragan started his first career Nextel Cup race at Dover three weeks ago. He is set to make four more starts in the Nextel Cup Series in 2006 and will make his first start in the No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion in next season's famed Daytona 500.

"This is a tremendous opportunity and I look forward to racing on behalf of AAA's millions of loyal members in 2007. Obviously, I've got big shoes to fill and quite a legacy to follow, but I look forward to the challenge and the next chapter of the No. 6 race team," said Ragan.

"AAA has great confidence in Jack Roush and his entire organization, including their selection of David Ragan as the promising new driver of the No. 6 AAA car," said Kristin Warfield, director AAA Motorsports.

We look forward to cheering David on as he competes in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup racing for the first time, and to introducing him to our members and other race fans at tracks and special appearances throughout the coming year."

Ragan has one pole and six top-10 finishes in 15 starts in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2006. He will make his next Cup start at Martinsville Speedway on October 22nd.

Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Mich., based Roush Enterprises that 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 three in the Craftsman Truck Series with Martin, David Ragan, Erik Darnell and Michel Jourdain, Jr.

This Week In Ford Racing
Ford Racing: News
October 11, 2006

Mark Martin, driver of the No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion, came out of Talladega third in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup points. Martin was this week's guest on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teleconference.

Mark Martin - No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion

How optimistic are you about your title chances?

"We're in the best position we've been in in many, many years. We have a really strong team. Our cars have been fast most of the time this year and we're sitting better than we have been in any other time than I can remember. There are still six races to go, although I do feel much better getting Talladega behind us, I've done this long enough to know it's quite a chore to pull one of these things off, so we have to go out and continue to run really well and we have to hope that things that we can't control don't bite us. If those things go our way, then we ought to be knocking on the door."

Can you talk about what you've seen in Jeff Burton's resurgence?

He seems to be one of the smarter guys in and out of the car. "He is - both in and out - and he's a great leader. It took him a year or a little bit better to get him and everyone at RCR to get their program on track, but, certainly, they have it on track right now and Jeff Burton has been a part of that. I'm happy to see him succeed and I'm excited that he's having such a great year. It would really be awesome if it could come down to he and I at Homestead."

He kind of races a lot like you.

"Yes, he does. He's very fair and he gets the job done."

How difficult is it today to be fair and get the job done compared to 10-20 years ago?

"It's a little bit different. I don't think it's particularly a lot more difficult, but it is a little bit different. What you have is some of the newcomers, who are all great drivers and they're all fair, but some - because they haven't been bitten as many times - might be a bit more reckless. That's tempered over time with how much you get away with it, what the risk is and what the reward is, so that's the biggest thing. The guys that have been doing it longer usually have a better sense for what the risk versus reward is."

Did you get to see the replay of the last lap at Talladega and the move Vickers made?

"I saw it like everyone else at least 100 times and what happened there is Brian was pushing his teammate and was gonna push his teammate to a win. That's what it appeared like was fixing to happen and when Jimmie went to go on the inside of Dale Jr., the two cars being side-by-side slowed both of them up ever so slightly, and Brian wound up - instead of being an inch behind the 48, he wound up being four inches on him. You don't much want to let off the gas in these things and he went to turn down to follow behind him and he quickly had gone from being actually behind him to barely up on him. Brian was trying to follow the 48. He just got a little beside him before he turned down and I think that was an honest mistake."

A lot of people have looked at your decision with shock and curiosity for next year. Was this about taking more control of your schedule?

"Yes, that was a large part of it. The announcement was very painful for me as well as Jack and it was really difficult. This is not something that just came up. We've been working on trying - 2007 was gonna be a year that I called the shots on my schedule and it just didn't work out. We weren't able to work that out and, unfortunately, it took a change in order for me to do that."

You've had great success in the Truck Series. Is that something you want to go for full-time in 2007 or will you call your shots?

"I want to work what races that work with my system. In 2007, I did not want to stand on the sidelines on Sundays. I also was not willing to sign a full schedule, so, as it turned out, what I had hoped to do was do the truck full schedule and supplement that full schedule with a limited Cup schedule. That particular opportunity wasn't there at Roush Racing. It's gotten changed around a little bit, so now my primary focus for 2007 will be the 22 races with MB2 and my secondary focus will be supplementing that with the racing that I want to do. I'm in it to have fun now. I've chased this championship and these points for 19 years. I didn't really wind up doing in 2006 what I had originally planned, based on it meaning a great deal to Roush Racing for me to come back and fill in for another year, and it's time for me to do what I want and have some fun and get some time off."

When you're second on the last lap at Talladega, do you gamble and go for the win or points race knowing you need those? Also, now that you're leaving Roush are you banned from the meetings?

"First of all, it depends on the situation at Talladega. There was not much risk in Jimmie Johnson to try to win the race. Where he was, the pack wasn't right behind him and he wasn't in a position to lose a whole bunch of positions by trying to make that pass. That pass was a well laid out plan and it looked really good, there was a little mishap or mistake that happened and caused it to all go wrong. That wasn't a high-risk move, it just turned out bad. And, I have not been barred from team meetings I have a wonderful relationship with Jack Roush and everyone there. I have been there for 19 years and helped them build it to the organization that it is today. I'm very proud of it and will always be a part of it and will always be a friend and confidant with Jack Roush on anything that ever comes up in the future."

You have six races to go in the chase. How hard is it to keep your emotions in check with how close you are to winning the whole thing?

"So far everything has been so blurry. This has been, by far, the busiest year of my life and it's been a blur. I've been less obsessed with the results and a little bit more enjoying the moment this year than in the past. But if we're sitting where we are now three races from now, you can believe the anticipation will start to build. We're still six races out and I'm still not feeling - there's still a good bit of racing to go yet before we're really that close. If we could go into the last race and we're 10 points back (laughing). We'll have to wait and see though."

Why do some athletes have a hard time retiring?

"Because that has defined their lives since they were kids. I don't think that it even pertains completely to athletes. I think that it's an unknown time for a lot of people to whatever they have done for a profession throughout their lives. There's an unknown on the other side of that and for an athlete, especially a successful athlete, it's a tremendous life-changing experience to walk away from what has defined their life for so long."

How will this deal be different than what Bill Elliott and Terry Labonte have done?

"There's no guarantees in this business, but there is a lot of strategy in this thing that most people don't see. One is that, for example, to drive Boris Said's car for 12 races, I was concerned that it might be somewhat like that. What I really wanted to do was drive a car that ran full-time and had a full-time sponsor and had a full-time crew and team behind it because that's your best chance in being competitive. Bill's stuff and Terry Labonte's stuff have both been part-time teams and, therefore, they weren't able to be competitive against the guys that do it full-time. You're only as good as the equipment that you're in and I believe that there is great potential, and so do the people at MB2, for improvement over 2006. Don't forget that they won a race in 2004."

Can you size up the last six tracks?

"I love Lowe's Motor Speedway. It's one of my favorites on this whole circuit. I have typically, not always, but typically been really fast there. Then we go to Martinsville and that's a tight little race track. It's somewhat of a wildcard, but not as big as Talladega was. I have had some fast cars there in the last few years, but probably not as fast as Jeff Gordon has, for example, or some of the others. Phoenix, we should have won that race, but we had a problem in the pits. I don't know how we'll run this time, but I know last time there we ran awfully good and I like that place. I love Atlanta and I love Texas, and I love Homestead and have run really good at all those places. Every race is different and with the setups changing like they are, it's real easy to be on the money or off and it's hard to predict who is gonna be the best in each and every race. I think it's something that you don't ever know and what you have to do is just put your best effort in and wait and see what the result is."

Are you surprised at the reaction from fans about driving for Chevrolet next year and how important is manufacturer identity to a driver?

"I'm not surprised. I'm probably more surprised at the reaction of some of the journalists and what has been written than I am the fans. It was a major shock. At the same time I look around and I say I haven't been as successful as a lot of drivers. For example, Bobby Labonte, who has won a championship, and drives a Dodge on Sunday and drives a Chevrolet on Saturday and used to drive a Chevrolet. Nothing is said of that. I don't remember the whole world crumbling when Bill Elliott decided to drive a Dodge. I don't remember the whole world crumbling when Rusty Wallace decided to drive a Dodge. Dale Jarrett decided to go drive a Toyota and, yeah, there was some noise about that, but he won a championship too. I guess the thing is I've been 19 years staying the course and working with Jack Roush to build from scratch one of the strongest organizations in NASCAR racing, and it was just something that no one expects. It was a huge disappointment to Jack Roush and to myself, but after 19 years I wanted to do what I wanted to do and that was not a full schedule, and it was also not standing on the sideline watching Nextel Cup racing. It was something in between and they couldn't accommodate that, so here we are. It is a big shock, I think, to everyone, but I'm excited about my new opportunity. It's going to be really exciting for me. I think that we're gonna surprise some people with the performance and I'm gonna have a lot of time off to do some things with my family that I haven't been able to do for the last 30 years and have some fun on the race track and have some fun off the race track."

It was reported on TV over the weekend by a former NASCAR driver that there was bad blood between you and Jack on this deal. You've said several times on this call that it's not the case. Can you confirm there's no bad blood between you and Jack?

"Yeah, I will confirm that. Rusty misread just a little bit on that situation. The best thing to do here is just sort of take the high road. A lot of people want to play the blame game. 'Why did this happen?' Well, unfortunately, it just happened. You have to remember that NASCAR placed a limit on the number of teams that you could have and Roush Racing has five programs that are all sold out and are set in stone to run for the championship. All five teams made the chase last year and there just wasn't an opportunity for me to do what I wanted to do there. But, fortunately, we all understand that. Roush Racing understands it and I understand it and nobody is mad. Everyone is disappointed. They wish me well and I'm excited about doing something that's a little bit different."

How big of a factor was Bobby Ginn in you changing teams?

"I probably wouldn't have wound up at the 01 if it weren't for Bobby Ginn, but there were numerous opportunities for me to go do what I wanted to do, but Bobby Ginn plays into this because, as you can see, the performance of those cars has picked up in the last six weeks or so. You've seen a noticeable difference since Bobby really got involved and since Slugger went to work over there. They're strengthening their program and they feel like I can play a big role in helping them strengthen their program and get it back on track where it was in 2004 when they won. They're looking at growing the operation. They want me there and they're excited to have me, and I'm excited about a new challenge."

The fact you don't have to take your jet to see your car owner next year, did that play into it too?

"That's pretty interesting too. No. He is a neighbor of mine, but I don't think that really plays a factor. I kind of like flying that thing to be honest with you (laughter)."

Can you give a snapshot of Bobby?

"He's a really good guy. I did a little bit of homework before I dove into this deal. Obviously, there's more to this thing than Bobby Ginn as well. I just want to back up a little bit and say that Jay Frye is the general manager and has been since he left Valvoline as their rep and working with us on the 6 car. So I have a great relationship and always have with Jay Frye. I'm very comfortable with Jay and what he says their long-range plans are at MB2. I did do some homework on Bobby as this thing started to move ahead and everyone that I talked to said that he's a really nice guy and has been incredibly successful. Then when you have a chance to meet him, you understand that he's real easy to talk to. He's really committed to making his race teams the best. He wants to be the best and he knows he's got a long way to go, but that's the way he wanted to do it. He wanted to come into a team that had a long way to go and take on the challenge and try to build it into a powerhouse. They're making moves to get there. It won't all come at once and it won't be as good as it's ever gonna be in 2007, but I expect to see noticeable progress probably even yet this year, and going into next year I hope that I'm able to help them and I hope that we're able to see the results improve steadily."

How do you get there for a meeting at his office?

"I don't have directions yet, but I probably would drive considering it's this close. Probably from his place to the airport would wind up taking as much time as just driving up there. I do look forward to having a little bit more time on my hands. This is something that I really intended to have done in 2006 and I went ahead and committed to doing the AAA deal and, like I said before, it's been one of the best years of my career. But I look forward to backing off and having some extra time on my hands and being able to breathe. This has been the busiest year of my life, by far, and although it's been good on and off the race track, I haven't had a minute to breathe and I'm looking forward to that next year."

How will it feel not driving the 6 car next year?

"That's gonna take a lot to get used to for everybody. It's gonna be a big change, but every other great driver I know has done it. It just hasn't happened for me in a long time, so it'll take a while to get used to."

How did Talladega feel in the truck?

"It was fun and, as a matter of fact, even Sunday's race was a little bit of fun because it was a good outcome and turned out good for us. The new pavement at Talladega was a plus and turned out really well and we had a good weekend on both races."

Why won't you leaving have an affect on performance the rest of this year?

"Because Brian Vickers won Sunday. It kind of shoots that theory down doesn't it? They've been running really good, too, Brian has - top 10, top 5s lately - so that kind of shoots that theory down. It's easy to get on the bandwagon and roll on whatever. Listen, everybody at Roush Racing wants to win and the guys that work on that 6 car have great respect for me and I have the greatest of respect for them. They know that. I've said it publicly over and over again. We want to win now worse than ever before, so this is our shot and nobody is gonna let up."

2006 Mark Martin Nextel Cup Track Notes – Saturday, October 14, 2006
Bank of America 500 / Lowe's Motor Speedway
No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion
October 11, 2006

DRIVER: Mark Martin

TEAM: No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion

OWNER: Jack Roush

CREW CHIEF: Pat Tryson