Martin Makes A Million In All-Star Challenge
fordracing.com
May 21, 2005Concord, N.C. — Mark Martin edged out fellow Ford driver Elliott Sadler in the final segment of tonight’s NEXTEL All-Star Challenge at Lowe’s Motor Speedway for the checkered flag. Martin, who also won the non-points event in its former format in 1988, claimed a $1 million prize with the victory. The win also allows Martin, who announced prior to the season that this is his last NEXTEL Cup season, the opportunity to compete in future All-Star races.
PAT TRYSON
"It was good from the start, and Mark did a great job, won the first segment and fortunately for us they only inverted six, so we were able to keep some decent track position. He did the rest. He was awesome all night."
JACK ROUSH
"The first thing I'd say, there's a crack in the armor here. I don't hold out much hope that Mark would re-consider his retirement plans, but at least if we can get one more race out of home in 2006 that'll be better than nothing. I am so proud of this team and what we were able to do tonight with all the people who have worked so hard for so long to make this possible, I just don't know where to start. Pat has been the heartbeat of this team. The pit stops are great with Wayne, what he's doing over there leading that group. I got a little news just about the checkered flag fell, it turns out that this is a car that Pat had some history with that we built for the Wood Brothers whenever we were working closely with them, and we traded them out of that car and got the car back, so it's a car with a lot of history that's been in and out of both teams. Doug and Robert Yates are central to our engine program. We've got great power and that helped make it possible. But Mark Martin is the man. He's the cornerstone of Roush Racing. When I was finally able to get to him - I love Mark Martin. He's been the center of my racing life and it means so much to be here with him one more time. Three years ago, when I was recovering from my airplane wreck, I was home, but I wasn't able to move around yet and I watched him win the 600 here three years ago in 2002. He was unconscious that night as he was tonight. Pat Tryson had the wisdom and the fortitude to put him on four tires. Thankfully, my credit's still good with Goodyear so we could afford four tires over two, and if you give Mark martin four tires you give him a chance to be out front at Charlotte, it's just about over."
MARK MARTIN
"The reaction of the fans, is number one. And part of that reaction was seeing the paint on that race car. So the Salute to You tour is about the fans. Their reaction to this win is number one. It is the thing that I'll remember as long as I live. Second of all, I want to thank Viagra and all our sponsors for allowing us to get a little glimpse of old school. That car ran like it did in '93 and it really means a lot. The other thing, next in line, is the look on the face of each and every guy who made that happen, the guys who do the work. I wish I could capture that and hold onto that and visit it every day. The best that we can do is photographs, and we'll do the best we can with that. That's really special. Then comes the trophy. It's really special. This is how I want to do it. We did this by racing smart with a great race car tonight. Certainly don't feel like it was anything more than coming to the race track with a great race car and great execution by a team that I'm honored to drive for."
HOW HARD WERE YOU DRIVING THOSE FINAL LAPS? IT LOOKED LIKE ELLIOTT SADLER WAS CATCHING YOU?
"I was driving as hard as I could and not mess up. And every single lap that I would check up into the comfort zone, he would gain on me. Then the next lap I would step outside the comfort zone and either stop him gaining or pull away. I didn't want to put together 15 laps outside the comfort zone, even though you can, I probably ran nine of the 15 out there right on the edge."
MARK MARTIN
JACK SAID THAT HE DOESN'T HOLD OUT HOPE THAT YOU WON'T RETIRE. DO YOU EVER HAVE ANY SECOND THOUGHTS ABOUT RETIREMENT? ANY MORE RACES NEXT YEAR?
"I only see the Bud Shootout and the All-Star race. That's all I really see at this time. I don't see how it would be possible to race a limited schedule on the level that I want to race on. It's just not possible to do that, so I've already said I can't sign up for another one of these. I don't know that I've ever completely explained to Jack why I've made this decision, because I know that he regrets it so much, but there are so many things that play into that decision and I'm excited about 2006, and I'm not regretting my decision at all. This just makes it even better. And we're not done yet. Pat Tryson and this team, they want to deliver another miracle. This was a miracle tonight, and they want to deliver another one - that being a championship. We've been in the top 10 in every race but one this year, so it's not outside the realm of possibility. If we're going to come back here with fire in our eyes at the 600, and, man, we go from here to Dover, there to Pocono, and then from there to Michigan, we could get on a roll here. These are race tracks where we are strong. We've gone through a number of race tracks where we're not nearly as strong. I'm excited about what's coming up in front of us. We do have challenges in front of us. This business is not easy, and I have had to reach - last year I had to reach deeper than I've ever reached in my life to contend for that championship, and I thought there was no way to find any more and I've had to reach even deeper this year and find some more. And that's the real reason why I can't do it again next year. There's no possible way I could step it up another notch from 2005."
PAT TRYSON
ON THE LAST PIT STOP, WHEN MARK GOT OUT QUICKER THAN ANYBODY ELSE.
"It's all the pit-crew guys. They've been working real hard and doing a great job, and there was never a question, I never even thought about two, I was going four all the way and what everybody else did was what they did. We were going to live and die with four and the pit crew did an awesome job right there."
MARK MARTIN
"It never crossed my mind, either, to do two. I felt like it was the right decision and then out on the race tack I knew it was the right decision, because there we were right on top of those guys who had gotten two. So, great pit stop, great team effort, it's honor and a privilege to drive for these guys. I went to each and every one of them at the latter part of the season last year and asked them to stay together and give me one last shot at this thing, and that's what they've done. And that's a little treat tonight. Hopefully, there's many more to come."
ON THIS SEASON
"This is exactly the kind of season I had hoped and dreamed for. Not only has the Cup thing been very, very stellar, aside from some bad luck, but we've won a couple of Busch races, and we've won an IROC race and we're leading the points in that thing, too, and we broke a record at Daytona when we won down there and if we're lucky we might not be done yet. This is what I was looking for, but as you know, most of what I've looked for in this business I haven't gotten, I've only gotten part of. It's an honor and a privilege to drive for these guys, and my biggest fear would be to have less of a team or less of a car to work with, but thanks to Pat and thanks to Jack Roush, here we are."
YOU SAID EARLIER THIS IS YOUR FAVORITE RACE TRACK.
"Lowe's Motor Speedway is without a doubt, in my mind, it's only my opinion, the greatest race track in the world. There's nothing else close. And I still like it even though they ground it. It still is. I wish they wouldn't have, but here we are. And all I can hope for is that we can continue, we can come back for the 600 and Pat can put a setup under my car that will work and give me the latitude to move around on the race track like I did tonight. Top or bottom, either one."
COMPLIMENTS BRUTON SMITH
"I have some of the most respect for you that I have for anybody in racing. You guys have done so much for motorsports since I met Humpy Wheeler in 1981, and seeing all the things that you guys have done and what Humpy has done, and what you've done at all the other speedways is pretty incredible, and you should get a lot more credit than you get for the things you've done for the sport. Thank you."
AT DAYTONA, YOU WERE ASKED HOW EMOTIONAL YOU WERE GOING TO THE 500 FOR THE LAST TIME AND YOU SAID ASK THAT QUESTION WHEN I GET TO CHARLOTTE. WE'RE AT CHARLOTTE.
"That's a scary question. Obviously, it's not emotional right now because I'm nowhere near done here. This was something that is very important to me and very important to my fans and to my sponsors and to my team. If I had to look out on the grandstands before the race started and think that I would never drive again here, I would cry, like a baby. But that's not the case yet. So, we don't have to worry about it yet."
EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT THIS RACE BEING FUN, BUT IT IS EMOTIONAL, TOO. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE EMOTIONAL PART OF THIS RACE?
"It's real fun for me tonight, but the last several years it hadn't any fun at all. It's incredibly frustrating when your expectations are higher than your results. Whether it is that you wish you could be up there contending, or that you got wrecked and didn't get a chance or whatever it might be, it was fun. It felt like it was supposed to feel tonight, for me, because we were never further back than fourth at any time in the race, so our car was spectacular and we were fortunate enough that the wreck didn't start in front of us. We had one of the more dominant cars. The 38 was pretty incredible, but we had a car, as usual, that had legs, it seemed to run longer, better then it would take off. It's a high-intensity race, it pays a million bucks. There's not many races that pay that, and it happens quick. And there's nothing to lose in it. That's still no excuse for not racing like a sportsman. All I said when they had that big wreck was they had that too soon, because now they didn't have a chance. They shouldn't have done that, yet."
JACK ROUSH
HOW BADLY DO YOU WANT TO SEE MARK WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP?
"You're going to get me started. Mark knows where I'm going to go. If I had been better connected, if I had been wiser, if I had done a better job, he'd have had two or three championships right now. The fact he doesn't have those is my fault. I bear the responsibility for it. And that'll be diminished some if we can save this year. I felt like we saved last year. He was on a good run, and we broke a transmission at the wrong time and had some other trouble and we were able to dig our way out from that, based on the fact that he reached down and got something that maybe he didn't want to reach down and get last year, but we needed it and I appreciate it. But if we can go save this thing and he can win a championship I'll be some relieved. The commitment that Mark made to me and to Roush Racing was huge. I was not established. There was lot that I didn't know. I was late middle age when I started. He had a real handicap. He hung with me and kept the faith and he helped me, and I helped him some too, but not as much as he helped me. It's been great, but I owe Mark more than he owes me."
MARK MARTIN
"One of the things that doesn't get mentioned all the time is the Roush/Yates horsepower is incredible. It's so good sometimes we just take it for granted. That was very important in this win. We couldn't have run like we ran tonight had we not had the kind of commitment that it takes to not only do the engines for the 6 car, but the engines for all the Roush cars and the Yates cars and the Busch cars we drive and the trucks and everything else. It's an incredible operation. Doug Yates' commitment to it is unbelievable as well as Jack Roush riding along there, trying to make sure everything is done so that we have great reliability on top of the great horsepower, which we have right now. It's awesome. A tip of the hat to those guys."
ELLIOTT SAID THAT THE CONTACT HE MADE WITH YOU ON THE RE-START WAS A FACTOR. DID YOU FEEL THAT IT WAS THAT SOLID A LICK?
"I'm trying to remember. Was he on the outside or inside? I don't know. With 20 to go? He probably feels like it might have pushed his right-front fender in and that's a real sweet spot in these cars, and you have to think about that. You have to drive these cars today, you just can't touch anything with that right-front fender. Sometimes you get lucky and it doesn't hurt, but it killed us, it killed us, at Texas. We were running 10th and I hit the wall coming off the corner, not very hard and it pushed it in and I went right to dead last in the lead lap, 20th."
BUT IT DIDN'T BOTHER YOU TONIGHT?
"No. We just barely touched. But it's a tender area and it may have been a factor for him."
Mark Martin waves the checkered flag after winning the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Saturday, May 21, 2005. - (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Mark Martin makes his final pit stop before winning the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Saturday, May 21, 2005. - (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
All-Star Challenge
1. (2) Mark Martin, Ford, 90 laps, 113.951 mph, $1,101,325
2. (4) Elliott Sadler, Ford, 90, $268,825
3. (21) Brian Vickers, Chevrolet, 90, $191,950
4. (14) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 90, $97,825
5. (6) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 90, $93,825
6. (19) Dale Jarrett, Ford, 90, $89,825
7. (8) Kurt Busch, Ford, 90, $85,825
8. (15) Jeremy Mayfield, Dodge, 90, $84,825
9. (12) Bobby Labonte, Chevrolet, 90, $83,825
10. (20) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 90, $82,825
11. (10) Matt Kenseth, Ford, 89, couldn't improve position, $81,800
12. (1) Ryan Newman, Dodge, 71, accident, $205,800
13. (3) Rusty Wallace, Dodge, 71, accident, $84,800
14. (11) Greg Biffle, Ford, 69, suspension, $89,300
15. (7) Carl Edwards, Ford, 57, accident, $78,800
16. (5) Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 35, accident, $78,700
17. (17) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 35, accident, $78,575
18. (18) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 35, accident, $78,475
19. (13) Terry Labonte, Chevrolet, 35, accident, $78,375
20. (16) Michael Waltrip, Chevrolet, 35, accident, $78,275
21. (9) Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, 35, accident, $78,175
22. (22) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 35, accident, $109,950RACE STATISTICS
Time of Race: 1 hour, 11 minutes, 5 seconds
Average Speed of Race Winner: 113.951 mph
Margin of Victory: 0.582 seconds
Caution Flags: 2 for 7 laps
Lead Changes: 7 among 3 driversLap Leaders: R. Newman 1-15; E. Sadler 16-34; M. Martin 35-38; E. Sadler 39; M. Martin 40; R. Newman 41-70; E. Sadler 71; M. Martin 72-90
Nextel Open
1. (5) Brian Vickers, Chevrolet, 30 laps, 95.688 mph, $53,325
2. (1) Mike Bliss, Chevrolet, 30, $43,325
3. (4) Travis Kvapil, Dodge, 30, $39,325
4. (2) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 30, $37,225
5. (11) Bobby Hamilton Jr., Chevrolet, 30, $36,225
6. (3) Casey Mears, Dodge, 30, $34,225
7. (12) Robby Gordon, Chevrolet, 30, $33,225
8. (9) Ricky Rudd, Ford, 30, $32,625
9. (6) Ken Schrader, Dodge, 30, $32,125
10. (8) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 30, $31,875
11. (16) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 30, $31,600
12. (14) Jeff Green, Dodge, 30, $31,350
13. (13) Sterling Marlin, Dodge, 30, $31,100
14. (17) Jamie McMurray, Dodge, 30, $31,000
15. (15) Scott Wimmer, Dodge, 30, $30,875
16. (10) Jimmy Spencer, Dodge, 30, $30,775
17. (19) Dave Blaney, Chevrolet, 30, $30,675
18. (24) Mike Wallace, Chevrolet, 30, $30,575
19. (7) Kevin Lepage, Dodge, 30, $30,475
20. (20) Hermie Sadler, Ford, 30, $30,375
21. (21) Derrike Cope, Chevrolet, 30, $30,275
22. (18) Kyle Petty, Dodge, 30, $30,175
23. (22) Boris Said, Chevrolet, 30, $30,075
24. (28) Jason Leffler, Chevrolet, 30, $29,975
25. (25) Kirk Shelmerdine, Ford, 30, $29,875
26. (23) Eric McClure, Chevrolet, 20, overheating, $29,775
27. (26) Morgan Shepherd, Dodge, 6, accident, $29,675
28. (27) Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, 2, accident, $29,575RACE STATISTICS
Time of Race: 28 minutes, 13 seconds
Average Speed of Race Winner: 95.688 mph
Margin of Victory: 0.114 seconds
Caution Flags: Two for five laps
Lead Changes: Seven among 3 driversLap Leaders: M. Bliss (Pole Winner); T. Kvapil 5-10; M. Bliss 11-14; T. Kvapil 15-20; M. Bliss 21-24; T. Kvapil 25; M. Bliss 26-29; B. Vickers 30
Martin Turns in Million-Dollar Performance in All-Star Victory
Mark Martin and the #6 Viagra® Racing Team
Lowe's Motor Speedway/May 21, 2005CONCORD, N.C. (May 21, 2005) – Sporting a throw-back Retro-‘93 paint scheme Mark Martin and the No. 6 Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Racing Team turned in a dominant performance reminiscent of the season in which Martin scored four straight victories with a commanding performance in Saturday night’s Nextel All-Star Challenge. Martin took the lead for the first time on lap 34 and went on to win the race’s first segment. After a six car inversion, Martin regained the lead again during the third and final segment of the race on lap 71 and used the remaining 19 laps to pull away from the field to take home the victory and the million dollar bounty awarded the All-Star winner.
“This win was for all the fans, it’s a ‘Salute’ to them,” said Martin pointing the crowd just moments after the victory. “The reaction of the fans is number one. And part of that reaction was seeing the paint on that race car. So the Salute to You tour is about the fans. Their reaction to this win is number one. It is the thing that I'll remember as long as I live.
“Second of all, I want to thank Viagra® and all our sponsors for allowing us to get a little glimpse of old school. That car ran like it did in '93 and it really means a lot. The other thing, next in line is the look on the face of each and every guy who made that happen, the guys who do the work. I wish I could capture that and hold onto that and visit it every day. The best that we can do is photographs, and we'll do the best we can with that. That's really special. Then comes the trophy, it's really special. This is how I want to do it. We did this by racing smart with a great race car tonight. Certainly don't feel like it was anything more than coming to the race track with a great race car and great execution by a team that I'm honored to drive for."
The All-Star race is divided into three sessions, with the first being 40 laps, the second 30 laps, and the third 20. Martin won the first segment and finished the second segment in fourth, after the field inversion. The team came down pit road with the leaders on lap 70 after the conclusion of the second segment. Martin’s No. 6 Viagra® Ford came out of the pits in third place, but the first of the teams that took four tires. Martin wasted little time powering his Retro Ford to the front of the field for good, moving past Elliot Sadler for the lead on lap 71 and moving on to the win, his second career victory in the All-Star race.
"It was good from the start,” said Martin’s crew chief Pat Tryson. “Mark did a great job, won the first segment and fortunately for us they only inverted six so we were able to keep some decent track position. He did the rest. He was awesome all night and it was a great win for this Viagra® Team.”
Martin started the race second, based on Friday’s special qualifying session that featured a three-lap segment and a pit stop. He quickly dropped back to fifth, but had moved up to third when the field started pitting on lap 14. With the car handling a little tight, the team came in for four tires and a track bar adjustment and used a solid stop to hold onto third. Martin had advanced to second when the day’s first caution was called on lap 31 and he took the lead just moments after the restart on lap 33 and held on to win the first segment that ended on lap 40.
After a random drawing the top six were inverted and Martin restarted the 30-lap second segment ironically in sixth position. He patiently moved up to fourth place by the end of the segment and used fast work in the pits by the Viagra® Team to advance to third to start the third segment. With the two cars in front of Martin on two tires, it was only a matter of time before Martin put his No. 6 Ford in the lead for good. Jeff Gordon, who was running in second, was unable to get going on two tires, thus jamming up the field, resulting in the race’s fifth and final caution. Moments later Martin was able to take the lead from Sadler on the restart and earn his first Cup victory of the “Salute To You” Season.
“Pat Tryson and this team, they wanted to deliver another miracle,” said Martin. “This was a miracle tonight, and they want to deliver another one - that being a championship. We've been in the top 10 in every race but one this year, so it's not outside the realm of possibility. We're going to come back here with fire in our eyes at the 600, and, man, we go from here to Dover, there to Pocono, and then from there to Michigan, we could get on a roll here. These are race tracks where we are strong.”
The team returns to action again next weekend at Lowe’s Motor Speedway for the season’s longest race of the year, the Coca-Cola 600, where Martin won in 2002.
Martin has givien Roush 18 years of great service
By Mark Decotis
floridatoday.com
May 24, 2005It seems these days that media stars rarely speak the truth -- let alone lay bare the feelings that lie deep in their souls.
Then again, Jack Roush and Mark Martin are only media stars because of the positions they hold, not because of who they are.
Roush is the longtime NASCAR Cup race-team owner with two consecutive championships to his credit. Martin is the veteran driver and four-time championship runner-up who is retiring from Nextel Cup competition after the 2005 season. They also are not your everyday guys who hide their feelings behind a transparent veneer of over-the-top machismo.
Neither is shy, nor hesitant, to reveal true feelings for each other, and never was that more evident than in Martin's winner's interview following Saturday night's NASCAR-Nextel All-Star Challenge at Charlotte.
Roush is in his 18th season as Martin's boss and Martin is in his 18th season as Roush's hard-working, ever-loyal employee. Their relationship is built on common trust, admiration and deep respect. The bond has grown deeper by Martin losing his father in an airplane crash and Roush surviving a brush with death in a separate accident.
Both are facing the reality that, come next February at Daytona, Martin will not be in the No. 6 Ford. There is no time for dancing around the inevitable: Life will go on, but not before they give one another their well-deserved due.
"Mark Martin is the man," Roush told reporters Saturday. "He's the cornerstone of Roush Racing. I love Mark Martin. He's been the center of my racing life, and it means so much to be here with him one more time. Three years ago, when I was recovering from my airplane wreck, I was home, but I wasn't able to move around yet and I watched him win the 600 in 2002. He was unconscious that night as he was tonight."
As hard as Roush continues to try, he cannot deter Martin from his decision to retire from Cup racing -- though Martin did commit to run NASCAR's two all-star events next season.
"I only see the Bud Shootout and the All-Star race," Martin told reporters. "That's all I really see at this time. I don't see how it would be possible to race a limited schedule on the level that I want to race on.
"It's just not possible to do that, so I've already said I can't sign up for another (season). I don't know that I've ever completely explained to Jack why I've made this decision, because I know that he regrets it so much. But there are so many things that play into that decision and I'm excited about 2006, and I'm not regretting my decision at all. This just makes it even better."
Martin then uttered the sentence that could foretell an ending to the 2005 season that would be pure Hollywood: "We're not done yet."
"(Crew chief) Pat Tryson and this team, they want to deliver another miracle. This was a miracle tonight, and they want to deliver another one, that being a championship," Martin said. "We've been in the top 10 in every race but one this year, so it's not outside the realm of possibility. If we're going to come back here with fire in our eyes at the 600, and, man, we go from here to Dover, there to Pocono, and then from there to Michigan, we could get on a roll here. These are race tracks where we are strong. I'm excited about what's coming up."
Given his heart and bulldog tenacity, Martin is a driver worth watching every week. With the confidence of Saturday's victory in his quiver, he warrants consideration as a Nextel Cup contender.
No matter how Martin's season ends, the one trait that has endeared him to generations of fans, and yes, even writers, will endure. That is his ability and willingness to lay his feelings bare for all to see. His ability to revel in his victories and deal openly with his defeats and his disappointments -- in short, his humanity -- is his trademark. It will be sorely missed on NASCAR's elite level next season.
"This business is not easy," Martin said, searching for words to describe his decision. "And I have had to reach -- last year I had to reach deeper than I've ever reached in my life to contend for that championship. I thought there was no way to find any more, and I've had to reach even deeper this year and find some more.
"That's the real reason why I can't do it again next year. There's no possible way I could step it up another notch from 2005."
For that, we'll all be a little poorer.
Victory invigorates Martin
Roush’s veteran driver hopes all-star win is the start of big things in his final Cup season
By David Newton - Senior Writer
The State.com
May 23, 2005CONCORD, N.C. — The clock approached 1 a.m., but Mark Martin was going strong about his victory in Saturday night’s all-star race and the possibilities for his final season in Nextel Cup.
He had the energy and enthusiasm of one of NASCAR’s so-called young guns, not of a 46-year-old driver playing out the string.
One might have expected him to do a backflip that is the trademark of Roush Racing teammate Carl Edwards.
“I’m so excited about 2006 and opening a new chapter in my life, I’m almost giddy,” Martin said as he sat in the press box above the track he calls his favorite. “I just really doubt you’re going to see a tear in my eye, even when we get down to November.
“Certainly no time soon, because we have an enormous job in front of us.”
Martin looks forward to next season when he plans to drive in the truck series and enjoy racing the way he did before it became a 24-hour job. He has no regrets about his decision to step away from Nextel Cup racing.
“I have a lot of fans on me pretty hard,” Martin said. “I know they don’t mean it that way, but when they tell me how disappointed they are and that they don’t know what they’re going to do, it makes me feel like I’m letting them down.”
Martin didn’t let his fans down Saturday, taking the lead on a restart with 19 laps left in the final 20-lap segment and holding off Elliott Sadler for the $1 million prize that will make a nice cushion for his retirement fund.
Before his final race he hopes to give them more to cheer about, such as the championship he has been deprived of four times with runner-up finishes.
That’s what he means by enormous job.
“I went to each individual on my team last fall and made a request that they stay and keep this championship team together when people were tearing at them to try to pull it apart,” said Martin, who finished fourth in the championship chase last season.
“They’ve done that. That’s special to me. That was a little payback tonight, and I hope there’s a lot more.”
Team owner Jack Roush, as he has done so often, said Martin would have two or three championships if he had had the right equipment or people.
He nearly broke down in tears at the thought of not having Martin back next season for anything but the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona and the all-star race at Lowe’s.
“I love Mark Martin,” said Roush, who has promised Martin a car and sponsor for next year’s all-star race. “He’s the cornerstone of Roush Racing. He’s been the center of my racing life and it means so much to be here with him one more time.”
Martin gets embarrassed when Roush talks about letting him down.
“I kind of don’t like it when he gets started on that,” he said. “Jack is a special person to me, and he’s made my dreams come true, and that’s all I’ve got to say about it.”
But that wasn’t all he had to say on this night he described as a “miracle.” He thanked his sponsor, Viagra, for allowing him to drive the paint scheme he used in 1993 when Valvoline was his sponsor.
He thanked crew chief Pat Tryson for giving him a powerful machine and for making the decision to take four tires on the final caution when Sadler and Jeff Gordon took two to get out of the pits ahead of him.
He thanked the fans for making him feel like he did in 1993 when he won five races. He even thanked the media for hanging around “well past my bedtime” to listen to him talk.
Martin called the win old school, and it was down to the car that originally was built for the Wood Brothers.
“We traded them out that car and got the car back, so it’s a car with a lot of history,” Roush said.
Martin will savor this part of history, something he didn’t do early in his career.
Most of the trophies and memorabilia he won driving against Rusty Wallace, Bobby Allison and Dick Trickle in the American Speed Association wound up in a Dumpster on his second or third move with his wife, Arlene.
As important as the $1 million he will deposit, he wants the oversized check presented in Victory Lane and photos of his crew celebrating to put in his museum in Batesville, Ark.
“I will frame those pictures, and I will make a point to look at them often so I remember it,” Martin said. “Because starting tomorrow, that memory will start to erode a little every day.”
That’s because Martin is determined to create a much bigger memory.
“This is my last chance to win a championship,” Martin said. “Do I expect to? Do I expect to fight like a dog for it? You better believe it, and that’s what I expect from everyone around me.
“You’d better fight like a dog, because we’re a team. This year is about championships.”
Martin appreciates all-star triumph during his last full NASCAR season A Win to Remember
By Mike Mulhern, Journal Reporter
Winston-Salem Journal
May 23, 2005CONCORD, NC - Sometimes victories are more than just great moves and trophies and beauty queens in Victory Lane. And Mark Martin's Nextel All-Star Challenge win here Saturday night was one of those rare and special events.
For so many years, after each win, Martin's mantra was "I am so happy to win this one, because I know I may never win again."
And, with his career finally winding down, in his last full season, 25 years after he first came to work here, this victory might well be his last. If so, he's going out in a blaze of glory.
"This is exactly the kind of season I had hoped and dreamed for," Martin said. "Not only has the Cup thing been stellar - aside from some bad luck - but we've won a couple of Busch races and we won an IROC race and we're leading the points in that thing too, and we broke a record at Daytona when we won down there.
"And if we're lucky, we might not be done yet.
"This is what I was looking for. But as you know, most of what I've looked for in this business I haven't gotten, I've only gotten part of."
But if ever a man was grateful for what he's got, and genuinely thankful, and profuse with praise for the men he works with, it's Martin.
Many racers have strapped on a NASCAR helmet to play this game, but perhaps none with as much class and humility and satisfaction as Martin. If you have a son or daughter growing up, you couldn't find a better role model. Sometimes, even in the wilds of NASCAR, nice guys do finish first.
Martin's time at this track is running out, and he concedes that things will be emotional when he steps out of his Nextel Cup car here for the final time.
He says that moment could be scary.
"It's not emotional right now, because I'm nowhere near done here.
"But if I had to look out on the grandstands before the race and think that I would never drive here again, I would cry like a baby.
"But that's not the case yet. So we don't have to worry about it yet."
Martin said that car owner and buddy Jack Roush would love him to stay in the seat for another season. "I know he regrets it so much ... but there are so many things that played into that decision," Martin said of his pending retirement. "And I'm excited about 2006, and I'm not regretting my decision at all. This just makes it even better.
"And we're not done yet. Pat Tryson (his crew chief) and this team want to deliver another miracle. This was a miracle, and they want to deliver another one ... a championship."
For all his wins and glory Martin has never pulled that off, though he's come close many times.
"It's an honor and privilege to drive for these guys, and I went to every one of them late last year and asked them to stay together and give me one last shot at this thing, and that's what they've done," Martin said.
Brian France's playoff tournament for the title could play into Martin's hands, as it almost did last season: Every man in the top 10, or within 400 points of the tour leader, coming out of Richmond in September, will have his points essentially reset to zero to begin the final 10 races of the season.
"We've been in the top 10 in every race but one this year, so it's not outside the realm of possibility," Martin said.
"We've gone through a number of tracks where we're not nearly as strong. But I'm excited about what's coming up in front of us, the 600, Dover, Pocono, Michigan."
For Roush, the night was filled with unexpected emotion, because when Roush first joined the NASCAR tour back in 1988 he banked his operation on this yet still-unproven kid from Arkansas. And Roush and Martin have been through so much together in the years since.
"There's a crack in the armor here," Roush said in those first moments flush with victory. "I don't hold out much hope Mark would reconsider his retirement plans, but at least if we can get one more race win out of him in 2006 that'll be better than nothing."
If so, they'll probably only have two shots, because Martin says his only Cup plans for next season are a return to this race and a run in Daytona's February Shootout.
The rush of emotions almost overwhelmed Roush. "I am so proud of this team and what we were able to do with all the people who have worked so hard for so long to make this possible, I just don't know where to start," Roush said.
One man is Tryson, Martin's crew chief and confidante, who had a top-four car for Martin throughout the night. Martin won the opening 40-lap race, "and fortunately for us they only inverted six, so we were able to keep some decent track position," Tryson said. "He did the rest. He was awesome all night."
"Pat has been the heartbeat of this team," Roush said.
"And the pit stops are great. Doug and Robert Yates are central to our engine program, and we've got great power that helped make it possible.
"But Mark Martin is the man. He's the cornerstone of Roush Racing.
"I love Mark Martin. He's been the center of my racing life, and it means so much to be here with him one more time.
"Three years ago when I was recovering from my plane wreck, I was home and watched him win the 600. He was unconscious that night, as he was this time."
Roush has long blamed himself for Martin's missing championship rings. "If I had been better connected ... if I had been wiser ... if I had done a better job, he'd have had two or three championships right now," Roush said.
"The fact he doesn't is my fault. I bear the responsibility.
"He was on a good run last year, and we broke a transmission at the wrong time and had some other trouble, but we were able to dig our way out, because Mark reached down and got something that maybe he didn't want to reach down and get - but we needed it, and I appreciate it.
"If we can save this thing and he can win a championship, I'll be some relieved.
"The commitment Mark made to me was huge. I was not established, there was lot I didn't know, I was late middle-age when I started.
"He had a real handicap. But he hung with me and kept the faith, and he helped me. And I helped him some, too, but not as much as he helped me.
"I owe Mark more than he owes me."
COLUMN: Martin deserve praise, attention that he shuns
By Allen Gregory, Sports Writer
TriCities.com
May 22, 2005Mark Martin has a unique appeal.
He rarely smiles, is anything but flashy and doesn’t make spectacular moves. Yet, Martin is beloved by NASCAR fans of all ages.
The latest chapter in the long-running Martin success story offered plenty of insight into this blue-collar hero from Arkansas.
After winning the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Martin did not boast, party or even smoke his tires. He simply thanked his fans, sponsors and crew members while performing the usual victory lane duties.
With the deadline-crazed media corps practically begged for a juicy comment, Martin never stepped out of character. When asked repeatedly if he planned to return next season for the all-star race, Martin seemed slightly embarrassed and deflected the attention to his car owner, Jack Roush.
Flashy or not, you have to admire Martin. He’s a racer’s racer to the core. Martin didn’t enter the NASCAR world to meet attractive women, make music videos or become a pop culture hero.
Martin simply likes to race, and he approaches the task much like a factory worker. He punches the clock, gets the job done in an efficient manner and keeps his mouth shut. Fans just seem to relate, even the rowdier fans of younger stars such as Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Four times Martin has finished second in the NASCAR points race. If anybody deserves a championship, it’s this little mountain of a man.
It’s fascinating to watch Martin on the track. He rarely makes bold passes, and will even move aside to let a faster car get by. Martin usually finishes near the front, however.
Just check the resume. In addition to carrying the heavy mantle for Roush Racing, Martin has ruled the Busch and IROC series with his consistency and persistence.
The 2005 season has been dubbed as the "Salute to You" tour by Martin, who plans to retire from at least the Nextel Cup Series after this season. Martin wants to salute his fans first, unlike some drivers who attempt to profit from elaborate farewell season gimmicks.
While he likely join a growing cast of veterans in the truck series, Martin will be missed at the top levels of NASCAR where car owners continue to emphasize youth and looks over talent and experience.
If anyone doubted Martin’s talent or commitment, they should have watched him Saturday. He remained calm and calculated as other drivers wrecked in pursuit of the $1 million prize and he went out of his way to thank his supporters.
Long after his post-race press conference near midnight, Martin left the infield media center and appeared on a temporary stage for an extended photo-op with Nextel executives.
NASCAR fans have long grown weary of drivers selling their soul to corporate sponsors in interviews, yet Martin’s seems somehow more genuine.
From his days on the dusty dirty tracks of the Midwest to the biggest stage in NASCAR, Martin just keeps pushing and working to do his job.
Mark Martin may never be cool, but he is a winner.
But just once, it would be nice to see Martin smile because he has certainly earned his paycheck.
All-Star race doesn't change Martin's retirement plans
By Jenna Fryer
AP Motorsports Writer
May 22, 2005Mark Martin has no regrets and no second thoughts about his impending retirement. He is positive that this season will be his last at NASCAR's highest level.
But after winning NASCAR's All-Star race - outsmarting Elliott Sadler to take the lead away from him 19 laps from the finish Saturday night - the 46-year-old Martin proved he's leaving at the top of his game.
Sure, he'll use this year to take one last shot at winning the series championship that has painfully eluded him during his 22 seasons. And if he should fail yet again, Martin is certain he doesn't have the energy to try again.
"I've already said I can't sign up for another one of these (full seasons)," Martin said. "This business is not easy, and I have had to reach. Last year I had to reach deeper than I've ever reached in my life to contend for that championship.
"I thought there was no way to find any more, and I've had to reach even deeper this year to find some more. And that's the real reason why I can't do it again next year. There's no possible way I could step it up another notch from 2005."
Well, that's what he says now. A few more wins like this one and who knows what might happen?
After all, Martin vowed to come back to the Nextel All-Star Challenge next season just moments after crossing the finish line Saturday night at Lowe's Motor Speedway. As an All-Star race winner (Martin also won in 1998), he is eligible to enter the race forever.
So as thrilled as he was to see Martin win, car owner Jack Roush was over the moon after Martin said he'd come back again.
That vow gave Roush something to cling to, even if it is a longshot.
"There's a crack in the armor here," Roush said. "I don't hold out much hope that Mark would reconsider his retirement plans, but at least if we can get one more race out of him in 2006, that will be better than nothing."
See, Roush is so much more than Martin's boss. The two built Roush Racing together, beginning in 1988 when Roush first launched his race team and signed Martin on to be his driver.
"The commitment that Mark made to me and to Roush Racing was huge," Roush said. "I was not established. There was a lot that I didn't know. I was late middle age when I started. He had a real handicap. He hung with me and kept the faith and he helped me."
Together, they built Roush Racing into one of the elite teams in NASCAR. Roush has five cars in the Nextel Cup Series and his drivers have won the past two Cup championships. He also has titles in the Busch and Truck Series.
But Martin has never held the championship trophy. Instead, he's a four-time runner-up. He's also finished third in the standings another four times.
And that, Roush says, is his fault.
"If I had been better connected, if I had been wiser, if I had done a better job, he'd have had two or three championships right now," Roush said. "The fact he doesn't have those is my fault. I bear the responsibility for it.
"That will be diminished some if we can save this year."
Can Martin actually win his first title in this, his final year? He doubts it, but vowed to "fight like a dog to do it."
The All-Star race didn't count in the standings - Martin settled for the $1 million payout - but he heads into next week's Coca-Cola 600 here in good shape in the points race.
He's currently 10th in the standings and has five top 10 finishes in 11 races this year.
He's also buoyed by the fact that he's won at three of the next four tracks the series heads to.
"We're going to come back here with fire in our eyes at the 600, and, man, we go from here to Dover, there to Pocono, and then from there to Michigan, we could get on a roll here," Martin said. "I'm excited about 2006, and I'm not regretting my decision at all. This just makes it even better.
"And we're not done yet."
Mark Martin holds the trophy after winning the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Saturday, May 21, 2005. - (AP Photo/Terry Renna)
Martin wins All-Star race in retirement year
By Jenna Fryer
AP Motorsports Writer
May 22, 2005CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- In a throwback paint scheme that honored his glory years, Mark Martin raced as if he was in the prime of his career.
Martin won the Nextel All-Star Challenge and its $1 million paycheck on Saturday night by piloting a car painted like the one he drove to four consecutive victories in 1993. This win didn't convince Martin to call off plans to retire at the end of the season, but it was enough for him to agree to defend his title in 2006.
``This is how I want to do it,'' Martin said. ``And we did this by racing smart with a great race car. I am excited about what is coming up ahead of us.''
This was supposed to be the final All-Star race for the 46-year-old Martin, who has not wavered in his decision to walk away.
But this was in no way a nostalgic trip around his favorite race track.
Martin turned it into a popular victory for the most respected driver in the garage. All his rivals and all his fans treasured the opportunity to see Martin run up front in the retro car painted like the one he raced from 1992-95.
``I had a great time racing Mark Martin,'' runner-up Elliott Sadler said. ``I had some flashbacks watching him run up there, with that paint scheme.'' So did Martin.
"I've got to thank everybody that helped us get a glimpse of old school with that paint scheme,'' he said. ``The car ran like it did in 1993."
Awash in the emotion of the victory, Martin quickly professed he'd come back for more.
``Thank you guys! Thank you!'' Martin screamed as he crossed the finish line at Lowe's Motor Speedway. ``I'll be back next year if you give me a ride!"
As an All-Star race winner, Martin is forever eligible to enter the race regardless of whether he competes the rest of the year.
Martin was in second place, lined up next Sadler, on a restart with 19 laps left in the race. But Sadler bumped into the side of Martin on the restart and the contact knocked Sadler out of line. Martin then darted into the lead.
``I think we both knew whoever got to turn one on the outside first was going to win the race,'' Sadler said. ``I didn't want to give up my real estate and we got into each other and it dropped me back.
``But with 19 laps to go and $1 million bucks on the line, you are going to use every trick in the trade. Mark just outsmarted me.''
Martin never looked back after getting ahead of Sadler and was never challenged in winning his second All-Star race. Martin also won the 1998 event, but picked up a paltry $257,500 for that victory.
Brian Vickers, who raced his way into the event by winning a qualifying heat right before the All-Star Challenge, finished third. Vickers spun out Mike Bliss right before the finish line to win the qualifier and was somewhat apologetic after.
``I hate that it ended like that,'' he said.
Jeff Gordon was fourth and was followed by Jimmie Johnson, Dale Jarrett, Kurt Busch and Jeremy Mayfield. Bobby Labonte and Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounded out the top 10.
The 90-lap race was broken into three segments and there were accidents in two of them.
The first was an 11-car wreck that led to an angry confrontation between Kevin Harvick and Joe Nemechek.
It was clear that Tony Stewart ran into the back of Nemechek, who turned inside and hit Harvick. They then collected all the cars behind them. What wasn't so clear was who was to blame for the initial contact between Stewart and Nemechek.
Harvick firmly believed Nemechek was at fault, hopping out of his mangled car and darting over to Nemechek's. He threw his restraint system on Nemechek's window and followed it with a flurry of gestures.
Nemechek jumped out of his car and charged after Harvick, who answered with a light shove to Nemechek's helmet. NASCAR officials had to separate them, and warn crew members from both teams to back down after they ran into the infield to protect their drivers.
``I'm tired of Joe Nemechek acting like he don't do nothing,'' said Harvick, who also referenced an accident the two were involved in at Daytona. Nemechek blamed Harvick for that one and threw a water bottle at him after it.
Nemechek insisted this one wasn't his fault.
``Kevin Harvick thinks he owns the world and he ain't squat,'' Nemechek said. ``That wasn't my fault.''
Stewart wasn't sure who was to blame.
``Somehow I got into the back of (Nemechek),'' he said. ``The bad thing is, I don't know that I didn't cause it.''
The second accident came one lap into the final 20-lap sprint when Ryan Newman, who led a race-high 45 laps, wiggled. The motion caused him to lose control of his car and spin into the path of teammate Rusty Wallace.
That brought out the final caution and set the stage for Martin to race to the win.
Martin wins NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge
May 21, 2005CONCORD, NC (TICKER) - The alignment of stars guaranteed Mark Martin the chance at one more race after he retires.
Mark Martin led most of the third and final segment to take the checkered flag ahead of Elliott Sadler in Saturday's 21st annual NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
At age 46, Martin became the oldest winner of this event and claimed over $1 million for winning this 90-lap race divided into segments of 40, 30 and 20 laps. It was his second All-Star triumph after taking the checkered flag in 1998 when Jeff Gordon ran out of fuel on the final lap.
Martin, who started outside of Ryan Newman on the front row, needed no help in this one. He won the first and third segments and led 24 laps in his Dodge Charger. On a restart with 19 laps to go, Martin bumped Sadler, surged to the lead and never looked back.
A four-time series runner-up, Martin announced last year he would retire at the conclusion of the 2005 campaign. Asked if he would be back to defend his title in this event, he said, "If (team owner) Jack Roush gives me a car to drive."
The field for the All-Star Challenge includes previous champions, series champions from the past 10 years that were active as recently as the previous year and race winners since the beginning of the previous season.
Sadler ran second, followed by the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Monte Carlos of Brian Vickers, Gordon and series points leader Jimmie Johnson. Gordon's top-five was his sixth in this event.
Driving a Dodge, Newman led the most laps. But his attempt to become the first driver to win this event from the pole since 1992 ended on the second lap of the third segment. He got loose in turn 1 and made hard contact with the wall, wiping out the Dodge of Penske Racing South teammate Rusty Wallace in the process.
That accident was far from the most dramatic of the night, however.
With four laps left in the opening 40-lap segment, Tony Stewart bumped the rear of Joe Nemechek to trigger a nine-car pile-up and bring out a red-flag delay.
"I didn't speed up, so I don't know what happened," Stewart said. "I don't know if (Nemechek) got loose or something or what. ... I don't know why I run into him when we come off the corner at the same speed and all of a sudden I run into him."
Among those involved in the accident was Kevin Harvick, who angrily climbed out of his Chevrolet Monte Carlo and slammed his driving gloves on the hood of Nemechek's Chevy. The two engaged in a heated exchanged before being separated by NASCAR officials.
The altercation was a continuation of a feud that was evident three months ago in Daytona. In the second of the Gatorade Dual 150s on February 17, Harvick bumped Jimmie Johnson to spark a multi-car accident that resulted in Nemechek needing a backup car for the Daytona 500.
Incensed after that accident, both Nemechek and Johnson suggested that Harvick be fired by Richard Childress Racing.
Although replays revealed that Saturday's pile-up was not Nemechek's fault, Harvick continued his beef with Nemechek.
"I'm tired of Joe Nemechek acting like his doesn't do nothing," Harvick said. "It may not have been his fault, but after Daytona and 'I should be fired' and all that, he can take that and shove it where the sun don't shine, baby."
Nemechek weighed in with his thoughts on the matter.
"Kevin Harvick thinks he owns the world and he ain't squat," Nemechek said. "That wasn't my fault out there."
With seven of the nine drivers involved in the wreck unable to continue, the green flag waved on lap 39 and Martin maintained his lead over the next 1 1/2 miles to win the first segment and pocket $75,000.
Vickers, who gained entry into this event by winning the Nextel Open earlier Saturday, was sixth after the first 40 laps but was awarded pole position for the second segment by a random drawing resulted in the field being inverted by six cars.
In addition to the three segments and order inversion after the first segment, the All-Star event included a mandatory four-tire pit stop between the 14th and 16th laps and an optional pit stop between the second and third sessions.
Victory lane:
Race winner Mark Martin celebrates with Jack Roush
NASCAR-CUP > All-Star, 2005-05-21
(Lowe's Motor Speedway Charlotte): Saturday race
Image by Kurt DahlstromMartin wins All-Star race
By Linda Przygodski - Motorsport.com
May 21, 2005Mark Martin will retire at the end of this season with one million extra dollars in his bank account. Martin held off the hard charging Ford of Elliott Sadler to win the Nextel All-Star Challenge at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
"I told them if they give me a ride I will come back next year," said Martin. "After winning this thing, I'll tell ya' I just want to thank Viagra. We've been together seven years and have an awesome relationship. I want to thank them for doing this retro 1993 paint scheme.
"It was up there tonight like it was always supposed to be.I want to thank everybody that supports us.it's just a terrific opportunity to drive for Pat Tryson and all these guys. I just love them."
Martin won the first segment but was sent to sixth on the restart in segment two after the field was inverted. Martin wasn't a factor for the second segment win (which went to Newman) but after a first lap crash in the third segment; Martin was able to bump past Sadler on the restart for the lead.
Once out front Martin easily steered the No. 6 Roush Ford to victory lane, making him the oldest winner ever of the event at 46. It is Martin's second career win in the All-Star race.
"This one's for the fans, salute to you," said Martin to the crowd in victory lane.
Elliott Sadler had to settle for second.
"Two tires was the right decision," said Sadler. "I had a great car tonight; my guys gave me a car good enough to win. It's just tough, it's hard to swallow. I had a great time racing Mark Martin, he's an awesome champion and an awesome race car driver.just spun the tires too much on the restart.
"When he got out front I just couldn't run him back down."
The Hendrick stable of drivers complete the top five with Brian Vickers in third followed by Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.
"We were back there working on our race car all night," said Johnson. "We made some good adjustments. I am pretty happy to come back for the 600 we learned a lot tonight. I have to give props to Mark Martin tonight, I hope I grow up and can be like him someday."
Segment One (40 laps, mandatory green flag pit stop)
Brian Vickers won the Nextel Open earning a spot in the All-Star event and the fans voted in Martin Truex, Jr. to complete the field for the annual event.
Ryan Newman started on the pole but after a round of mandatory green flag pit stops, Elliott Sadler took a commanding two-second lead over the field. A yellow for debris with ten laps to go bunched the field for the restart which allowed Mark Martin to grab the lead from Sadler.
Just as Martin took the lead with four laps remaining a melee broke out mid- pack collecting nine cars. Joe Nemechek got loose and Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex, Jr., Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Kasey Kahne, Michael Waltrip, Carl Edwards and Terry Labonte.
"I am still hot," said Nemechek. "Kevin Harvick thinks he owns the world and he ain't squat. It wasn't my fault, somebody tried to make it three wide coming off the corner.he thinks he owns the racetrack but he ain't squat."
The race was red-flagged for 15 minutes for NASCAR to clean up the race track.
When the field restarted Martin easily completed the last green flag lap to win $75,000 as the winner of segment one. Sadler and Greg Biffle finished second and third.
Six cars were selected to be inverted sending Brian Vickers to the pole alongside Newman for segment two.
Segment Two (30 laps)
After a ten minute intermission, Vickers' brought the field to the green flag but Newman rocketed past the No. 25 Chevy for the lead on the first lap. Newman stayed out front the entire thirty laps easily winning the second segment.
Segment Three (20 laps)
A caution between segments two and three allowed cars to pit if they chose and the entire field of thirteen cars came down for service. A two-tire change on the No. 38 Ford of Sadler grabbed him the lead of the event followed by the No. 24 of Jeff Gordon who also took just two-tires.
Sadler led when the field went to green but race conditions didn't last long. Newman spun on the first lap of segment three collecting teammate Rusty Wallace, who had nowhere to go as Newman slid into the turn two wall.
"It was just racing," said Wallace. "I thought we had a good car all day.Gordon started backing up and locking the field up. We were all dicing around trying to get by him and then Newman went into turn one and just lost it. When he spun, he went up the racetrack and I was on the outside trying to clear him and I just couldn't do it."
In segment three caution laps do not count, so there were 19 laps to go when the field restarted with Sadler leading followed by Martin. Martin bumped Sadler on the restart allowing the No. 6 Ford to grab the lead.
Sadler's wobble allowed the No. 48 of Jimmie Johnson to also get by but only for a few laps. Once the No. 38 Ford evened out, Sadler easily blew past Johnson to regain second. Yates horsepower vs. Yates horsepower was the story in the closing laps of the race as Martin and Sadler battled for the million dollar purse.
In the end, Sadler didn't have the steam to catch the No. 6 Ford.
Big wreck forces red flag in first segment of All-Star Challenge
By Keith Parsons
AP Sports Writer
May 21, 2005CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- Bad boy Kevin Harvick was right in the middle of another big wreck. This time, it wasn't his fault.
On lap 36 of the first segment of the Nextel All-Star Challenge, Tony Stewart clipped the back of Joe Nemechek's car, sending it spinning into Harvick. That ignited an 11-car accident that brought out the red flag, and left Harvick and Nemechek shoving each other after they got out of their crumpled cars.
``I'm tired of Joe Nemechek acting like he doesn't do anything,'' Harvick said. ``He can take that and shove it where the sun don't shine.''
And Nemechek's take?
``Kevin thinks he owns the world, and he ain't squat,'' he said. ``That wasn't my fault out there. Everybody's racing hard, I don't know what happened there. As far as Kevin Harvick, he can do what he wants. He was just being an idiot, just being Kevin.''
They got tangled up earlier in the season in the qualifying race before the Daytona 500, with Harvick bumping Jimmie Johnson to start a wreck that took out five cars, including Nemechek. He derisively tossed a water bottle at Harvick when the two left the infield care center, and Johnson called for Harvick to be fired by Richard Childress Racing.
After the latest confrontation, Stewart wasn't sure what happened. He was trailing Nemechek off turn four and then closed suddenly to tap his bumper.
``I don't know how I got into the back of him,'' Stewart said. ``I don't know if he got loose or not. I knew something like this might happen, and I'm not sure that I didn't cause it. But I honestly don't know what happened.''
Stewart joined Harvick and Nemechek in the garage, along with Kasey Kahne, Terry Labonte, Michael Waltrip and Martin Truex Jr.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte and Carl Edwards were involved but continued after repairs.
SPIN AND WIN
Brian Vickers won the Nextel Open with the kind of move that made NASCAR's all-star weekend so popular.
As the leaders raced to the checkered flag, Vickers nudged Mike Bliss' Chevrolet into a spin, with Vickers narrowly beating his rival to the line Saturday night at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The victory moved him into the All-Star Challenge, where the winner got $1 million.
Bliss hung on for second, with Travis Kvapil, Kyle Busch and Bobby Hamilton Jr. rounding out the top five.
``We came to the line, and I was there. I don't know what else to do,'' Vickers said. ``When he started to spin, I went right to miss him. We played it just right.''
For Bliss, who sat on the pole with a track record 189.208 mph, the result left him out of the big race. Martin Truex Jr., a regular on the Busch Series who drives for Dale Earnhardt Inc., won the fan vote to advance after finishing 10th.
``He spun me out,'' said Bliss, trying to carefully watch his words. ``The only thing, I wish I would have turned right and wrecked (him). We've got 600 miles here next week, and I don't want to race that way. But when you're going for nothing to lose, I guess that's what you have to do.''
This was the first race for the Cup cars on the newly ground surface at Lowe's, and the consensus was the outside groove was the place to be. With the format for the special, non-points event calling for double-file restarts, the car on the outside of the front row took the lead each time.
In fact, Bliss took advantage of a rarely used rule that allowed him to move to the outside at the start, and he led the first four laps before Kvapil took over and dominated the first 20-lap segment. Neither pitted during the caution before the final 10-lap dash, and Bliss quickly took the lead again from the outside on the restart.
He kept it until the final 200 yards.
``He's in the big show and I'm not,'' Bliss said dejectedly.
DRIVER'S CONFUSION
Ryan Newman didn't really understand the rules, and neither did Mark Martin or Jack Roush. Finally, NASCAR president Mike Helton stepped in to clear up everything. Maybe.
The issue was the restarts for both All-Star races. Normally, the lead lap cars stay in a single line coming to the green, with lapped cars on the bottom. To make the All-Star races a bit more exciting, the rules were tweaked to allow the double-file lineup used at the initial start.
Also, no passing was allowed until the cars past the finish line, where the green flag was waving, and that's where the confusion came.
``What are you going to do with a guy that brake checks?'' Roush asked.
Newman, who started on the pole in the All-Star Challenge, also wanted to know how the restarts would be policed, because normally the leader dictates when everyone goes. With the altered order, the flagman was responsible for that.
That's when Helton came to the microphone.
``All of the restarts are just like you start every other race,'' he said. ``We're not going to split hairs over a couple of inches.''
PEOPLE WATCHING
As befitting an All-Star weekend, several celebrities were on hand for the festivities.
Actress Pamela Anderson was the Grand Marshal and gave the order for the drivers to start their engines, and John Walsh, host of ``America's Most Wanted'' on Fox, presented a $10,000 check to Deanna Tofte, a detective with the Wichita Falls, Texas, police department. She won the first annual ``America's Most Wanted All-Star Award present by Nextel'' for her service.
Several members of the Carolina Panthers also came, including quarterback Jake Delhomme, safety Mike Minter and defensive end Mike Rucker.
As they filed out of the drivers' meeting, Delhomme sought out Dale Earnhardt Jr. to wish him luck.
``It's my first race,'' Delhomme told Junior, who was quick with his response.
``It should be a good one,'' he said with a smile.
