BLAST FROM THE PAST
PRESENTED BY
NASCAR Legend: Mark Martin
Mark Martin came to NASCAR’s Cup Series after building an impressive résumé on the paved short tracks of the Midwest. We won 40 races and recorded 453 top-10 finishes during a 31-year Cup Series career.
BY BEN WHITE
Born Jan. 9, 1959, Martin began driving on short tracks in the area around his Batesville, Arkansas, home at the age of 14. Having been a bit short for his age, he would place phone books in the seat of his race car in order to comfortably see through the car’s windshield. That small detail didn’t stop him from quickly becoming one of the most successful drivers to continually collect checkered flags week after week. A move to the American Speed Association was a natural progression and soon Martin was racing against such stars as Bobby Allison, Rusty Wallace, Dick Trickle and Jim Sauter, all icons he would face later in the NASCAR Cup Series. Martin earned the 1977 ASA National Tour rookieof-the-year title. Before leaving the ultra-competitive division, Martin won 22 ASA races with championships coming in 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1986. Funding the venture he co-owned with Bud Reeder, Martin moved to NASCAR’s Cup Series in 1981, earning two pole positions and a top-five finish in five series starts. He struggled to find success in NASCAR and eventually returned to the ASA circuit. At the end of 1987, a call from team owner Jack Roush changed his destiny. Roush offered Martin the Cup Series ride of a lifetime with the new team he was forming. Together, they collected 35 of Martin’s 40 victories and finished second in Cup Series points on five occasions.
“I DIDN’T DRIVE RACE CARS FOR THE JOY OF GOING FAST, MAN. IT WAS TO SEE THAT CAR AT THE TOP OF THE SCOREBOARD.” –MARK MARTIN
BEST SEASON EVEN THOUGH HE FINISHED SECOND IN CUP Series points to Jeff Gordon during the 1998 season, Martin scored seven victories for team owner Jack Roush and was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers that year. He set career highs for top-five finishes with 22 and laps led with 1,730. RECORD SETTER MARTIN WON 49 TIMES IN WHAT IS NOW THE NASCAR Xfinity Series, holding the record for series wins for 14 years. He retired from driving in 2013 with 96 wins across NASCAR’s three national series, seventh on the all-time list. He was recognized for winning in all types of cars.
LASER-FOCUSED TALENTED
DRIVEN
DEDICATED STRONG-WILLED KNOWN FOR MARTIN WAS KNOWN FOR HIS INTENSITY, BOTH on and off the track. Whether doing interviews or inside the race car, he was incredibly focused on the job at hand, often admitting he had difficulty relaxing between races. When behind the wheel of his cars, he was totally consumed with winning.
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POLE POSITION 2022
PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES
