Mark Martin (AR)
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{{NASCAR current driver| Name = Mark Anthony Martin| Birthdate = January 9, 1959 | Birthplace = Batesville, Arkansas| Car_Team = #5 - Hendrick Motorsports | Previous_Year = 2005 | Prev_Cup_Pos = 4th | Best_Cup_Pos = 2nd - 2002, 1998, 1994, 1990 (Winston Cup) | Wins = 35 | Top_Tens = 366 | Poles = 42 | First_Race = 1981 Northwestern Bank 400 (North Wilkesboro) | First_Win = 1989 AC Delco 500 (Rockingham) | Last_Win = 2009 Southern 500 ([[Darlington Speedway|)) (South Carolina) | Awards = 1977 American Speed Association (ASA) Rookie of the Year
4-Time American Speed Association (ASA) Champion (1978, 1979, 1980, 1986)
5-Time IROC Champion (1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005)
Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998)| Updated_On = May 28, 2006 | }}
Mark Anthony Martin (born January 9, 1959 in Batesville, Arkansas) is a Nascar Sprint Cup driver of the #5 Kellogg's/Carquest Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports.
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[edit] Career
Martin has always been known as a "racer's racer". This basically means that he is willing to race any kind of vehicle in any kind of conditions anywhere in the world.
After racing in the short dirt tracks in the state of Arkansas for several years, Martin debuted in the American Speed Association (ASA) in 1977. He won the circuit's Rookie of the Year title in 1977 and then 3 consecutive championships from 1978 to 1980.
Martin began his Winston Cup career in 1981. After bouncing about with different sponsors and teams from 1981 to 1983, he returned to ASA in 1984. In his only full year in Cup during this period, he ran his own team and even had 5 top 10s, but ran out of money. In 1986, he won yet another ASA championship.
In 1987, he gave NASCAR racing another shot by running in the Busch Series. After a win in Dover, Delaware, he was spotted by car owner Jack Roush. In 1988, Martin began a long relationship with Roush that continues to this day.
Overall, Martin has 35 career NASCAR Cup wins and has finished second in the Sprint Cup Series point standings four times (1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002). He has also achieved a record 47 victories in the Nationwide Series. In 1990 a 46 point penalty caused him to lose to Dale Earnhardt by 26 points in the final standings.
Martin finished off the 2005 Nascar Nextel Cup season with an exciting second place finish in the season finale to fellow Roush Racing teammate Greg Biffle at the Homestead International Speedway. In doing so, he also secured a fourth place spot in the Chase for the Nextel Cup, just 105 points back from series champion Tony Stewart.
Martin has also won five IROC titles (1994, 1996, 1997 1998 and 2005) in addition to thirteen races, both records for that series.
His sponsors have included Stroh Beer, Folgers coffee, Kraft, Valvoline motor oil, and Viagra/Pfizer, and his current sponsor is AAA. In 2005, Martin announced he would retire after the 2005 season; thus the 2005 season was entitled Mark Martin's "Salute to You" tour, as a "thank you" to his fans. However, he ultimately opted to run an additional season at the request of his car owner Jack Roush, who did not have a replacement driver lined up.
In June 2005, it was announced that Jamie McMurray would replace Mark Martin in the #6 car in 2007. This left Jack Roush without a driver for car 6 in 2006. Martin later agreed to drive for the 2006 season. Ultimately, it was announced that McMurray would be released from his contract and would take over for Kurt Busch instead in car #26, and Todd Kleuver would replace Mark Martin in the #6 AAA Ford Fusion in 2007. In 2007, Mark Martin will to run only a part time schedule in the Nextel Cup Series in the #01 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt, Inc.. It will be the first time in 19 years that Mark has not raced in a Ford.
Starting in 2009, Martin moved on to the #5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. After a rough start, Martin visited victory lane four times in the first half of the season.
[edit] Teams
| Year | # | Sponsor | Make | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 5 | Kellogg's | Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 2007-2008 | 01 | U.S. Army | Chevrolet | Dale Earnhardt, Inc./Ginn Racing |
| 1988-2007 | 6 | AAA (2007) Viagra (2002-2006) Valvoline (1993-2000) Folgers (1990-1991) Stroh's Light(1988-1989) | Ford | Roush Racing |
| 1983 |
2 |
[edit] Trivia
- Martin loves to listen to rap music.
- Martin claims his road racing experience came from his days driving on the windy roads of Batesville, Arkansas.
- Martin is listed as the official owner of Matt Kenseth's 17 car.
- Martin currently resides in Daytona Beach, Fla.
