M6M's Mark Martin Page
NASCAR's Mark Martin
2004 Season Articles - October

Trick or Treat, Martin Finishes Second in Atlanta
Mark Martin and the #6 Viagra® Racing Team
Atlanta Motor Speedway/October 31, 2004
HAMPTON, GA. – It was trick and treat for Mark Martin and the Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Race Team during Sunday’s Bass Pro Shops 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on Halloween Sunday. For Martin the trick was coming up just short of the win. The treat however, was turning in a dominating performance that saw Martin lead 227 of 325 laps, while gaining a whopping 143 points on first place. The strong run propelled Martin right back in the middle of the Chase for the Nextel Cup, with Martin going from 224 to only 81 points behind first place with three races remaining in the season.
“We had a great car today and it was just a great effort by the Viagra® Racing Team,” said Martin. “We just have such a great team. The team effort is just incredible. I have the best guys I've ever had to work with in my racing career and it really showed today. We had fantastic pit stops and the whole works."
Martin was in the lead and firmly in control of the race when the day’s fifth caution was called on lap 300 with just 25 laps remaining. The caution forced Martin to stay out, while the other cars behind him came in for fresh tires. Martin had held as much as an eight second lead on second place and had lapped all but eight of the other cars in the race, but he got caught up in lapped traffic on the restart and faced an uphill battle going against the fresh tires.
A near tangle with the lapped car of teammate Greg Biffle, gave the No. 48 of Jimmie Johnson just enough of a window to get around Martin on lap 310, just one lap before the day’s sixth and final caution was issued. Martin came in under caution to take four fresh tires and restarted in sixth place with only 10 laps remaining. Martin would make a valiant effort to reclaim the lead slicing through the field and back into second place by lap 320 of the 325-lap event and closing on leader Jimmie Johnson. However, Martin would come up just short of the win and have to settle for second place on a day where the No. 6 car was clearly and without a doubt the class of the field.
Martin started the race seventh but struggled with a loose handling car at the onset. In fact Martin dropped all the way to 16th place by just the sixth lap of the race. Once the car settled in Martin began a meticulous march to the front. By lap 21 he had moved the Viagra® Ford back inside the top 10. On lap 37 Martin moved inside the top five as he continued his march to the front. By lap 75 Martin had driven the No. 6 to the front of the field. Martin took the lead and proceeded to simply drive away from the field. With the exception of time on pit road, Martin would keep the lead for the next 235 laps until surrendering it to Johnson on lap 310.
Martin built as much as an eight and a half second lead as he paced the field for the remainder of the day. The No. 6 Viagra® pit crew did its part as well, keeping its lead on pit road during several key stops, including stops of 13.71 and 13.80 seconds.
The caution on lap 300 put crew chief Pat Tryson and the team in a tough spot, knowing their move would dictate the actions of the competition.
“Pat was a sitting duck on that one,” said Martin after the race. “They all knew they couldn’t beat us straight up, so they were going to do the opposite of what we did. If we had pitted, they would have all stayed out and we would have been ninth, so it was a tough place to be in. We did the best we could do and we had a great car. We almost won the thing, but we just came up a little short in the end.
“That last caution just really put the hurt on us,” added Martin. “It was just a tough deal. We were just in a situation where I don't think Pat Tryson could win. Either thing he did, the rest of the guys were going do the opposite based on how our car ran.”
Martin moves up to fourth place, 81 points behind first and only nine points outside of third as the circuit heads to Phoenix next weekend, where the veteran has 13 top-10 finishes in 16 races. The finish was Martin’s ninth top-five and 14th top-10 finish of the season. It also marked Martin’s fourth second place run of 2004.
The finish capped off a busy weekend for Martin who finished fifth in Friday’s ASA race, sixth in Saturday’s Busch Series race and second on Sunday in the Nextel Cup race.

ASA Racing ... We Build Champions: Cywinski Champion, Garvey Final 2004 Race Winner - Mark finished 5th after starting 35th
Finishing in a close pack behind Reffner was Butch Miller, Wade Day and Mark Martin in his first ASA National Tour event since 1996. The rest of the Top-10 was Peter Cozzolino, Brett Sontag, Tim Sauter, Cywinski, and Jason Dietsch. Sontag’s finish netted him the 2004 ASA Rookie of the Year title.

Martin Runs to Fifth-Place Finish in ASA Return

Hampton, Ga. (Oct. 29, 2004) – Mark Martin made a successful return to the series where he first made a name for himself in the late 70’s and early 80’s with a fifth-place finish in Friday night’s World Financial Group 150 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.
“It was really fun to get back out there in an ASA race,” said Martin after the race. “It’s like returning to my roots and we had a lot of fun tonight. We had a good car – not quite good enough to win – but a good car. The team did a great job all week and we were able to get a pretty good finish.”
Martin, who boasts four ASA championships, started the race 38th, but wasted no time moving his World Financial Ford up the field. The veteran starting his 144th career ASA race -but his first since 1996 – had moved to 25th by the fifth lap of the race. Martin broke into the top 10 on lap 27 and inside the top five by the 32nd lap.
Martin ran as high as third place with only 18 laps remaining as the cars shuffled in and out of the draft. Martin fell back to sixth on lap 45, before moving back to fifth on lap 53. Martin would have to fight a pesky field down to the last lap for the top-five finish. The finish was Martin’s 81st top-five and 96th top-10 career ASA finish.
The race was the first of three for Martin in a busy weekend in Atlanta. Martin qualified his No. 6 Viagra® Taurus seventh for Sunday’s Nextel Cup race and his No. 9 Cottman Ford 24th for Saturday’s Busch race.

Cottman Transmission Systems, LLC Announces "Race to Atlanta" Winner!
Winner joins Mark Martin's Pit Crew In Atlanta this Weekend
BGN Racing
HORSHAM, October 27, 2004 - Cottman Transmission Systems, LLC, announced today that Richard Jellison of Rahway, NJ, has won Cottman's "Race to Atlanta" contest, which the company has been running since March. Mr. Jellison has been invited on an all-expenses-paid trip to this weekend's Busch series race, the Aaron's 312, at Atlanta Speedway, where he will be a part of the Pit Crew for No. 9 Cottman Transmission Ford being driven by Mark Martin.
Cottman sponsored the No. 9 Ford Taurus in four Busch Series races this year. From March through October, Cottman also ran a Show Car program with its centers, featuring the No. 9 Cottman car and a chance to win the "Race to Atlanta Contest" by earning the fastest time on the NASCAR Thunder 2004 game. Each month, as the car traveled around the country, Cottman posted a top winner in two age categories. Over 4,600 customers nationwide raced the car in the contest. The under-18 Grand Prize winner, Michael Esqueda from Chandler, AZ, won a PlayStation 2 system, the NASCAR steering wheel package, and a copy of the 2005 NASCAR Chase for the Cup game, in which the Cottman No. 9 car is featured. Mr. Jellison, Cottman's 18-and-over winner, won the trip to Atlanta for the weekend, a chance to meet Cottman's driver, Mark Martin, and the opportunity to serve as an honorary member of Martin's pit crew this Saturday.
"Richard clocked an amazing time of four minutes, seventeen seconds, and was almost 3 seconds faster than the next closest competitor" said Todd P. Leff, president and CEO of Cottman. "He's excited, and so are we, to be in Atlanta this weekend to cheer the No. 9 car to victory lane in the Aaron's 312."
About Cottman Transmission Systems, LLC:
Founded in 1962, Cottman Transmission is the nation's leading chain of transmission repair centers. With 400 locations coast to coast, Cottman specializes in every phase of transmission work, including manual and automatic transmissions, American and import vehicles, and front-wheel and four-wheel drives. Cottman technicians undergo regular, rigorous training and use the latest state-of-the-art electronic diagnostic equipment.

2004 Mark Martin Atlanta Track Notes - October 31, 2004
Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Roush Racing #6 Ford Taurus
Bass Pro Shop MBNA 500/Atlanta Motor Speedway
Roush Racing and Compiled Info
October 26, 2004
DRIVER: Mark Martin
TEAM: No. (6) Viagra® Ford Taurus
OWNER: Jack Roush
CREW CHIEF: Pat Tryson
2003 WINNER: Jeff Gordon
MARK MARTIN LAST YEAR'S EVENT
Mark Martin Atlanta Race Recap
Mark Martin and the #6 Viagra® Racing Team
Atlanta Motor Speedway/October 27, 2003
Roush Racing
HAMPTON, GA. (Oct. 27, 2003) – Heavy rains postponed the running of the Bass Pro Shops/MBNA 500, but it was early mechanical failure that finally brought an end to the weekend for Mark Martin and the Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Racing Team at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Martin lost an engine during the first lap of practice on Friday and was forced to start the race from the back of the field. The veteran driver had maneuvered his Ford Taurus from 43rd to 24th, before additional engine problems forced Martin and the team out of Monday’s race. Martin would end up taking home a 39th-place finish.
"I’m just really proud of this Viagra® team,” said Martin. “They just fought this thing all weekend. Our car was pretty good today. We just had to start in the back there because we had trouble on Friday with breaking an engine part. We haven't had any trouble with our engines since this race in the spring, so I really don't know what's up. The guys fought hard all day. We got caught a little short on a gas-mileage deal and I got a lap down, but we had a competitive car. It was pretty decent. I was proud of our race car and I'm real proud of our team."
The race actually started on Sunday, before heavy rains forced it to be postponed after only 39 laps. During those 39 laps, Martin was happy with his car, as he moved from the rear of the field to 26th place. Martin radioed that the car was ‘perfect’ just before the rain halted the race. Excellent work in the pits, including a 13.884-second stop helped Martin make his way up the field on Sunday.
After 33 laps caution was issued for rain and six laps later the field was red-flagged. When the rain refused to let up, NASCAR officials announced that the race would be postponed until the next morning. By late Monday morning the rain let up and was replaced by a cool breezy front that settled over the Atlanta area.
Martin was running in 25th place when the race resumed on lap 44. By lap 61, Martin had moved further up the field and in 18th position, before the car started to become loose. As the field began to pit under green conditions, Martin came into the pits for four tires and fuel on lap 100. The team posted another quick stop (14.86 seconds), but bad luck struck again moments later as caution was called on lap 102. All of the cars that had yet to pit were a lap ahead and Martin was caught a lap down. The No. 6 team stayed out on the track and Martin restarted the race at the tail end of the lead lap and in 30th position when the race went green on lap 113.
Running the low line, Martin quickly moved to 22nd place and was able to fight off the leaders for several laps, before finally going down a lap to the leader on lap 124. As the car become ‘loose’ again, Martin fell back to 25th place, where he was running when caution was issued on lap 151. The team came in for tour tires and to put wedge in to help tighten the car’s handling. Martin returned to the field in 24th place when the race went green on lap 157. Two laps later Martin radioed that he had lost the motor. The team retired to the garage and was forced to settle for a 39th-place finish.
MARTIN LOOKS TO HAUNT OPPOSITON IN ATLANTA
After a 12th-place run last week in Martinsville, Martin and the team will look for a solid run this weekend in Atlanta where they were very fast last week during a two-day test session. Martin, who has two wins and 17 top-10 finishes in 37 starts at Atlanta will look to build on that success this weekend.
THE CHASE FOR THE NEXTEL CUP - MARTIN IN FIFTH WITH FOUR TO GO
Martin remains in fifth place in the Chase. He currently trails first by 224 points and fourth by 17 points with four races remaining.
THE CAR
Chassis Number: (RK-118) -The team will run RK-118 at Atlanta this week. Atlanta will be the first run for RK-118 which posted some of the fastest times during the testing session at Atlanta last week.
BREAKING DOWN THE FINAL FOUR
Martin has a combined four wins at the remaining four tracks, including two at Atlanta, with both coming in the fall. Martin has combined 34 top fives, 55 top 10's and four poles in 95 starts at the remaining four tracks. Martin has finished in the top 10 in almost 60 percent of his starts at those tracks.
TRIPLE DUTY
In addition to his Nextel Cup duties, Martin will be making his long-awaited return to the ASA series this weekend in Atlanta. Martin will also make his fourth Busch start of the season this weekend in Atlanta, where he pulls into the weekend looking for a trio of victories. This will be Martin's first ever ASA race at Atlanta and his 10th in the Busch series, where he has three wins.
MARTIN IN ATLANTA
This will be Martin's 38th start at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where the veteran driver has tallied 17 top-10 finishes and nine top-fives. Martin ran his first race at the track on March 21, 1982 where he finished 19th. He returned that same year and drove to a top-10 finish in the spring. The No. 6 team posted a pair of top-10 finishes there in 2002, but fell victim to mechanical failures in both races there in 2003. The team finished 14th there in the spring.
MARK MARTIN - FAST FACTS - ATLANTA

Martin has scored 17 top-10 and nine top-five finishes at Atlanta.
Martin has won twice at Atlanta, with both wins coming in the fall ( '91 and '94).
Martin has started inside the top 10 in 23 of his 38 races at Atlanta. He has started inside the top five on 16 occasions. He has earned one pole (3/92) and has started on the front row six times.
Martin scored the first of his 17 top-10 finishes at Atlanta in only his second start at the track on Nov. 7, 1982.

QUOTING MARK MARTIN AND CREW CHIEF PAT TRYSON
Mark Martin on Atlanta:
"Atlanta is the fastest track that we go to that's not a restrictor plate race and that makes for a lot of fun. It's my kind of racetrack. You have to figure out how to go fast through those corners. If you do that you'll be in good shape on the straight-aways. It's a fast track and sometime you might find yourself holding your breath, but it makes for some good racing.
"It's the shape, the size, the banking and the transitions from straightaway to corner that make it so fast. It makes better speed. If you made sharper corners, it wouldn't be as fast. If you had flat straight-aways and then corners that were banked up, you'd have to slow down more approaching the corner. It's just the shape and the banking, coupled with the transitions and size that really make it a lot of fun."
Pat Tryson on Atlanta:
"We had a pretty good test there last week and we are excited about going back for the real deal. We are taking a new car and we really liked the way it preformed at the test, so we are looking for an exciting weekend and hopefully we'll be able to make the car fast enough to put it in victory lane. If we can do that, I have no doubt the driver will get it there. We've had some good runs lately, we just haven't been able to get the finish we should have, but hopefully we'll be able to put it all together this weekend in Atlanta and take the Viagra car back to victory lane."

2004 Mark Martin Atlanta Busch Track Notes - October 30, 2004
Cottman Roush Racing #9 Ford Taurus
Aaron's 312/Atlanta Motor Speedway
Roush Racing
October 26, 2004
DRIVER: Mark Martin
TEAM: No. (6) Viagra® Ford Taurus
OWNER: Jack Roush
CREW CHIEF: Pat Tryson
MARTIN LOOKS FOR RECORD FOUR-SIX AT ATLANTA
Mark Martin start his fourth Busch race of 2004 this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he has three wins and six top-10's in only nine Busch starts. Martin finished eight at Dover in his last Busch race and second earlier this year at Michigan. The team will use chassis RK-15, the same car Martin ran at both Michigan and Dover.
IN THE BUSCH SERIES
Martin made a name for himself in the Busch Series, taking a series record 45 checkered-flags from 1987 until he 'retired' from the series in 2000. All in all Martin has run 203 Busch races, collecting 128 top-10 and 94 top-five finishes. Martin has won 23 percent of all the Busch races he's entered and finished inside the top 10 65 percent of the time. Martin has led 7,736 laps in the series.
MARTIN AT ATLANTA IN THE BUSCH CAR
This will be Martin's 10th Busch race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he has won three times while collecting six top-10 finishes and two poles. In fact, Martin won his last Busch race at Atlanta on March 11, 2000.
RECORD 45 CAREER VICTORIES
Martin will be going for his record-extending 46th win in the Busch Series. Martin's first win in the Busch Series came on May 30, 1987 at Dover. His last win in a Busch car was on Sept. 2, 2000 at Darlington. Despite running a limited schedule of 15 races or less, Martin won at least two Busch races each year from 1993-2000, including six win seasons in '92, '96, '97 and '99.
THE CAR
Chassis Number: (RK-15) - The team will run RK-15 this weekend at Dover. RK-15 is the same car that Martin and the No. 9 Team finished second with a Michigan and eighth at Dover.
MARK MARTIN FAST FACTS - BUSCH - ATLANTA

Martin has three wins in nine starts at Atlanta.
Martin won in his last Busch attempt at Atlanta on 3/11/00.
Martin has two Busch Series Poles at Atlanta.
Martin will be going for his Busch Series record extending 46th win in the series this weekend at Atlanta.
Martin will pull triple duty this weekend at Atlanta, running the ASA, Busch and Nextel Cup Races.

QUOTING MARK MARK MARTIN ON ATLANTA
"We are going to have a busy weekend this weekend that's for sure, but we'll get to do a lot of racing and I'm excited about that. We are running the No. 9 Cottman car again this weekend in the Busch race and hopefully we can take it to victory lane. It's the same car that we finished second with at Michigan and we had a strong run at Dover as well, so hopefully we'll be able to get a little better and see if we can't win the thing. I can't remember the last time I ran three races in one weekend and I'm excited about the chance to win all three."

Statement From Jack Roush and Roush Racing Drivers Regarding Hendrick Tragedy
Jack Roush:
"My heart and prayers go out to the Hendrick family and the families of all who lost their lives in this tragedy. Like the entire Hendrick organization, fans, followers and supporters, I too feel the tremendous loss."
Mark Martin:
"I was hoping to never have to hear this again in my lifetime, I just feel so bad, it's unreal. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the families of those involved in this terrible tragedy."
Greg Biffle:
"I really don't have the words to express the sorrow I feel for Rick Hendrick, the entire Hendrick organization and the families and friends of those whose lives were taken by this tragic accident. My thoughts and prayers are with all of them.
"I'd become very good friends over the years with many of those involved and I'm just heartbroken. I'm deeply saddened and I have an empty feeling inside of me, as does the entire NASCAR family. All of them will be greatly missed."
Matt Kenseth:
"I really don't know what to say, this is such a terrible tragedy. It's not only a tragedy for NASCAR, but it's a personal one for the Hendrick Family--Rick has been through a lot this year already and I think the best thing any of us can do right now is just pray for them. We all knew the people onboard and Randy Dorton has been a very close friend of mine. We just need to pray for everybody right now for what they're going through."
Kurt Busch:
"It's such an extremely unfortunate situation. It's certainly something that illustrates how close-knit the entire racing community really is, and right now we're all just thinking and praying for all of the families."
Carl Edwards:
"This is certainly a great tragedy not only for Hendrick Motorsports but for the entire sport. My thoughts and prayers go out to all my peers at Hendrick Motorsports and to all the family members and friends of each of the 10 individuals who lost their lives in this terrible tragedy."
Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Mich., based Roush Industries that operates nine motorsports teams; five in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series with drivers Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, two in the NASCAR Busch Series with Martin, Kenseth and Biffle and two in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with drivers Jon Wood and Edwards.

Martin Finishes 12th at Martinsville
Mark Martin and the #6 Viagra® Racing Team
Martinsville Speedway/October 24, 2004
MARTINSVILLE, VA. - – Mark Martin makes it no secret that Martinsville is not his favorite track on the Nextel Cup circuit. With 43 cars on the small .566 oval it can get really crowded and passing is difficult. However Martin spent the majority of Sunday’s Subway 500 patiently moving through the field. The Viagra® Team started 23rd and Martin spent the first 130 laps of the caution-filled race patiently working his way through traffic and inside the top 15. Martin moved inside the top 10 on lap 182. His momentum would carry him all the way to sixth place and the team looked poised for a top-five finish. However five cautions in the race’s final 84 laps foiled the team’s pit strategy and Martin was forced to settle for a 12th-place finish.
Martin was 10th and on the run when the day’s 12th caution was called on lap 408. Crew chief Pat Tryson opted to come into the pits for the fifth time of the day, for four fresh tires and fuel. Several cars opted for different pit strategies, including staying out and Martin was in 13th place when the field went green on lap 416. Five more cautions during the race’s final 84 laps would limit green flag racing to about 30 laps, giving Martin only enough time to advance to 12th place on the fresh tires before the checkered flag dropped.
“It was a good effort by this team,” said Martin. “We just weren’t able to race our way back up front with all those cautions there at the end. If we could have gotten just a few green flag laps in there we would have at least been able to get back inside the top 10, but the team had great stops and we had a pretty good car so overall it was a solid effort by this Viagra® Team.”
Two of the race’s 17 cautions were issued by the 24th lap of the race, as the constant yellow flags continued to halt Martin’s movement. The team was solid in the pits, posting back-to-back stops of 13.82 and 14.16 seconds to help move Martin’s Viagra® Ford up to eighth place by lap 184.Martin was held up by lapped traffic and dropped back to 12th position by lap 215. Martin regrouped and marched back up the field passing the No. 20 car of Tony Stewart for sixth place on lap 278. Martin was still running in sixth when the day’s eighth caution was called on lap293. The team came into the pits for four tires and fuel and used another excellent stop of 13.94 seconds to hold serve and stay in sixth.
Martin was in seventh when the team came into the pits under yet another caution on lap 356. A problem with the right front tire forced the team’s worst stop of the day and Martin lost position in the pits. That combined with several other cars staying out dropped Martin back to 16th place when the field went green on lap 356. However Martin’s Ford was fast and he moved back inside the top 10 by lap 406, just before caution was called two laps later.
"We ran good,” added Martin. “It's a shame that three weeks in a row we've run better than we finished. It's kind of a shame. If we want to win this championship, we need to finish better than we've run and some of these guys have been doing that. We were a fifth to seventh place car easy, but we lost a little track position and then we didn't get a chance to race it the whole last 100 laps. Our car was great on the long run. It was incredible. I would come from 15th to fifth or sixth on a 70-lap run or something. If we would have gone green that last 70 or 80 laps, we could have got back into the top 10 - probably close to fifth. Our car never did slow down. It would keep on coming and I was real proud of that. I thought we ran good for me at Martinsville, we just didn't finish that good."
Martin remains in fifth place in the Nextel Cup point standings, 224 points behind leader Kurt Busch with four races remaining. The team returns to action next week in Atlanta where Martin will pull triple duty, running in the ASA, Busch and Nextel Cup races.

Mark Martin returns to ASA at Atlanta
Racing series NASCAR ASA
Motorsport.com: News Channel

World Financial Group will be on board as Martin makes a return to his roots of racing.
"This series is and will always be special to me," said Martin. "It's really where cut my teeth in racing. It's where I learned so much about racing and I was able to take that and move on and go on to accomplish at lot of things and I'll always be grateful to the series for that."
CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 6, 2004) -- Mark Martin will make a return to the series where he won four championships from 1978-86. Martin cut his teeth in the American Speed Association Series, winning Rookie of the Year honors in 1978, before moving on to multiple championships in the series and eventually making a name for himself as one of NASCAR's all-time elite drivers.
Martin will take a break from his hectic NASCAR schedule and make a return to his roots when he drives the World Financial No. 6 Ford in ASA at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Oct. 29. It will mark Martin's first time in an ASA race since 1996.
Martin tore through the series in the late 70's and early 80's, running up four championships, 22 wins, 40 poles, 80 top-five and 95 top-10 finishes and leading 4,690 laps before moving on to one of the most successful careers in NASCAR Nextel Cup history.
"We are all excited and pumped up about running the ASA car in Atlanta. We will be doing the triple that weekend with the ASA race on Friday, the Busch race Saturday and the Cup race on Sunday. That will be a busy weekend for sure.
"I have a great affinity for this series. It's a world-class series with world-class drivers that put on an extremely competitive show and I think they'll really put a show on at both Lowe's and Atlanta."
Martin has tallied 34 Nextel Cup and 45 Busch Series victories, but he's quick to give credit to ASA for helping to make him the driver he is today.
"It's really where I cut my teeth in racing," said Martin. "It's where I learned so much about racing and I was able to take that and move on and go on to accomplish at lot of things and I'll always be grateful to the series for that."
Martin's last run in ASA came on Sept. 2, 1996 where he ran to a top-10 finish at the Minnesota State Fair. Martin has finished inside the top 10 in 66 percent of the 143 ASA races he has started.
Martin's sponsor for the race will be World Financial Group, Inc. (WFG). World Financial Group is an independent marketing company whose affiliates offer life insurance and a broad array of financial products and services. Through its thousands of independent associates in the United States and Canada, World Financial Group strives to help individuals and families who are often overlooked by the financial services industry to plan for their financial futures and work toward their goals no matter what their income.
"We'll have World Financial Group on the car and we are really looking forward to that as well," said Martin. "They are a first class organization and we are happy that they are going to be with us for our return to the series.
"World Financial Group and Mark Martin share the same values - a dedication to quality and the drive to be the best. World Financial Group is proud to be associated with Mark Martin Performance and honored to be sponsoring Mark in his landmark return to ASA," said Tim Stonehocker, president & CEO of World Financial Group, Inc.
Unlike other companies that may offer financial products and services from one or two companies, World Financial Group believes in the power of choice for clients. World Financial Group has agreements with more than 70 separate insurance and financial services companies, giving WFG associates the opportunity to offer clients a wide variety of products and services so they can choose the ones that best fit their needs. World Financial Group and its exclusive broker-dealer World Group securities, Inc. are both members of a respected corporate family - the AEGON Group. AEGON is one of the world's leading insurance, pension and related financial services organizations with assets of more than $295 billion, according to the 2003 AEGON Annual Report.
Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Mich., based Roush Industries that operates nine motorsports teams; five in NASCAR Nextel Cup with drivers Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards; two in the Busch Series with Martin, Kenseth and Biffle, and two in the Craftsman Truck Series with drivers Jon Wood and Edwards.

NASCAR stars make a pit stop in Zanesville on the campaign trail
By Devin Shultz
Staff Writer
zanesvilletimesrecorder.com
October 21, 2004
ZANESVILLE -- Familiar faces from NASCAR are seeking a different kind of "W."
Turning their attention from the checkered flag to the voting booths, Benny Parsons, Bill Elliott, Jack Roush and Eddie Wood visited Zanesville on Wednesday, drumming up support for the President Bush re-election campaign. Mark Martin was not able to attend as scheduled.
The foursome enjoyed breakfast at Nicol's Restaurant on Putnam Avenue, then visited with numerous fans at the Bush-Cheney Victory Center on Fourth Street.
Voting is the biggest concern to Parsons, a retired driver who works for NBC Sports and hosts a weekly radio show.
"People need to go out and vote," Parsons said. "It's the chance to voice their opinion. When it's all said and done, a year from now, when you're in the cafes drinking coffee, people will talk about the election. If you didn't vote, you won't have any room to complain."
Similar thoughts were echoed by Wood, part of Wood Brothers Racing, which owns Ricky Rudd's No. 21 Motorcraft Ford.
"We want to keep President Bush there," Wood said. "He has done a great job. We're here to say that everyone needs to vote. Their voices need to be heard."
Elliott, a 1988 series points champion and two-time Daytona 500 champion, is a strong supporter of Bush's re-election campaign.
"I've had the opportunity to meet him, and I like his values and the things he has done," Elliott said. "He's had a tough go-around with what has happened the last four years, including 9-11. He's done a great job."
Barbara King of Frazeysburg was saddened her favorite driver, Martin, could not attend, but Elliott was not a disappointment. "I'm a big fan of his, too," she said.
Becky Dodson of Corning found out shortly before 8 a.m. the NASCAR group was in town, and wasted little time in traveling to the Victory Center.
"Jack's here," she said. "I'm a big Roush Racing fan. I don't miss a race."
Roush, whose car ownership includes 2003 points champion Matt Kenseth, Martin, Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch, and Greg Biffle, didn't miss the opportunity to visit Zanesville.
"They asked me to come, and I'm from Ohio, so I felt like I was going home to talk to people," Roush said.
While Warsaw resident Rick Chapman would have voted for Bush regardless of the NASCAR visit, he cherished the chance to "shake their hands and say hi."
"I think it makes a big impact on the community, to be up close to celebrities of NASCAR," Chapman said.
Muskingum County Commissioner Dorothy Montgomery appreciated the interest taken in the Republican county by the NASCAR visitors.
"They obviously had a lot of concern for the campaign," Montgomery said. "I was pleased with the folks that showed up. I was surprised they came out so early. It shows the interest in Muskingum County and in NASCAR."
After Bush's close win over Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election, every bit of interest is valued.
"It's just like a race," Elliott said. "We can't take anything for granted."
The visit was part of the two-day Bush-Cheney '04 NASCAR Tour, which also included Darrell Waltrip. It included visits to more than a dozen towns in Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Viagra Team Looks to Hit the Mark in 'Martin'sville
Despite disdain for the track, Martin has had success at the .566-mile short track
CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 20, 2004) – Mark Martin makes no bones about it, Martinsville simply is not his favorite race track on the Nextel Cup circuit. That’s not to say that Martin has not experienced his share of success at the track, where he’s finished inside the top 10 in 19 of his 37 starts. In fact Martin boast two wins, three poles and 10 top-fives at Martinsville. Furthermore, Martin earned his first career Cup top-five finish with a third-place run there 23 years ago in the Old Dominion 500 in Sept. of 1981.
“It’s just not my favorite track to go to,” said Martin. “The main problem is that there just isn’t enough room for 43 cars to race. It makes for a tough race, because everyone out there is jockeying for that little bit of room.
“It will be a big challenge for us to come out of there with a good finish this weekend,” added Martin. “But we’ve actually had a lot of success at Martinsville. It’s funny because someone pointed out to me this year that we had won there twice despite the fact that I really don’t like it that much. The funny thing is that I love Pocono and we’ve never been able to win there, so I guess you just can’t ever tell. Hopefully we’ll be able to get another good finish there this weekend and take that and move on to Atlanta. I’d love to get win number three there this weekend.”
Martin also noted that the new surface installed at Martinsville should make for better racing.
“I’m excited about going there and seeing how the new surface will effect the racing,” added Martin. “The track there was really rough before, so I’m sure the new surface will make it faster and hopefully it will create better racing. We’ll just have to see.”
Martin and the No. 6 Team spent much of the week testing in Atlanta for the upcoming race there next weekend. The team tested Monday and then waited out weather on Tuesday before returning to the track on Wednesday. Martin was the fastest of the 16 teams that tested AMS. He will pull triple duty at Atlanta next weekend, making his return to the ASA series on Friday and running in the Busch and Cup races on Saturday and Sunday.
“I’m excited about Atlanta,” said Martin. “We had a really good test there this week in the cup car and I feel good about what we have there. It’s going to be a busy weekend for sure with the ASA and Busch races, but I love to race and we’ll have plenty of it in Atlanta. Hopefully we can have a solid finish on Sunday and try to climb back in the point’s race.”
With five races remaining Mark is currently fifth in the point’s race, 186 points behind first place teammate Kurt Busch.
“It’s going to be tough and we’ll need a lot of luck to get back in this thing,” said Martin. “But I’m not planning on giving up anytime soon.”
Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Mich., based Roush Industries that operates nine motorsports teams; five in NASCAR Nextel Cup with drivers Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards; two in the Busch Series with Martin, Kenseth and Biffle, and two in the Craftsman Truck Series with drivers Jon Wood and Edwards.

2004 Mark Martin Martinsville Track Notes - October 24, 2004
Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Roush Racing #6 Ford Taurus
Subway 500 / Martinsville Speedway
Roush Racing
October 20, 2004
DRIVER: Mark Martin
TEAM: No. (6) Viagra® Ford Taurus
OWNER: Jack Roush
CREW CHIEF: Pat Tryson
MARK MARTIN EARLIER THIS YEAR: Started: 23rd Finished: 14th
The team pitted during several cautions for four tires and fuel, while the majority of the field stayed out. The strategy was for Martin to stay out on a later caution while the leaders would eventually be forced to pit. Several late cautions stifled the team's strategy, but Martin still managed to move to a 14th-place run in the season's final short track race of 2003. The defining moment of the day came on lap 355 when Martin, about to get passed by the race leader, tangled with the No. 02 car of Hermie Sadler, causing Martin's No. 6 Taurus to spin completely around. Ever the consummate veteran, Martin came out of the spin and stood on the gas, just narrowly staying in front of teammate Greg Biffle. The move allowed Martin to stay the first car one lap down and made him the recipient of the 'lucky dog' award, thus keeping Martin on the lead lap when the race went green. Martin was in 22nd place - the last car on the lead lap - when the race went green on lap 363. Martin used the opportunity to pit for fresh tires and several cautions were called over the next several laps and the leaders stayed out. By lap 440 the strategy had begun to pay off as Martin moved into 14th place. Martin spent the last 60 laps of the race battling for position with teammate Matt Kenseth and fellow veteran driver Ricky Rudd.
2003 WINNER: Jeff Gordon
NO. 6 TEAM LOOKS TO HIT THE MARK IN "MARTIN"SVILLE
Martin was strong at Lowe's last weekend, driving to the front and contending for the win before a late accident involving lapped traffic. The team managed to fight for a 13th place finish despite the accident and will look to rebound this weekend with another strong performance at Martinsville.
THE CHASE FOR THE NEXTEL CUP - MARTIN IN FIFTH WITH FIVE TO GO
Martin remains in fifth place in the Chase. He currently trails first by 186 points and fourth by 29 points with five races to remaining.
THE CAR
Chassis Number: (RK-241) -The team will run RK-241 at Martinsville. This will be the first run for RK-241 at a short track this season. RK-241 ran to a victory earlier this year at Dover and finished second in its last run at Pocono in August.
BREAKING DOWN THE CHASE
Martin has won on seven of the 10 tracks that will decide the winner of the Nextel Cup. Martin has a combined six wins at the remaining five tracks, including two at Martinsville. Martin has combined 44 top fives, 74 top 10's and six poles in 132 starts at the remaining five tracks. Martin has finished in the top 10 in 56 percent of his starts at those tracks.
FIRST TIME'S A CHARM
Martin earned his first ever career top-five Cup finish at Martinsville in 1981, with a third-place finish in the Old Dominion 500 on Sept. 27, 1981. Since then, Martin has accumulated 205 additional top-five finishes.
WINNING AT MARTINSVILLE
Martin has two victories at Martinsville (spring 1992 and 2000). In addition, the veteran driver has three poles, 10 top-five finishes and 19 top 10's.
STRONG DOWN THE STRETCH
The Viagra Team has been strong when it counts, having finished in the top-15 in eight of the last nine races. Furthermore, Martin has posted top-five runs in six of the last 12 and five of the last 10 races. In fact, Martin has scored nine of his 13 top-10 and all but one of his eight top-five finishes in 2004 after June 6.
MARK MARTIN FAST FACTS - MARTINSVILLE

Martin has won twice at Martinsville during the spring of 1992 and 2000.
Martin posted three straight poles at Martinsville from the fall of 1990 through both races in 1991.
Martin's first ever Cup top-five finish came at Martinsville on Sept. 27, 1981 in the Old Dominion 500.
Martin has scored four top-10 finishes, including one victory, in his last nine races at Martinsville.
Martin has scored 10 top-five and 19 top-10 finishes in 36 races at Martinsville.
Martin had finished 15th or better in eight of the last nine races in 2004.

QUOTING MARK MARTIN AND CREW CHIEF PAT TRYSON
Mark Martin on Martinsville:
"Martinsville is a tough track and it really isn't one of my favorite places to race. To be honest there just isn't room for 43 cars to race there and you spend all day trying not to get caught up in somebody's mess like we did Saturday night. I have won there a couple of times and we've ran well there. We were actually strong there in the spring and it looked like we were going to make a run for the thing, before we had a problem with the fuel line. Hopefully we can go back this weekend and finish the job.
"Saturday night was really tough. We had our favorite car at our favorite track and we even had the lead for a while. We were right up front where we wanted to be and got caught up in a dumb wreck late in the race. You hate that, but those type of things happen and there isn't much you can do about it. The team did a great job keeping us on the lead lap and we were able to escape with a descent finish, but it could have been a lot better that's for sure. Still we did all we could do."
Pat Tryson on Martinsville:
"We were having a great run there in the spring before the fuel line went out and I even thought we had a good shot a winning. We are going to take RK-241 this time, which is the same car that we used to win at Dover earlier this year. We know it's a great car and we are looking for another strong run, but this time hopefully we'll be able to finish the race with the results we deserve. Mark and the team have done a great job this year and we can't wait to get back out there this weekend."

Martin Finishes an Unlucky 13th in Unhappy Ending at Charlotte
Mark Martin and the #6 Viagra® Racing Team
Lowe's Motor Speedway/October 16, 2004
CONCORD, N.C. - – While announcing on Thursday that 2005 would be his final season running for the Nextel Cup, Mark Martin made it very clear that his intention for the remainder of the season was to win races, while continuing to chase this season’s championship. Martin went out on Saturday night and backed that statement up in grand fashion.
Powering one of the fastest cars in the race, Martin started 12th and worked his way forward. The veteran took his first lead of the night on lap 216 and Martin led the race with only 35 laps remaining. However with only 22 laps to go, Martin’s Viagra® Ford was caught up in an accident involving lapped traffic. The No. 6 Ford, which had been one of the fastest all evening, sustained major damage in the accident and the team was forced to come into the pits several times to make repairs. The team worked feverishly to stay on the lead lap and Martin was able to bring home a solid 13th place finish.
"You saw it,” said Martin just moments after the race. “It's hard for me to believe that some of these guys could pass a driver's test. I can't believe they've got a driver's license. “We did everything we could do here tonight. We gave it a great run for the whole team. There was just nothing we could do about what happened. I can't help it, I just can't help it. We had a shot, it just didn’t work out.”
Martin took the lead for the second time of the night on lap 271. Seven laps later he surrendered it to teammate Kurt Busch, before regaining the first position on lap 281. Martin held the lead for the next 20 laps, before giving way to the No. 48 car of Jimmie Johnson. Martin’s car had been strong late in the runs all night and the team’s chances to make a run for victory looked good as the race closed in on the final 20 laps. However that chance would come to a close on lap 312. Martin was battling the No. 12 car of Ryan Newman for second place as they closed in on lapped traffic. Just in front of Martin and Newman the lapped car of Jimmy Spender made contact with the off-the-pace No. 77 car. The result sent Spencer sliding up the track. Martin and Newman attempted to shoot the gap between the outside wall and Spencer, but both sustained damage in the accident. Newman would end up 14th.
Pat Tryson’s Viagra® Team used excellent work in the pits to keep Martin on the lead lap and secure the top-15 finish, as they feverishly worked to repair the severely damaged Ford. In the end Martin would return to the race in 15th place. He was able to pick up two more places and collect the 13th place finish.
“The guys did a great job getting us back out there,” added Martin. “We had to recover in the best way possible and we did that. They guys gave me a great car tonight and we had a shot to win, but we just got caught up in some other people’s mess and ended up on the short end of the stick on this one.”
Martin started the final night race of the season in 12th position and broke into the top 10 on just the first lap of the race. The race would prove to be a caution filled event with the first of the race’s 12 cautions being issued for a multi-car wreck on just the first lap of the night.
With the car running ‘loose’ the team continued to work with the car’s handling for the first 100 laps of the race, making several chassis adjustments in their first few pits stops. Martin broke into the top five for the first time of the race on lap 167 and would run there for the next 145 laps until the late accident.
Martin was running fourth when the night’s seventh caution was issued on lap 209. The team again came in for a chassis adjustment and four tires and fuel. A quick stop of 14.49 sent Martin back out in third place and the veteran wasted little time when the green flap dropped on lap 214, passing the No. 12 and No. 9 cars and driving into the lead on lap 216. The No. 9 car of Kasey Kahne passed Martin back for the lead just four laps later, but Martin continued to run up front. He was in third place when the race’s ninth caution was called on lap 267.
Martin used the caution to come into the pits for the sixth time of the evening to take four tires, fuel and make yet another chassis adjustment. The Viagra® Team posted its strongest performance of the evening, a 13.30-second stop that sent the No. 6 Viagra® Ford back out in first place when the field went green on lap 271.
Martin would lead the next 20 laps and continue to battle for the lead before getting collected in the accident on lap 312. Johnson went on the win the race in a wild night that saw all five of Roush Racing’s entries involved in at least one accident.
Martin remained in fifth place in the Nextel Cup points. He’s currently 186 points out of first and 29 points behind fourth with five races remaining in the season. The team returns to action next week at Martinsville, where Martin has won twice.

Mark Martin relaxes in the garage area during practice for Saturday night's UAW-GM Quality 500 in Concord, N.C., Friday, Oct. 15, 2004. Martin vowed to leave racing at the top of his game. A late-season surge has put him there, back in the chase for that elusive NASCAR title.
(AP Photo/Mike McCarn)
Fifth Lowe's win could lift Martin into mainstream of title chase
By Jenna Fryer
AP Motorsports Writer
October 16, 2004
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- There are 10 drivers in the race for the Nextel Cup title, but only three of them are in the thick of the chase.
Mark Martin wants to make it a four-man race, and Lowe's Motor Speedway is the perfect place for him to get back into it.
Martin heads into the UAW-GM Quality 500 on Saturday night in fifth place in the standings, 150 points behind leader Kurt Busch. But Martin has four wins at Lowe's -- three of them in the fall race -- and a victory could close the gap on the competition.
Asked if he could win Saturday night, Martin didn't blink.
``There's not a doubt in my mind,'' he stated.
This is the way Martin wants to wind down his career -- at the top of his game, as a championship contender. That's why he chose this weekend to announce that next year will be his final full season of competition.
``One of the reasons for my stepping out at this time is because I was never really convinced, deep down inside, that I was all that good,'' Martin said. ``I've fooled a lot of people for a long, long time, and I don't want to take any chance on getting caught up in something where everybody figures out that I was sham and I really wasn't as good as the results I got.''
Martin was never a sham at Lowe's, his favorite on the circuit. His last victory at the track was in 2002, when he broke a 73-race drought by taking the Coca-Cola 600.
That victory resurrected Martin's career, and pushed him to a second-place finish in the series standings. But last season he wound up 17th -- the worst finish in his first 17 years as a full-time competitor.
And in a bittersweet twist, teammate Matt Kenseth won the championship. Of course Martin was happy for his protege, but it still stung just a bit. After all, Martin is famous for never having won a title -- finishing second four times and third another four.
The hard luck seemed to follow Martin into this season, where he lingered around 15th in the Nextel Cup standings for most of the year. But his Roush Racing team turned it up over the summer, and Martin clawed his way into NASCAR's new 10-race championship playoff system.
Getting there was what finally convinced Martin he'd had enough full-time racing.
``Chasing for the Cup in 2004 has definitely been the most consuming season of my life,'' Martin said. ``No one can understand how important it has been for me to be a contender.''
But his run through the championship hasn't been spectacular -- save for a second-place finish in Dover three weeks ago.
His shot at getting back on track will be challenged Saturday night by championship contenders Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson, who both ran Friday night in the Busch race.
The two finished second and third, behind race-winner Mike Bliss, and gained valuable experience by running under the cooler, night conditions that will be in effect for the Cup race.
Kenseth wouldn't give up the goods when asked what the Busch experience does for Cup preparations.
``I can't tell you that because then we wouldn't have an advantage,'' he said.
Kenseth and Johnson both had a shot for the win when Bliss used a gutsy move to steal the race from them.
As Kenseth and Johnson battled side-by-side when the SpongeBob 300 restarted with 19 laps to go, Bliss pulled up next to them and coasted by in a three-wide pass coming out of the fourth turn.
``I didn't care about second, third, fourth, fifth or sixth,'' Bliss said. ``I wanted to win. I just drove my heart out.''
The victory was special for Bliss, who currently drives for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Busch series, but isn't sure he'll be back next season.
``I don't want to go anywhere. I love these guys,'' he said, motioning to his team.
Teammates Mark Martin, left, and Matt Kenseth talk during practice Friday, Oct. 15, 2004, for Saturday night's UAW-GM Quality 500 in Concord, N.C. Martin vowed to leave racing at the top of his game. A late-season surge has put him there, back in the chase for that elusive NASCAR title.
(AP Photo/Mike McCarn)

Martin seeking a victory lap
Despite a glowing resume and legion of fans, he wants to retire at 'top of my game'
By Nate Ryan
Times-Dispatch.com
October 15, 2004
CONCORD, N.C. -- His normally stoic car owner, Jack Roush, had choked up while delivering a heartfelt 10-minute address that saluted 16 years of remarkably resilient longevity, consistency and friendship.
NASCAR President Mike Helton had compared his widely respected and admired persona with Jimmy Stewart's George Bailey character in "It's a Wonderful Life." The emcee rattled off the impressive statistics of a career highlighted by a record for Busch victories (45) and a place on the list of the sport's 50 greatest drivers.
There weren't many tributes left for Mark Martin nearing the end of a subdued news conference announcing his farewell plans yesterday at Lowe's Motor Speedway - so the driver grabbed the microphone and reminded everyone why the accolades would matter little unless he ends his Nextel Cup career by justifying them.
"One of the reasons for my stepping out at this time is because I never was convinced deep down inside that I was all that good," Martin said. "I've fooled a lot of people for a long, long time, and I don't want to take a chance on getting caught up in something where everybody figures out that I was a sham, and I really wasn't as good as the results I got.
"I know you guys think that's funny, but I'm serious. Respect is very important to me, and I want to step out while I'm at the top of my game."
Ever the pessimist - even after the legacy-defining security of 34 Cup victories (fourth among active drivers), 338 top-10 finishes and 41 pole positions (fifth in history) in 596 starts - Martin will be calling it quits on his Cup career after taking a full-season victory lap in 2005 being dubbed "Mark Martin's Salute to You."
He was vague about the details of his goodbye tour but vowed to give back to the media and fans. His post-Cup future also remains hazy - Martin isn't retiring and expects to race in 2006, perhaps in the Craftsman Truck Series.
But he is certain the pomp and circumstance of his send-off will feel hollow unless he can match his comeback campaign of 2004, in which he has re-emerged in the championship hunt and "never been so consumed" by racing.
"No one can understand how important it has been for me to be a contender," said Martin, who sank to a career-low 17th in the standings last season.
Martin will be following three 40-something contemporaries - Bill Elliott, Rusty Wallace and Terry Labonte - who have announced they are heading to the exits in the past year. The common denominator is that all four are mentoring sons through their own racing careers, and Martin cited the grind of a 36-race season as a factor.
Tomorrow night's UAW-GM 500 will mark the 540th consecutive race of the 45-year-old's career.
"I've had enough of this full schedule," Martin said. "It's been really tough on me and my family. I look forward to the next chapter."
His peers are hoping his career epilogue will include a Cup championship. In the Chase for the Nextel Cup, Martin, who trails Roush Racing teammate Kurt Busch by 150 points, clearly is the sentimental favorite as a four-time championship runner-up.
"There's not one person in the garage who would be disappointed with Mark Martin winning [the title]," Jeff Gordon said. "I am a huge, huge Mark Martin fan. He's a class act and one of the most talented drivers I've ever seen. I've learned a lot from him. He's just a fighter. He never gives up. You have to love that."
Martin washed out in his first shot at NASCAR's premier series, spending five seasons on the sidelines before regrouping with Roush. Darrell Waltrip recalled telling the Arkansas native in 1982 that he "wasn't big enough to make it in Winston Cup."
"He was a kid and barely 120 pounds," Waltrip said. "He tried it, failed and went back to ASA. But he came back as a man and with a vengeance. He got himself in great shape. His stature hadn't changed, but his presence had. The failure did him good.
"He's always been the classic pessimist. I kid him all the time about 'You win the race, and you're saying we just weren't that good.' He's always been, 'I never could do it good enough.'"
Martin will have one more year to prove again that he can.

Martin unveils exit strategy: Run full time in ’05, then ease out
By Dustin Long
The Virginian-Pilot
October 15, 2004
CONCORD, N.C. — Even after Jack Roush haltingly acknowledged that Mark Martin won’t be racing full time after next season, Roush wasn’t ready to think about going to the track without the man he calls “the second brother I never had.”
“It will be hard at the racetrack without Mark because he’s always been there when I’ve been there,’’ Roush said.
On Thursday, Martin became the third veteran NASCAR Nextel Cup driver to announce his exit plans this year. Rusty Wallace will retire after next season; Terry Labonte will run a partial schedule the next two years before retiring.
Martin plans to race in 2006, although where and how often are uncertain. He didn’t rule out Cup. He mentioned the Craftsman Truck series. And a source indicated that Martin and another veteran with a part-time schedule might drive for the same Cup team in 2006 if all the details could be worked out.
“I don’t have 2006 plans totally in order yet, but, certainly, I look forward to driving race cars,’’ Martin said.
Martin, who is only 45 and is fifth in the points standings heading into Saturday night’s race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, would appear to have some productive years left. He says the time is right to reduce his schedule after next season.
“One of the reasons for my stepping out of the Cup series at this time is because I was never really convinced deep down inside that I was all that good,’’ said Martin, whose 34 career Cup wins rank 17th on the all-time list. “I think I’ve fooled a lot of people for a long, long time, and I want to step out while I’m at the top of my game. I wanted to go out that way, instead of on the decline.’’
Typical Martin, known as much for his self-deprecation as for his driving ability. Although Martin has never won a Cup title, he’s finished second in the points four times. His 34 Cup wins are fourth among active drivers. He also is the all-time winningest driver in the Busch Grand National series, with 45 career victories.
All of Martin’s Cup wins have been with Roush. Martin and Roush have been together since 1988. Martin gave Roush his first pole, first win and first top-five points finish.
“My enduring relationship with Mark has been the proudest accomplishment of my business life,’’ Roush said.
Said Martin: “We had some great times. We didn’t know we were having them at the time, but when you look back on them, the best in our career were the years we were building the 6 car and doing things that we always wanted to do and dreamed of doing.’’
Roush wasn’t clear on what he’ll do with the No. 6 car after Martin quits running full time.
Martin’s contract expires next season, as does sponsor Pfizer’s contract.
Roush said in February that Carl Edwards was Martin’s heir apparent but Edwards is already in Cup, replacing Jeff Burton, who left the team for Richard Childress Racing. Regardless, Roush says there will be a No.6 team after Martin departs the car after next season.

Mark Martin to Make Final Run for NEXTEL Cup in '05
Veteran Announces plans for ‘Salute to You” Tour for next season
CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 14, 2004) – Roush Racing’s Mark Martin announced today that next season will be his last racing for the NEXTEL Cup. Martin, who is currently in fifth place in the 2004 Chase for the Championship, will make one more run at it in 2005. Martin has been a regular on the circuit since teaming with Jack Roush in 1988, helping to turn the “No. 6” car into a staple of NASCAR racing.
“First off I have to be clear that I’m not retiring from racing,” said Martin. “I’m too young to retire from racing, but I’ve been out here chasing this thing for a long time. I’m very proud of what we’ve been able to do over the years. There are a lot of guys out there who never got to win their first race in NASCAR and I’ve been fortunate to accomplish a lot of things. I never worry about the things that I haven’t done, instead I focus on all the things that I’ve been able to do and that makes me very proud. For me it’s just time to do something different.”
Martin emphasized that the focus of his team for next year and the remainder of this year would be to not only contend to win races, but to once again seriously pursue the Nextel Cup Championship.
“Hey, the first time I ever got in a Cup car back in 1981 at North Wilkesboro, I was there to win the thing,” said Martin. “Next year when we climb in that car at Homestead for the last race, I can guarantee you that we’ll be looking to win that as well. I just wouldn’t have it any other way. I don’t race because I love going in circles at fast speeds, I race to win and that is what we are going to try and do.
“I have a great team and we’ve overcome so much to be where we are right now,” added Martin. “The focus of the Viagra® Team will continue to be to win that championship and to win races. We’d like nothing more than to go out on top, and it’s important to me that we go out that way.”
Since teaming up with Roush Racing in 1988, Martin has driven to one of the most successful careers in NASCAR history. In a career that spans over 20 years, Martin has amassed 34 Nextel Cup victories, 213 top-five and 338 top-10 finishes, with most of his Cup success coming with Jack Roush. Martin, who has currently started 539 straight Nextel Cup races, will make his 600th Cup start in three weeks at Phoenix.
In addition, Martin announced plans to launch a “Salute To You” Tour for next year.
“Well I just want everyone to understand how grateful I am for the opportunities I’ve had over the years,” said Martin. “And we are going to spend a lot of time next year just saying thanks and ‘saluting’ all the people who helped make it all possible for me.
“The Salute is to all those people,” added Martin. “It’s saying thanks to all of the NASCAR competitors that I raced against all of these years; the Richard Pettys and Bobby Allisions when I first started, the Rusty Wallaces, whom I competed against for so many years and the Kurt Buschs and Matt Kenseths of today.
“It’s a Salute to the teams and the crews and all of the people that gave so much of themselves to put us where we are. It’s a Salute to the sponsors we’ve had over the years, who always helped provide us with not only top-notch equipment but unending support.
“It’s a Salute to my family, Arlene, Matt, Amy, Rachel, Heather and Stacy, who had to deal with a lot of things and give up a lot for me to chase my dreams around the country. It’s a Salute to Jack Roush, who took a chance on me and really did give me to opportunity to live out my biggest dreams.
“And last but not least, it’s a Salute to the fans out there,” said Martin. “The Six Pfamily and all of the fans who have really made this all possible. Without the fan support we have we wouldn’t be doing what we do, we’d all probably still be racing around some dirt track somewhere. The fans have been great over the years and we are going to do our best to thank them and everyone else over the course of my ‘Salute to You’. We really do Salute the fans and we plan on some major efforts surrounding the fan club and the Six Pfamily that will incorporated into the ‘Salute’ campaign.”
Martin went onto add that the “Salute to You” will feature a various array of promotions designed to commemorate the occasion of next season.
“We really aren’t ready to talk about everything that we plan to do,” said Martin. “But I can tell you that we have some really cool things planned that I think everyone can enjoy at least a part of. We are going to be working closely with Viagra®, Gatorade, Ford, Mattel, WinCraft and of course Team Caliber on some pretty neat projects that I’m looking forward to. I have a lot of people to thank and it’s our goal to get around to all of them next year.”
In addition to Martin’s 34 Nextel Cup wins, his 45 wins in the Busch Series are a series record. He has amassed over 44 million dollars in winnings and has finished runner up for the Cup Trophy on four occasions and inside the Nextel Cup top-10 in 14 of the past 16 seasons. His dramatic climb back into the Nextel Cup top-10 in 2004 has been one of the biggest stories in NASCAR this season.
MARK MARTIN FACT SHEET

34 wins – fourth among active drivers, 17th all-time
539 consecutive Nextel Cup starts – third longest current streak, seventh longest all time
596 Nextel Cup races started
338 top-10 finishes
213 top-five finishes
4 Nextel Cup runner up finishes
Nextel Cup top 10 in 14 of the last 16 seasons
41 Nextel Cup poles – fifth most in Cup history
45 career-Busch Series wins – most in series history
11 International Race of Champions, victories and four IROC Championships
4 ASA Championships

MARK MARTIN CAREER MILESTONES

First Cup start – April 5, 1981, North Wilkesboro, Started 5th, Finished 27th
First Cup pole – July 11, 1981, Nashville, Started 1st, Finished 11th
First Cup Top 10 – Sept. 13, 1981, Richmond, Started 1st, Finished 7th
First Cup Top 5 – Sept. 27, 1981, Martinsville, Started 5th, Finished 3rd
First Busch Series Win – May, 30, 1987, Dover, Started 5, Finished 1st
First Cup Win – Oct. 22, 1989, Rockingham, Started 7th, Finished 1st

500th Cup start – Bristol, March of 2002
500th Consecutive start, Loudon, Sept. of 2003
600th Cup start – Set for Phoenix of 2004

MARK MARTIN AND JACK ROUSH

198,719 miles of Nextel Cup racing
223,795 miles of NASCAR racing together

158,559 laps of Nextel Cup racing
178,778 laps completed in NASCAR races

539 Nextel Cup races, 118 Busch Series races, two Craftsman Truck Series Races
659 total NASCAR races, over 1,617 days spent racing

73 total NASCAR wins together (34 Cup, 38 Busch, 1 truck series)

Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Mich. based Roush Industries that operates nine motor sports teams; five in NASCAR Nextel Cup with drivers Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, two in the Busch Series with Martin, Kenseth and Biffle and two in the Craftsman Truck Series with drivers Jon Wood and Edwards.

2004 Roush Racing Quote of the Week
Week of October 11, 2004
TOPIC: We asked our Roush Racing drivers and Jack Roush to comment on the impact of Mark Martin on their racing careers.
Jack Roush, Owner, Roush Racing:
"Mark put Roush Racing on the map. Through it all, he has been true to himself and the passion for perfection in himself and to the relentless competition with others. My enduring relationship with Mark has been the proudest accomplishment of my business life. Perhaps more importantly, he has been the second brother I never had, my best friend, and the cornerstone of the effort I have devoted my competitive ambitions to.”
Greg Biffle, Driver, No. 16 National Guard Ford Taurus/No. 60 Charter Racing Ford Taurus:
"It's been an honor to be a teammate with Mark Martin over the last few years. When I was aspiring to be a driver, Mark was definitely one of the guys I idolized. When I came to Roush in 1998, Mark always took the opportunity to give me helpful hints with setups and how to drive certain tracks, and he gave me great advice on some of the dos and don'ts of the business. Even to this day, I'll go to him when I need some help and what's cool is that he does the same with me. It means a lot to me as a driver to know that Mark respects my opinion.
"He's had a tremendous career and although he doesn't have the trophy yet, he is a champion in my eyes. The guy has done a ton for NASCAR and he has certainly played a big part in getting the sport to where it is today. I wish him the best and hopefully he'll win a Cup title before he's done. He definitely deserves one."
Matt Kenseth, No. 17 DEWALT Ford Taurus:
“There hasn't been a bigger influence on my career in the Cup Series than Mark Martin. He's the one that talked to Jack Roush about me and kind of took me under his wing and made sure I had a home here at Roush Racing. I owe my success to Mark and have always tried to conduct myself like Mark Martin both on and off the racetrack."
Kurt Busch, No.97 Sharpie/IRWIN Ford Taurus:
"When I came to Roush Racing in 2000, Mark Martin was definitely the figurehead for the organization and a mentor that anyone could look up to. I had the pleasure of watching the way he reacted to situations on and off the track, and since then I've always tried to model myself after Mark in the way that he conducts himself in both situations.
“We were able to race competitively with Mark in 2002 when he finished second in the point standings and we were third. Mark and I bonded during that stretch by being competitive together on the track, and it meant so much to me as a young driver to be able to run as well as he did. To be able to finish one position behind such a legend was a great way to end my sophomore year in the sport."
Carl Edwards, No. 99 Roush Racing Ford Taurus & No. 99 Superchips Ford F-150:
“Mark Martin is from near where I'm from in Columbia, MO so I always heard a lot about Mark Martin when I was young. There are a lot of really good racecar drivers out there and as a racecar driver I always heard about how unbelievable he was. As I grew a little bit older, and started racing myself, I heard a lot of things about Mark as far as how he is as a person and how he treats people and how humble he is and how much he thanks his crew. A lot of people told me, even at the local dirt level, they said they really looked up to him and he was the type of driver I ought to look up to and pay attention to because he did things right.
“He was the first person who inspired me to take racing seriously. I remember watching a television show and he said he went to bed every night at 10:00 pm and got up at 6:00 am and worked out every day and I thought that was pretty cool. At the time I didn't really have much direction at all as far as my racing and that gave me someone to model my day after. Whether I needed to or not, I try to go to bed a little earlier, get up a little earlier and think, 'you know what if Mark Martin can do that and it helps him, than maybe it will help me' and I think it really did. You hear all this stuff about somebody and a lot of times when you meet someone like that, that you’ve heard about so often, they aren’t quite the person you pictured. And Mark Martin is definitely not the same person I pictured, he's a lot better person and it's been really neat to work with him. I just hope he wins the championship this year.”
Jon Wood, driver of the No. 50 Ford F-150:
"I've been watching Mark race since I was a kid and I've always admired the way he conducts himself on and off the track. He races everyone clean and I think every driver in the garage respects him for that. I hate that he is leaving the Nextel Cup Series after next year since I was hoping to get to race against him on a regular basis someday."
Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Michigan, based Roush Industries that operates nine motorsports teams; five in NASCAR NEXTEL with drivers Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards; two in the Busch Series with Martin, Kenseth, and Biffle; and two in the Craftsman Truck Series with drivers Jon Wood and Carl Edwards.

Mark Martin Lowe`s Race Recap
Mark Martin and the #6 Viagra® Racing Team
Lowe's Motor Speedway/October 11, 2003
Roush Racing
CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 11, 2003) – Solid was the word that Mark Martin used to describe Saturday night’s 11th –place finish at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Racing team was excellent in the pits, posting several quick stops and the car handled well as Martin moved up the field throughout the course of the race.
“It was a really solid effort,” said Martin. “It was a good run for us. We weren’t even close to the leaders, but it was a good run. We had really solid pit stops by the guys. It was a real solid race for Ben on the pit box and a real solid race for me.”
“The changes we made on the car - the calls he made and the calls I made - we had a successful race tonight, we just have to get faster."
Martin started the race 27th, but was running inside the top 20 by the 35th lap of the race. Martin had worked his way all the way to 13th place when the day’s first caution was issued on lap 86. Martin came into the pits to take on four tires, fuel and make a minor adjustment. A quick stop of 14.30 seconds put Martin in 11th place when the race went green on lap 94.
The car got really tight on the new set of tires and Martin dropped back to 14th place. The team came in on lap 154 for a green-flag stop to make a wedge adjustment in hopes of ‘loosening’ the car’s handling, while taking on four tires and fuel.
By lap 182 Martin was running in 13th place when the car began to ‘push’ in the corners. The team used the night’s fourth caution to pull a spring rubber in hopes of again loosening the car’s handling. The adjustment was not enough and the car was still handling ‘tight’ when caution was called on lap 231 with Martin running in 12th position. The team came in and made another wedge adjustment, taking two rounds of bite out of the car, while taking four tires and fuel.
Martin was running in 11th position when the field went green with just under 100 laps remaining. Martin broke into the top 10 on lap 268, but again the car’s handling became tight. The team came into the pits on lap 296 and took two more rounds of bite out of the left rear. Martin returned the field in 12th place when all the green-flag stops had cycled through.
The car’s handling became neutral and Martin was able to move into 11th place on lap 300. The veteran driver was able to maintain position and move on to the 11th place finish.
"The car was perfect it just wouldn't run as fast as those guys so we've got to work on that,” added Martin. “At least we ran a lot better than we have been. We were real solid in every way and if we can start doing that more often, then we'll be getting on the right track."
Mark Martin and the Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Team return to action next week at Martinsville.
MARTIN READY TO ROLL AT CHARLOTTE
The team had a disappointing 20th-place finish at Kansas, where the car was one of the fastest on long runs, but struggled on restarts in a caution filled race. This week Martin and the Viagra® Team will look to rebound with a solid finish at Lowe's Motor Speedway, a track widely considered Martin's favorite and a place where the veteran driver has won on four occasions.
THE CAR
Chassis Number: (RK-231) - The team will run RK-231 at Lowes. RK-231 is considered the fastest car in the stable. It ran to a second-place finish three weeks ago at Dover and boasts top-five runs at California, Michigan and Las Vegas, as well as strong runs at Pocono, Indy and Chicago.
WORTHY NOTE
Three of Martin's four wins at Lowe's came in the fall.
THE CHASE FOR THE NEXTEL CUP - MARTIN IN FIFTH WITH SIX TO GO
Martin dropped to fifth in the points after Kansas. With six laps to go, he is currently only seven points out of fourth and 150 points behind the points leader.
BREAKING DOWN THE CHASE
Martin has won on seven of the 10 tracks that will decide the winner of the Nextel Cup. In fact Martin has a combined 10 wins at the remaining six tracks, including four wins at Lowe's. Martin has combined for 10 wins, 59 top-fives, 93 top-10's and eight poles in 171 starts at the remaining six tracks. Martin has finished in the top 10 in 54 percent of his starts at those tracks.
MARTIN AT LOWE'S
Martin has four wins at Lowe's with three of the wins coming in the fall. His 15 top-five finishes are the most of any active driver at the 1.5-mile track. The four wins tie Jeff Gordon for the most of any active driver and the for the third most ever. In addition, Martin won the 1998 Winston All-Star race and six races in the Busch Series at Lowe's.
STRONG DOWN THE STRETCH
The Viagra® Team has been strong when it counts, having finished in the top-15 in seven of the last eight races. Furthermore, Martin has posted top-five runs in six of the last 11 and five of the last nine races. In fact, Martin has scored nine of his 13 top-10 and all but one of his eight top-five finishes in 2004 after June 6.
QUOTING MARK MARTIN AND CREW CHIEF PAT TRYSON
Mark Martin on Lowe's:
"I can't wait to get out on the track at Lowe's. I think that just about everybody knows it is one of - and just maybe - my favorite track to race. It's a real driver's kind of track, where handling is key and you better find a way to go fast in the corners. Hopefully we'll be able get a grip on it and make a solid run at the win. We've been to victory lane four times there in the past and I'd love to get back in the 'Chase' with a win there this Saturday night."
"We just didn't have the type of day we were looking for at Kansas. The car really struggled on the restarts and we just didn't have the type of gas milage that we needed to stay up front. We also cut both right side tires when I ran over some debris from another car, and all of that just became a little too much to make up for. If we could have gotten one more long green-flag run, we could have gotten back inside the top 10, but things just didn't work out for us. We'll just have to rebound this week with a good finish and get back in this thing."
Pat Tryson on Lowe's:
"I know the team is excited about Saturday. Mark loves racing at Charlotte and everyone knows that if we can give him a good enough car that we can go back to victory lane on Saturday night. We haven't ran great the past two races, so we really need a strong run this weekend. We are taking our favorite car again this weekend and that car has had several great runs. It's been a great race car and hopefully it will get the win it deserves on Saturday."

Will Martin hang it up next?
By David Poole
The Charlotte Observer
October 12, 2004
Bill Elliott's last year as a full-time Nextel Cup driver was 2003. Terry Labonte announced Tuesday that he'll go to a part-time schedule after this season. And Rusty Wallace will retire after his "Last Call," a full schedule in 2005.
Who's next? Mark Martin, it seems.
On Thursday at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Martin is expected to discuss his exit strategy from NASCAR's top series at a 1:30 p.m. news conference.
Martin, 45, is one of the 10 drivers still eligible to win this year's Chase for the Nextel Cup. He will go into Saturday night's UAW-GM 500 fifth in the standings, 150 points behind leader Kurt Busch.
Martin drives the No. 6 Fords owned by Jack Roush. He has been with Roush Racing since 1988 and has won 34 Cup races and nearly $44 million in his career.
When he finished second at Dover two races ago, Martin was asked if he'd consider retiring after this year if he won the championship.
"About the only way I would consider retiring is if I finished 40th in the points," said Martin, who has rebounded after finishing 17th in the points last season. "It's a good thing to be challenging to win. If I had a year like last year, I was pretty miserable.
"We have some things to sort out over the next four to six weeks, but retirement is not what I'm sorting out. I know a lot of people are speculating that, but that's not exactly it."
Martin will likely run at least one more full season in the Nextel Cup Series. After 2005, sources say his options include running some events in the Cup series as well as in other national series.

Mark Finishes 20th at Kansas; Moves in to Charlotte 5th in Points
Mark Martin and the #6 Viagra® Racing Team
Kansas Speedway/October 10, 2004
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Sunday was a tough day for Mark Martin and the Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Racing team. Martin and the team were optimistic going into the race and had one of the fastest cars throughout the event. Martin drove the Viagra® Taurus to the front of the field, but he suffered two cut right side tires after running over debris midway through the race. The incident put Martin down a lap and although he was able to battle back onto the lead lap, he was never able to make up for the lost track position. The team worked at it all day, but in the end would have to settle for 20th position.
"We had a top-five car there,” said Martin. “We had a good enough car. It was really strong on the long runs and we just got 100 cautions there at the end. We were never going make up the track position that we had to give up. We were going get back to the top 10 if it would have gone green for 50 laps at the end, but it didn't happen."
Martin’s car was the class of the field on long runs. He started the race 19th but moved the Viagra® Ford inside the top 10 by lap 42. By lap 68 Martin was running the fastest times on the track and had powered the car all the way into the field’s top-five. Martin was all the way up to third when the field started green-flag pitting on lap 74. Martin came in on lap 76 running in second place. The team put on right-side tires and added fuel and Martin was running back in sixth position when the stops cycled through.
The car was nothing short of spectacular on long runs, but Martin struggled on restarts all day; a fact that would plague the team down the stretch. On cold tires Martin quickly fell to eighth place, before rebounding and moving back inside the top-five on lap 122. Martin had again moved back to third when the field started to pit under green. Running second the team came down pit road for the second time of the day on lap 133 to take four fresh tires and fuel. A stop of 14.21 seconds sent Martin back out in what seemed to be good position. However moments later the No. 84 of rookie driver Kyle Busch slammed into the wall, causing the brake rotor to become detached from the car. Martin ran over the rotor with the right side to the car, cutting both right-side tires. For reasons unknown to the team, NASCAR hesitated to call a caution and Martin lost a lap before returning to the pits to replace the severely damaged tires.
When all was said and done and the smoke had cleared, Martin was running a lap down in 22nd position. Martin caught a break when caution was called on lap 152, just two laps into the green-flag run, as he had moved his Ford to the front of his lap, making him the ‘lucky dog’ and putting the No. 6 back on the lead lap. Martin was in 22nd when the green flag again dropped. Martin used what would unfortunately be the last long green-flag run of the day to move his Ford all the way back into the top 10, where he was running when the day’s fifth caution was called on lap 192.
The car became too loose on the restarts and that fact combined with four more cautions in the race’s final 50 laps would put an end to the team’s run at a good finish. The No. 6 Viagra® crew continued to work with the car, pitting several times late under caution, but Martin continued to struggle on the restarts. By lap 256 Martin had fell back to as low as 23rd, before regrouping in the final laps to move back up for the top-20 finish.
Martin is currently in fifth place in the Nextel Cup point standings, 150 points outside of first place with six races remaining in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. The team returns to action next week at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

2004 Mark Martin Kansas Speedway Track Notes - October 10, 2004
Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Roush Racing #6 Ford Taurus
Banquet 400 presented by ConAgra Foods / Kansas Speedway
Roush Racing
October 5, 2004
DRIVER: Mark Martin
TEAM: No. (6) Viagra® Ford Taurus
OWNER: Jack Roush
CREW CHIEF: Pat Tryson
2003 WINNER: Ryan Newman
MARK MARTIN - LAST YEAR AT KANSAS
October 5, 2003 - Kansas Speedway
Banquet 400 - Started 38th, Finished 20th
The No. 6 Team ran to a 20th-place finish at Kansas, battling for most of the weekend to find the correct blend of handling and speed. In the end, Martin's main obstacles ended up being lapped traffic and track position, as the No. 6 team would be forced to fight for position throughout the race. With the car handling "loose in" the corners, Martin struggled from the start of the race and fell a lap down to the leader on lap 46. Martin had moved up to 26th on lap 68 when the day's first caution was issued. The No. 6 team stayed out, while the leaders pitted, returning Martin to the tail end of the lead lap when the race went green on lap 76. After a quick start, he was able to put some distance between himself and the leader, and when caution was again issued on lap 81, Martin was back on the tail end of the lead lap. After a 14.50 second stop to take on tires and fuel, Martin was in 22nd place. The veteran driver had fought his way back onto the lead lap. Martin moved back through the field and was running in 13th place by lap 219, when he spun out trying to get around the lapped No. 01 car, causing the day's eighth caution. Fortunately, he was able to save the car, and after coming into the pits for four tires and fuel, Martin returned to the race in 23rd position with 28 laps to go. He would go on to gain three more positions before the checkered flag.
MARTIN ROLLS INTO KANSAS IN THE CHASE
Martin survived Talladega with a 15th-place finish and moved up one spot to fourth in the Nextel Cup point standings. The team travels to Kansas this weekend, where Martin hopes to get back to his style of racing. They will run their favorite car there, RK-231, which has posted the bulk of Martin's impressive runs down the stretch in 2004, including a second-place finish at Dover two weeks ago.
THE CAR
Chassis Number: (RK-231) - The team will run RK-231at Kansas. RK-231 is considered the fasest car in the stable. It ran to a second-place finish two weeks ago at Dover and boasts top-five runs at California, Michigan and Las Vegas, as well as strong runs at Pocono, Indy and Chicago.
WORTHY NOTE
Martin has eight top-15 finishes in the last eight races.
THE CHASE FOR THE NEXTEL CUP - MOVIN' ON UP, MARTIN UP TO FOURTH PLACE
Martin's 15th-place run at Talladega moved him into fourth place in the point standings. Martin has moved from 15th to fourth in the last eight races, after starting the year in 43rd place after Daytona. He is currently 50 points out of third place and 98 points behind first place.
BREAKING DOWN THE CHASE
Martin has won on seven of the 10 tracks that will decide the winner of the Nextel Cup. In fact Martin has multiple wins at four of the seven tracks remaining, but no wins at Kansas. Martin has combined for 10 wins, 59 top-fives, 94 top-10's and eight poles in 174 starts at the remaining seven tracks. Martin has finished in the top 10 in 55 percent of his starts at those tracks.
MARTIN AT KANSAS
This will be Martin and NASCAR Cup Series' third race at Kansas Speedway, where Martin finished sixth in the inaugural event in 2001. Martin has a 17th-place average finish at Kansas, but the stat is misleading with engine problems and an accident altering the finishes there in 2002 and 2003.
STRONG DOWN THE STRETCH
The Viagra Team has been strong when it counts, having finished in the top-15 in the last eight races. Furthermore, Martin has posted top-five runs in six of the last 10 and five of the last eight races. In fact, Martin has scored nine of his 13 top-10 and all but one of his eight top-five finishes in 2004 after June 6.
MARK MARTIN FAST FACTS - KANSAS

Martin finished sixth at the inaugural Kansas Cup race in 2001.
Martin has a 17th place average finish in three races at Kansas, despite engine problems in 2002 and a late accident in 2003.
Martin has finished inside the top 15 in the last eight races.
Martin has climbed from 15th to fourth in the points in the last eight races.
Martin has top-five finishes in five of the last eight and six of the last 10 races.

QUOTING MARK MARTIN AND CREW CHIEF PAT TRYSON
Mark Martin on Kansas:
"We are really looking forward to going to Kansas, especially after 500 miles at Talladega. Kansas is more of what I would consider 'real' racing and a chance to get back to what we do week in and week out. We are taking my favorite car and it's the type of track that really suits my driving style. We've been strong on those tracks down the stretch and we are looking for another strong run this weekend in Kansas and hopefully we can start moving towards making a run for the championship.
"I love racing in Kansas and that area. I've been racing there for years and I have a large fan base there from back when I was racing in that area long before I ever got into NASCAR. It's a great area, with a great track and I'm excited about going there this weekend. Hopefully we'll give them something to really cheer about."
Pat Tryson on Kansas:
"I for one am ready to get to Kansas. Restrictor-plate racing really isn't our strong point, but we feel that we have some really strong races coming up starting this week at Kansas which is the type of track that really suits Mark's driving style. We'll be taking our favorite car and we are looking for some pretty good results. As always we know we have the driver to do it, we just have to make sure we give him a car good enough to win."

Martin enjoys title chase
Mark Martin, denied a points title, is in contention after a bad start.
By Duane Frazier
The Wichita Eagle
October 5, 2004
Mark Martin has never been known as an optimistic guy.
It's just not his way.
If things go well, Martin is able to identify where they went wrong.
If things go wrong... well, you get the idea.
Martin is one of the most successful drivers in NASCAR Nextel Cup history.
His 34 career victories are 17th best. He has won 41 poles. And he has collected more than $43 million in prize money.
But Martin is also known as one of NASCAR's greatest drivers without a championship.
Four times, he has finished second in the season points chase. Four times, he has finished third.
It's enough to make any driver a little bitter, especially someone who made their NASCAR debut as a 22-year-old with unlimited potential.
"I've had my heart broke plenty of times in this business," Martin said. "Things have found a way of not always working out for me."
But that's what makes the 2004 Nextel Cup season so special for Martin. Things actually seem to be working out.
And Martin, for a change, sounds downright optimistic.
"I'm grateful because I'm comparing it to what we did a year ago," he said. "I'm incredibly grateful to have a car that compete."
This has been a renaissance season for Martin. The 45-year-old veteran is chasing another championship.
He enters this weekend's Banquet 400 at Kansas Speedway with a fourth-place standing in the points.
He trails leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. by only 111 points.
More importantly, Martin sounds like someone with hope.
"This is a team that can contend for the Cup," he said. "I really believe that."
A year ago, Martin's successful career seemed headed for the scrap heap. He didn't win a race, and he finished 17th in the points standings.
He was rarely a contender to win. In fact, his 10 top-10 finishes were his fewest in 15 years.
Many wondered if Martin's days as a championship challenger with Jack Roush's racing team were coming to a close.
It didn't get any better when he opened the 2004 season with a last-place finish in the Daytona 500.
Martin spent the next six months trying to reach the top 10 in points.
He won at Dover in June, and he had a pair of second-place finishes in August.
Last month, he finally reached the top 10.
And the momentum keeps on rolling. Martin has top-five finishes in three of his last five races, giving him his highest standing of the season.
Getting there, however, took its toll on him.
"This has been more pressure than I've ever felt in my career," he said. "This has been as difficult as anything I've ever done in my career, just to overcome how much we spotted the competition."
Now, Martin seems more relaxed. He smiles. He credits his crew. He even finds some good in disappointing finishes.
"This started out as a pretty tough season," he said. "A lot of times, those are the ones that turn around and give you the most rewarding results."

Martin Survives Talladega with 15th-Place Finish; Moves to Fourth in Points
Mark Martin and the #6 Viagra® Racing Team
Talladega SuperSpeedway/October 3, 2004
TALLADEGA, ALA. – Mark Martin and the Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Racing team survived 500 miles of ferocious restrictor-plate racing to escape the “World’s Fastest Speedway” with their championship hopes in tact and a solid hold on fourth place in the Chase for the Nextel Cup.
“Well we survived it,” said Martin as he climbed from his No. 6 Viagra® Ford. “Now let’s move on and go for that championship.”
Martin started seventh and ran much of the day moving up and down the field, running as high as fourth and as low as 28th. Martin spent the majority of the day jockeying for position in the draft, running between tenth and 15th positions. The veteran had teamed up with a trio of cars running the low line, moving his Taurus solidly into the top-10. He was running in ninth place when the day’s fifth and final caution was issued with just 10 laps to go, while several - including Martin - were attempting to pit for just enough fuel to finish the race. Martin and two other cars were unable to make it onto pit road in time for the stop. The pause caused a chain reaction that ultimately saw the No. 40 car get into the No. 18. Martin went on to pit for fuel under caution and returned to the field back in 19th when the race went green with only five laps to go.
Martin was quickly shuffled out of the draft, and dropped to as low as 25th on lap 186 with just two to go. Martin was back in 21st with only one lap to go, but made a push on the final lap. Two separate accidents went on to occur on the final lap, but Martin was able to avoid the carnage common to Talladega and move up to the 15th - place finish.
Martin started the race 17th based on Friday’s qualifying and he had worked his way through the draft and inside the top 10 for the first time by the 11th lap, climbing all the way to seventh before being shuffled back through the field. Struggling with the car’s handling, Martin had dropped to as low as 28th by lap 22. He was running in 23rd position when the day’s first caution was called on lap 29. The team used the caution to come down pit road for four tires, fuel, and an air pressure adjustment. The team held serve and Martin returned in 23rd when the field returned to green.
Martin had moved up to 17th when the caution flag waved for the second time on lap 59. Still working with the car’s handling, Martin came into the pits for four tires, fuel, and a wedge adjustment. Fast work in the pits and a stop of 14.163 gained Martin nine spots up to eighth when the field returned to green. Martin continued to work his car in and out of the draft lines, moving up to the top-five for the first time of the day on lap 72, before getting shuffled back to 16 on lap 88.
The pit cycle put Martin in a five-car pack that broke away from the field on lap 98 with Martin running fifth. By lap 103 the veteran had moved his Taurus into fourth place, where he ran for the next several laps, before eventually getting shifted into the outside lane and falling back outside the top-10. The No. 6 was in 19th when caution was called on lap 122. Again the team came down pit road for four tires, fuel, and a wedge adjustment. After a 15.182 second stop Martin returned to the race in 16th place when the field went green on lap 127.
Caution number four was called on lap 144 and Martin again came down pit road for four fresh tires and fuel. The team posted its quickest stop of the day at 13.85-seconds and Martin went in 19th and returned 18th. He wasted little time moving up the field, breaking back inside the top-10 on lap 152. Martin was in a pack of three-wide cars jockeying for sixth through 10th place when the final caution was called on lap 178 when the field tried to pit for fuel, and the team was forced to come into the pits for fuel in order to finish the race.
"I don't think that was a great race. It might have been a great show, but we could have been doing that on a figure-eight or a demo derby there,” said Martin after the race.
“But we didn't wreck and some of them did,” added Martin. “We got out of this one without trouble and maybe we can go and do some real racing for a while. We were lucky to get out of here in good shape and a lot of the people in the top 10 finished behind me because they had problems, so we’ll take what we got here and move on to Kansas where we feel we have another solid shot at the win.”
The solid effort moved Martin up to fourth-place in the point standings, 50 points behind third place Jeff Gordon and 111 points outside of first place Dale Earnhardt Jr., who took the point lead after leading the race. The fourth place position is Martin’s highest place in the point standings since finishing second in the final standings in 2002.
The team returns to action for the fourth race in the Chase for the Nextel Cup next week in Kansas.