Martin Aiming for Recond-Setting Weekend in IROC Series
A Victory in this weekend's IROC race would give Martin a record 12 wins in the series
Roush Racing

CONCORD, N.C. (July 29, 2003) - Roush Racing's Mark Martin goes into this weekend looking to set a pair of records when the International Race of Champions concludes its 2003 season on Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Martin will be gunning for his record fifth championship in the series; a record the he currently shares with the late Dale Earnhardt.

I'm looking forward to the IROC race at the Brickyard this weekend," said Martin. "We have had success there in the past IROC races. We are starting near the back, but we'll just try to go forward, take the lead, lead the most laps for the bonus points and win the race. If we can do all of that, then we have a shot at the championship.

"However, I'm pretty sure that Kurt Bush & Mike Bliss both have similar plans for the race."

Martin is currently in third place heading into the final event, trailing teammate and point leader Kurt Busch by nine points and second place Mike Bliss by a single point.

History is definitely on Martin's side, with the veteran driver having raced in three previous IROC races at Indianapolis - boasting wins in all three events in '98, '99 and 2000. Martin won the series' first event of 2003 earlier this year in Daytona, tying Earnhardt and Al Unser Jr. for the most win in the IROC series with 11.

In the year's other two events, Martin got spun late at Talladega, finishing fifth in a race that he had ran first and second for the majority of the day. He finished fifth two weeks ago at Chicagoland, in a race that saw Bliss dominate the entire field.

Roush Racing's Greg Biffle joins Martin and Busch in the 12-man field on Saturday.

Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Mich., based Roush Industries that operates nine motorsports teams; five in NASCAR Winston Cup with drivers Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Greg Biffle; and two in the Craftsman Truck Series with drivers Jon Wood and Carl Edwards. Sponsorship inquiries should contact John Miller, Roush Racing,(704) 720-4600.

Press Release - WGI-SIRIUS at the Glen-Martin Fast in Test
The Motor Sports Forum
July 31, 2003

MARTIN POSTS FASTEST TIME ON FINAL TEST DAY

WATKINS GLEN, NY - RIS - (July 29, 2003) - With one complete day of testing already under their belts, 17 NASCAR Winston Cup Series drivers went to work again today at Watkins Glen International in their final preparation for the SIRIUS at The Glen, August 7-10 and the lap times were fast.

Mark Martin ran the 2.45-mile road course in just 1:11.10 with the No. 6 Viagra Ford, while his teammate Greg Biffle had the second-fastest lap of 1:11.30 in his No. 16 Grainger Ford. Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet came across the line with a time of 1:11.70, followed by Jeff Gordon's 1:11.72 in the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet and No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet of Robby Gordon at 1:11.79.

Ron Fellows was the final driver to clock in under 1:12, with a time of 1:11.90 in his No. 1 Pennzoil Chevrolet. The No. 4 Kodak Film Pontiac of PJ Jones had a best lap of 1:12.00, followed closely by Joe Varde's 1:12.01, the No. 04 Pontiac of Johnny Miller with 1:12.10 and Matt Kenseth's 1:12.20 in the No. 17 DeWalt Ford.

Road course ringer Boris Said clocked in at 1:12.30 in his No. 01 US Army Pontiac, with Christian Fittipaldi's No. 44 New York Yankees Dodge timing in at 1:12.34. Three drivers shared a best time of 1:12.50 - Scott Pruett in the third Chip Ganassi entry, Bobby Labonte in the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet and the No. 41 Target Dodge of rookie Casey Mears.

Rounding out the field was the No. 33 Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet with Paul Menard behind the wheel, timing in at 1:12.93 and Kyle Petty's 1:13.10 in the No. 45 Georgia Pacific Dodge.

Road racing becomes the focus of race fans across the country as America's most popular racing series - NASCAR Winston Cup - takes on multiple left- and right-hand turns and nasty elevation changes at The Glen August 7-10th in the SIRIUS at The Glen. It's a true test of technical skill and courage where only the greatest drivers prevail. The weekend is kicked off by the Bully Hill Vineyards 250 Rolex Sports Car Series Friday night, followed by Saturday's Mohegan Sun 150 presented by Pepsi Busch North Series event. Tickets for the event start at $50 and are still available.

Tickets for the SIRIUS at The Glen weekend, as well as the remaining 2003 racing season at Watkins Glen International, are now available by calling The Glen's ticket office at 607-535-2481 or online at The Glen. For the finest Watkins Glen International items and apparel, motorsports collectibles, and authentic NASCAR merchandise, diecasts and clothing, stop by The Shop at 2 North Franklin Street in Watkins Glen or call 607-535-2338.

2003 Mark Martin Indy Track Notes
Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Roush Racing #6 Ford Taurus
Brickyard 400/Indianapolis Motor Speedway - August 3, 2003
Roush Racing
July 30, 2003

DRIVER: Mark Martin

CAR OWNER: Jack Roush

CREW CHIEF: Ben Leslie

2002 WINNER: Bill Elliott

MARK MARTIN - 2002 EVENT

RACE #21, AUGUST 4, 2002
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Brickyard 400 - Started 9th, Finished 28th

Mark Martin, who's car was one of the fastest on the track all weekend, qualified and started ninth; that was the lowest position the No. 6 Viagra® Taurus would run in the entire day, until the late problems. The veteran driver quickly maneuvered through the field, breaking into the top five by only the sixth lap. By lap 12 Martin had worked his way into third position. Mark Martin ran inside the field's top 10 for the entire race during the Brickyard 400, until mechanical problems struck with just 18 laps remaining. Intense heat marked the day, as Martin, who actually led the race with only 46 laps to go and ran inside the top five for the majority of the race, had to settle for a disappointing 28th-place finish.

ON TO INDY

Martin and the Viagra® Racing Team take to the famed 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400, where Martin has finished inside the top-six in five of nine races. Last week the team suffered a disappointing finish after falling victim to a early-race accident. Martin and the crew will look to move back up the field this week at Indy.

Martin will race in the fourth and final International Race of Champions race this weekend at Indy. Martin, who won the first IROC race of the season in Daytona, is currently one of three drivers with a shot at the IROC championship going into the last race. Martin, currently in third place, will be gunning for his record fifth championship in the series. A win would also give the veteran driver a record 12 wins in the all-star series. Martin has never lost an IROC race at Indy, winning there in '98, '99 and 2000.

MARK MARTIN FAST FACTS - INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

• Martin has finished sixth or better in five of the nine races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
• Martin has finished in the top-five of four of the nine races at Indy.
• Martin finished inside the top-six of five of the first six Winston Cup races at Indy.
• Martin had a string of five straight top-six finishes at Indy from 1995-99, before getting caught up in accidents in the next two races limited his performance.
• Martin will be racing for his record-fifth IROC championship this weekend at Indy.
• Martin has won all three of the IROC races that he competed in at Indy (98,99, 2000).

QUOTING MARK MARTIN AND BEN LESLIE

Mark Martin on Indy:

"At Indy you either have it, or you don't. It can be a difficult track to race at. The straight-aways are long and the corners are pretty narrow. You really have to have a car that works well. Most likely you will either be loose or have some type of push, so the key is making your car work around the track. We've run pretty well there, but our luck has been terrible there the last few years. Hopefully we can get it back on track this weekend."

Crew Chief Ben Leslie on Indy:

"Indy is a fun track and I know that Mark enjoys racing there. He has been really good there over the years as well. We ran pretty good there last year, but had some mechanical problems late. Anyone will tell you that the car needs to work well at Indy. It will be our job to make sure that we give Mark the type of car he needs to be successful this weekend."

Martin Falls Victim of Early Accident, Finishes 41st at Pocono
Mark Martin and the #6 Viagra® Racing Team
Pennsylvania 500/July 27, 2003
Roush Racing

POCONO, PA. (July 27, 2003) – Things were just starting to peak for Mark Martin and the Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Racing Team on Sunday, when the Martin fell victim to a lap accident in which the No. 8 car forced Martin up the track heading into the tunnel turn. The altercation forced Martin to slow his Viagra® Ford Taurus, at which time he was struck in the back by the No. 15 car and sent spinning into the wall. The damage proved to be too much for the crew to repair and Martin and the team had to settle for a disappointing 41st -place finish.

"We just kind of got bumped around there going into the tunnel (turn). (Dale Earnhardt) Junior ran into me and we slowed up a little bit. Then I think Michael (Waltrip) might have run into the back of me because he sent apologies, so I don't know. We kind of got just run over there. It's tight quarters going into that corner at the tunnel and real last-minute moves like Junior made usually causes trouble."

Martin struggled with a loose handling car for much of the beginning of the race, but had begun to settle the car in after making several adjustments on the team’s three pit stops. The day’s second caution on lap 67 would give Martin – who was running in 20th position – the opportunity to come into the pits for further adjustments. The team took right-side tires only on the stop and quick work in the pits put Martin back out in the field’s top 10 for the first time of the day when the field went green on lap 72.

However, just one lap into the run, the No. 8 car would attempt to dive under Martin, ultimately bumping the car and forcing Martin towards the wall. Martin was able to save the car, but only seconds before getting struck by the No. 15. The team retired to the garage where they assessed the damage was too severe for a return.

Martin started the race 14th, but with the loose nature of the car he quickly fell back in the field. He was running in 19th place when the team decided to come into the pits for their first pit stop of the day – a green flag stop on lap 32. The team made an adjustment to the track bar and rear tire air pressure in hopes of tightening up the car.

Martin was still loose and running in 18th place when the day’s first caution afforded the team another opportunity to come into the pits for adjustment. The Viagra® Racing Team came into the pits for four tires and a wedge adjustment. A problem with the car’s right-front lug nut cost the team valuable time on the stop (17.967). Still the front tire changer, Todd Zeigler (who serves at the team’s car chief as well), was able to recover quickly, thus minimizing the damage of the stop.

When Martin returned to the field he was in 27th place when the field went green on lap 51, but his car’s handling was improved. The veteran driver wasted no time firing up the field, and by lap 64 Martin had moved the car back inside the field’s top 20. Five laps later the team’s excellent work in the pits would move Martin inside the top 10, before the eight car caused the accident on lap 73.

It was a disappointing finish for Martin at a track where he ran 2nd just a month ago.

“It just seems like we haven’t had any luck at all this year,” said Martin. “We came out today and battled the car moving our way back up the field and just when it looked like things were coming together, the luck gets us again.

“We just have to keep digging. We have to keep working and we have to keep focused. There are a lot of things on a racetrack that you just can’t control and unfortunately we’ve seen a lot of that this year. We definitely ran across it today.”

Martin is now 16th in the Winston Cup point standings – 136 points out of 10th place.

The team returns to action next week at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the famed Brickyard 400.

Roush Racing Weekly Quotes
WhoWon.com
July 25, 2003

Does running at Pocono Raceway help prepare you for next week at Indianapolis Motor Speedway?

MARK MARTIN, No. 6 VIAGRA Ford Taurus

"The two tracks are really pretty different. Pocono has all different corners plus we are shifting and the car reacts differently in each corner it could be tight in one corner and loose in the next. Indy you can pretty much expect the same thing in the corners either you're going to be loose or have a push. Drafting comes into play at both tracks and you got to have good brakes at both tracks. I like them both; we always seem to have good results at Pocono."

Martin to Start 550th Winston Cup Race this Weekend at Pocono
Veteran Driver Closing in on 500th Consecutive Start
Roush Racing

CONCORD, N.C. (July 22, 2003) - Mark Martin will be making his 550th Winston Cup start this weekend when the NASCAR circuit rolls into Pocono Raceway for the Pennsylvania 500. Martin finished second at Pocono in June - his second top-two finish at Pocono in his last three starts there. Martin has never won at Pocono, despite finishing second on five occasions.

"It's a track that I really enjoy racing at," said Martin. "It's a lot of fun for a racer. It has long straight-aways and you really have to drive the car into the corners if you are going to get around the track quickly.

"We've never won there, but we've had some really solid runs at Pocono. We finished second there in June and second there last June. All we have to do is improve that finish by one place and we'll be looking pretty good."

As for the 550th Winston Cup start, Martin - in typical fashion - downplays the event.

"I guess that just means that I'm getting old," laughed Martin. "But really it says a lot for the people who helped me reach those type of numbers. We showed up in 1981 and all I wanted to do was race. Over the year's I've had the opportunity to do that and I'm very thankful for that."

Martin ran his first Winston Cup race on April 5, 1981. He started the event fifth, but finished 27th after experiencing problems with the car. Martin ran five Winston Cup races that year, earning his first pole three months later in Nashville. Martin would go on to finish the year with another pole at Richmond and top-10 finishes at Richmond (7th) and Martinsville (3rd).

Since then Martin has tallied 33 wins, 41 poles, 205 top-five and 322 top-10 finishes.

"We have been fortunate to win a lot of races and we've had a lot of good runs. I'm thankful for the opportunity to have been able to do what we've done. A lot of people, who are good racers, have never even had the opportunity to win a single race. I'm not saying I'm any better than they are, I'm just saying that I'm thankful for the opportunity. So I'd have to give credit to Jack (Roush) and all the guys who have worked on the cars over the years."

Martin will also hit another milestone this season when he starts his 500th consecutive race in September at Loudon. Martin's string of consecutive starts goes back to 1988 when he first hooked up with Jack Roush to go Winston Cup Racing.

The Viagra (sildenafil citrate) Racing Team will run a special 500th consecutive start paint scheme to commemorate the event.

Mark Martin 500 Starts 2003

Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Mich., based Roush Industries that operates eight motorsports teams; five in NASCAR Winston Cup with drivers Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Greg Biffle; and two in the Craftsman Truck Series with drivers Jon Wood and Carl Edwards. Sponsorship inquiries should contact John Miller, Roush Racing,(704) 370-1010.

2003 Mark Martin Pocono Track Notes
Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Roush Racing #6 Ford Taurus
Pennsylvania 500/Pocono Raceway - July 27, 2003
Roush Racing

DRIVER: Mark Martin

CAR OWNER: Jack Roush

CREW CHIEF: Ben Leslie

2002 WINNER - BILL ELLIOTT

Elliott stalked Sterling Marlin throughout the race, finally passed him with 21 laps remaining, and took the crash- and rain-delayed Pennsylvania 500 to set a record with his fifth career victory at Pocono Raceway.

MARK MARTIN - 2002 RACE

RACE #20, JULY 28, 2002 - Pocono Raceway
Pennsylvania 500 - Started 17th, Finished 13th

Martin drove to a hard fought 13th-place finish in the oft-delayed race. In a race marred by difficulty, caution was issued on just the first lap when the No. 1 and the No. 8 cars were involved in a wreck that destroyed a section of the infield fence. The race was red-flagged due to the accident after only five laps, as it took speedway workers over an hour to repair the heavy damage. Martin moved up the field and was running in 11th position when caution was called on lap 23 due to persistent rainfall. The heavy rains increased and three laps later the race was red-flagged again and did not restart until over two hours later. Once the race resumed, Martin ran in the top 10 for much of the day. The team was forced to change the car's battery on lap 105, after a problem with the car's alternator. Martin was able to use the remaining laps to move back up on the field, gaining three positions in the last 16 laps and moving on to the 13th-place finish.

BACK TO POCONO FOR VIAGRA RACING TEAM

Martin and the Viagra® Racing Team will be looking to up their June finish by one, when the team returns to Pocono this weekend. Martin finished second there in June. Martin has finished second at Pocono on five occasions, including two of his last three races there.

550 AND COUNTING

Mark Martin will start his 550th Winston Cup race this weekend at Pocono. Martin started his first Winston Cup race back on April 5, 1981 at North Wilkesboro where he started fifth and finished 27th after experiencing problems with the rear end.

THE CAR

The Viagra® Racing Team will take RRC-98 to Pocono this weekend. RRC-98 is the same car that Martin used to run to a second-place finish there in June and a ninth-place finish at Michigan a week later.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

In addition to the team’s busy schedule at the race track, the No. 6 team will also be busy testing the next couple of weeks. The team will test at Kentucky before traveling to Pocono this weekend and at Watkins Glen next week. The team tested at Indianapolis two weeks ago as well.

MARK MARTIN FAST FACTS - POCONO RACEWAY

• Martin has posted top-five finishes in five of the last six races at Pocono.
• Martin leads all active drivers with 16 top-five finishes in 33 starts at Pocono.
• Martin finished second at Pocono in June, marking the second top-two finish in his last three races there.
• Martin has finished second at Pocono on five occasions.
• Martin has posted 13 top-10 finishes in his last 16 races at Pocono.
• Martin leads all active drivers with more than 10 starts at Pocono with an average start of 6.406.
• Martin and Jeff Gordon are the only active drivers to score top-five finishes in at least half of their Pocono starts.
• Martin will start his 550th Winston Cup race this weekend in Pocono.

QUOTING MARK MARTIN AND BEN LESLIE

Mark Martin on Pocono:

“Pocono is a fun race track. The straight-aways are long and you really have to drive into the corners there if you are going to get around the track quickly. We finished second there last month so hopefully we can go there and finish one place better this week. We’ve never won there, but this would be a good time for a first.”

Crew Chief Ben Leslie on Pocono:

“We are going to take the same car this weekend that we finished second with there in June. Pocono is a track that Mark really likes to race at and he usually does really well there. It’s our job to give him a car that is good enough to put him in the front of the pack and hopefully we’ll be able to do that this weekend.”

ONE OF NASCAR's ALL-TIME ELITE, MARK MARTIN

• Martin's 33 Winston Cup wins make him the fourth most winning active driver on the Cup circuit.
• Martin has currently started 492 straight races, the fourth-longest string of any current driver and the eighth-longest streak in Cup history.
• Martin's 41 all-time Winston Cup poles are the fifth most in Winston Cup History.
• Martin ranks fifth all-time in Winston Cup points standings.
• Martin has started 549 Winston Cup Races, finishing inside the top 10 on 322 occasions, inside the top five 205 times and visiting winner's circle 33 times.
• Martin's 45 career wins in the Busch series are a NASCAR record.
• Martin has 11 career IROC wins, tying him for most series wins with Al Unser, Jr. and the late Dale Earnhardt.
• Martin also ties Dale Earnhardt with four True Value IROC championships.
• Martin holds a record of three consecutive IROC titles.

Viagra® Racing Team Runs to 18th Place Finish at Loudon
Mark Martin and the #6 Viagra® Racing Team
New England 300/July 20, 2003
Roush Racing

LOUDON, N.H. (July 20, 2003) – Mark Martin and the Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Racing Team gained 10 positions in the final 50 laps of Sunday’s New England 300 to overcome a faulty pit sequence and bring home an 18th-place finish. Martin moved from 23rd to 18th during the last 10 laps of the race.

“We had a really good car today,” said Martin after the race. “It was a lot better than a lot of the cars out there today. We got a little off on our pitting and unfortunately we were not able to get as good of a finish as we would have liked.

“But fortunately we were able to pass a lot of cars late in the race and move up the field for what was a respectable finish. All of the guys worked really hard this weekend and in the end they gave me a pretty good car out there today, it just didn’t turn out the way we would have liked.”

Martin started the race 12th on points, after rain forced the cancellation of qualifying on Friday. The veteran driver wasted no time moving up the field and broke inside the top 10 by lap 19 of the race. When caution was called two laps later on lap 21, the team opted to come into the pits for fuel and adjustments to help loosen up the car.

The decision would prove costly as the majority of the field opted to stay out, costing the No. 6 Viagra Taurus several positions. At a track known for its difficulty to pass on and where track position is key, the move would prove too much to overcome for Martin as the team was never able to recoup the positions. Martin would return to the field in 31st position when the field went green on lap 27.

Martin was able to drive the car back up the field, steadily working his way towards the front; passing cars one-by-one. A fuel only stop after a caution on lap 144 would move Martin from 20th to 14th place. The team opted not to pit at all after the day’s 11th caution on lap 203 and Martin moved up to seventh place when the field returned to green.

The No. 6 remained in the top 10 until it entered the pits for a fuel only stop under caution on lap 234. Martin returned to the field in 26th place with 61 laps remaining. After loosing two places to 28th by lap 250, Martin would find himself in a 50-lap mad dash for position. By lap 271 he had powered the Viagra Taurus into 24th position. He would go on to pick up six more places in the final 20 laps of the race. Running to the 18th place finish, the 14th top-20 finish of the season for the Viagra Racing Team.

Martin remains in 12th place in the Winston Cup point race.

The team returns to action next week at Pocono Raceway, where Martin finished second in June.

2003 Mark Martin New England 300 Track Notes
Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Roush Racing #6 Ford Taurus
Roush Racing
July 18, 2003

DRIVER: Mark Martin

OWNER: Jack Roush

CREW CHIEF: Ben Leslie

THE CAR

Chassis No. (RRC-97) RRC-97 is the same car that the team took to the fall race at Loudon last year. This will be the car's fourth run this season. RRC-97 finished fifth at Texas and Richmond earlier this year and 18th at Dover in its last run. Last season the car posted four top-five finished in five starts.

MARK MARTIN - FAST FACTS - NHIS

• Mark Martin won the first NASCAR Winston Cup Bud Pole at New Hampshire International Speedway in July 1993.
• Martin leads all other drivers with 11 top-10 finishes at New Hampshire.
• Martin has finished second at New Hampshire on three different occasions.
• Martin has three top-10 finishes in the past five races at New Hampshire.
• Martin has finished inside the top-10 in eight of the last nine races at New Hampshire.

2002 WINNER - WARD BURTON

Ward Burton collected his first victory since the season-opening Daytona 500 by winning the New England 300. Burton, who started 31st, took the lead with 10 laps left while Matt Kenseth's tire was deflating and held off Jeff Green by 3.230 seconds for his fifth career win.

MARK MARTIN - 2002 NEW ENGLAND 300

RACE #19, JULY 21 - New Hampshire International Speedway
New England 300 - Started 17th, Finished 16th

Martin climbed as high as eighth place during the race, and was running in 11th place late in the race. With only one groove in which to race, track conditions were tough for the race and several cars slammed into the wall in turns three and four - bringing an early end for many of the field's drivers and teams. Martin and the No. 6 team opted to get what they could out of the race, rather than take a chance of loosing control into the wall and dropping valuable points in the championship race.

MARK MARTIN AND BEN LESLIE QUOTES

Mark Martin on Racing at New Hampshire International Speedway:

"I consider New Hampshire to be one of the most challenging tracks on the schedule, but like anywhere else handling will be the key. If you can get the car to handle right, you can overcome the other issues. It is one of the few places where we have never finished first, but we've actually ran pretty well there over the years. It was almost impossible to pass there in the first race last year and a lot of teams, including us, had a lot of trouble. Rain played a major factor during the second race there, but the track was better. Hopefully it will be even better this year and we will be able to put together a strong finish for the Viagra Team."

No.6 Crew Chief Ben Leslie on Racing at New Hampshire International Speedway:

"We are taking JR-97 to the race, which is the same car that we took there in the fall last year. We also used the car for top-five finishes at Texas and Richmond earlier this season. We'll just have to go there and keep fighting for everything we can get and hopefully we'll come out with a solid finish."

Martin, Viagra Racing Team Sets Sights to Loudon, Second Half of Season
Roush Racing

CONCORD, N.C. (July 16, 2003) - Last September Mark Martin and the Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Racing Team went to Loudon, New Hampshire looking for the Winston Cup points lead. When the day was done, they left with it as well. Almost 10 months later Martin and the team return to the 1.058-mile track with another goal - running well and breaking back into the top-10 of the Winston Cup point standings.

Martin has posted five top-five and seven top-10 finishes in 18 races during 2002, but untimely mechanical problems and several wrecks have severely damaged his position in the point standings. This weekend Martin and the No. 6 team will look to rebound from a 14th-place finish a week ago, with a solid run at Loudon.

The team is currently in 12 place in the standings, only 29 points outside of 10th in a battle that sees only 100 points separating ninth and 16th places.

Martin's 9.56 average finish in 16 races at Loudon is the best among drivers with five or more starts on the track. Furthermore, Martin has finished inside the top 10 in 11 of the 16 starts and inside the top five on seven occasions.

Although he has never won at New Hampshire, Martin has finished second on three occasions. Martin has finished in the top 10 in eight of the last 12 Winston Cup races at Loudon.

“We've been pretty good there over the years," said Martin. "We've never won there, but we've come close a time or two. You have to be able to handle well there or you may be in trouble. The track presents a great challenge to the drivers, but if you can get your car to handle, then you can overcome a lot of the other problems that tend to occur."

Martin finished 16th at both Loudon races a year ago. In the spring race, Martin like many of the drivers had a lot of trouble handling the car on the track. The second race ended prematurely due to rainfall, but Martin's 16th-place finish was good enough to take over the Winston Cup points lead and Martin left New Hampshire in first place.

Martin and the team will take the same car back to Loudon this weekend that they used a year ago, (RRC-97), which is the same car that notched top-five finishes earlier this year at both Texas and Richmond.

Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Mich., based Roush Industries that operates eight motorsports teams; five in NASCAR Winston Cup with drivers Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Greg Biffle; and two in the Craftsman Truck Series with drivers Jon Wood and Carl Edwards. Sponsorship inquiries should contact John Miller, Roush Racing,(704) 370-1010.

Viagra Racing Team Runs to 14th Place Finish in Tropicana 400
Mark Martin and the #6 Viagra® Racing Team
Tropicana 400/July 13, 2003
Roush Racing

JOLIET, ILL. -- (July 13, 2003) – Mark Martin and the Viagra (sildenafil citrate) Racing Team finished 14th in Sunday’s Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. Martin and the No. 6 crew fought for position for much of the race, battling their way back up the field after running out of fuel on lap 62.

“We actually had a pretty good car down the stretch,” said Martin. “We ran out of gas before the first pit stop and that ultimately hurt us down the stretch, but the team hung in there and we fought for everything that we could get.

“We didn’t get the best finish in the world, but we earned it – I can tell you that much. In the end, we kept fighting and made a respectable finish out of what could have been much worse.”

Martin started the race 13th, but with the car too “loose” to effectively drive into the corner, the No. 6 Taurus fell all the way back to 22nd place by lap eight. By lap 44, Martin had moved the car back up to 17th position, before the car’s handling began to reverse itself becoming too tight to handle. Most of the field began to pit under the green flag on lap 59 and Martin had moved up to eighth position when he radioed that he was out of gas on lap 62.

Martin coasted into the pits for fuel and to make adjustments to help free the car’s handling, but Martin had trouble re-firing the car and in the end running out of fuel cost the team valuable track position. Martin was a lap down and running in 29th position when he returned to the field on lap 65. The veteran driver had worked his way up into 26th place when the day’s first caution was called on lap 81.

Martin came into the pits on lap 83 to make wedge and track bar adjustments and take on fuel and four fresh tires. The team responded with a 13.75 second pit stop that moved Martin up to 23rd position when the field went green on lap 85.

The car began to improve and the team used a caution on lap 127 to come into the pits for another round of adjustments and fresh tires. The team posted yet another quick stop, and the adjustments ultimately paid off. By lap 157, Martin moved into 19th position. Martin was posting his best lap times of the day as he worked his way to the front of his lap, patiently moving through the lapped traffic.

The No. 6 Taurus was running in 13th place when the day’s final caution was issued on lap 233. The crew opted to stay out on the track and Martin remained in 13th place, the first car one lap down, when the field restarted on lap 238.

After battling for position with teammate Matt Kenseth, Martin fell back to 14th place on the restart. Martin continued to fight for position for the remainder of the race, before ending the day with a 14th-place finish. The finish is Martin’s 13 top-20 finish in 18 starts this season.

Martin remains in 12th place in the Winston Cup point's race, just 28 points outside of 10th place.

The team returns to action next week in Loudon, New Hampshire.

2003 Mark Martin Tropicana 400 Track Notes
Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Roush Racing #6 Ford Taurus
Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland Speedway
July 10, 2003

DRIVER: Mark Martin
OWNER: Jack Roush
CREW CHIEF: Ben Leslie

THE CAR

Chassis Number: (RRC-104) - RRC-104 is a new car that has posted impressive results in the wind tunnel.

MARK MARTIN FAST FACTS - CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY

• Mark Martin finished sixth in the inaugural Winston Cup race at Chicagoland in 2001. He is one of nine drivers who have competed in all 10 inaugural races that have been held on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit since 1988.

• Martin has finished inside the top 10 in both of the Chicagoland races, posting a ninth-place finish last season, in addition to the sixth place finish in 2001.

• Martin will start his 490th consecutive Winston Cup race this weekend at Chicagoland.

• Martin is one of four drivers to post top-10 finishes in both Chicagoland Races.

• Martin and Kurt Busch are one of only four drivers to post top-10 finishes in both Winston Cup races at Chicagoland.

• Mark Martin, Greg Biffle and Kurt Busch will all take place in the IROC race on Saturday. So far Roush has swept the IROC series in 2003, with Martin winning in Daytona and Busch taking the checkered flag at Talladega.

QUOTING MARK MARTIN AND BEN LESLIE

Martin on racing at Chicago:

"Chicago is a good track to race on and it gets better every year. Last year was a whole lot better than the first year and I suspect this year will be even better. It will continue to improve as the grooves start to come in more. As that happens you'll see more passing and better racing at the track. We ran w ell there and I can't wait to get back out there and see what we can do this year."

Crew Chief Ben Leslie on racing at Chicago:

"We are taking a new car that we haven't even tested yet, but we have taken it to the wind tunnel on a couple of occasions and we've been really happy with the results. Chicagoland is a track that really suits Mark's style and we are looking forward to going there this weekend. This team is ready for another opportunity to show what it can do on the track. The guys have been working really hard and hopefully that will pay off this weekend."

2002 EVENT WINNER - Kevin Harvick:

Despite being low on fuel, Kevin Harvick stayed on the track during the final caution with 25 laps to go and held off Jeff Gordon to win the Tropicana 400.

MARK MARTIN - 2002 EVENT:

RACE #18, JULY 14 - Chicagoland Speedway
Tropicana 400 - Started 13th, Finished 9th

Martin ran inside the top 10 for much of the day. After falling to 11th place on lap 191, Martin made his way back to eighth place on lap 202, before moving to seventh place on lap 234. The No. 6 Viagra® Ford Taurus had climbed to sixth place when the day's fifth and final caution was called on lap 241. Martin came into the pits for fuel only. Three cars didn't pit and the No. 6 returned to the field in seventh position when the field went green with 20 laps remaining on lap 247. Despite running on old tires, Martin was able to stay in the top-10, holding off the Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the final three laps of the race and moving on to claim the ninth-place finish.

Viagra® Racing Team Finishes 20th in Pepsi 400
Mark Martin and the #6 Viagra® Racing Team
Pepsi 400/July 5, 2003
Roush Racing

DAYTONA, Fla. - (July 5, 2003) – Mark Martin and the Viagra® Racing Team ran to a 20th place finish in Saturday night’s Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway. The team fell victim to an untimely pit sequence that forced Martin to have to pit an extra time late in the race. Martin ran as high as fourth during the race, that saw Martin run inside the top 10 for much of the race.

“We had a pretty good car,” said Martin. “But we got on the wrong pit sequence and there just wasn’t enough cars that did the same thing we did. In the end, it forced us to pit one more time than some of the other cars in the race and that hurt us. I would however, like to congratulate Greg (Biffle) on his first victory in a Winston Cup race, I can’t think of a better race to do that.”

Martin started 33rd, but wasted little time moving his Viagra® Ford Taurus up the field. The veteran driver broke inside the field’s top 20 on just the second lap of the race. By lap five Martin was running in 15th position. Martin had moved up to 11th place when green flag pitting began on lap 35. Three laps later the team entered the pits to take on right-side tires, fuel and make adjustments to free up the car’s handling. Martin returned to the field in 10th position.

By lap 58, Martin had moved all the way to sixth place, where he was running when the day’s first caution was issued on lap 63. The team used the caution to come into the pits for four fresh tires, fuel, and an additional adjustment. Martin returned to the field in seventh when the field returned to green on lap 68. Five laps later the day’s second caution occurred.

Most of the field came into the pits for tires and fuel, but the No. 6 team along with a few other teams opted to stay out and gain track position. In the end, the decision would prove costly, as a lack of cautions down the stretch would allow for other teams to win the race on a different fuel mileage sequence.

Initially, the move paid off and Martin rocketed the car into fourth place by lap 84. Martin got shuffled out of the draft as the car began to tighten up, and fell back to as far as 14th position before working his way back up to 10th. At this point, the move not to pit on lap 75 began to hurt the team’s effort. Running in seventh position, Martin came into the pits on lap 104 for fuel.

With the team now on a different pit sequence than the majority of the field, several cars moved in front of the No. 6 and he returned to the field in 28th place on lap 106 after taking two tires, fuel, and making an air pressure adjustment to further free the car’s handling. The remainder of the field began pitting on lap 113 and Martin moved back up to 15th place on lap 117 when the majority of the field began to come into the pits for fuel. A few of those cars would be able to run the remainder of the race without having to come back into the pits for fuel; one of those cars, Roush teammate Greg Biffle, would go on to win the race.

Martin would move back up to as high as 10th place on lap 140 before having to come into the pits on lap 143 for fuel. Again he would lose position to all of the cars on the different pit cycle and he returned to the field in 22nd place on lap 144. He would use the remaining 16 laps of the race to fight his way into the top 20 for the 20th place finish.

The finish moved Martin into a tie for 11th place in the Winston Cup point standings, 49 points outside of 10th place. The team returns to action next week at Chicagoland Speedway for the Tropicana 400. Martin has finished inside the top 10 in both his races at Chicagoland, a sixth place finish in 2002 and a ninth place finish last year.

Martin, No. 6 Viagra Racing Team Ready for Run at Daytona
Roush Racing

CONCORD, N.C. (July 2, 2003) - Mark Martin and the Viagra® Racing Team hope to get the second half of the racing season off to a good start with a strong showing in this weekend's Pepsi 400 at the Daytona International Speedway. Martin, who resides in Daytona Beach, will be making his 36th Winston Cup-start at the famed 2.5-mile superspeedway.

"I'm not the biggest fan in the world of restrictor-plate racing, but I know that it's really an exciting show for the fans," said Martin referring to his 'home' track. "I'm a pure racer and there is just too much at those tracks that are out of the control of the driver."

Still, Martin looks forward to competing at a track that is just down the road from the comfort of his own home and a track where he has tallied 13 top-10 finishes in the last 20 races.

"We've been pretty good there," said Martin. "And we've ran well there the last few races as well. We were pretty good at the 500 earlier this year and we had a couple of strong runs there last year. We are hoping to keep that going this weekend."

Martin has been strong at Daytona. He has finished sixth or better in five of his last six races there, and since teaming with crew chief Ben Leslie, Martin has finished inside the top-six in three straight races.

"We've put a lot of work into it and we've been fortunate as well," said crew chief Ben Leslie. "Don't get me wrong, we've had pretty good cars and Mark has posted great performances, but we've also been able to avoid the 'big one' as well," added Leslie, referring to the big wreck that always seems to plague restrictor-plate races.

"I mean we've had really good cars at Talladega as well, but we've been involved in a couple of wrecks that really set us back there," said Leslie.

Despite not being a big fan of restrictor plate racing, Martin is one of only eight drivers who have competed in all 62 restrictor plate races, and the veteran from Batesville, Arkansas has posted top-10 finishes in 10 of the last 13 restrictor plate races. In fact, Martin's 31 top-10 finishes in restrictor plate races are the second most ever. In addition, his 22 wins at superspeedways are the 11th most ever and the fifth most of any active driver.

Martin started his first Winston Cup race at Daytona International Speedway on Independence Day of 1982 where he finished 31 in the Firecracker 400, after being involved in an accident. Ironically, 10 years to the day later he would score his first top-10 finish at the superspeedway, running to an eighth-place finish on July 4, 1992 in the Pepsi 400.

Since then Martin has finished inside the top-10 in 13 of 22 races there, including six of 11 Pepsi 400's. In fact since 1994 Martin has finished inside the top-five of four of nine summer races at Daytona International Speedway.

2003 Mark Martin Pepsi 400 Track Notes
Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Roush Racing #6 Ford Taurus
Pepsi 400/Daytona International Speedway - July 5, 2003
Roush Racing
June 30, 2003

DRIVER: Mark Martin
OWNER: Jack Roush

MARK MARTIN 2002 EVENT: Started: 18th Finished: 5th

Persistent rains forced the cancellation of all but one of the weekend's practice sessions, and qualifying was postponed from Thursday night until Friday morning. Martin worked his way up the field and into the top 10 by lap 65. After continuing to shuffle in and out of the draft, Martin was running in sixth place when the ninth and final caution of the day was called with only three laps to go on lap 157. Martin raced back to the caution, passing the No. 8 car for the fifth position, as the race would finish under the yellow flag.

VIAGRA RACING TEAM LOOKS FOR SOLID RUN AT DAYTONA

Martin and the No. 6 Viagra Racing Team ready for the second-half run, starting this weekend in Daytona, where Martin has finished inside the top six in five of his last seven races.

SPECIAL PAINT SCHEME

Martin will run a special 'confetti car' paint scheme at the Pepsi 400.

THE CAR

The Viagra® Racing Team will take RRC-101 to Daytona. RRC-101 is the same car that ran to a fifth-place finish earlier this season at the Daytona 500. The car also ran in the Bud Shootout, where it finished 17th, after leading four laps of the race.

AT DAYTONA

The race will mark the 36th time that Martin has taken the green flag at Daytona International Speedway in a WC car. A resident of Daytona Beach, Martin started his first Pepsi 400 at the track on July 4 1982, twenty-one years and one day prior to the start of this year's 400. Martin finished 31st in that race, after getting caught up in an accident. Martin's first top-10 at Daytona came 10 years to the day of his first start on July 4, 1992 when he finished eighth. Since then Martin has finished in the top-10 in 13 of 20 races at Daytona, including eight top fives.

MARK MARTIN FAST FACTS - DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

• Martin has finished sixth or better in five of his last seven races at Daytona.
• Martin has finished inside the top-six in his last three races at Daytona, including a pair of top-fives.
• Martin has finished inside the top-five in two of the last three Pepsi 400's.
• Martin finishes fifth in the Daytona 500 earlier this year and fifth in last year's Pepsi 500.
• Martin has raced in all 62 restrictor plate races, making him one of only eight drivers to do so.
• Martin has eight top-10 finishes in the last 13 restrictor-plate races.
• Martin's 31-top-10 finishes in restrictor plate races are the second most ever.
• Martin's 22 wins at superspeedways are the 11th most ever and the fifth most of any active driver.
• This will be Martin's 36th race at the famed superspeedway.
• Martin won the IROC race at Daytona earlier this year, his first ever victory at the 2.5-mile superspeedway.

QUOTING MARK MARTIN AND BEN LESLIE

Mark Martin on Daytona:

"We are looking forward to the race in Daytona. Everyone knows that I may not be the biggest fan of restrictor-plate racing, but we've been pretty good at Daytona the last few times there. Bad luck has really hurt us this season, but there isn't a lot we can do about that. What we can do is to giving 100 percent each week and to keep fighting until the very end and just see what happens."

Crew Chief Ben Leslie on Daytona:

"We are excited about going back to Daytona. We've had some really good runs there, including a top-five in the 500 earlier this year. We are going to take the same car back there that we ran in the 500. It was pretty strong in February, so hopefully we'll have similar success there in July. The key will be just being patient and making sure that we are in the best position possible, in order to stay out of the 'big one' that always seems to happen at those races."

Martin keeping his nose to grindstone
By Mike Mulhern, Journal Reporter
Winston-Salem Journal
une 29, 2003

The Winston Cup season has been marked by rain, both literally and metaphorically.

The weather has affected 10 races already, shortening races at Daytona, Charlotte and Richmond and playing havoc with race weekends.

And the gods of gloom have been raining misfortune on a surprising number of Winston Cup teams.

Ryan Newman's highlights this season have been well covered - his flipping crashes, his flaming wrecks. And Tony Stewart, although he's had one of the best cars on the tour at nearly every stop, simply can't catch a break.

So Mark Martin is in good company when he assesses the first half of his season: 'Rotten luck.'

That's the downside. The upside is that he has another five months ahead of him, and things can only get better during the next 20 weeks.

Without a break.

Take a deep breath.

'We had an OK year on luck last year, and it's like we are paying for it in full this year,' Martin said. 'We've been in a lot of wrecks, and we had some mechanical issues earlier and that has killed us in the points. This is a really good race team. I said that going in, and I maintain that.

'The problem has been that we've just had rotten luck.'

The season didn't begin that way -a fifth at Daytona, a seventh at Rockingham. But then blown engines back to back at Las Vegas and Atlanta caught the team off guard. Still, Martin bounced back with a shot to win at Darlington, only to be foiled by a loose lug nut, and he had a good run, a fifth, at Texas.

Since then, though, Martin has been looking over his shoulder every week for the next disaster. Five times he has gotten caught up in crashes not of his of making. So Martin and crew chief Ben Leslie are groaning their way to Daytona Beach with DNFs in half the year's first 16 races.

'We've really just been in the wrong place at the wrong time,' Martin said. 'We had great cars at Bristol and Talladega and got caught up in wrecks that we just couldn't avoid. At California we battled our way all the way up the field, and we were on the last lap and headed to at least a top-five or top-six finish and got taken out on the last lap.

'Those are the things that you just can't afford to have happen too often, and we've had it happen in about half of the races this year. But it's not things that you can complain about, because I've been in racing long enough to know that that stuff happens.

'It really shouldn't take away from the tremendous job that this team has done. If I had to grade the season I'd give the team a B-plus or A-minus ... but on luck we are a solid F.'

Martin, No. 6 Viagra Racing Team Look for Better Luck in Second Half of Season
Roush Racing

Concord, N.C. (June 24, 2003) - After 16 races in 2003, Mark Martin and the No. 6 Viagra (sildenafil citrate) Racing Team are 12th in the Winston Cup points, having posted seven top-10 and five top-five finishes on the year. Martin and the No. 6 Viagra® Ford Taurus have been fast and not without their share of highlights this season. However, a rash of bad luck has really prevented the team from reaching the level that Martin knows they are capable of.

"This is a really good race team," said Martin. "I said that going in and I maintain that. We've been really good at times, in fact we've been a lot faster at many tracks this year than we were last year. The problem has been that we've just had rotten luck.

"We had an okay year on luck last year, and it's like we are paying for it in full this year. We've been in a lot of wrecks and we had some mechanical issues earlier and that has killed us in the points."

The fact of the matter is that Martin and the No. 6 crew have shown flashes of brilliance this season. The team opened the year with a top-five finish in a rain-shortened Daytona 500 and followed that up with a solid eighth place run at Rockingham the next week, where Martin led 18 laps during the race.

The team would have most likely captured the checkered flag at Darlington in March if not for a rare mishap in the pits that forced the team to return to pit road and reapply a loose lug nut. Even still, Martin dashed back up the field for a forth-place run. Two weeks later Martin finished fifth at Texas.

Martin mounted a top-five run in the first night race of the season at Richmond, and came up just one place short with a second-place run at Pocono earlier this month to notch his fifth top-five finish of the season.

The flip side of the coin has been the bad luck of which Martin refers to, the things that tend to randomly happen in auto racing. Martin suffered back-to-back mechanical problems at Vegas and Atlanta, relegating the No. 6 car to 43rd and 42nd-place finishes, and costing Martin valuable points in a race that finds him only 178 points out of fifth place heading into Daytona.

Furthermore, Martin has gotten caught up in other people's accidents on five different occasions in 2003, including a last-lap accident at California that cost him what would have been another top-five finish. All in all, accidents have prevented the veteran driver from finishing half of the 2003 events.

"We've really just been in the wrong place at the wrong time," added Martin. "We had great cars at both Bristol and Talladega and got caught up in wrecks that we just couldn't avoid. At California we battled our way all the way up the field. We were on the last lap and headed to at least a top-five or six finish and we got taken out on the last lap.

"Those are the types of things that you just can't afford to have happen to often in racing, and we've had it happen in about half of the races this year. It's not the type of things that you can complain about, because I've been in racing long enough to know that that stuff happens.

"But it really shouldn't take away from the tremendous job that this team has done so far. I told someone the other day that if I had to grade the season I'd give the team a B plus or A minus, but on luck we are a solid F. Still, we'll just keep coming back and giving all we have, and, we won't stop fighting until the end and we'll just have to see where it all ends up."

Currently Martin is in 12th place in the Winston Cup Points race, just 46 points outside of 10th place. Martin is currently 550 point's behind the point's leader, but only 119 points out of seventh.

The Viagra® Racing team will look to improve on its 2003 season with another strong showing next week at Daytona. A resident of Daytona, Martin has been impressive on the 2.5-mile speedway, posting finishes of sixth or better in five of his last seven races there. Further more, Martin has finished inside the top six in his last three races at Daytona and he has posted top-five finishes in two of the last three Pepsi 400s. Martin finishes fifth earlier this season in the Daytona 500.

Viagra Racing Team Runs to 19th-Place Finish at Sonoma
Mark Martin and the #6 Viagra® Racing Team
Dodge/Save Mart 350/June 22, 2003
Roush Racing

Sonoma, Calif. - (June 22, 2003) – Mark Martin was able to pick up five places in the last 19 laps of Sunday’s Dodge/Save Mart 350 to post a 19th place finish and put an end to a day that just never quite came together for the veteran driver and the No. 6 Viagra® Racing Team. The No. 6 crew had hoped for a better finish in its first road-course race of the season, but in the end found itself fighting for every position.

The No. 6 Viagra® Ford Taurus started the race handling tight and with the car ‘pushing really badly’ Martin struggled from the green flag and quickly fell back to 21st position on the first lap after getting tangled up with another car. The first lap would appear to set the tone for the day.

"We got in an accident on the first lap and it knocked the front-end out of line a little bit, so we just had a hard day's work in front of us there,” said Martin.

Martin had worked his way back up to 19th place on lap 58 before getting hit by the No. 42 car and taking on slight damage.

“We got spun out again, after we worked our way back up –decently – to the middle of the pack, and we got spun out, so that didn't help us, either,” added Martin.

The team came into the pits to take on four tires and fuel, make adjustments to improve the car’s handling and work on the damage sustained in the accident. Martin returned to the field in 35th position, once the field went green on lap 61.

A multi-car accident on lap 65, allowed Martin to move from 29th to 14th position by lap 68. After the day’s sixth caution, the team came into the pits to top-off the fuel, in hopes that the race would go green for the remaining laps, as Martin would have been one of only a few cars that could have finished the race without pitting.

The day’s seventh caution on lap 88 would pit an end to that strategy and Martin came into the pits to take on four fresh tires and fuel. Martin returned to the field in 24th place when the field went green with 19 laps to go.

Martin was able to move up the field to 19th place, securing the top-20 finish. Martin is currently 12th in the Winston Cup Point standings, 46 points outside of 10th place.

“Everybody kept working all day and we never gave up,” said Martin after the race. “But we just didn’t have it today and I guess there just wasn’t a lot we could do about it.”

Next week NASCAR takes its final off-weekend of the season, before returning to action in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

New Smyrna Quarter Midget Association President Bob Stoekel talks with NASCAR veteran Mark Martin, who worked with New Smyrna track officials to build a track for children.
GARY W. GREEN/ORLANDO SENTINEL (APRIL)

Racing success in Martin's genes
By George Diaz, Sentinel Staff Writer
OrlandoSentinel.com
June 17, 2003

SAMSULA -- He races against himself most nights, darting in and out of traffic while lapping cars that hopelessly are overmatched.

Matt Martin has his own pit crew, trailer, motor home, Web site and sponsorship deals with Ford and Gatorade.

He is 11 years old.

It not only makes him "the youngest member of the Ford Racing family," but virtually unbeatable. Matt holds the track record of 5.88 seconds, set on Nov. 13.

It's all about the car, the money and the genes:

Matt is the son of NASCAR veteran Mark Martin.

The impetus for this whole adventure started with Matt watching a PBS program on quarter midgets a few years ago.

"Dad, can we race quarter midgets?" Matt asked.

"Sure. I'll check into it," Mark Martin said.

"Finally I find myself in a quarter midget at Tangerine, a big race at Apopka," Matt said. "And that's a lot of fun."

But it was also a lot farther away for the Martins, who live in Daytona Beach. Mark Martin approached New Smyrna track officials about the possibility of building a small track for children. Martin set up a few fund-raisers with his friends, including Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Bobby Labonte, and passed the collection cap along millionaire's row at Winston Cup trailers. The track was inaugurated in January 2001.

"I might have been the catalyst to get this going, but it's for the kids," Mark Martin said. "Big ones and small ones."

Whenever the hectic NASCAR schedule allows, Martin sits in a chair outside the edge of the track, just another parent rooting for his child.

Matt has huge potential. He recently was featured on an ESPN the Magazine story featuring sports prodigies from all over the world.

"I want him to have the best that he can have," Martin said of his son's high-tech advantage. "It's a lot more fun to run up front than it is to take a whippin' "

Road Course Master Martin Ready for Sonoma
Roush Racing

CONCORD, N.C. (June 17, 2003) - Mark Martin and the Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Racing Team head to Sonoma this weekend for the first road course race of the 2003 season, at a track where Martin has finished inside the top 10 in 83 percent of his races.

No stranger to Infineon Raceway, Martin has raced on the 1.949-mile road course 14 times, while finishing in the top-10 on an impressive 12 occasions, including a seventh-place run last season. One of NASCAR's all-time top road racers, Martin boasts seven top-five finishes at Sears Point, including a victory, when he took the checkered flag from the pole in 1997.

In fact, Martin's win from the pole in '97 is one of only four times that feat has been accomplished. Furthermore, Martin's 12 top-10 finishes at Sonoma are the most of any driver.

"I love road racing," said Martin. "I learned to drive on the dirt roads of Arkansas, so to me it's just like that, only the roads are paved."

Martin and the No. 6 Viagra® Racing Team will take a new car to Sonoma this year that they tested it at the track to very pleasing results at Infineon in April.

"We are really excited about going back to Sonoma," added Martin. "We had been running the same car there for about eight years and after last year we decided it was time for a new one. We were still running okay on the road tracks, but not near as well as we used to, so the team built us a new car. We had a chance to test it earlier this year and we were pretty happy with the way it preformed. So, we are exited about going back this week for the real deal."

Martin has posted nine straight top-10 finishes at Infineon Raceway and the veteran driver has finished in the top-10 in 12 of the last 13 races. He finished seventh there a year ago, after starting 12th. Two years ago Martin battled his way up the field, finishing 10th, after starting 38th.

Martin has always enjoyed racing on the road courses and his statistics show it. In addition to his 1997 win at Sears Point, Martin has captured the checkered flag on three occasions at Watkins Glen (1993,'94 and '95). In fact, Martin has posted 13 top-10 and an amazing 11 top-five finishes in 14 races at Watkins Glen.

"I really enjoy the road courses," said Martin. "We've had a lot of success on those type of tracks. They are fun to race on and a lot is in the hand of the driver, so it's always a challenge."

Martin's four wins on road courses are the ninth most in NASCAR history, and his four poles on road courses are the eighth most in NASCAR history. All in all, Martin has started 29 Winston Cup road course races and finished inside the top 10 in 86 percent of those races (25). In addition the veteran driver has posted 18 top-five finishes (62 percent).

Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Mich., based Roush Industries that operates eight motorsports teams; five in NASCAR Winston Cup with drivers Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Greg Biffle; and two in the Craftsman Truck Series with drivers Jon Wood and Carl Edwards. Sponsorship inquiries should contact John Miller, Roush Racing, (704) 370-1010.

2003 Mark Martin Infineon Track Notes
Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Roush Racing #6 Ford Taurus
Dodge/Save Mart 350/Infineon Raceway - June 22, 2003
Roush Racing
June 17, 2003

DRIVER: Mark Martin
OWNER: Jack Roush

2002 WINNER: Ricky Rudd

MARK MARTIN - 2002 EVENT AT INFINEON RACEWAY

Started: 12th Finished: 7th

The car was moderately fast off of the truck on Friday and steadily improved throughout the first session; posting the seventh fastest time of the practice. Not wanting to damage the car, Martin took a cautious approach in qualifying on Friday and started the race 12th. By the final practice on Saturday, the Viagra® Ford Taurus posted the second fastest time of the session. Martin gained 11 positions in the last 23 laps to run to a seventh-place finish. After running in the top five for most of the day, Martin found himself running in 18th place with only 23 laps to go after the no 6 team opted to pit on lap 86 under caution while other team's gambled with fuel and stayed out.

MARTIN READY FOR ROAD COURSE

After running to his second consecutive top-10 finish, Mark Martin and the Viagra® Racing Team prepare to turn right, as NASAR Winston Cup series travels to beautiful northern California for its first road course race of the season at Infineon Raceway.

Martin has been nothing short of spectacular at Infineon Raceway over the years, posting 12 top-10 finishes in 14 races.

IN THE POINTS

Martin's second consecutive top-10 finish moved him back into the WC top-10 for the first time since the third race of the season. Martin is currently in 10th place, 43 points behind ninth place and only 193 points outside of fifth.

THE CAR

The Viagra® Racing Team will take RRC-103 to Sonoma this weekend. RRC-103 is a brand new road course car that the team tested in Sonoma in April.

MARK MARTIN - FAST FACTS - INFINEON RACEWAY

• Martin won at Infineon from the pole in 1997, a feat that has only been accomplished four other times.
• Martin leads all drivers with 12 top-10 finishes at Sonoma.
• Martin has nine straight top-10 finishes at Infineon.
• Martin has competed in 33 career road-course races scoring four victories and 28 top-10 finishes (85 percent).
• Martin has finished either first or second in 36 percent of every Winston Cup race at Sonoma.
• Martin has finished inside the top-10 in 86 percent of the WC races at Sonoma and inside the top five 50 percent of the time.
• Martin's four wins at road courses tie for the ninth most in NASCAR history and his four poles tie for the eighth most.
• Martin has competed in all 14 races at Sonoma scoring four second place finishes, in addition to one victory.

QUOTING MARK MARTIN AND BEN LESLIE

Mark Martin on Infineon:

"I love road racing. I learned to drive on the dirt roads of Arkansas, so to me it's just like that, only the roads are paved. As far as Sonoma, we've been really good there over the years. I had been running the same car there for about the last eight years, but after last year we decided to build a new road course car. We took it out there and tested it before the race in Fontana and we were pretty happy with the results. Hopefully we can keep it up this weekend and have another strong run and hopefully a good finish."

Crew Chief Ben Leslie on Infineon:

"We have a brand new car and we tested it for a couple of days out there and it seemed to run really well. We are optimistic that we will be able to go out there and be really competitive based on what we saw from the times of the test. The team has been working really hard and hopefully that will show again this weekend."

All-Time Winner Martin Busch-Bound
fordracing.com
June 17, 2003

THIS WEEK IN FORD RACING

Sonoma, Calif. — Mark Martin, driver of the No. 6 Viagra® Taurus, recently announced that he would be returning to the Busch Series on a limited basis next season. Martin, who is the all-time winner with 45 Busch Series victories, recently spoke about that decision and the challenges he will face.

MARK MARTIN

WHY HAVE YOU DECIDED TO GO BACK TO BUSCH SERIES RACING?

"When I left the series, I never said I’d never do it again. I certainly wouldn’t do it on the same scale when I was doing 15 races a year. I actually really wanted to do five races this year, but we didn’t get the sponsorship stuff together. It takes a little time to make things happen, so I was a little bit disappointed about this year. I hadn’t thought much about it, but, typical me, it’s pressure. Why? Expectations are very high. It’s got to be 10 times harder for me to come back and run like I ran when I left because we’re totally out of touch with what’s fast now and what’s working now. That was a specific Busch team and Busch deal and Busch stuff. That wasn’t a bleed off of Winston Cup. That 60 car was a stand-alone, built-on-time-and-experience kind of performance. It wasn’t something that in our part-time we did with Winston Cup technology, so it’s gonna be an uphill battle and I guess that’s the way I like it. I choose to view it as intense pressure on me to come back and have a car that will perform like I had the last year I raced."

WHAT KIND OF CREW WILL YOU HAVE?

"I have no idea who will work on it. All of the guys are gone that were there in 2000, but we’ll work all that out. I don’t know anything as far as a car number or where we’ll race or what we’ll do. I don’t know who is gonna be the sponsor, although I think there are two different companies that will be doing the races. I don’t think it will be more than four, but it’s a long way away. Unfortunately, Jeff Burton’s Busch team has basically dissolved as well, so it’ll probably be something we pull together from scratch and how we can make the most sense out of it. It’s still too early to worry about that."

Viagra® Racing Team Finishes Ninth at Michigan, Martin Moves into Top 10
Mark Martin and the #6 Viagra® Racing Team
Sirius Satellite Radio 400/June 15, 2003
Roush Racing

BROOKLYN, Mich. - (June 15, 2003) – “It wasn’t the easiest day and it sure wasn’t pretty, but it’s a top-10 and we’ll take it, “ said Martin Martin moments after he and his Viagra® Racing Team had just concluded a ninth-place run in the Sirius Satellite 400 at Michigan International Speedway. The finish, the team’s second straight top-10 run, moved Martin back inside the top-10 in the Winston Cup point’s race.

Martin and the Viagra® Team struggled with a tight-handling car for the majority of the race; constantly in search of the proper adjustment that they never quite found. However, the team was able to use a solid effort in the pits and Martin’s expertise behind the wheel, to earn its seventh top-10 finish of 2003.

Martin was running in 10th position when the day’s ninth and final caution was called with just 10 laps remaining. The team opted to stay out and take its chances on old tires, and the No. 6 Viagra Ford Taurus was running in sixth place when the field went green with five to go in the race.

The majority of the cars behind him pitted for fresh tires, and Martin quickly dropped to ninth place when the field went green. However, the gamble to stay out paid off, as Martin was able to maintain ninth position and cross the finish line for his second top-10 finish in as many weeks.

"We had a severe handling problem, but thanks to the grit of that race team we pulled off a top-10 finish. I'm real proud of that,” added Martin. “We really had severe handling trouble, so it was a real nice finish for the way we missed it on our setup today." "The car was better on the short run and we got all of those cautions, so that put us in the position to get a top 10."

The car started the race extremely tight, and by lap 37 Martin had fallen to 20th place when the day’s third caution was issued. The team came into the pits for the second time of the day to take on four tires, fuel and make severe adjustment to the car’s chassis. The adjustments paid off in the beginning and Martin quickly moved up to 15th position, before the car began to become tight once again.

The day’s fifth caution on lap 72 gave Martin the opportunity to again return to the pits to help adjust the car’s handling. The stop took longer than normal due to the adjustments and Martin returned to the field in 24th position – his worst position of the day - when the field went green on lap 77.

As was the case for most of the day, the adjustments paid off in the short run and my lap 99 Martin had moved back into 15th position. Martin had advanced to 14th place on lap 103, when the car’s handling began to tighten up again on lap 103. The team entered the pits for a green-flag pit stop on lap 121 to make additional adjustments and take four fresh tires.

Again, the adjustment worked early on, as Martin had moved into 13th place by lap 129, when again, the car began to tighten up. However, this time the car settled in again, and when caution was called on lap 151 Martin came into the pits for tires and fuel only. A quick stop of 14.70 seconds put the No. 6 Ford in 12th place when the field went green on lap 163. Four laps later, Martin maneuvered the car into 10th place.

Martin had dropped to 11th when caution was again called on lap 170. With only 30 laps to go, the Viagra® Racing Team had to decide whether to come into the pits for fresh tires or stay out for track position. The team decided to pit and take four tires and after another fast stop of 14.65 seconds, Martin returned in ninth place when the field went green with only 25 laps remaining.

Martin fought for position for the next 15 laps before the day’s final caution with 10 laps remaining. The team opted to stay out this time and Martin was able to hang on for the ninth-place finish.

Martin joined four other Roush drivers in the top 11, including race-winner Kurt Busch.

The finish moved Martin back into the top-10 of the Winston Cup Point standings, 43 points behind ninth place and only 193 points outside of fifth place.

The team returns to action next week in Sonoma for the season’s first road race of the season.

Fresh off a stong performances Viagra® Team readies for Michigan
June 11, 2003

CONCORD, N.C. -- The Viagra® Racing Team delivered when it counted in Sunday's Pocono 500, putting together one of their fastest pit stops of the season. A 13.9 second stop with just over 40 laps remaining, helped move Martin's Viagra® Ford Taurus into third place. Ultimately the stop helped set Martin up for a dash to the finish line with eventually winner Tony Stewart and it helped to secure a second place finish, Martin's best of the year thus far.

In fact Martin and the No 6 Ford was strong all weekend, running some of the fastest times off the truck before notching Martin's best qualifying effort of the season, a sixth-place starting position.

"The team did a great job in Pocono," said Martin. "The car was fast all weekend and we were able to put together our strongest racing effort and our strongest qualifying effort. We had a fast car, great fuel mileage and great horsepower. In addition, the team got it done in the pits, especially when it counted.

"Hopefully we can keep moving the in the right direction and do it once place better this week in Michigan"

Martin and the Viagra® Racing Team had originally planned on taking a new car this weekend, but based on the strength of last weekend's performance decided to take the same car that they used in Pocono last weekend.

Martin is looking forward to this week's race at Michigan, where he has compiled one of the best records in track history. Martin has finished inside of the top-10 in 65.7 percent (23) of his 34 starts there. In addition, his four wins at Michigan are the third most of any active driver. Martin has led in 20 races at Michigan and he has posted 13 top five runs there as well.

"Michigan has really been a good track for us over the years," added Martin. "It's a place that is really fun to race, a lot like Charlotte. Handling is really important there and it's one of those tracks where the driver has a lot of control over his race. That is the way that I like racing and I look forward to racing there this weekend."

Last season Martin finished inside the top-10 in both MIS races, including a ninth place finish in the spring and a fifth-place run in the fall.

2003 Mark Martin Sirius Satellite Radio 400 Track Notes
Martin Moves On To Michigan
Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Roush Racing #6 Ford Taurus
Sirius Satellite Radio 400/Michigan International Speedway
June 11, 2003

DRIVER: Mark Martin
OWNER: Jack Roush

OFF TO MICHIGAN

Fresh off a second place run at Pocono, Martin and the Viagra Racing Team take to the 2-mile quad oval of Michigan Int'l Speedway where Martin will make his 35 Winston Cup start. Martin has ammassed four wins, 13 top-five and 23 top-10 (65.7 percent) finishes at Michigan and will be looking to break back into the Winston Cup top-10 with a strong performance this weekend.

LAST SEASON AT THE SIRIUS SATTELITE RADIO 400
JUNE 16, 2002 - Michigan International Speedway
2002 WINNER: Matt Kenseth

MARK MARTIN 2002 FINISH

Sirius Satellite Radio 400 - Started 9th, Finished 9th:

Martin struggled right off the truck with the setup of the car (loose), and the team continued to struggle with the car's setup throughout the weekend. Martin did run a good lap during qualifying and started the race ninth (qualifying was delayed for an hour and a half for rain, after about half of the field had gone. Martin went before the rain started.) The struggles continued during the one practice session that was held on Saturday (rain forced the cancellation of the first session). Once the race started the team continued to struggle with the car, with Martin complaining of it being way too tight. The Viagra Racing team never really found the answer, despite making numerous adjustments throughout the race. The massive adjustments slowed down the pit stop times and hurt the track position. Still Martin was able to finish strong, gaining four positions after a red-flag restart in the last three laps of the race. Martin posted his 10th top-10 finish of 2002.

THE CAR

The Viagra Racing Team will take JR-98 to Michigan this weekend. JR-98 is the same car that Martin ran last week at Pocono. The team had originally planned on taking a new car, but went in favor of 98 based on last week's performance. This will be the third run for JR-98, which made its debut earlier this year in Bristol, where it finished 29th after getting caught up in an accident.

SUMMER STRETCH

Martin and the Viagra Racing team are hoping that last week's second-place run at Pocono will be the beginning of a string of strong runs for the No. 6 team, who are heading into a stretch of tracks where Martin has ran well over the years. In addition to Michigan, Martin has tallied one win, seven top-five finishes and 12 top-10's in 14 starts at Sonoma, and the veteran driver has finished inside the top-ten in three straight races at Daytona, including a fifth-place finishes this year at the Daytona 500 and last season's Pepsi 400.

MARK MARTIN - FAST FACTS - MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

• Martin's four wins at Michigan ranks third amongst active drivers.
• Martin has posted 23 top-10 finishes, including all four victories, in his last 26 races at Michigan.
• Martin has led 20 races at Michigan for a total of 795 laps.
• Martin has led in seven of the last 12 races at Michigan.
• Martin finished inside the top 10 in both Michigan races in 2003, including a top-five finish in the fall.

QUOTING MARK MARTIN AND BEN LESLIE

Mark Martin On Michigan International Speedway:

"We are taking the same car that we ran at Pocono, because we had one of our best qualifying efforts of the year and one of our best races. So for that reason, we are going to turn that car around and take it to Michigan and hope that we can finish just one spot better than last week. Michigan is a great racetrack for us and it's a great racetrack to race on. I really like the track there. We've had a lot of good runs there and I'm looking forward to going back."

Crew Chief Ben Leslie On Michigan International Speedway:

"Michigan is a good race track for this team and Mark. We finished in the top-10 in both races there last season and hopefully we can do that again this year. We will have our work cut out for us, as we have decided to take the same car we ran last weekend based on the quality of its performance. Michigan is a fun track to race and it's a track where fuel mileage can be key. We've been pretty good in that area this year, so hopefully that will help this weekend as well."

Conversation: Mark Martin
By Dave Rodman, Turner Sports Interactive
NASCAR.com
June 11, 2003

LONG POND, Pa. -- Mark Martin is one of the most intense competitors in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, and over more than a dozen seasons has been one of the most consistently excellent competitors in the garage area.

Martin has maintained his focus and his enthusiasm despite a number of personal blows that would have leveled a lesser man.

After a comeback 2002 season in which Martin narrowly missed winning his first Winston Cup championship, a number of setbacks that have hit a number of drivers, including no less than Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman, have knocked Martin out of the top 10 in the standings.

Martin recently sat down with NASCAR.com's Dave Rodman to discuss the changing of the guard in NASCAR, his attention to his son, Matt's budding racing career and the state of the sport in 2003.

How special is your interaction with your 11-year-old son, Matt in terms of keeping you in touch with what's really important in life?

For people who might get tunnel vision about whatever things they're doing in life, being able to do what I do with Matt and his racing keeps me in touch with what is truly important.

It enables me to maintain a focus on what I'm doing with my career, but at the same time it makes you well-rounded because there are a lot of other things in life that are important, too.

The stories you've shared of your father's driving lessons on the front seat of a pickup truck were a precious piece of an irreplaceable time in life. Is there a parallel you can draw in your experiences with Matt, or does life in 2000 render it different?

Today, it's a totally different time and not at all like it was when I was growing up. My father and I had a special relationship and a love for things that went fast.

But today is completely different. Matt started racing when he was seven years old. I didn't start racing until I was a teenager. I didn't even have a motorcycle when I was the age that Matt started at.

Does Matt share the enthusiasm of a young Mark Martin -- and how do you relate to the experiences you had with your dad?

Matt is not as consumed by racing as I was when I was younger. He is more diverse, and he has different interests than I did, in a lot of other things as well.

From my perspective, I try to share and get involved in as much of that as I can and feel like that's a benefit to both of us.

How would you sum up your season so far?

Ben Leslie, my crew chief and the guys have done a great job and I would give them a B+ or an A for the effort they're putting into it and what they're doing. But I would give us an F for luck.

Man, we've had some crazy stuff happening to us and that is just part of it. You just don't know what's going to happen. There's no guarantees -- that's just the way it is in this sport.

You qualified sixth at Pocono but overall, your qualifying hasn't been the greatest this season. What's going on there?

On my qualifying lap here I was not over my head. I've been over my head everywhere all year and we had such an awesome car in practice that I knew I didn't have to go over my head.

Had I gone over my head, we would have been close (to the pole), but had I choked trying hard, it would have been just the same disappointments we've had all year.

I had a lot of car (at Pocono) and I didn't have to overextend myself and take any chances. It was a lap that I drove hard, but I didn't take any chances I was uncomfortable with. I've been uncomfortable everywhere else all year in qualifying and still been 30th.

Can you put some kind of perspective on your career and how do you look at drivers like Tony Stewart coming into the sport and excelling?

I'm happy with what I've been able to do. I don't think I'm the greatest race car driver that ever lived, but I think I've got a lot of nice trophies on the shelf. I am a commercialized racer.

You have to be commercialized in this business and I've done my very best to do that and to represent the sport the best way that I can.

But, down deep, I'm like Tony. I'd rather be on the road right now headed toward the dirt track or the quarter-midget track and watching the kids race.

That's where I'd really like to be going right now, instead of sitting here talking to you. I admire Tony Stewart. He's a racer's racer and he's really, really good.

He didn't just step in and get this stuff given to him. He's won everywhere he's ever been. Yeah, he's intense and, yeah, it's interesting to watch, but I admire Tony. I race with him hard and he races with me hard -- fair, clean and he has respect.

I was there first a long time ago when he was just a kid and he respects that. It's nice when these young guys come along that are so incredibly talented and also have the respect that you would like to have -- so I'm a Tony Stewart fan.

Transition is always a part of Winston Cup racing, but what is your take on the current changing of the guard, if you will, with yourself and Dale Jarrett and Rusty Wallace and Ricky Rudd not on the verge of retirement, but definitely on the verge of winding down your career?

That's the way it is (transitions) and that's the way it's always been. When I came into the sport I was honored to have a part in it. I'm a fan of all these young guys. I'm a fan of Ryan Newman's big time and I'm a fan of Kurt Busch as well and Kyle Busch.

They're really fast, they don't make a lot of mistakes and I don't see any signs of them having bad luck.

It's incredible -- so exciting to see these guys come along. There are so many other young drivers that are not out here yet, that are so exciting to watch, and they're really going to take this thing up when they get here.

What is one of the biggest things you look at when evaluating young talent?

I think the biggest thing you have to look at when you look at these young guys coming up is, are they winning races wherever they're at? There are some 14-year-olds now that I am watching that are winning races against adults.

Ford has signed your son, Matt, to a development contract. As a father, that's got to make you proud?

I'm real proud of Ford. They're watching these guys on the race track and they're in the middle of signing a bunch of teenage drivers. They've got a great bunch of people out there scouting.

The whole world of motorsports is changing and it will be dramatically different 10 years from now because of the influence of the younger drivers coming into the sport.

After a great finish at Pocono, what can you say about that compared to the kind of season you've had up to now?

Our car ran better at Pocono than it has the last few races, but we've had some really great race cars and had those runs spoiled too. There's no way that we've had the kind of luck that we had last year.

I don't think I was lucky last year, but I was sure a lot more lucky than I have been this year, that's for sure.

I feel like our race team has learned a whole lot in the last four weeks and this is the first sign of it and as we go forward, I believe we're gonna see more results from the things that we've learned the last four weeks.

When we start racing every week the bad luck and good luck starts to balance out and, hopefully, we'll get on a roll and stay on it all summer.

Martin Notches Second-Place Finish at Pocono 500
Mark Martin and the #6 Viagra® Racing Team
Pocono 500/June 8, 2003
Roush Racing

LONG POND, PA. - (June 8, 2003) – A 13.90 second pit stop by the Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Racing crew helped move Mark Martin’s No. 6 Ford Taurus into third place with just over 40 laps remaining in Sunday’s Pocono 500, helping Martin attain a second place finish - his sixth top-five of 2003. Martin, who earned his 17th top-five finish in 34 races at Pocono, boasted one of the fastest cars all day, leading on three separate occasions. In the end, Martin would run to his fifth second place finish at Pocono Raceway.

“The guys did a great job this weekend,” said Martin. “They gave me a great car and that last pit stop was key. I’ve been saying this all along, but I see really good things ahead for this race team. We got a great stop there with 40 to go and that helped us get by some other good cars. In the end, had a really fast car, just not quite the fastest.”

The second place finish moved Martin up four spots to 11th in the Winston Cup point’s standings, only 21 points outside of 10th place.

The Viagra® Racing team was fast all weekend, running some of the quickest times in Friday’s practice session, en route to a sixth-place qualifying effort. Position in much of Sunday’s race relied heavily on pit sequence. Martin started sixth, but with the car ‘pushing really bad’ early, the veteran driver had dropped to eighth place by lap eight when the day’s first caution was issued.

Martin and crew chief Ben Leslie opted to take four fresh tires in addition to making drastic changes to the car’s chassis. The turns forced a longer stop of 16.483 seconds. In addition, much of the field took only two tires and Martin returned to the field in 21st place when the field went green on lap 16.

The car remained ‘tight’ in it’s handling, but had maneuvered his way into 13th place by lap 40. The cars that had taken only two tires started pitting only a few laps later, and Martin had climbed to fourth place by lap 28 when he too came into the pits for four tires. Martin and Leslie decided to attempt to ‘free up’ the car’s handling and a stop of 14.59 seconds had Martin running in ninth place once the field had cycled through its stops.

Martin had climbed into eighth place when caution number two was called on lap 53. Martin came into the pits to take two tires and make additional adjustments. Much of the field opted to stay out and not pit, and Martin found himself in 16th place once the field returned to green flag racing on lap 61.

By lap 85 Martin had moved into 12th position. A couple of laps later the team’s that had opted not to pit under the lap 53 caution began having to pit under green-flag conditions and Martin began to steadily gain positions, eventually taking the lead on lap 92, earning five bonus points before heading into the pits on lap 94 for four tiles and a minor chassis adjustment.

Once the field had cycled through its stops, Martin was running in 10th place and posting the fastest times of any car on the racetrack. By lap 126 he had cracked the top-five once again, as the field began to pit. Martin took the lead again on lap 128, leading three laps before taking to the pits again on lap 130 to take on four tires and make minor adjustments. Martin came out of the pits in seventh place and again turning the fastest times on the track, in many cases a solid tenth of a second faster than the closest car.

The day’s third caution was called on lap 152, setting up the crew’s 13.9-second stop and Martin’s potential run at victory lane. Martin came into the pits in sixth position, and returned in third with just over 40 laps left in the race. The timing of the caution, would mean that none of the car’s in the field would be able to run the remainder of the race without coming into the pits for fuel, so one by one the field began entering the pits for gas, and the Viagra Ford Taurus took the lead for the third time on lap 176, leading three laps before making a fuel stop on lap 178.

Martin reentered the race in ninth position, the second car of those who had already stopped for fuel. The race remained free of caution and by lap 190 ever car had been forced to take on fuel, and Martin found himself in a 10-lap race to the finish with leader Tony Stewart. The shootout was short-lived however, as caution came out on lap 192. The race returned to green on lap 197, but the day’s fifth and final caution on that same lap, put an end to Martin’s strong bid at his first ever win at Pocono. Stewart went on to win the race and Roush Racing teammate Matt Kenseth finished third.

"We couldn't beat Tony unless something happened, but I was sure going try to make something happen there at the end,” said Martin. “I wanted to run it out. We had a great car on the long run and it's just a tribute to Ben Leslie and the whole Viagra team. The Taurus worked well on the long run and we got a lot of long runs and that was really good for us.

“But it was a great effort by Ben Leslie and the whole Viagra Team today,” added Martin. “The guys really had the car going well and Jack (Roush) had us set up with great fuel mileage and we had great horse power today as well, so I guess we had it all today.”

Martin and the Viagra® Racing Team return to action next week in Michigan, where Martin has tallied four wins, 13 top-five finishes and 23 top-10’s in 34 races. Last season, Martin finished ninth in the spring race and fifth in the fall race at Michigan.

Martin snarls he's proud to finish second — again
The snarling is over a question, the pride over beating all but one.
By Beth Hudson
Of The Morning Call
June 9, 2003

Mark Martin was almost defiant at the questions.

First, how did he feel about another second-place finish at Pocono Raceway?

''I'm proud and honored,'' Martin said.

But after so many close calls over the years at Pocono, doesn't Martin feel like the track owes him a victory?

''You guys don't get it,'' the 44-year-old driver of the Viagra Ford said. ''You just don't get it. It's hard to run second. Everyone else out there wanted to run second, except Tony Stewart. Winning's better than second, but it's the only thing better than second.''

So, there it is: a good news-bad news scenario. A matter of perspective.

Martin leads all active drivers with 18 top-five and 25 top-10 finishes in 33 starts at Pocono. He placed second in both Pocono races last year. And he was second again — this time, to Stewart — in Sunday's Pocono 500.

With that, Martin kept two streaks intact: He hasn't won at Pocono, and neither has car owner Jack Roush. Roush's other drivers — Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton, Greg Biffle and Kurt Busch — finished third, 14th, 20th and 36th, respectively.

Even so, neither Martin nor Kenseth seemed anything less than pleased with his result.

''I'm not going to celebrate tonight,'' Martin said. ''But if I won, I wouldn't have been celebrating tonight either. I'm happy to run good and happy to be a contender.''

''We had a decent car,'' Kenseth added. ''It was real good on long runs. We had a lot of long runs, and we needed them. I think we had a third- or fourth-place car.''

Martin, who started sixth, led the race three times for a total of seven laps. And after starting 25th, Kenseth came back to lead three times for 10 laps.

Naturally, the veteran Martin and the 31-year-old Kenseth are linked through Roush Racing. In truth, however, there's more to it.

Martin first noticed Kenseth's driving ability years earlier during a Busch Series race at Talladega. Martin became Kenseth's mentor, and the deal has paid dividends.

Kenseth, who drives the DeWalt Power Tools Ford, has learned from a driver with 33 career victories. And Kenseth is now the Winston Cup points leader with 2,115, ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1,939), Jeff Gordon (1,882), Bobby Labonte (1,828) and Kurt Busch (1,753).

On Sunday, though, Kenseth and Martin echoed the same sentiment: Stewart probably had the best car. In reference to the final restart of the day (with three laps to go), Kenseth said passing the two drivers in front of him was almost impossible.

''Tony was fast,'' Martin said. ''We were, too, but not fast enough, unless something happened. If something went wrong for him, we were going to be all over it.

''I didn't have any tricks in the bag,'' he added. ''If he slipped, missed a gear, whatever, the race would've been on. I can't say we were fixing to get him.''

It was a season-best finish for Martin, who climbed from 15th to 11th in the point standings. Meanwhile, Kenseth posted his 12th top-10 finish in 14 races this season, the best of any driver. And after winning a career-best five races in 2002, he has the largest points lead of the season (176 ahead of Earnhardt Jr.).

''Compared to last year, two things are different,'' Kenseth said. ''So far, we haven't had any parts break, knock on wood. And I didn't get in any big wrecks at Daytona or Talladega.''

Now, Kenseth heads back to the site of one of his previous victories, Michigan International Speedway.

''Roush cars seem to run pretty decent there,'' he said. ''You can run three- or four-wide in the corners. It's a great race for the fans and really a fun race for the drivers.''

Martin/Viagra® Racing Team Look Forward to June Stretch
Martin Hopes for Strong Runs at Pocono, Michigan and Sonoma
Roush Racing
June 6, 2003

CONCORD, NC (June 2, 2003) - Mark Martin and the No. 6 Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Racing team are hoping that the month of June brings more luck than the previous couple of months, and the team is looking forward to the month of June in hopes of putting together a string of strong runs and returning to the front of the pack.

"The races that we have coming up are good for us," said Martin. "We've been pretty good at Pocono and I think Michigan is a great track to race at. We tested at Sonoma and I'm very excited about going there at the end of the month, so hopefully the next few races will be good to us."

If the facts are any indication, the next few weeks could indeed be favorable to the No. 6 team. Martin has tallied five wins, 35 top five and 58 top10 finishes at the three tracks combined. Experience is on the veteran's side as well, considering Martin has started 80 races combined at the upcoming three tracks.

Despite the fact that he leads all other drivers with 15 top-five finishes at Pocono, Martin has never won there. In fact, Pocono is one of only three tracks that Martin has started over nine races, but failed to reach victory lane. He's been close, finishing second on four occasions, including a year ago in the Pocono 500.

"We've had some really strong runs and we've been consistently good there over the years, we just never caught the right break to win the race," said Martin. "I know we've ran second quite a few times and we've been in the top five a bunch, but we never have been able to get the car into victory lane. Maybe we'll get lucky and put it there this Sunday."

As strong as Martin has been over the years at Pocono, he has been just as strong at Michigan, where he has totaled four wins, 13 top-fives and 23 top-10 finishes in 34 races. Martin's record is also among the elite at Sonoma, where he has a win, seven top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in 14 races on the famed road course. In fact, Martin has been considered one of the best road racers on the NASCAR circuit.

"I grew up racing on the back roads of Arkansas," said Martin. "So road racing is a lot like what I was used to, except the roads are paved."

As for this season, Martin is still optimistic about his team's chances.

"The guys on the Viagra Race Team have been awesome," said Martin. "They had a great day again last Sunday in the pits and for the most part they have given me fast cars. If I had to rate their performance it would be an "A" for sure. However, I'd have to say that we'd get a big "F" in the luck department.

"It just seems like for every break that may go our way, there are three more that goes the other way. We keep hoping that it has to get better at some point. When it does, this is a team that can and will win races."

Team owner Jack Roush will be awarded Pocono's Bill France Award of Excellence this weekend.

2003 Mark Martin Pocono 500 Track Notes
Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Roush Racing #6 Ford Taurus
Pocono 500/Pocono Raceway - June 8, 2003
Roush Racing
June 5, 2003

DRIVER: Mark Martin
OWNER: Jack Roush

2002 WINNER: Dale Jarrett

MARK MARTIN - 2002 EVENT: Started: 6th Finished: 2nd

Water seeping into the track cancelled both practice sessions on Friday and the car wasn't able to take to the track until Saturday. Running the same car as the 600 win, the car was moderately fast off the truck, running the 11th fastest time. With adjustments and in race trim, the car picked up two-tenths of a second by happy hour and ran the fastest time of the field. Martin started the race sixth based on owner points as qualifying was cancelled on Friday. The car was fast during the race, running in the top 10 for most of the day. The team was the last car to pit on lap 159 and was the only car in the race that could have went the remaining 41 laps without stopping for fuel, but caution on lap 168 for debris on the track halted Martin's bid for the win. Martin was able to gain three positions in the last 20 laps to take a second place finish.

POCONO RACEWAY

Martin and the No. 6 team fought to an 18th-place finish at Dover last weekend, and will take to Pocono Raceway this weekend in hopes of repeating their 2002 success at the track a year ago where they finished second.

THE CAR

The Viagra® Racing Team will take JR-98 to Pocono this weekend. This will be the second run for JR-98,which made its debut earlier this year in Bristol, where it finished 29th after getting caught up in an accident.

LUCK NOT A LADY?

Mark Martin has finished inside the top 10 in all five races in 2003 of which he has completed every lap. Lady luck has not been kind to the Viagra Racing team in 2003. Of the 13 races this season, Martin has been involved in four accidents and experienced mechanical setbacks on three more occasions. In addition, Martin got caught up in accidents in both the Winston and the Twin 125's at Daytona in February.

MARK MARTIN - FAST FACTS - POCONO RACEWAY

• Martin leads all active drivers with 15 top-five and 23 top-10 finishes in 32 starts at Pocono.
• Martin has posted 12 top-10 finishes in his last 15 races at Pocono.
• Martin leads all active drivers with more than 10 starts at Pocono with an average start of 6.406.
• Martin and Jeff Gordon are the only active drivers to score top-five finishes in at least half of their Pocono starts.
• Martin finished second a year ago in the spring race at Pocono.
• Martin has posted top five finishes in four of the last five races at Pocono.

QUOTING MARK MARTIN AND BEN LESLIE ON POCONO

Mark Martin:

"I've always enjoyed the races at Pocono. The track is a little different there, in that it has long straight-aways and you have to really drive in the corners, so it's my kind of racing. We were pretty good there last year, although we had some problems in the fall race. Hopefully we can build on what we know and have a strong showing this weekend.

"This season has been tough in some ways. I'd give the crew a definite "A" for their efforts, but I'd give us an "F" on the luck side of things. It just seems like for anything that goes our way, five things go the other way. Still, that's racing and we'll continue to fight back from it."

Crew Chief Ben Leslie:

"Pocono is a track where we really have to make the car work in the corners. We had a couple of descent runs there last season and we could use another one this year. We are taking JR-98 to Pocono, which is the same car that we ran earlier this year at Bristol. We got in a pretty bad wreck there, but the car was still pretty fast even after all the damage. We just need to go to Pocono and give Mark the best car possible and let him do the job on Sunday."

’04 Marks Martin's NBS Return
fordracing.com
June 3, 2003

BY TEAM FORD RACING CORRESPONDENT

Charlotte, N.C. — Whether Roush Racing calls it the Back for More in 2004 Tour, or some other snappy marketing name, the fact remains the same — NASCAR Busch Series’ winningest driver is returning to action next year.

Mark Martin, after retiring from competition in the Busch Series in 2000 with 45 wins from 200 starts, will run in four select races in 2004.

While TFR’s Roush Racing source would not divulge all of the details, it is known that Martin will run one of those four races with the colors of his Winston Cup sponsor, Viagra, on his Ford Taurus.

Martin, who fielded part-time NBS entries for nine years, was the man to beat during the Saturday races. Using his smooth driving style he more often than not left tracks including North Carolina Speedway and Darlington Raceway with the winner’s hardware.

Martin last put the hurt on the field at Darlington Raceway in September of 2000, besting teammate Jeff Burton by 0.410 seconds doing so.

"I loved to watch guys like Jack Ingram and Sam Ard race when I was younger, so it is hard for me to believe that I could match, or beat, what they have done,” said the modest Martin in 2000 as his retirement from the Busch Series neared. “It is a real honor to have my name in the Busch record books for so many things. I never take the time to reflect on my career and realize the things I've done. It always surprises me to see the numbers on paper because it just doesn't seem real."

Those numbers include his 22.5 percent win rate. Add to that his 93 Top-5s and 125 Top-10s and it is understood why the NBS regulars call the Winston Cup crossovers, Busch Whackers.

NASCAR Notebook
By Mike Mulhern, Journal Reporter
Winston Salem Journal
June 2, 2003

Mark Martin's sponsorship with Pfizer has been extended another two years, according to team officials who had been awaiting word last week from the pharmaceutical company on whether or not it would exercise a bailout option in its contract. When that deadline came and went, with no word from Pfizer executives, the contract was automatically extended.

The rest of Jack Roush's operation is shaping up fine, too. Kurt Busch got a new three-year contract with Rubbermaid last week, Matt has a new three-year contract with DeWalt, and Greg Biffle has another year with Grainger. That leaves only Jeff Burton and Citgo to come to terms on a new sponsorship.

Viagra® Racing Team Finishes 18th at Dover
Mark Martin and the #6 Viagra® Racing Team
Dover International Speedway/June 1, 2003
Roush Racing

DOVER, DEL. - (June 1, 2003) – Mark Martin and the Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Racing Team fought to an 18th-place finish in Sunday’s MBNA Armed Forces Family 400 at Dover Downs International Speedway. Martin and the No. 6 crew battled all day to make the car better, but were never able to find the exact elements to make the car as fast as they had hoped.

“We just weren’t ever able to get it going,” said Martin. “We just didn’t run good this weekend and that’s the bottom line. The team did a great job in the pits and we had fast stops all day, we just weren’t able to get the car fast enough.”

In the end, Martin, who was caught up in an accident on lap 210, would be forced to settle for the 18th-place finish. The highlight of the day for the No. 6 crew was the team’s nifty work in the pits that included several quick stops that helped Martin gain valuable track position.

A light mist hovered over the Dover Speedway for much of the morning and into the race’s start, as Martin battled a ‘tight’ handling car from the beginning. The day’s first caution occurred just one lap into the race. The second caution was called on lap 38, with Martin running in 27th position. With the car extremely tight, Martin came into the pits for four tires and a wedge adjustment. A quick stop of 14.20 seconds helped to secure Martin’s position on the track, once the field went to green on lap 43.

Persistent rainfall forced the day’s next caution on lap 78. With the car still handling tight, the team came into the pits to take on four fresh tires and remove a spring rubber. Martin returned to the field in 30th place once the field went back to green 11 laps later on lap 89. The adjustment paid off, and Martin had worked his way up the field and into 26th position when the fourth caution of the day was called on lap 113. The No. 6 Viagra Ford Taurus returned to the pits to have the track bar raised and take on fresh tires and fuel. A stop of 15.09 seconds put Martin into the field’s top 25 for the first time of the day.

Martin had powered his way into 23rd place by lap 138, when caution no. 5 was issued. The Viagra race team used quick work in the pits and a 14.62 second stop to move Martin all the way into 19th place when he returned to the field. Once the field returned to green, the race would see a long period of green flag racing in which Martin’s car would become loose.

By lap 201 Martin had dropped to 21st place when caution was issued once again. The team came into the pits and made air pressure and wedge adjustments to correct the car’s handling. Another fast stop of 14.76 seconds moved Martin back up to 18th position when the field went green on lap 208.

Martin radioed that the car was improving, but moments later Martin would get caught up in the tail end of a multi-car accident. The Viagra Ford Taurus suffered heavy damage to the car’s front end, but the radiator remained intact. The team came into the pits three straight times to tape up the damaged front end, and Martin returned to the field in 16th position and on the lead lap when the field returned to green on lap 218.

“We weren't real sporty anyway and that (the accident) was just like a nail in the coffin for us,” said Martin. “We've just got to do a better job and have some better luck too. If we had been running better maybe we would have been ahead of the wreck, but our luck could definitely be better.”

Martin had moved up to 15th place by lap 276 when the race’s eighth caution was issued. With the car again handling tight, Martin came into the pits for air pressure and track bar adjustments. Another quick stop of the pit crew, improved Martin’s position to 13th place when the field went green on lap 281. However, that was the best position of the day for the No. 6 team, as Martin and crew chief Ben Leslie were never really able to get a handle on the car’s problems.

The longest green-flag run of the day saw Martin go a lap down to the leader on lap 354, while running in 17th place. The team attempted to gain back position by short pitting on lap 357 for fresh tires, and a 14.70 second stop helped advance Martin into 16th place, but the car would never get any better. Martin would use the race’s final 40 laps to fight to the 18th place finish.

Martin is currently 15th in the Winston Cup Points Race, but only 46 points outside of 10th place. The team returns to action next week in the Pocono 500.

2003 Mark Martin Articles - January

2003 Mark Martin Articles - February

2003 Mark Martin Articles - March

2003 Mark Martin Articles - April

2003 Mark Martin Articles - May

2003 Mark Martin Articles - August

2003 Mark Martin Articles - September

2003 Mark Martin Articles - October

2003 Mark Martin Articles - November