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

Driven to stay fit
Good health helps Martin stay in race
Friday, July 30, 2004
By Jerry Reigle
For The Patriot-News
Mark Martin realizes the importance of climbing in the seat of a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series car with an injury.
It has nothing to do with money.
Instead, it's job security.
"This is a job that requires an incredible amount of dedication," Martin said. "There are thousands of others out there who are just as dedicated.
"All you have to do is sit down for one minute and take a break. You'll be out of the picture pretty quickly."
Martin visited PinnacleHealth's Fredricksen Outpatient Health Center in Hampden Twp. yesterday, where he spoke to fans and signed autographs. Some fans heading to Pocono Raceway this weekend camped overnight in the facility's parking lot to ensure they were one of the 300 to receive his signature.
Martin knows the importance of staying in good health.
Several years ago, he wrote a fitness book. He has become one of the key figures on the circuit for discussing physical and mental health and its importance in racing.
In fact, Martin's devotion to remaining physically fit -- he works out daily -- was important in his rehabilitation of a broken knee, wrist, ribs and shoulder, all of which came during his time behind the wheel.
"I've been around for a long time," Martin said when asked about the nature of the injuries. "What keeps us going? It's our job."
And Martin's job keeps getting tougher.
Since 2000, he has three wins, including one this year at Dover International Speedway. From 1989 through 1999, he had 31 victories with current car owner Jack Roush.
Martin has 13 top-10 finishes in the Cup Series standings, but last year's 17th-place finish tested the team.
Currently, Martin ranks 15th in points, 694 behind leader Jimmie Johnson. With seven races left before the new Chase for the Championship, a 10-race end series that will determine the points champion, Martin is in jeopardy of not being included among those eligible to win the top prize.
NASCAR announced it will take the top 10 in points or those within 400 points of the leader after the first 26 races.
"It's our strategy to score the most points in a race," Martin said. "We've been doing all we can, but we've had some mechanical failures that have set us back.
"As a competitor, I'm not too crazy about the new points system. I would never say I'm a fan of it until I win the championship. I think it adds and brings more excitement for the fans."
Perhaps Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 will turn things around for Martin.
Martin has three pole positions but has yet to win at the strangely configured track.
"I love that racetrack," Martin said. "It sometimes gets really hot since it's in the summer.
"If your car isn't handling, it can really put you to work. It can be physically demanding."
That includes the 3,740-foot frontstretch, the longest on the NASCAR circuit.
"You might think you do less work, but you don't sit back in the seat," Martin said. "You're working hard all the time when you're in one of those cars.
"This has always been a physically demanding sport. It varies from race to race, but it'll always be physically and mentally challenging."

Rain Dampens Watkins Glen Test, But Not No.6 Team's Ambitions
Mark Martin and the Viagra Racing Team are confident heading into Pocono and Indy
Roush Racing
Concord, N.C. (July 28, 2004) - Mark Martin and the Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Racing Team had hoped to spend Monday and Tuesday of this week testing at Watkins Glen in preparation for the upcoming final road course race of the season. However, as the song goes 'Rain drops' kept falling on their heads as Mother Nature had other plans. Eventually the two-day test was washed out, and the team was forced home late on Monday afternoon. The team quickly changed its focus to this weekend's Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. Martin was strong last month there, qualifying fourth and running inside the top five when he experienced engine problems at the halfway point of the race.
"We are excited about going back to Pocono this weekend," said Martin. "We feel like we have a little unfinished business there. We were really strong back in June and had one of the cars to beat, but we had a failure mid-way through the race and didn't get the finish that we felt we might have deserved.
"This weekend we'll go back there and see if we can't finish the job," added Martin.
The team is particularly excited about the next two races at Pocono and Indianapolis. The team will use the same car this weekend at Pocono they used to run to a win earlier this year at Dover and they will be looking for the same result. For Indianapolis they will use the car they ran at Chicago two races ago - a car that was one of Martin's fastest in recent memory. The team tested that car at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway two weeks ago and was very pleased with the results.
"We would love to get a win at Indy," said crew chief Pat Tryson. "That's a pretty special race and it would really mean a lot to our season to kiss those bricks at Indy. These guys have worked really hard this year and Mark has driven his tail off out there, so they all deserve something like that. It would be great to put together a couple of wins in a row here to show just how strong this team has been."
"We just have to keep going back to the track and going fast," said Martin. "That's what we do. If we do that I'm confident we can get another win or two this season. Any win is big to me. A win at Indy would be an awesome accomplishment for this team, but I'll take a win anywhere we can get one. We've been strong enough to win races this year, and a lot of things have to happen right for you to get a win.
"The thing that's the most impressive is that Pat and Wally (Brown) and these guys have been able to put us in a position to run up front on so many occasions this year. The car's have been awesome and the pit stops are great. It's really a fantastic race team and I can't tell you how honored I am to have been able to work with these guys each week. I know that no one on this team has even thought about giving up and I'm confident that we'll be able to go out and accomplish a lot more as this season goes on."
Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Mich. based Roush Industries that operates nine motor sports teams; five in NASCAR Nextel Cup with drivers Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Greg Biffle, two in the Busch Series with Martin, Burton, Kenseth and Biffle and two in the Craftsman Truck Series with drivers Jon Wood and Carl Edwards.

2004 Mark Martin Pocono Track Notes - August 1, 2004
Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Roush Racing #6 Ford Taurus
Pennsylvania 500/Pocono Raceway
Roush Racing
July 27, 2004
DRIVER: Mark Martin
TEAM: No. (6) Viagra® Ford Taurus
OWNER: Jack Roush
CREW CHIEF: Pat Tryson
2003 WINNER: Ryan Newman
MARK MARTIN - 2003 EVENT: Started: 14th Finished: 41st
Martin struggled with a loose handling car for much of the beginning of the race, but began 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. Things were just starting to peak for Martin and the team, when he fell victim to a 74th 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.
MARTIN READY FOR SECOND RUN AT POCONO
The NASCAR circuit pays a return visit to Pocono Raceway this weekend for the Pennsylvania 500. Mark Martin and the No. 6 Viagra Team were strong at Pocono in June, but engine failure midway through the race ended their day early. The team will be looking to finish the job this weekend in the 500-mile race.
THE CAR
Chassis Number: (RK-241) -The team will run RK-241 this week at Pocono. It is the same car the team won with at Dover earlier this year. The car last ran at Michigan, where it was the one of the fastest on the track, but its finish was limited by a transmission problem at the start of the race.
MARTIN AT POCONO
This will be Martin's 36th race at Pocono, where he has finished inside the top 10 on 23 occasions. Martin boasts 16 top-five finishes at Pocono. Martin's last two starts at Pocono have had disappointing endings. Martin finished 41st last spring at Pocono after being wrecked while running in 10th position and he finished 36th there last month after experiencing engine problems after starting fifth and running inside the top five for much of the race.
LOOKING FOR NUMBER ONE
Martin has never won at Pocono, but he has finished second there on five occasions. In fact, Martin has finished second in two of his last four starts there.
GETTING STARTED
Martin has 26 top-10 starts at Pocono, including three poles and a fourth place start there last month.
MARK MARTIN FAST FACTS - POCONO

Martin's 17 top-five finishes at Pocono are the most of any driver.
Martin's 24 top-10 finishes at Pocono leads all drivers.
Martin has finished second at Pocono on five occasions.
Martin has posted 26 top-10 starts in 35 races at Pocono, including a fourth-place starting spot this June.

QUOTING MARK MARTIN AND CREW CHIEF PAT TRYSON
Mark Martin on Pocono:
"I really like racing at Pocono. It seems like we've always ran well there. We were really good there in June and had a nice run going when we lost the engine at the half-way point in the race. It's a different kind of track. It has long straight-aways and you have to really be able to drive the car into the corners, but that makes for my kind of racing. We really were disappointed with our finish there in June, because we had such a good car. With that said, we are really looking forward to going back there and hopefully we can finish what we started with a top-five run and maybe even get our first win there."
Crew Chief Pat Tryson on Pocono:
"We are looking forward to going back to Pocono. The team did a great job there in June and it looked like we were going to finish in the front of the pack. We are going to take RK-241 this time, which is the same car that we won the Dover race in, so we are excited about that. The team has continued to do a great job this season. Pocono is one of Mark's favorite tracks, so I for one can't wait to get back there and see what we can do. We'd love to help give him his first win there this weekend."

Martin Viagra Racing Team Finish 14th at Loudon
Mark Martin and the #6 Viagra® Racing Team
New Hampshire International Speedway/July 25, 2004
Roush Racing
July 26, 2004
Loudon, N.H. – Mark Martin and the Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Racing Team had their work cut out for them going into Sunday’s New England 300, after fighting all weekend with and ill-handling car. The crew made massive changes throughout the weekend and on Sunday morning leading into the race. In the end Martin’s Ford Taurus was strong on long runs, but tended to struggle on restarts. The team needed long green-flag runs to advance through the field, but a rash of cautions down the stretch would keep the team from a top-10 finish, as Martin moved on to the 14th place run.
“That was a special job by Pat Tryson and this race team today,” said Martin. “The Viagra® Race Team is an incredible race team. I knew it would take an incredible job today to get a top-15 finish and they went out and did just that. It was a great job by this team.
“If there hadn’t been so many cautions in the end we could have ran about eighth,” added Martin. “My car just wouldn’t take off after cautions. It was really good when the tires were warmed up. It was a sixth-to- tenth place car on hot tires and about a twenty-something place car on cold tires. That is why we struggled so much on restarts and in qualifying and in practice. However, at lap five it would stabilize and at lap 20, I would run off and leave all the guys that were eating me up on the restarts.”
Martin started the race 26th after struggling in Friday’s qualifying session. The race started with a long green-flag run and by lap 26 Martin had moved inside the top 20. By lap 56 Martin was running 15th place and turning some of the fastest times on the track. The day’s first caution occurred just three laps later and Martin came into the pits for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment. The team turned in its first of several fast stops on the day and after 14.92-second stop, Martin returned to the track in 11th place once the field went green.
As would be the case all day, the car struggled on the restart and Martin dropped to 13th. After two more quick cautions, the team gambled and stayed out and Martin was running in 12th place when the field went green on lap 102. Another long green flag run helped Martin move back inside the top 10 by lap 140 when the day’s fourth caution was called. The team reeled off its fastest stop of the day, a 13.384-second stop to take four tires and fuel. The excellent pit work moved the No. 6 Viagra? Ford up to sixth place.
Once again the car struggled on the restart, and by lap 158 Martin had dropped to 11th. However the car got better as it settled in and Martin powered his way back inside the top 10 where he was running when the day’s fifth caution was issued on lap 174. The team came down pit road for fuel only and Martin returned to the fielding 10th place.
Again the car struggled on cold tires and by lap 192 Martin had dropped back to 12th, where he was running when caution No. seven was called on lap 210 after Martin accidentally got into the back of the No. 21 car who was slowing down to avoid a wreck ahead of him. The team came down pit road for its final stop of the day, taking four tires and fuel in another fast stop of 13.945 seconds, and Martin returned to the field in ninth place.
Again the car would not go on new tires and after another quick caution, the No. 6 Ford had dropped to 13th place when the day’s ninth caution was issued on lap 232. Desperately in need of a long green flag run, the No. 6 team would be out luck as three more cautions in the last 46 laps would prevent Martin from gaining on the field, as the No. 6 Viagra® Racing Team would have to settle for the 14th place run. Roush Racing Teammate Kurt Busch went on to win the race.
“We really just didn’t have the car we wanted today,” said Martin. “We struggled all weekend, but the guys just did a great job to make it what it was. We could have easily have run 25th or so, but Pat and the guys never gave up. The strategy was solid and the stops were some of the best we’ve had all year.
“We’ll have a better car next week at Pocono,” added Martin. “So we’ll just have to wait until then to get back out there and get after it.”
Martin remains in 15th place in the Nextel Cup Point standing, 192 points outside of the top 10.
The team will remain on the move, flying straight from Loudon to Watkins Glen, where they will conduct a two-day test session in preparation for the year’s second and final road-course race. The team will return to racing action next week at Pocono Raceway.

Martin, Viagra® Racing Team Stay on the Run
No. 6 Team readies for Loudon, Prepares to test Watkins Glen
Roush Racing
Concord, N.C. (July 21, 2004) - July is proving to be a busy month for Mark Martin and the Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Racing Team, who are busy this week preparing for this Sunday's race at New Hampshire International Speedway. In a continued effort to move their way up the Nextel Cup point charts, Martin and the team will go straight from Loudon, N.H. on Sunday to Watkins Glen where they will spend two day, testing for the season's second road-course race in mid August.
It will mark the second straight race in which the team has flown straight from a race to another race track to test. The team went from Chicago two weeks ago, to Indianapolis for a two-day test. In fact after Loudon, the No. 6 team will have tested at the three race tracks coming up - Pocono, Indy and Watkins Glen.
The schedule makes for long weeks, but Martin and the team are hoping for strong runs in each of the coming races, in hopes of climbing back into the Nextel Cup top-10 in time to make the newly formatted playoff after 26 races.
"It's tough on you to be gone that much," said Martin. "But if you can go to the track and run well and be competitive, then it's worth it. This team has really worked hard this year and that work has translated in the way that we are running.
"It's really unfortunate that we haven't always gotten the finish we deserved because of some really horrible luck, but it still doesn't take away from what Pat (Tryson) and these guys have been able to do. And they've done it week in and week out. I don't remember the last time that we didn't have a competitive car at the race track and that's all a racer can ask for. We'll keep going at it 100 percent and see what happens. I believe in this race team and I know that we won't give up until the last flag is waved."
Currently Martin is 138 points outside of 10th place. Martin and the team have run particularly strong during the first half of the season, but six major failures in the first 18 races have been a lot to overcome. Moreover, all six of the failures came on days when Martin had cars that were capable of finishing inside the top five. For the crew it would be easy to play the what-if game, but first-year crew chief Pat Tryson knows that would serve no purpose.
"We've had a lot of things happen and we are kind of behind the eight ball right now," said Tryson. "But we can't worry about that now. All we can do is keep going out and posting strong runs. It's our job to give Mark cars that can win every time we go to the track. If we do that then we have to hope that everything goes right, but a lot of that will be out of our control. What is not out of our control is how we run on the track and we are doing everything we know to help keep Mark in the front of the pack."
Currently the No. 6 team needs to pick up 17.25 points per week on 10th place in order to move back into the top 10 by the conclusion of the 26th race. Martin is currently 15th in the point standings, and will look to take a sizable chunk out of that total this weekend at New Hampshire where he will also be looking for his first Cup victory at that track. Martin has however posted three second-place finishes at Loudon, where he won the first ever Cup pole in 1993.
Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Mich. based Roush Industries that operates nine motor sports teams; five in NASCAR Nextel Cup with drivers Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Greg Biffle, two in the Busch Series with Martin, Burton, Kenseth and Biffle and two in the Craftsman Truck Series with drivers Jon Wood and Carl Edwards.

2004 Mark Martin New Hampshire Track Notes - June 25, 2004
Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Roush Racing #6 Ford Taurus
Siemens 300 / New Hampshire International Speedway
Roush Racing
July 20, 2004
DRIVER: Mark Martin
TEAM: No. (6) Viagra® Ford Taurus
OWNER: Jack Roush
CREW CHIEF: Pat Tryson
2003 EVENT WINNER: Jimmie Johnson
MARK MARTIN 2003 EVENT: Started: 12th Finished: 18th
Martin gained 10 positions in the final 50 laps of the 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. Martin started the race 12th based on points, after rain forced the cancellation of qualifying on Friday. The veteran driver wasted no time moving through 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 that Martin would never be able to recover.
MARTIN, NO. 6 TEAM READY TO CHARGE INTO LOUDON
Fresh off an 'off' weekend, Martin and the Viagra Team head to Loudon were they will be looking for another strong run. Loudon is one of the few NASCAR tracks where Martin has yet to win and he'll be looking for that elusive win this weekend in the New England 300.
THE CAR
Chassis Number: (RK-191) -The team will run RK-191 at Loudon this weekend. The car ran seventh earlier this year at Richmond and was running top five at Martinsville, before a faulty fuel line ended its chance of victory in its only other run.
ON LOUDON
This will be Martin's 19th race at the 1.058-mile oval track. Martin finished inside the top 10 in 10 of his first 12 races at Loudon, but has finished 16th or worse in four straight at Loudon. Overall, Martin has scored 11 top-10 and seven top-five finishes there. He has never won at Loudon, but has finished seond on three occasions.
LOUDON NOTEABLES
Martin started his milestone 500th consecutive race at Loudon last fall. He also took the points lead there in the fall of 2002. He won the first Cup pole there in 1993 and has finished second there three times, while never winning.
MARK MARTIN FAST FACTS - LOUDON

Martin won the first NASCAR Nextel Cup Bud Pole at New Hampshire in July 1993.
Martin started his 500th consecutive Cup race at Loudon last fall.
Martin has never won at Loudon, but has finished second there on three occasions.
Martin finished in the top 10 in 10 of his first 12 starts at Loudon.
The majority of Martin's strong Loudon runs have come in the spring (six top fives and seven top 10's).

QUOTING MARK MARTIN AND CREW CHIEF PAT TRYSON
Mark Martin on New Hampshire:
"It might be one of the most challenging tracks that we race on. You have to be able to handle there or you could be in for a long day. You also want to qualify as good as possible, as it's not a very easy track to pass on. Basically, there are all kinds of issues that can come up, but in the end a good handling car will overcome most of the issues, so hopefully we'll have another strong car this weekend and we can put together another solid run and a good finish. The team has been great this year and all I can ask of them is to keep up the effort that they have been giving me all year."
Crew Chief Pat Tryson on New Hampshire:
"After a week off, we are ready to get back out on the track. Chicago kind of left a sour taste in our mouth and we are ready to get past that one. We had a productive week getting ready for Loudon and testing at Indy so that helps things. We are taking the Richmond car to Loudon this weekend and we had a pretty good run there, so hopefully we'll continue our trend of strong runs, but this time we are looking to take home the finish that we deserve. This team is still going strong and we are just going to the track and doing what we've been doing. We've had good cars and we've been solid in the pits. We just have to keep doing that and we'll be fine."

Martin, Viagra® Racing Team Forge Ahead
No. 6 Team spends week testing at Indy, preparing for Loudon
Roush Racing
Concord, N.C. (July 16, 2004) – This weekend may be an ‘off’ weekend for NASCAR’s Nextel Cup Series, but Mark Martin and the Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Racing Team had a busy week leading up to the weekend. The team went straight from Chicago on Sunday to Indianapolis where they held a two-day testing session on Monday and Tuesday. Once testing concluded in Indy the team set its focus on the next challenge at hand, the 1.058-mile New Hampshire International Speedway.
The team was one of the fastest at the Indy test, posting the third fastest time of the two-day event while running some of the most consistent times on the track. Martin was pleased with the team’s efforts and is looking forward to returning to Indy next month.
“We really need to win it this year,” said Martin, who turned 316 laps at the test – the most of any driver. “That would really make our season. We’ve had a lot of disappointment this year. We’ve had a really fast race car a lot of times, and winning a race like Indy would make our season.”
However, the immediate challenge for Martin and the team is Loudon – one of the few tracks on the NASCAR circuit where Martin has never won. Martin has however posted 11 top-10 runs in 17 starts there.
“We’re ready to go to Loudon and race,” said Martin. “It’s nice to have an off weekend to get rested up and regroup, but we can’t wait to get back on the track and get back at it. Who knows, maybe we’ll get our first win at that track. Pat (Tryson) and the guys have just been giving me great cars and if that continues we’ll be able to win just about anywhere we go.”
Another challenge for the team will be maintaining momentum. Martin’s cars have consistently run inside the field’s top five for the past two months, but a slew of mechanical problems and fluke failures have kept the team from the finishes their efforts have deserved. Most recently at Chicagoland, Martin had one of the fastest cars on the track, made his way through the field on two occasions and was closing in on the leaders late when he experienced engine failure with only three laps remaining. Still, as has been the case in the majority of the races since May, Martin had one of the fastest cars in the race.
“I know it’s tough on these guys,” said Martin. “But even when you’ve had some of the worst luck you can imagine, you just have to go on. The luck has been the downside and that’s for sure. The upside is that this team has come together and it has put some of the best cars on the track in every race for a long time now.
“Our cars have been some of the best on the track and we’ve been really strong during the second quarter of the season,” added Martin. “We have to take some pride in that and we have to realize that all we can do is keep bringing really fast race cars to the track. If we do, we can get a couple of more wins and see what happens from there.”
Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Mich. based Roush Industries that operates nine motor sports teams; five in NASCAR Nextel Cup with drivers Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Greg Biffle, two in the Busch Series with Martin, Burton, Kenseth and Biffle and two in the Craftsman Truck Series with drivers Jon Wood and Carl Edwards.

Strong Run has Sour End for Martin at Chicagoland
Mark Martin and the #6 Viagra® Racing Team
Chicagoland Speedway/July 11, 2004
Roush Racing
July 12, 2004
Joliet, Ill. – With only three laps remaining in Sunday’s Tropicana 400, Mark Martin and the Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Racing team were poised for one of their best finishes of the season. Martin, who had one of the fastest cars all weekend, was running the fastest times on the race track. He had worked his way up to third place and was in the process of moving into second when engine failure ended his bid for victory with just three laps remaining. The incident brought a disappointing end to what had been one of the strongest runs in recent memory for Martin and the No. 6 team.
Martin had been forced to work his way through the field on two occasions, but on this day the field could offer little resistance to the No. 6 Viagra® Ford. Martin sliced his way up the field, passing one car at a time, putting himself in position to win the race late. Martin’s car seemed to only get stronger as the day went on. With only eight laps to go, Martin had moved into third place and was running his fastest times of race.
Martin’s car was strong all weekend, but he qualified only 18th after it started to rain during the qualifying run on Friday. After posting some of the fastest times in both practice sessions on Friday, Martin seemed determined to work his way up the field once the green flag dropped on Sunday. By lap 47 he had moved inside the top 10. He used the next nine laps to climb all the way to sixth place. By lap 70 Martin had driven his No. 6 Ford all the way into the top five. Fifteen laps later, Martin took the lead on lap 85 and led for the next 10 laps, before coming into the pits on lap 95.
Martin returned to the field in 13th place, and once the field had cycled through he was back in the top five. By lap 105 Martin had moved to third place and was gaining on the leaders when the day’s fourth caution was called on lap 119. A problem with the jack cost Martin valuable time on pit road and Martin had dropped back to 13th once the field went green on lap 126. Martin narrowly avoided a big wreck on that same lap, in which he had to go through the grass to avoid the wreckage. After a miscommunication over the radio Martin came into the pits while the pits were still closed and was forced to restart the race at the tail end of the longest line; all the way back in 18th position when the field went green on lap 134.
However, the Viagra Ford remained strong, and Martin had moved all the way back up to 12th place by lap 155. The day’s sixth caution was called on lap 174 and after a 13.381-second stop for four tires and fuel Martin was back inside the top 10. By lap 204 Martin had moved back inside the top five.
With just over 40 laps to go Martin was the fastest car on the track and he was honing in on the leaders when the day’s eighth caution was called on lap 245 with Martin in fourth place. The field went green with 11 laps remaining and Martin took only one lap to move into third place. The No. 6 Viagra® Ford was posting its top times of the day and setting up to pass second place when Martin reported that the engine had failed with only three laps to go.
Despite the failure, Martin picked up almost 20 points on 10th place in the Nextel Cup point race. Martin is currently in 15th place, 138 points behind 10th.
The series takes a week off next weekend before returning to action in two weeks at Loudon.

2004 Mark Martin Chicagoland Speedway Track Notes - July 11, 2004
Tropicana 400 / Chicagoland Speedway
Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Roush Racing #6 Ford Taurus
By Kevin Woods, Roush Racing
July 6, 2004
DRIVER: Mark Martin
TEAM: No. (6) Viagra® Ford Taurus
OWNER: Jack Roush
CREW CHIEF: Pat Tryson
Martin heads into Chicagoland on a roll, having scored two straight top-10 finishes. The team will look to carry that momentum into Chicago, as they continue to fight their way towards the Nextel Cup top 10.
2004 EVENT WINNER: Ryan Newman:
Ryan Newman stretched his last tank of fuel and won the Tropicana 400.
MARK MARTIN - 2003 EVENT: Started 13th, Finished 14th:
Martin finished 14th in the Tropicana 400 after fighting for position for much of the race; battling his way back up the field after running out of fuel on lap 62. Martin started the race 13th, but with the car too "loose" to effectively drive into the corners, the No. 6 Taurus fell all the way back to 22nd 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. Martin spent the remainder of the day battling his way back up through the field, but he was never able to work his way back onto the lead lap.
THE CAR
Chassis Number: (RK-231) - The team will run RK-231 this week at Chicagoland. RK-231 finished fifth earlier this year at Las Vegas. It also had a strong run at Pocono, before engine troubles ended its day early. Roush teammate Jeff Burton scored a 13th finish with the car at Michigan.
IN THE POINTS
Saturday night's sixth-place finish at Daytona moved Martin up another spot to 14th in the Nextel Cup point standings, 156 points outside of the top 10 and only 45 points behind 11th. Martin has now posted two straight top-10 runs in two weeks and gained 49 points on 10th place in the last two outings. Martin is currently five points behind 14thplace.
SHORT HISTORY AT CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY
This will be the Nextel Cup Series' fourth visit to Chicagoland Speedway, where Martin has finished inside the top 10 on two of the three previous races. Martin has an average finish of 10th at the 1.5-mile speedway, where he finished sixth in the inaugural race in 2001.
MARK MARTIN FAST FACTS - CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY

Martin finished sixth in the inaugural Nextel Cup race at Chicagoland in 2001.
Martin has finished inside the top 10 in two of the three Cup races at Chicagoland.
Martin has an average finish of 10th at Chicagoland.
Martin has an average start of 14.66 at Chicagoland.
Martin moves into the race having posted top 10 runs in his last two outings.

QUOTING MARK MARTIN AND CREW CHIEF PAT TRYSON
Mark Martin on Chicagoland Speedway:
"Chicagoland is a good track for us and we are looking forward to going there this weekend. The track there gets better every year. The last couple of years were a whole lot better than the first year and I think that it will be that much better this year. As the different grooves start to come in, it will continue to get better and I'm looking forward to seeing how racey it will be this weekend. Hopefully we'll have a race with a lot more passing and some good solid racing. We've run pretty good there in the past, although last year we were a little off of what we had been doing there, so hopefully we can get another solid run this weekend and see if we can't get a little closer to that top 10.
"This race team has just done a tremendous job this season. Pat and the guys have done everything that you could ask of them. We've had good cars for about 10 races in a row now and we are starting to build some momentum. We are just going to go out and continue to try and win races and see what happens, but nobody on this team knows anything about giving up."
Pat Tryson on Chicagoland Speedway:
"We are looking forward to going to Chicagoland this weekend. We are taking the same car that we ran at Las Vegas and Pocono, where it was strong on both occasions. The guys continue to work relentlessly on these cars and we are starting to see the payoff a little bit. We've had really good race cars for about the last two months now and things are starting to come together a little for this team. If we can stay in the races, I think we can continue to make some noise and hopefully we can get back inside the top 10 by Richmond."

Martin Runs to Sixth Place Finish at Pepsi 400
Mark Martin and the #6 Viagra® Racing Team
Daytona International Speedway/July 3, 2004
Roush Racing
DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. – Mark Martin and the Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Race Team scored their second top-10 finish in as many weeks with a strong sixth-place run in a rain delayed Pepsi 400 at the Daytona International Speedway on late Saturday night. The finish was the end result of Martin’s keen ability to work his way through the draft, a fast racecar and solid work on pit road.
“We certainly had a chance today,” said Martin. “I know we finished sixth and that's nothing to brag about, but we just missed it by one lick. We didn't have any partners out there. Pat Tryson and the Viagra® team had that car really hooked up and we were strolling, but when it came time to go race for the win, the No. 20 and the No. 18 were going to stick together. The No. 48 and No. 24 stuck together and the No. 8 wasn't going to mess with me, so I was just there all by myself. The No. 97 was ahead of me and I needed somebody to be behind me and there wasn't anybody.
“Still, we had a great car and the type of car capable of coming here and winning and we haven’t always been able to say that in the past here. I’m very proud of Pat and this team and what we’ve been able to do this year.”
Martin was running in 14th place when green flag pitting started on lap 104 of the race. With the car handling tight, the team came in for a green flag stop on lap 110 to take on four tires, fuel and make a wedge adjustment to help the car’s handling. The No. 6 crew posted its best stop of the night at 13.80 seconds and Martin came out of the pits in 12th place. Once everything had cycled through, Martin was able to move all the way up to fifth position by lap 133.
The forward movement enabled Martin to pit with the race leaders on lap 138 for what would be the final stop of the night. Once again the Viagra® Team came through with a solid stop, taking on four tires and fuel in 14.11 seconds. Martin came out of the pits in 23 place, as various cars were on different cycles. Martin teamed up with a pack of cars that consisted of the No. 48, No. 8 and No. 18 cars, and the four cars worked together to move their way through the field and ultimately to the front.
Martin reached his top spot of the day at fourth on lap 147, but found himself a lap later without anyone to work with and he was quickly shuffled back to seventh place. Two laps later Martin was able to move the Viagra® Ford back into sixth and he would hold position for the remaining 10 laps of the race to take home the solid sixth-place finish.
“This is the kind of car I had in February too,” said Martin. “That's why I was so upset - not only about the points but I thought I might have had a chance to be a contender in the 500. I’m glad we were able to come back tonight and have the type of showing here that this team deserved.”
The start of the race was delayed over two hours due to heavy rains and thunderstorms in the area. Martin started the race in 21st position once the command was given to start the engines around 9:30 pm. After nine caution laps around the track the field went green and the race was underway. The action on the track early on was as tumultuous as the weather, with cars racing three and four wide all around the track.
Martin was still running in 21st place after the team’s first pit stop under caution on lap 19, but the veteran started to make a move to the front just a few laps later. By lap 40 Martin had drafted his way all the way into 12th position. The team broke into the top 10 for the first time on lap 51, and depending on the line of cars in the draft, Martin would run between 10 and 14th for the next 50 laps until the team made their final move on lap 110.
“I really think if it hadn't rained and the weather hadn't have gotten like it did, it would have been better for us,” added Martin. “We got a little tight tonight. If it would have been as tight as it was yesterday without the rain cooling the asphalt down we would have been better yet."
The solid run moved Martin up another spot to 14th in the Nextel Cup point standings, 157 points outside of the top 10 and only 45 points behind 11th. Martin has now posted two straight top-10 runs in two weeks and gained 49 points on 10th place in the last two outings. Martin is currently five points behind 14th place.
The team returns to action next weekend at Chicagoland Speedway for the Tropicana 400.

Martin Looks to Take Another Shot at Daytona
Veteran will start 22nd in his 39th career Cup start at the famed 2.5 mile speedway
Roush Racing
Daytona Beach, Fla. (July 2, 2004) – Roush Racing’s Mark Martin will make his 39th career Nextel Cup start on Saturday night when the green flag drops on the Pepsi 400. Martin won the 1998 Budweiser Shootout and the 2002 IROC race at Daytona, but the veteran will be looking for his first win in a points race at Daytona, where he resides just down the street.
“I just look at it like every other race,” said Martin. “We just try and go out an win it. That’s what we do. Restrictor plate racing is a tough deal, because so much is out of your control, but we’ve been good here and we’d like nothing more than to get a win here this weekend.”
Martin first raced on the high banks of Daytona in 1982. He finished 30th in the Daytona 500 and 31st in the Firecracker 400 later that year. Since then he has totaled 13 top 10 and 8 top five finishes there. He had one of the fastest cars at Speedweeks in February, but engine trouble ended his day early after only seven laps. Martin did however, finish fourth in the Twin 125 and fourth Budweiser Shootout.
The team opted to bring the Budweiser Shootout car back to the 400, as Martin liked the way it handled itself in race conditions. Martin finished sixth at Talladega this year in the season’s only other restrictor-plate race.
The team qualified 22nd on Thursday night and will start in the middle of the field. However in a race where the draft means everything and cars are shuffled in and out of the top 30 on a lap-by-lap basis, starting position means little.
“Our car is pretty good,” said Martin. “Pat (Tryson) and the guys did a great job of working on it after practice and we really picked up from where we were earlier. We’ll find out more in drafting practice today, but I’m excited about getting things going on Saturday night. The car was really stout in February in the Shootout and we’ll be in good shape if we can take off there were we left off.”
“We’ll just have to work with the draft and hang around,” added Martin. “The big thing is to avoid the ‘big-one’ and be around late, so you can put yourself in a position for the win or the best possible finish. If you can make it that far, you still need luck and some help, but anything can happen.”
The car will also have a slightly different look this weekend at it will have the nighttime ‘reverse’ paint scheme. Martin last ran the white paint scheme at Dover where he won his 34th career Nextel Cup race.
Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Mich., based Roush Industries that operates nine motorsports teams; five in NASCAR Nextel Cup with drivers Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Greg Biffle, two in the Busch Series with Martin, Burton, Kenseth and Biffle and two in the Craftsman Truck Series with drivers Jon Wood and Carl Edwards.

Mark Martin calls them "notches."
Sports Business News: Racing in NASCAR's streets and Taking Care of Business
They are things that pop up on his agenda that have nothing to do with his passion for racing: promotional appearances for his sponsors, getting pulled away from his hauler to chat with the media, stopping by a suite for a quick autograph session. That and this report from The Orlando Sentinel's George Diaz
Martin admits he isn't good at any of this. His focus never drifts far away from preparing as best he can for race days, and all that other stuff simply gets in the way.
Thursday will be one of those "notch" days.
Martin's Cessna Citation lands at Detroit International Airport shortly after noon, just a few minutes before fellow Ford driver Dale Jarrett lands with his private plane. They will share a limo ride to the "Proving Grounds" at the Ford complex in Dearborn.
Martin and Jarrett own dealerships, and company engineers want to give them -- as well as the rest of the Ford family of NASCAR drivers -- the opportunity to sample a batch of new models for 2005.
Originally a reluctant partner, Martin warms up after taking a few laps with several models.
"I've never been as excited as I am this time about the 500 and the Freestyle," Martin said after riding in a Freestyle, a hybrid SUV. "They have done their homework. They've got it going on. The price point is right. You're getting a lot of car for your money here.
"I want one of each."
Martin has owned a dealership in his hometown of Batesville, Ark., since January, and it's important for him to sample the merchandise. The dealership is not a "notch." It's more about shaking hands with friends and acquaintances in his hometown, knowing they are race fans who want to buy cars.
"The Ford dealership -- it's what I want to do, so it's like a golf day," Martin said. "I don't count that phone call or going to cut the radio spot or whatever it is that we do with the dealership. It's the only thing I've ever had a passion for outside of racing."
Martin has been a Ford Racing man since 1988, when he hooked up with team owner Jack Roush. Martin's other significant sponsorship obligation is with Pfizer, the company that makes Viagra. On the starting grid every week, Martin drives the No. 6 Viagra Ford.
Make your joke now. Go ahead -- everybody else does.
Martin has received considerable training in explaining the benefits of the product, despite the occasional chuckle.
"We're talking about a mature society that understands that men's health is a serious issue," Martin said. "We're talking about a drug that has helped 20 million men with health problems. All kinds of stuff -- blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, you name it."
Promotional appearances are a necessity for drivers. They may not always like the time they spend at an appearance, but sponsorships drive the sport. It takes between $12 million and $15 million to run a competitive team in the Nextel Cup Series, and beyond the blur of visual images as the laps click by, sponsors want their drivers on Victory Lane getting in quick plugs on network TV.
His victory at Dover earlier this month ended a 73-race winless streak and eased some of the squeeze he is feeling to keep up with the Earnhardts, Gordons and Kenseths. And so as he prepares for the green flag at Michigan International Speedway, the pressure builds. Despite the victory and five top-10 finishes, Martin is in the second tier of drivers chasing a Top 10 group who will advance to the "Championship Chase" later in the season. Drivers left behind become inconsequential.
Martin spends a solitary Thursday night in his motor home, driven to each racing venue by Randy Triplett, his "personal assistant, butler, you name it," Triplett said. "It's kind of my deal to make him comfortable."
Triplett has been with Martin for five years and previously had a similar arrangement with Jeff Gordon. Triplett's numerous responsibilities include driving Martin from the motor home to the garage on a golf cart, fixing lunch and dinner and knowing when to engage in conversation and when to keep quiet.
Triplett's easygoing nature allows him to tend to Martin's logistical needs without getting in the way of business. And for a guy obsessively programmed like Martin, it's all about business. That and this report from The Orlando Sentinel's George Diaz
"He's not a chatty guy," said Kevin Woods, who handles media relations for Martin. "When he's here, he flips the switch."
Beyond qualifying on Friday, Martin's day hardly would make for scintillating footage for a PBS documentary. He will spend considerable time with crew chief Pat Tryson going over the nuances that can nick a tenth-of-a-second off the stopwatch. In a sport where cars can go upward of 200 mph, it's all about tenths-of-seconds.
Martin stops in the garage and begins engaging in a casual conversation with driver Rusty Wallace, who is trying to ignore the pestering fan begging for an autograph.
"Hey, Rusty! Hey, Rusty!" the fan keeps saying.
Wallace turns toward the fan, though there will be no autograph for Annoying Man today.
"Can't you see I'm [expletive] talking racing here?" Wallace said.
The incident is humorously replayed in Martin's hauler moments later by a couple of crew guys. They also are preparing for a team-bonding experience, as a sky dive is scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
The boss isn't overly thrilled.
"If you get killed," Martin warns Triplett, "I'm going to kill you."
While the crew boys take names for Saturday's plunge, Martin -- after qualifying Friday -- retires to the comfort of his motor coach. Triplett will cook a filet of tilapia for dinner, then leave Martin alone for the evening. Martin will skip a free concert by Trisha Yearwood in the motor home parking lot for NASCAR drivers and family.
"If it was Shania Twain, maybe," Martin said.
For Martin, the business transactions of Sunday are all that matter now. That and this report from The Orlando Sentinel's George Diaz

2004 Mark Martin Daytona Track Notes - July 3, 2004
Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Roush Racing #6 Ford Taurus
Pepsi 400 / Daytona International Speedway
Roush Racing
June 30, 2004
DRIVER: Mark Martin
TEAM: No. (6) Viagra® Ford Taurus
OWNER: Jack Roush
CREW CHIEF: Pat Tryson
2003 WINNER: Greg Biffle
Greg Biffle became the first rookie to win a Nextel Cup race at Daytona with his victory in the Pepsi 400.
MARK MARTIN 2003 EVENT: Started: 33rd Finished: 20th
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. By lap 58, Martin had moved all the way to sixth place. On lap 73 caution was issed and 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. 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 were able to run the remainder of the race without pitting.
NO. 6 VIAGRA TEAM READY FOR LIGHTS OF DAYTONA
After a solid top-10 performance at Sonoma, Mark Martin and the Viagra Racing Team will look to build on that success this Saturday night when the NASCAR circuit returns to Daytona Beach for the Pepsi 400 under the lights.
IN THE POINTS
Last week's run moved Martin up one position to 15th in the Nextel Cup point standings. After 16 races, Martin is 185 points behind 10th place and 103 behind 11th.
THE CAR
Chassis Number: (RK-235) - The team will run RK-235 at the Pepsi 400. RK-235 is the same car that Martin finished fourth with in the Budweiser Shootout earlier this year at Daytona.
MARK MARTIN AT DAYTONA
This will mark the 39th race for Martin at Daytona International Speedway, which is located a short distance from his Daytona Beach residence. Martin started his first Pepsi 400 on July 4th of 1982, 22 years and one day prior to the start of this year's Pepsi 400. In 19 starts in the 400, Martin has four top-five and six top-10 finishes, but this Saturday night, Martin will be looking for his first cup victory on the 2.5-mile superspeedway.
WHITE OUT
Martin will run the 'reverse' night race paint scheme this weekend at Daytona. The last time the team ran the white car Martin captured the checkered flag at Dover.
MARK MARTIN FAST FACTS - DAYTONA

Martin has finished sixth or better in five of his last nine races at Daytona.
Martin has finished inside the top five in two of the last four Pepsi 400's.
Martin has raced in all 66 restrictor plate races.
Martin won the 1998 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, as well as the 2003 IROC race there.
Martin has nine top-10 finishes in the last 17 restrictor plate races.
Martin's 32 top-10 finishes in restrictor plate races are the second most ever.
This will be Martin's 39th race at the famed speedway.

QUOTING MARK MARTIN AND CREW CHIEF PAT TRYSON
Mark Martin on Daytona:
"Well, it will be exciting to get back on the track in Daytona. I'm not the biggest fan of restrictor-plate racing, but we all kind of feel like we didn't get to finish what we started there in February. We were really strong all Speedweeks and we had great finishes in the Shootout and the 125, but we didn't get the finish we wanted in the 500 at all. Hopefully we can go back and take up where we left off running strong.
" We had a good solid run last week at Sonoma, despite the fact that the car really wasn't all that great. That's what we have to keep doing is fighting our way back up. This race team has had some crazy things happen to it, but it just won't give up. These guys just keep coming back at you and that is one of the reason's that I love this team so much."
Pat Tryson on Daytona:
"I can't wait to get back down there and race. We are taking the same car that Mark used to finish fourth with in the Budweiser Shootout back at the start of the season. We were pretty good at Daytona in February and we were pretty good earlier this year at Talladega, so I think our restrictor plate program is right on track. Mark does a great job with the draft and I think we'll have an exciting race this Saturday night. As a team we just want to go out and put together a string of solid finishes over the next few races."