Mark Martin, winner of the racetickets.com 200 No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion & No. 6 Scotts Ford F-150:“It was a great weekend for Roush Racing and it says a lot about Jack and the type of organization that he has put together, that we were able to go out and when all three races and we actually had multiple cars that could have won in those races as well. Hopefully we'll be able to use that and go on to Las Vegas next weekend and be competitive across the board out there as well.”
Mark Martin, Jack Roush Post Race Notes and Quotes - Truck Series - racetickets.com 200
Ford Racing: News
February 25, 2006MARK MARTIN 6 - Scotts Ford F-150 (Finished 1st)
"Man, I'm having a blast. I want to thank the fans; I just love you guys and thanks for all your support. Last year, I'm back one more year for you guys and Jack Roush and for all of these guys. It's a privilege to drive this F-150. It's just got great horsepower, and it was a great handling truck, and those guys out there are just fantastic. I love racing with Todd Bodine and Ted and Mike Skinner and all of these guys; they're really good drivers. We had our hands full on that last restart. Todd was really good on the restart and he was giving us a pretty good run. We had great horsepower here and we just stepped on it and got across the line first."
TALK ABOUT THE FINAL RESTART.
"Well, Todd learned that if we had a green-white-checkered that he was going to be sitting pretty good. I knew that he knew, and he knew that I knew, and it was time to see what we could all do. We just had enough to keep it out there. Our truck would get better the longer we would run and I really do like this F-150. It's an awesome truck and I'm just lucky to be driving it."
WINNING THE FIRST TWO RACES OF THE SEASON, HOW HARD IS IT GOING TO BE TO HAND OVER THE REINS LATER IN THE YEAR?
"Well, I' really excited. David Ragan is going to take over for me starting in Martinsville for a while, and David is a young rookie that's incredible. I think he can get some wins in this thing, too. I really look forward to watching David come along. He's a great a driver. I'll watch."
JACK ROUSH, Owner-6-Scotts Ford F-150
"Mark Martin is the man. He's been my partner in this whole thing, building this Roush Racing team the past 19 years. When you have this good start for our program this year, and based on what that means for him and for Matt both in the truck racing that will follow, this is great. I love for Scotts to be here, and I'm glad for Ford Motor Co. and the F-150; we're having a great start."
FONTANA, CA - FEBRUARY 24: Mark Martin, driver of the #6 Scotts Ford, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series racetickets.com 200 on February 24, 2006 at California Speedway in Fontana, California. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images)Martin gets second straight tuck win
By Mike Harris
AP Motorsports Writer
February 24, 2006FONTANA, Calif. (AP) -- The rest of NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series is probably already dreading Mark Martin joining the series full-time with his own team in 2007.
The longtime Nextel Cup star, who plans to retire from NASCAR's top stock car series at the end of this season, won his second truck race in eight days, adding Friday night's Racetickets.com 200 to a victory last week at Daytona.
Martin, who will run only a limited truck schedule this year, easily fought off a challenge from Todd Bodine in a two-lap overtime finish after a crash by Mike Wallace on lap 99. That brought out the eighth caution flag of the night and extended the race, scheduled to go 100 laps on California Speedway's 2-mile oval.
Defending truck series champion Ted Musgrave, Bodine's teammate, was third.
The Daytona race also went to overtime with Bodine and Musgrave trailing Martin. But another caution flag during the green-white-checker finish that night gave Martin the victory and left Bodine and Musgrave lamenting that they didn't get the opportunity to run him down.
This time, there were no more yellow flags after the race restarted for the final two-lap sprint on lap 105. Their Toyotas were lined up right behind Martin when the overtime began, and that's just the way it stayed.
``It felt like that movie, `Groundhog Day.' I was thinking to myself, `Didn't we just do this a couple of days ago?''' Musgrave said.
``But this is a whole different racetrack. You don't draft the same way here as you do at Daytona and there was nothing I could really do but watch the two of them race for the win.''
Martin, who will also race in Sunday's Auto Club 500, said, ``We had our hands full on that last restarts. But this Ford has got a lot of horsepower. We just stepped on it and got to the line first.''
Bodine was penalized for passing on the left during a restart on lap 48 and fell all the way to 34th. But he quickly charged back into contention, passing Martin for the lead on lap 81.
Martin was too strong, though, driving his F-150 past Bodine's Tundra two laps later and staying ahead the rest of the way to grab his third truck win in just five career starts.
``We had to serve that penalty, which I disagreed with,'' Bodine said. ``The guy ahead of me missed a shift and I either had to go by him or run into him. But we can't be too disappointed. That's second two weeks in a row and third for our teammate.
``I figured out how to get by (Martin), then the yellow came out (on lap 99). After that, I knew it was probably over. I didn't give up, but Mark just was a little too strong.''
Pole-winner David Reutimann wound up fourth, followed by Jack Sprague and Johnny Benson, all driving Toyotas.
FONTANA, CA - FEBRUARY 24: Mark Martin, driver of the #6 Scotts Ford, drives leads the race in front of driver Todd Bodine, of the #30 Germain Motor Company Toyota, during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series RaceTickets.com 200 on February 24 2006 at the California Speedway in Fontana, California. Martin won the race. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images)Martin wins NCTS Racetickets.com 200
By Bruce Martin
SportsTicker Contributing Editor
February 25, 2006FONTANA, California (Ticker) - The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series had its own version of "Groundhog Day" as Mark Martin, Todd Bodine and Ted Musgrave finished 1-2-3 in Friday's Racetickets.com 200.
It was the same finishing order as last Friday's season-opening GM Flex Fuel 250 at Daytona International Speedway.
Martin notched his second straight series victory. He took the checkered flag in a Ford F-150, just ahead of the Toyota Tundras driven by Bodine and Musgrave, the defending series champion.
"I'm having a blast," said Martin, who led 59 of 100 laps. "It's a privilege to drive this Ford F-150, and I love racing with Todd Bodine and Ted Musgrave.
"I stepped on it and tried to get across the finish line first. Todd learned if we had a green-white-checkered, he was sitting pretty. But we had enough to keep it out there."
It was the second consecutive race with a green-white-checkered flag finish. Mike Wallace triggered the late mayhem by losing control of his Dodge Ram during a side-by-side battle with rookie Kyle Krisiloff.
Earlier, Bodine was penalized for passing just before a restart and was moved to the back of the field. Despite the handicap, he was able to drive his way back to the front and chase Martin at the end.
But Martin drove with the savvy of the veteran he is, finishing 0.131 seconds ahead of Bodine.
"Our Tundra just got loose," Bodine said. "Mark could go a little more wide open than I could. I was trying to figure out how to get by him, but the yellow came out. I didn't give up by any means. It was going to be tough to get him, but I told everyone before the race that Mark was going to be tough."
"At the very end, all I could do was watch him finish the race just in front of my teammate," Musgrave added. "We'll just have to try again. I had an equal truck to Mark and an equal truck to Todd at the end."
Martin's 2-0 start in the NCTS could spell bad news for the rest of the competitors in the series. The good news is the 47-year-old plans on driving a limited schedule of seven races.
"Mark Martin is the man," team owner Jack Roush said. "He's been my partner for the last 19 years here, and we plan on doing this a lot more this season."
Pole winner David Reutimann was fourth in a Toyota, followed by Jack Sprague's Toyota.
Motorsport.com: News channel - Martin, Wood practice one quotes - Jon Wood at web site Mark Martin and Jon Wood paced the first Craftsman Truck Series practice session this afternoon at California Speedway, posting the two quickest times of the session. Martin, last week's race winner, and Wood, who has a career-best truck series finish of third at California Speedway, commented on the starts of their respective weekends.
MARK MARTIN-6-Scotts Ford F-150
YOU TURNED YOUR FIRST LAPS IN A TRUCK AT CALIFORNIA AND MANAGED TO BE THE FASTEST IN THE FIRST PRACTICE SESSION.
"I'm surprised. I certainly hadn't quite expected it. I do have a lot to learn about these things, but the thing I have going for me is just an incredible race team with the Scotts team. These guys are amazing. It makes me excited to go the race track to get a chance to work with these guys here."
ARE YOU BRINGING INFORMATION FROM THE CUP GARAGE TO THE TRUCK, AND HAS THAT ALLOWED YOU TO ADAPT SO QUICKLY?
"I'm bringing my experience. It's not so much Cup information as it is a wide variety of experience through Busch racing and Cup racing over the past nearly 20 years. These guys have done their homework. It's not really me. It's them. I wouldn't be at the top of the board if I didn't have a really good truck."
YOU MENTIONED AT DAYTONA THAT THE ROUSH TRUCKS WEREN'T AS GOOD AS THEY COULD HAVE BEEN LAST YEAR. WHAT CHANGES DID THEY MAKE IN THE OFF-SEASON?
"It's the typical stuff. Our biggest downfall was we didn't have the best suspension on the race track and we probably didn't have the best bodies on the race track, and it didn't give them as competitive an advantage as they might have had. The team has just done a great job with their chassis and suspension work and a good job with their bodies. The engines are fantastic, and I think the engines are better than they were a year ago."
WHAT KIND OF RACING DO YOU EXPECT TOMORROW NIGHT?
"This is always the best racing in NASCAR; that's all I can tell you. I don't make predictions. To me watching it, this is best racing in NASCAR."
Martin is truckin' along just fine
By Louis Brewster - Staff Writer
sbsun.com
February 24, 2006FONTANA - Mark Martin is making the best of his limited schedule in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Martin won the season opener last week at Daytona and was among the speed charts leaders Thursday at California Speedway in preparation for tonight's Racetickets.com 200.
Not bad for a 47-year-old whose truck season will consist of seven races.
A four-time runner-up in NASCAR Cup competition, Martin is enjoying racing trucks. It's a throwback to the early days of his career.
"It's so much fun to race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series,'' Martin said. "In my opinion, it's the best racing in NASCAR. I know that I have my work cut out for me. I haven't raced the trucks that much. I'm still learning about those things, so it's going to be fun. It's a challenge, and I look forward to it.''
Martin, who has two wins and one pole in a four-race truck career, can be the first in speedway history to win in all three NASCAR series if he takes the checkered flag tonight. He won the 1998 Cup race at Fontana and was the Busch winner a year ago.
He said it's that background, and a solid crew headed by Mike Beam, that has allowed him to digest information from the wide variety of experiences in Busch racing and Cup racing during the past 27 years.
"These guys have done their homework,'' Martin said. "It's not really me, it's them. I wouldn't be at the top of the board if I didn't have a really good truck.''
But with six former series champions - Ted Musgrave, Mike Bliss, Bobby Hamilton, Jack Sprague, Ron Hornaday and Mike Skinner - in tonight's field, Martin said he wouldn't consider himself a favorite.
"(Don't) underestimate the competition,'' he said. "I'm confident we'll do a good job. I know we'll do a good job, but I'm not sure. There's some tough characters out there with some really fast trucks.''
According to the original plan, 2006 would have been the first year of Martin's semi-retirement. He wanted to quit racing full time on the Cup series after the 2005 season, but team owner Jack Roush talked him into another season late last year because he did not find a replacement.
As a result, Martin will be back in the No. 6 Ford, plus selected Busch and truck races. It was difficult to totally change his plans on such a short noticeIt was difficult to totally change his plans on such a short notice.
"I have a lot going this year - really, really a lot,'' Martin said last month in testing at Las Vegas. "This team is in good shape. I have a lot on my plate. I have plans that I had made that just couldn't be canceled. I have got the fullest plate that I have ever had in my life in 2006.''
How about a run for the Cup title?
"I will worry about the championship when it is time to worry about that,'' Martin said.
But don't expect another year from Martin after this one.
"I said I was going to put my family first, so when this came up, the only thing I could really do was let them make the decision because I said I would put them first,'' Martin said. "They gave their blessing, and we are moving forward. But my son is growing up and I am not around, and that is bugging me because I won't get another chance at it.
"There are a lot of things in life that I want to do that I am not going to be able to do as long as I have the same level of involvement in racing that I have this year, and I am going to change that.''
That does not mean his drive will be any less.
"Motivation is not something that I ever had to look for,'' Martin said. "I am intensely competitive and real fortunate to be able to work with great teams. I'm pretty lucky there.''
Regardless of what transpires this season, Martin is content with what he has accomplished: 35 Cup wins, 47 in Busch and 41 Cup poles.
"In a lot of ways, I would like to walk away right now with 2005 as the year to hang my hat on,'' Martin said. "That was the best year of my career and the best year of my life. I am very pleased with my career.''
2006 Mark Martin Track Notes - Friday - February 24, 2006
racetickets.com 200 / California Speedway
No. 6 Ford F-150 Scotts
February 22, 2006DRIVER: Mark Martin
TEAM: No. 6 Scotts Ford F-150
OWNER: Jack Roush
CREW CHIEF: Mike Beam
THE TRUCK
Chassis: 330 Homestead '05, finished 8th
This will be Mark Martin's fifth career Craftsman Truck Series Race.
Martin has finished in the top 10 in each of his Truck starts, including a wins at North Wilkesboro and Daytona.
Martin is scheduled to run seven Craftsman Truck races in 2006, before moving into the series full-time in 2007.
Martin on the Truck Race at the California Speedway:
"I'm excited about getting back out in that No. 6 Scotts Ford F-150. We just had a blast at Daytona and California is a much better track for me as far as my style of driving, so I can't wait. I can't say enough about the job Mike Beam and the guys on the Scotts Team have done this year and hopefully we can get us another trophy this weekend."
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Teleconference: Mark Martin, Erik Darnell
February 21, 2006Below is the transcript from today’s teleconference with NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers Mark Martin (No. 6 Scotts Miracle-Gro Ford) and Erik Darnell (No. 99 Woolrich Ford). Martin won the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway last weekend while teammate Darnell (Roush Racing’s Driver X) finished in sixth-place.
Martin will compete in seven NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races in 2006, including this weekend’s race in California – the Racetickets.com 200. Darnell is one of 16 rookies in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competing for Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors in 2006.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series returns to action this Friday, Feb. 24 at California Speedway for the Racetickets.com 200. The race is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. ET.
Mark, you won the race at Daytona in only your fourth start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. In four starts, you have two wins and one pole. Can you discuss the competition in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series?
MARK MARTIN
It’s great. I was real fortunate to drive a great truck. Mike Beam (crew chief) and the Scotts team had really done their homework over the winter, and I had a really nice superspeedway truck. It made my job a little bit easier. It’s pretty tough competition – the Series has a lot of great drivers and great teams. I’m not getting used to it anytime soon. I know we’ve got our work cut out for us for this race this weekend.
Erik, you won the Driver X competition for Roush Racing. You had a great finish in your first outing at Daytona with a sixth-place finish. How do you feel about your start to the season so far?
ERIK DARNELL
Coming into the Series as a rookie, I don’t think we could ask for any better way to start the year. I know I have a great team behind me – Roush Racing. And I have Mark Martin as a teammate. I can go and ask him anything. It’s made it a lot easier for me. I think the team was capable of doing it, it was just going to be up to me to come in there and run well. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start the year.
Mark, you have four wins at California Speedway – two IROC wins (1997, 1998), one NEXTEL Cup win (1998) and one Busch Series race (2005). With your start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race this weekend at California, you could become the first driver to sweep all NASCAR events at California Speedway. Are you looking forward to this weekend’s race?
MARTIN
Well, I am. I think it’s going to be a blast. It’s so much fun to race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. In my opinion, it’s the best racing in NASCAR. I know that I have my work cut out for me. I haven’t raced the trucks that much. I’m still learning about those things, so it’s going to be fun. It’s a challenge, and I look forward to it.
Mark, when I saw you climb out of the truck after the win at Daytona, I haven’t seen a smile that big on your face in a long time. Did I see that right?
MARTIN
I was really happy. It was a blast. It’s great to win. Most of those guys on the Scotts team have not had wins before, have not been to victory lane in a NASCAR race. Of course, (Mike) Beam (crew chief) has, but I don’t think hardly any of the other guys had. It’s always just a blast when you can do that. They were so excited. They worked for it and they deserve it.
If you stay true to the way you run in the NASCAR Busch Series and I was a betting man, I would have to bet you can back your win up at California this weekend.
MARTIN
I think you underestimate the competition in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. I appreciate your confidence. I’m confident we’ll do a good job. But tough competition. I can’t be so sure of that. I know we’ll do a good job, but I’m not sure. There’s some tough characters out there with some really fast trucks.
Erik, what was the Driver X competition like – especially watching it at home after the fact?
DARNELL
It was kind of weird. Going through the whole process was more nerve racking than actually being out there on track itself. The on-track activities weren’t so bad when we were out there, but doing the media week, doing the victory lane celebration in front of all the cameras was something I had never been used to before. It was definitely pretty tough. I was fortunate enough to win the thing and get on the track in Daytona. Once I got out there on the track, that was the easy part – just to go out there and drive. I’m looking forward to try and continue the start we have had to our season next week.
If I would have told you before the start of the race at Daytona, that you would finish sixth, what would you have said to me?
DARNELL
I would have told you that the team was capable of it, but that it was going to be up to me and I probably wouldn’t have believed you. We were just looking to get out of there with a finish, with the truck in one piece. To come out of there the way we did was incredible.
Mark, your Nextel Cup team is No. 1 priority in 2006, but Mike Beam has said they are building this team to run for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship in 2007. How involved are you in building this team for next season?
MARTIN
I don’t’ know. I would say that I’m engaged more than a lot, but not as much as some. (Laugh) I don’t know how to gauge that against other people. I am engaged as much as possible considering that I’m an absentee employee. I talk to Mike Beam a lot. The whole reason that I’m running seven races this year is to help develop our team and refine our trucks and try to give Erik Darnell and our other rookies who come along and drive these trucks a better opportunity to show what they can do by giving them better equipment. We didn’t really give Todd Kluever a fair shot last year to show what he could do because our equipment was off a little bit.
Mark, Erik comes from a very similar racing background as you. What type of advice have you given him?
MARTIN
Erik’s been on the fast track. I think the ‘Driver X’ program was pretty intense. I don’t know if I could have prepared him for that or not. I’m there for Erik. Anything he needs, I’m there for him.
Erik, you had a phenomenal start to the season. Does that readjust your goals for 2006 now that you are off to such a strong start?
DARNELL
Not a whole lot. I knew coming into this thing that we had a great team behind me, that we had the equipment in place and the personnel in place to go out there and run well. It was just going to be up to me to go out and do it. To be honest with you, I was extremely pleased to come out of Daytona with the finish we did. I didn’t know if we would be able to do it or not. Our main goals at the start of the year were to go out and win rookie of the year honors, win a race or two and finish top-five in points. I definitely think that is realistic.
Erik, which has more pressure: the final days of the ‘Driver X’ competition or the final 10 laps of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona.
DARNELL
Both of those were pretty tough. The final day of the ‘Driver X’ thing wasn’t too bad , but out there at Daytona, drafting with all those veterans – something I’ve never done before – it was a learning experience for me. It was a lot of fun though.
Mark, does the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win at Daytona give you more motivation for the 2006 season?
MARTIN
No, I don’t think so. Motivation is not something that I ever had to look for. I am intensely competitive and real fortunate to be able to work with great teams. I’m pretty lucky there. It was really nice to win the truck race. It was an honor to drive such a great truck. It’s the first time that Ford has won there – well, they won a couple of years ago (with Rick Crawford) It’s been a while. With manufacturers going at it like they do, it was really a good thing for Ford and for all of us, and especially for our team.
Mark, what does your experience at California in the NEXTEL and Busch Series carry to NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race?
MARTIN
I’m short on experience with the trucks themselves. We have very limited practice. It’s a great challenge for me. I don’t know really what the truck wants. We’ll have to try to learn that in about 20 laps of practice and then do our best in the race. We have some challenges in front of us just not having experience with the truck.
Mark, do you think you are on the same level as Erik is coming to California in truck?
MARTIN
I would hope that my experience would stand for something. He definitely has less experience with the truck than I do. He’s going to have a very steep learning curve, but Erik’s young and incredibly talented. He’ll make up for a lot of that through his talent.
Erik, what does it mean for you to finally come to a track where it’s all about horsepower and handling as opposed to the draft?
MARTIN
Thank goodness.
DARNELL
It’s something that I’m definitely looking forward to. To be able to go out there and be able to drive the track instead of be at the mercy of the draft and not being able to get away from anybody. It’s something I’m really looking forward to. I want to get out there and show what I can do in these trucks.
Mark, I know you don’t like Daytona much. So, for you, this is really the start of the Cup season this week? Real racing?
MARTIN
What is it, 32 races are non-restrictor plate races?
Erik, how do you feel about your first race at California this weekend?
DARNELL
This will be my first race at California. I was lucky enough to get to run Michigan in the ARCA race last year. From what I’ve seen, California is similar to Michigan and I really enjoyed running there. I’m definitely looking forward to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck race this weekend.
Martin having more fun in truck than Cup
February 21, 2006Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Mark Martin is only a part-time Craftsman Truck Series driver in 2006, having only signed up to race seven times this season, but boy did he have fun at Daytona.
"From watching it, I saw that truck series racing is the best racing in NASCAR," said Martin. "Being out there with them was just a blast."
While the driver currently leading the Craftsman Truck Series is having more fun than anyone else, its probably because he knows he won't win the truck title and is in it solely for the enjoyment.
Last Friday, the NASCAR legend won the pole and the race beating Todd Bodine to the checkered flag.
Martin's victory spoiled what could have been a record-setting day for Bodine. The No.30 Germain Toyota driver was seeking his fourth consecutive victory, but had to settle for the runner-up spot when Ron Hornaday Jr. and Kyle Krisiloff tangled during a green-white-checker finish. That brought out the final caution and ended Bodine's shot at history.
"I'm not going to lie to you," said Bodine. "It's disappointing not to win the fourth in a row and set the record."
Still, Bodine's great finish leaves him in perfect position in the championship.
Just behind him, however, is his teammate and defending series champion Ted Musgrave, who finished third at Daytona.
Bodine and Musgrave appear to be the "team" to beat in 2006.
It won't get any easier for the competition at Fontana. Musgrave is a three-time winner on the two-mile oval (2001-2003) and Bodine won in 2004.
Last year, Steve Park edged Bobby Hamilton by 1.229 seconds for the win. However, Park is not scheduled to run a truck this week.
This week's event will be the only west coast trip for the truck series until September when all three NASCAR national series' return for Labor Day weekend.
That makes it a special weekend for Californians in the field - Matt Crafton, Mike Skinner and Ron Hornaday Jr.
"I have friends and family there and they get to come out and support me," said Crafton, who finished sixth last year.
Another driver to watch this week is Roush Racing's rookie Erik Darnell. Just 24, he was the winner of the Discovery Channel's Driver X competition. In his first Craftsman event he finished a solid sixth on the superspeedway and looked very steady. With the top equipment that Jack Roush will supply, he should be a threat all season long.
Qualifying at the California Speedway doesn't appear to be that important to winning the race. While two drivers have won the event from the pole, the average starting position of the winner is 13.4. Park won the 2005 race from 25th on the starting grid.
