Mark Martin Post Race Notes and Quotes – O’Reilly 200
Ford Racing
August 22, 2007MARK MARTIN -- No. 21 Mark Martin Ford F-150 (Finished 3rd)
"The race track is awesome. I'm looking forward to watching the race Friday and Saturday night. I want to thank Wood Brothers/JTG Racing for letting me drive such an awesome Ford F-150 tonight. We really wanted to win this thing for our Ford store back in Batesville and all the folks there, but we gave it a good run. We never changed tires all night and the truck came on strong at the end. We were set up for the long run so it worked out, but just not good enough to win."
Mark Martin Post Race Notes and Quotes – 3M Performance 400
GM RacingMark Martin, No. 01 U.S. Army Monte Carlo SS - Finished 42nd
WHAT JUST TOOK YOU OUT OF THE RACE (ON LAP 88)?
"Well I don't know yet. You know this has been just such an incredible roll this U.S. Army team's been on and they've given me such great race cars. This is our first weekend with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated horsepower. A great engine, great power but we got an oil leak of some sort that we haven't figured out yet."
ON WHAT HAPPENED AFTER RETURNING TO THE GARAGE FOR THE SECOND TIME TODAY (WHICH FORCED HIM TO RETIRE FROM THE RACE EARLY)
"We had an oil leak and the guys tried to repair it and I'm not sure what happened after that but it was all related. I hate it for this team. They've given me great stuff all year and this is the first troubled race we've had the whole season so with that in mind I'm very proud of this team and what they've done and the way they've been able to stay focused through a very emotional time for everyone here with going through this merger and I'm very impressed with this whole bunch of guys and I look forward to working with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated going forward and making it stronger and better."
Mark Martin Race Report – 3M Performance 400
DEI/Ginn RacingMARTIN, U.S. ARMY TEAM EXPERIENCE TOUGH OUTING AT MICHIGAN
BROOKLYN, Mich. (Aug. 21, 2007) -- One of the longest weekends in NASCAR history culminated in a frustrating ending for Mark Martin and the U.S. Army Race Team.
Running in the 16th position just prior to the half-way point of Tuesday's Nextel Cup race at Michigan International Speedway, Martin's 01Army Chevrolet began to smoke heavily, bringing out the third caution of the race.
Martin and the team were forced to take the car behind the wall to repair a broken rear seal in the engine. The crew worked on the car for approximately one hour before Martin returned to the track. But a few laps later, Martin's day came to an end on Lap 170 of 200 when the engine let go. He finished 42nd.
"We had a pretty good car today and it was just starting to come back to us when we started smoking," said Martin. "We had a lot of power in the engine, but had a problem with a seal somewhere. It was just an unfortunate incident."
In a race that was delayed two days due to rain, Martin started 10th based on Friday's qualifying effort. With the race conditions much different than they were for the final practice on Saturday, Martin started the race tight. The team made adjustments to loosen the car's handling on Lap 31.
With the car too loose in the corners, Martin fell back to 7th before the car's handling started to come around. He moved into the top 15 by Lapw 3. But on Lap 88 the car started to smoke, ending any hopes of another strong finish for the veteran driver.
"I do have to mention the effort of this U.S. Army Team today," added Martin. "The stats won't show it and most people will never know how much those guys had to work and get the problem fixed for me to get back out there. They never had a defeatist attitude -- just like our soldiers."
The 01 Army/Dale Earnhardt Inc team dropped to 13th in the owner point standings. The team is 43 points shy of being in 12th place, which is the Chase cutoff. There are three races remaining before the Chase for the Nextel Cup begins September 6 at New Hampshire International Speedway.
Mark Martin Friday Media Visit
GM Racing
August 17, 2007Mark Martin, No. 01 U.S. Army Monte Carlo SS, met with members of the media and discussed his '57 Chevy paint scheme, on the No. 8 staying with DEI and car numbers in general, racing on the new surface at Bristol, on the unwritten rules in racing and on racing opportunities for kids.
Select quotes from driver interview:
WHAT DOES THE SPECIAL '57 CHEVY PAINT SCHEME MEAN TO YOU?
"I'm from that era, kind of. The '57 Chevy was still a very, very cool car when I was young and it was the race car of choice when I started - the '55, '56 and '57 Chevys make great race cars. We raced them on dirt and that's where I got started."
YOU ACTUALLY RACED THEM?
"Oh yeah. I raced two years in them. They had a great frame to make a race car out of. Where I came from in Arkansas, they were even used in late models. They would put late-model bodies on '57 frames. It made a really nice race car. So the '57 Chevy really is not totally foreign to me."
DO YOU THINK THAT THE NO. 8 STAYING AT DEI WILL AFFECT DALE EARNHARDT, JR.'S FANS?
"It should matter to a lot of Dale Earnhardt fans that the number stays with the owners, just as the No. 6 did with Roush. In this business the standard has always been that the number stays with the owner and the driver has his superstardom to carry wherever he may. It's a touchy situation that I don't care a whole lot to be in the middle of. Four weeks ago I didn't have a dream that I would ever even be working at Dale Earnhardt, Inc. And now, with the tremendous respect that I have with Dale Earnhardt and every member of his family, I have to be careful with that. All I know is that standard procedure for the owners to build equity in the number, that's what stays with them. The drivers take their superstardom wherever they may. When you make that choice to go. Dale Earnhardt won the rookie of the year and his first championship in the No. 2, then raced the No. 15 and then he raced the No. 8 on Dale Earnhardt, Inc. cars all through the '80s. If you do the history instead o f look at the last five or seven years, if you do the history and present it, then there's a whole different thing to it besides race fans. Dale Jr. made a choice to make a change in his career, to change his path and to give it a new start and to go put himself in a position to go win his first championship and I think that's great. But that also came with the chance that the number would stay with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. where it has been since 1984."
Mark Martin Race Preview – 3M Performance 400
DEI/Ginn Racing
August 16, 2007MARTIN GETS BACK IN THE SADDLE AT MICHIGAN
After a weekend off, Mark Martin returns to the No. 01 U.S. Army Chevy this weekend at Michigan International Speedway.
WORTHY NOTE
Martin has four wins at Michigan in the Cup car, two more in the Busch Series and one in the IROC Series.
MARTIN AT MICHIGAN
This will be Martin's 44th run at MIS, where he boasts four wins, 16 top fives, 27 top 10's and a pole. Martin has finished inside the top 10 in seven of his last 12 at Michigan, including a fifth place run there last August. His first win at MIS was Aug.19, 1990 and his last trip to MIS' Victory Lane was June 14, 1998.
POINTING IT OUT
Despite having missed six races in 2007, Martin is still 18th in the Nextel Cup driver point standings; ahead of 11 drivers who have competed in all 22 events and 19 who have competed in one or more races. In addition Martin trails 17th place former Roush teammate Jamie McMurray by only 30 points. Martin was tied for 15th in the points and still in 'Chase' contention before missing last weekend's race at Watkins Glen. The No. 01 car is currently 11th in Nextel Cup owner points.
DOUBLE DUTY AT MICHIGAN
In addition to his duties in the No. 01 U.S. Army car, Martin will take part in his fourth Busch race of 2007, once again taking the helm of the No. 5 Hendrick Busch entry. It will be Martin's second run in the No. 5; he finished second at Darlington in May. Martin has two top-five finishes in three Busch starts in '07, having driven the No. 06 Roush car to a fifth-place result at Daytona.
QUOTING MARK ON MICHIGAN
"Michigan is one of my favorite tracks on the circuit. It's big and wide and you can really pass there. If you are able to get your car set up right, you can do a lot of passing, which can make for a pretty fun day at the race track. We've had a great deal of success there over the years and I always look forward to going back. We were actually way off with the car there in June, so we'll have our work cut out for us making sure that we get back on track. We've had strong runs in our last couple of outings at Indy and Pocono, so hopefully we can build on that with another solid effort this weekend."
"I continue to be very impressed with the effort of this race team. Ryan Pemberton and this U.S. Army Team really know how to rise to the occasion and I'm looking forward getting back in their race car this weekend and seeing what we can do at Michigan."
MARK FAST FACTS
Martin's 27 top-10 finishes at Michigan are the most of any driver.
Martin's 16 top-five finishes at Michigan are the most of any active driver.
Martin has four wins at Michigan in the Cup car, the third most of any active driver.
Martin has led 22 races at Michigan for a total of 851 laps.
Martin has finished in the top 10 in seven of his last 12 at Michigan, including a fifth-place finish there last August.
Martin has finished in the top five in four of his last seven Cup starts at MIS.
Martin boasts two Busch and an IROC win at Michigan.
Martin is ranked 18th in the Nextel Cup points, ahead of 11 drivers who have competed in all 22 events.
Martin will race the No. 5 Busch Chevy for Hendrick this weekend as well.
Mark Martin Race Preview – Watkins Glen
DEIMARTIN DRIVES HOME POINT WITH LIMITED SCHEDULE
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Aug. 7, 2007) - While the rest of the Nextel Cup circuit prepares for the winding right turns of Watkins Glen International, veteran Mark Martin is gearing up to once again watch this weekends race on the television. Regan Smith will drive the No. 01 U.S. Army Chevy on Sunday.
After running the previous four races at Daytona, Chicagoland, Indianapolis and Pocono, Martin will take off his sixth race of the season this weekend, before returning in two weeks at Michigan.
Despite having missed a total of five Nextel Cup point races in 2007, Martin sits tied for 15th position in the point standings; theoretically still in contention for the 12-car Chase for the Nextel Cup.
"That really says more about this No. 01 U.S. Army Race Team than anything," said Martin. "These guys are just incredible. They give me great cars each week and I have an awesome time driving their stuff."
While that will all likely become a moot point after this weekend, it is interesting to note that it was supposed to become a moot point after Martin missed his first race in 19 years earlier this year at Bristol. Martin stepped away from the Nextel Cup point lead in style; leading the standings.
Amazingly enough, Martin raced his way back into the top 12 by mid June, despite having missed three of the 14 races. Currently, Martin is ahead in the points of 13 drivers who have competed in all 21 Cup events. He leads 21 drivers who have raced in more events in 2007 and has scored more points than three teams who have won this season.
Ironically, Martin is currently tied with former Roush teammate Greg Biffle for 15th place in the Cup standings. Biffle's team is made up mostly of Martins No. 6 team from 2006.
In addition, Martin has helped keep the No. 01 Chevy inside the top 10 in the owner points all season. Currently the No. 01 is in 10th place in the owner standings, eight points behind ninth and just 32 points outside of seventh place.
Martin is enjoying his limited schedule and has plans to run a similar slate of races next year.
"I love it," said Martin. "I've had the time of my life driving these cars and I can't wait to come back and drive for these guys again. Right now we are planning a similar schedule next season. I've lobbied since February to be able to come back next year and drive Ryan Pemberton's race cars and I'm glad to see that all coming together again."
Mark Martin Post Race Notes and Quotes – Pocono
GM Racing
August 5, 2007MARK MARTIN, NO. 01 U.S. ARMY MONTE CARLO SS - Finished 9th:
"This was just another solid effort by this U.S. Army Chevrolet Team. We had a pretty good car all day and were able to do a lot of passing. We had a about a 15th-place car in practice yesterday and were able to improve on that with another top-10 finish.
"I can't tell you how impressed I am with (crew chief) Ryan Pemberton and the entire Army Team. With all they have had to contend with the past two weeks and then to come out and run like we did at Indy and here by claiming two top-10 finishes, that says so much about the character of this race team. It's the Army spirit. You battle harder when you face adversity. It also says so much about why I wanted to come back and drive this team's race car again next year.
"We never quite got track position and tires were too important to short change ourselves there. If we could have gotten further up in line, we could have stayed there. There were just a few cars better than us. I think we could have finished inside the top five if we could have just found a way to get up there.
"We beat a lot of good drivers and teams today. These guys really know how to focus on race day. There have been a lot of distractions the last two weeks, but these guys really get it done. We've had great stuff on the race track and I'm really enjoying driving the soldiers' car.
"I have to congratulate Pat Tryson and Kurt Busch on the win. I'm very happy for Pat. Pat deserves that run and so does Kurt. It's great to see those guys close the deal like they did today."
Mark Martin Post Race Report – Pocono
DEIMartin, Army Team Solid With Another Top-10 Finish
LONG POND, Pa. (Aug. 5, 2007) -- For the second week in a row and the ninth time this season, Mark Martin took the checkered flag with a top-10 finish. The U.S. Army driver powered his 01 Chevrolet from a 25th starting spot to a ninth-place result in Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 Nextel Cup event at Pocono Raceway.
"This was just another solid effort by our U.S. Army Team," said Martin, who finished sixth in Indianapolis last week. "We had a pretty good car all day and were able to do a lot of passing. We had about a 15th-place car in practice yesterday and were able to improve on that with another top-10."
The veteran driver wasted little time flexing his muscle once the green flag dropped. He picked up six positions in the first four laps and drove all the way to 11th by the time he pitted for the first time under green on Lap 30 of 200.
"I can't tell you how impressed I am with (crew chief) Ryan Pemberton and the entire Army Team," noted Martin, who finished seventh here in June. "With all they've had to contend with the past two weeks and then to come out and claim back-to-back top-10 finishes says so much about the character of this race team. It's the Army spirit -- you battle harder when you face adversity."
"It also says so much about why I wanted to come back and drive this team's race car again next year," added Martin.
Martin broke into the top 10 for the first time on Lap 129. He dropped back for a while, but patiently bided his time until returning to the top 10 on Lap 153, where he would run for the remainder of the race.
"There were just a few cars better than us," said Martin. "I think we could have finished inside the top five if we could have just found a way to get up there. We beat a lot of good drivers and teams today. We've had great stuff on the race track and I'm really enjoying driving the soldiers' car."
Despite running in 16 of the 21 Cup races to date, Martin is 16th in driver points and the 01 Dale Earnhardt, Inc. team is 10th in owner points.
In his 16 races this season, Martin has posted four top fives, nine top 10s, 13 top 15s and 15 top 20s.
The Pocono race winner was Kurt Busch, who edged Martin's DEI teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Martin will take off next weekend's Nextel Cup road race in Watkins Glen, N.Y. He will return to action the following week at Michigan International Speedway.
Mark Martin Preview – Pocono - Pennsylvania 500
DEI/Ginn Racing
August 1, 2007MARTIN STILL LOOKING FOR NUMBER "WON" AT POCONO
Martin and the No. 01 U.S. Army team battled back for one of their strongest outings of the season last weekend at Indianapolis. This week they will look to take the No. 01 Chevy to Victory lane at Pocono, where Martin has six second-place finishes, but has never won.
MARTIN AT POCONO
This will be Martin's 42nd race at Pocono, where he has finished inside the top 10 on 28 occasions. He boasts 19 top-five finishes at Pocono, the most of any driver.
Starts: 41 (20)
Wins: -
Top 5's: 19 (7)
Top 10's: 28 (14)
Poles: 3 (2)
Highest finish: 2 (6 times)
First time: 6/6/82 (26th)
Last year: 7/23/06 (19th)
Last time: 6/10/07 (7th)MARK MARTIN – LAST YEAR AT POCONO
July 23, 2006 – Pocono Raceway
Started 30th, Finished 19thMark Martin and the No. 6 AAA Race Team fought an uphill battle for most of the weekend at Pocono Raceway. Martin and the team struggled with their No. 6 Ford Fusion on Friday and driving rains forced the cancellation of both of Saturday’s practice sessions, forcing the team to run an untested setup during Sunday’s race. The setup, combined with a solid pit strategy steadily moved Martin through the field, and he found himself moving in on a top-10 finish as the race wound down. However, Martin and the team did not pit after the race's eighth caution. The move backfired with all but one of the cars behind Martin coming in for fresh tires. On the older tires, Martin had his hands full, but he was able to hang on to the top-20 finish; running in fourth position once the field had cycled through its stops. However, the team would have a tense moment in the pits when Martin reported on lap 128 that he had a vibration in the car and a fear of a loose wheel. The team caught a break, just moments later when the day’s seventh and final caution was issued on lap 143.
MARK MARTIN - FAST FACTS - POCONO
Martin has finished second at Pocono on six different occasions.
Martin has finished second or third in over 25 percent of his 41 starts at Pocono.
Martin's 19 top-five finishes at Pocono are the most of any driver.
Martin's 28 top 10 finishes at Pocono leads all drivers.
Martin has posted 27 top-10 starts in 41 races at Pocono.
Martin has finished second in three of his last nine at Pocono.
Martin and the No. 01 U.S. Army are currently ninth in Nextel Cup owner points.
Martin is 18th in Nextel Cup driver points, ahead of 13 drivers who have competed in five more races in 2007.
WORTHY NOTE
Martin has six second-place runs at Pocono.
STILL LOOKING FOR THE WIN
Martin has never won at Pocono, but he has come close on numerous occasions. The veteran has posted second-place finishes on six different occasions. In fact Martin has finished second at Pocono in three of his last nine starts. In addition, he has finished third there on four more occasions. Martin has finished second or third in 25 percent of his starts and top five in almost 50 percent of the starts. Pocono is one of five tracks on the circuit where Martin has not won a Nextel Cup point race (Chicagoland, Indy, Daytona and New Hampshire).
POINTING IT OUT
Despite having missed five races in 2007, Martin is still 17th in the Nextel Cup driver point standings; ahead of 13 drivers who have competed in all 20 events and 19 who have competed in one or more races. In addition Martin trails 16th place Greg Biffle by only 44 points and 15th place Jamie McMurray by just 59. He is only 172 points out of the Chase cutoff point, and the No. 01 Chevy that he copilots is 10th in the owner points; only 34 points behind seventh.
GINN RACING MERGES WITH DEI
For the second week Martin and the No. 01 U.S. Army Team will race under the banner of Dale Earnhardt Inc., as a result of last week's merger between DEI and Ginn Racing. DEI fields four Nextel Cup cars, with the No. 8 of Dale Earnhardt Jr., the No. 1 of Martin Truex Jr. and the No. 15 of Paul Menard making up the four-car stable.
QUOTING MARK MARTIN ON POCONO
"We had a pretty good car there in the spring, where we were able to get a top-10 finish in a race that was cut short by the rain. Pocono is one of my favorite race tracks, and it is hard to believe that we've never won there with all of the success that we've had there over the years. I know that we've finished second there a whole bunch, and hopefully we can go there and run well again.
"We had a great car at Indy last weekend and I kind of messed that up with the transmission. Maybe this week I can make that up to Ryan (Pemberton) and the guys and go out and try to put this team in victory lane where it really deserves to be.
"It's been a crazy couple of weeks with the merger with Ginn Racing and DEI, but now it's really time to put all that behind us, look to the future and get down to the business of winning races on the track. I know this team can do it, we just have to put it all together and finish the job."
Mark Martin Post Race Notes and Quotes – Allstate 400
GM Racing
July 29, 2007MARK MARTIN, NO. 01 U.S. ARMY MONTE CARLO SS: (Finished 6th)
"I just want to thank Hendrick Motorsports. I've never had a motor that run like that before in my whole life. If I hadn't had messed up today we might have had a shot at it. Definitely could have done it a little better than that. I broke second gear, didn't shift it right, and smooth enough and broke second gear and was having to guess on my speed a little bit and I got busted for speeding but incredible, incredible guys, incredible car. The motor was unreal and I'm pleased to fight back from all of that. I thought our day was over as soon as we broke second gear so it's partly about just nursing it to getting it to the end."
Mark Martin Post Race Report – Allstate 400
Martin Makes Strong Comeback to Finish Sixth at Indy
DEI/Ginn Racing
July 29, 2007Mark Martin overcame a broken gear and a speeding penalty to finish sixth in Sunday's running of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.
The strong performance added to Martin's impressive record at the famed Indianaplis Motor Speedway.
It was his ninth top-10 finish in 14 starts at the 2.5-mile oval.
"I just want to thank Rick Hendrick and Hendrick Motorsports -- I've never had a motor that ran like that in my whole life," said the 48-year-old Martin.
Martin started the 160 lap, 400-mile race from the 13th position. But only 12 laps into the event, he informed the crew that second gear was broken in his U.S. Army Chevrolet.
While Martin had major concern with the broken gear, and even told his crew not to get their hopes up too high, the savvy veteran delicately drove the U.S. Army Chevrolet for the remaining 148 laps.
But as serious as the gear problem was, that didn't stop Martin from marching to the front. He broke into the top 10 on Lap 28 and was running fifth moments before the caution came out on Lap 59.
After a quick pit stop by the 01 crew, Martin was struck with another problem. He was assessed a pit-road speeding penalty by NASCAR on Lap 62. The infraction sent him back to 26th place.
"If I hadn't messed up today we might have had a shot at it and I know we would have had a better finish," observed Martin. "I broke second gear and that made me have to guess a little on my pit-road speed. That caused me to get busted for speeding. I really thought our day was over at that point."
But the Army team soldiered on with an even stronger tenacity. The combination of Martin's driving skills and race strategy by crew chief Ryan Pemberton pushed the 01 Chevy back to the front. Martin was in the top 10 by Lap 109.
Martin lost some tack position later in the race, but in the final 20 green-flag laps, he poured it on, going from 13th to sixth.
"This is an incredible group of guys who make up this U.S. Army race team," said Martin. "They give me awesome race cars that are unreal to drive. This was a great effort today by this team. We had to fight back from some adversity and I am really pleased with the finish. We were like our soldiers -- we never quit and completed the mission."
"I know it was a crazy week for everyone," added Martin, referring to the Dale Earnhardt Inc./Ginn Racing merger. "To come back and run this way and get a top 10 here at Indy -- that says a lot about the character of this team."
Despite missing five races due to his part-time ride this season, Martin is 17th in driver points. The 01 team is 10th in owner points.
Mark Martin Post Qualifying Notes and Quotes – Allstate 400
IMS
July 28, 2007MARK MARTIN (No. 01 U.S. Army Chevrolet): (Any advantage qualifying later?): "I don't think so today. The way that the sun played, it was pretty straight up. It was the most even it could've been. Maybe the guys in the middle got hurt a little bit. I think early was good, and I think the very last guy is going to be a little bit better. That is probably the consistent qualifying session that I remember here at Indy. I was really bad at 10 a.m. At least we wound up even. We had a real fast car and I got loose in (Turn) 4 and lost a good bit of momentum."
Mark Martin Media Visit
GM Racing
July 27, 2007Mark Martin, No. 01 U.S. Army Monte Carlo SS, met with media to discuss the DEI / Ginn Racing merger, his new teammates, his '08 schedule, his role in the driver development program, the Car of Tomorrow and former teammate Matt Kenseth.
Select quotes from driver interview:
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE MERGER?
“It is pretty overwhelming. Monday was my first time at the DEI shop. When I opened the door and stepped in, I realized the magnitude of this. It's something that I could have never scripted or dreamed that it would happen. It just wound up that way. It transpired very quickly. But I'm really excited about it. There are a lot of distractions right now for my team and me and all of us and I really can't wait to strap in the race car and get on the race track so that we can focus on the performance, which is what the U.S. Army team really needs right now. We need to get on the race track and get to work and focus on the performance of the race car. It's been a difficult week for everyone. As we move forward, we will hopefully be able to integrate and make our performances even stronger. This week, we're in two different chapters. We're not on a different page, but in a different chapter with everything. I can't wait to get on the race track."
WERE YOU SURPRISED ABOUT ALL THIS?
"Bobby (Ginn) and I had a long range plan. I don't think either he or I anticipated it. We wanted to get to a certain place in five years. Well, in six months, we have arrived almost there. We have taken kind of a bumpy, crooked road here, but this is a huge step in reaching where we wanted to go. And it's something I don't think either one of us anticipated. It did happen really fast. It was something that needed to happen. I'm excited about it. I think it makes for a really, really strong and exciting opportunity from the marketing side, from Bobby's side, and the things that he can bring and from DEI's side and the things they can bring. When we put all that together, I'm still able to do all the things I'd hoped to be able to do when I signed up with Ginn Racing, and more. So for me, it's terrific."
HOW MUCH OF A CHANGE WILL THIS MAKE FOR YOU THIS YEAR AND NEXT YEAR?
"My duties have increased. Everything that I did at Ginn Racing, I still have those duties, but they are even more now. I have all the things with the driver development program and the leadership and all those things. There is more to do now."
DO YOU REALLY LIKE WORKING WITH THE YOUNG UP-AND-COMERS LIKE MARTIN TRUEX JR, REGAN SMITH, AND PAUL MENARD?
"I do. I've always wanted to help people that wanted to help. For them to think that I can provide some kind of leadership to help them, is great. I'm not sure I can. But if they think I can, then I will. That's what is special. I'm not sure that I have had any impact on Kurt Busch or Regan Smith or anyone else that's come along, but they think so. So that really makes me feel good. I know that Paul Menard is a tremendous raw talent. He's excited. He wants to absorb that 25 years of experience and hopefully those guys can sort through that stuff that's been official and the stuff that's just old fogy stuff. I know when I came in and I listened to the old timers, they spent a lot of time talking about how much better it was back in the old days that it is today. I wasn't really interested in that. I was more interested in how could we make today and tomorrow better. Hopefully they'll be able to sort through that when they're around me. Hopefully I can have some positive impact on their careers."
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE CAR OF TOMORROW?
"Well, it's a step backwards in technology. The car is definitely as step back from a speed and a technological standpoint. But if everyone has the same car, then we'll work on it and make it better. A year from now, those cars are going to handle good compared to how they handle today, as the teams figure out how to make them better and better through racing them and through experience. So I think the Car of Tomorrow is what it is. It takes some more creativity away from the teams and that's different."
Dale Earnhardt Inc./Ginn Racing Press Conference
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
July 26, 2007Guests: Max Siegel, Bobby Ginn, John Story, Jay Frye, Mark Martin, Paul Menard
JEFF CHEW: Thank you, Ed. That was great. At this point in time, I'd like to invite up one of our very important partners in the Chevrolet camp in our NASCAR series, I would like to invite Max Siegel, along with Bobby Ginn, John Story, Jay Frye, Mark Martin and Paul Menard. They would like to take a few minutes and spend some time with you to talk about some interesting changes that are going on in that organization.
MAX SIEGEL: Good afternoon, everybody. Thanks to Ed and Terry and Brent and Alba and Pat and all of our friends at Chevrolet. We really appreciate you accommodating us on such short notice to share some exciting news with you guys today. We appreciate your interest in what we're about to talk about, and the only thing I want to say before we start talking about the exciting news is that we will not get into the business details of our merger that we had today.
I'm here, and I'm very pleased to announce to you guys that after long, arduous negotiations, we have merged with Ginn Racing, and we're happy to have Bobby Ginn here and Jay Frye and Mark Martin as part of our family. We sent out an announcement, and we want to open up the floor for questions you might have to fill in the details for that particular transaction.
With that, I would just like to open it up for you guys. We haven't had much going on at DEI this year, so we thought we would create a transaction to give you guys something to talk about.
QUESTION: When did the negotiations actually begin and what was it that actually (inaudible) to get it started?
SIEGEL: I'll take a quick stab and pass it on. The question is when did negotiations begin and what was the catalyst to get it started. I think that Bobby will attest to this that we really started serious negotiations last Tuesday. Teresa and I met with Bobby in New York City. I've been familiar with Jay Frye and the organization for years; DEI has been in negotiations with MB2 over the years. It's been a stated goal of ours all along to get to a four-car program. We want to be a world-class organization; we want to get more efficiency involved. We wanted to have a facility where we could run a state-of-the-art race shop. When the opportunity presented itself last week we became hot and heavy in negotiations. I think all of us up on the stage have been living together 24 hours a day ever since.
QUESTION: What about (inaudible)?
GINN: From our side, the catalyst was we were looking to continue to expand our operations. We had done well performance-wise early in the year, and we wanted to become a four-car team. So Max and I met with Teresa and John and Jay and were able to sit down and really compare what we had and what DEI had and what our goals and objectives were to build the very best we could build in a race team. It was a perfect fit. So from our side it was, you know, we saw an opportunity to elevate what we had worked all year to get to, to a higher level.
QUESTION: For Mark Martin, Dale Jr. told me yesterday he was thrilled to be able to be kind of working with you, and you'll certainly be able to teach the young drivers. Can you talk about your role in all of this and how you feel about it?
MARK MARTIN: I'm really excited and certainly you guys wouldn't have a chance to go golfing today if I shared everything with you what I was feeling. But, you know, I'd like to start by saying when you open the doors to DEI and you step inside, if you're old-school like me, you realize the legacy and what it means. It means more to me more than to someone who didn't -- my character and myself as a driver has been, you know, was shaped by competing with Dale Earnhardt. And I have enormous respect and appreciation for everyone, for Teresa and everyone at DEI for their tireless efforts in continuing that legacy.
Obviously, Dale Jr. is real special in that, and the opportunity for me to continue to do what Bobby and I had a long-range plan, a five-year plan, and I'd have to say that we've taken a huge step to becoming a superpower. The way we got there was a little bit of a winding road and some unexpected, but certainly the opportunity to work with young drivers is still very important to me, and I have tremendous opportunity now to do that. With this merger it means that we can, you know, get stronger and I can do more of what I hoped I could do.
So that's just the tip of the iceberg. I'm very excited. There's a lot of opportunity for me here. It's a privilege for me, and I will, you know, I'll take that privilege and I'll take it very seriously that I'm, you know, a small part of representing Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. Because when we say DEI, you know, we say that quick, and you don't think about it. I've thought about it Monday when I stepped inside the door. It was my first time in that building. When I saw the pictures on the wall, it put me back to competing with him in the '80s and '90s, and it made me realize, you know, what was about to take place. So I'm excited about it.
QUESTION: Mark, can you describe the rumors that you will be the driver of the No. 8 car at DEI next year? (Laughter)
MARTIN: Wow. I don't know how to answer that. You need to talk to these guys about that. I expect to be in the 01, guys. We haven't talked seriously. I'm pretty certain I'll be in the 01 car but, you know, I learned two years ago to not say, never say never. But it is my expectation to drive the 01 car and work with the team that I love so much. Ryan Pemberton and all those guys on that team are just fantastic. I started what, Jay, four months ago working on Jay real hard, I really want to drive for this team again next year, because our original plan didn't really call for that.
So I started, after I realized the value and came to love those guys so much, about the time the checkered flag flew at Daytona in February, I worked hard to try to assure myself to drive for those guys again in '08.
QUESTION: Bobby, when you first took over the team there wasn't a lot of talk, "I'm buying a team, and I hope to merge with another team." What has happened to your business model for this sport from the time you bought MB2 to now?
GINN: Well, obviously our goal was to build a four-car team. It was pretty evident to us right from the beginning that if you were going to compete with the major race teams that are out there, a four-car team was pretty much something you had to have to be able to have the seat time, to have the racing time, to share the information that people had and the economics of it. I wasn't sure how we would get there, but I was pretty much committed -- not pretty much, I was committed to the concept that we had to be a four-car team. You couldn't keep in today's world of racing and particularly with what's happening with the COT and other things without being able to do that.
I look at this as a merger; I look at it as a way I can stay in racing, I look at it as a way our team can go to a much higher elevation than we would have been able to do in getting through this year. It's obvious that our team was not sponsored through a lot of the races on the two cars that we had. We had great sponsors in the Army and Waste Management, Certainteed and Principal, but we had unsold inventory. This merger, if you think about it, it makes all the sense in the world. We had teams, we actually had too many, if you put the two teams together, we had too many teams in the points, so we had to drop a team. That was a commitment that Max and myself and Teresa and John came to the conclusion on and Jay came to the conclusion on if we were going to do this, we were going to do it the way it should be done under NASCAR rules without bending the rules. And do it in a way that the team can go forward and elevate itself. It's unfair to the drivers to give them less than the best, and we felt like in the program that we were on, the five-year program we were on, that this was the best way that you could use our resources. I've committed to racing, I'm certainly -- certainly the Dale Earnhardt organization and Teresa and Max, they're certainly committed to racing. So put the two together, and I look at it that it's the rising tide floats all boats. Everybody comes out the better for it. And so I think our plan has not changed, it's been altered as circumstances arose. Then I said I think that's doing business -- in any business.
QUESTION: This is for Max and Jay. You guys are obviously, Ginn and DEI were both scrambling trying to get to four cars by '08 or '09. When NASCAR introduced the four-car cap a couple years ago, the stated intent was to allow for opportunities for Bobby Ginn's to come into the sport and stop the proliferation of multi-car teams. It seems like it's having the opposite effect. It seems like four cars have become the benchmark now for teams in the Cup. Could you address that? Why is it so necessary now to have four cars and is this sort of the way the sport is going right now?
JAY FRYE: I think obviously to us, basically our team has graduated. It's really a complement to the Ginn organization to merge with a great organization like DEI. So the part about NASCAR, I think, it's very important to partner with the right situations and to go forward to survive and become a strong organization. So this is really what this has done for our organization. It is a huge compliment to be able to put something like this together as rapidly as it was done, basically in a week. So there's a great opportunity for us to go forward. With what other teams are doing, you know, I think there might be more of this going on in the sport. I think it's going to become apparent, like what Bobby said, you're going to have to be a four-car team. There's efficiencies in four cars. There's technology, all that type of thing, it increases, the better people you have, obviously the better ideas you have.
This is basically 400 great people getting together to create a great organization. So it's very exciting for us.
QUESTION: Max, why four cars for DEI?
SIEGEL: I think everyone acknowledged that it's incredibly expensive undertaking to fund a single car. With the technology changes and the way the sport is changing, you can only lean on our corporate sponsor for so much. I know that my owners always had an eye toward diversification of the business. It's been my focus since being a part of DEI to invest our resources back into motorsports. I think having a multi-car team gives you economies of scale, it gives you opportunities from a technology standpoint to collect more information and data, and it helps you run a very efficient organization both from the manufacturing side to the competition side.
So for us it's always been in our growth plan to become a four-car team. We've been open to that opportunity all along. We were prepared when this opportunity presented itself to move very quickly and it made sense from a facility standpoint, from a personnel standpoint and from an economic standpoint to prepare DEI for 25 more years of success.
QUESTION: This is for Mark. Mark, when Dale Jr. said he was going to leave the company, there was a lot of talk whether DEI would survive, where it would go. Now you're talking about maybe it being a power in the future. Kind of talk about where you see all what's happened now has elevated this team. Also, what do you think Dale Earnhardt would think of you driving for him?
MARTIN: Well, I think Dale would be pleased. You know, I regret that Dale Jr. will be moving on. At the same time, I look forward to learning from the current master, which is Martin Truex Jr., the way they're running right now. I'm sure he's going to be able to teach me some things. And working with Paul Menard, such a tremendous raw talent. You know, this is something that is exciting for me. I think Dale would be as pleased about it as I am. This is not something that I ever dreamed of happening. I couldn't have scripted it like this. I would have been -- I would have felt that would have been too optimistic. It is a tremendous opportunity for me.
The long-term plan that we had goes on and is very exciting. As far as what, you know, I think that was a knee-jerk reaction what you're saying about if someone was saying that, you know, that DEI was going to falter, that it was, you know, all built around Dale Jr. This is one major step that the company is doing to show that they're wrong and that they will emerge from this, everyone a winner, Dale Jr., DEI will move to the next chapter in their careers. You know, it's evident that they were wrong and jump to conclusions if they made that statement.
QUESTION: This is for John and for Jay. The transition part, the transition, how hard is that? What has been done and how long do you think that process will take?
JOHN STORY: The transition has begun, at least the planning of it. Very quickly take you through it, I can tell you what our plans are on a high level. The 15 team will move into the building with the 01 car fairly quickly. Obviously that team is running very well. The 01 team is running very well; the 15 team is also running well. Put those two teams together, leaving the 1 and the 8 at DEI's facilities so that we don't disrupt anything they've got going on, both cars inside the Chase. We want to make sure we don't do anything that would perhaps take them out of the Chase. They'll stay there for the remainder of the year, in all likelihood. Move probably the week of Homestead to the new facility. We'll move all of our fabrication facilities, our fabrication departments will eventually move department by department over to the new facility. And then the existing DEI facility will be used for what we're hoping will be a two-car Busch program next year, a two-car Busch East program, and we're also looking now at getting back into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, something one of our new drivers is pushing pretty hard. I would like to see some of the young guys. Mark talked a lot about some of the younger drivers, and Mark is exactly right: If we were to start a truck program, it gives a lot of our younger drivers a lot more opportunity. And it's something we've talked a lot about in the last week for those guys.
So I would say the transition is going to be very -- it's going to take a lot of work; it's not going to be very hard, I don't believe. Jay may address it as well. But the facility over at Bobby's building is incredible if you've ever seen it. It allows us something -- the big benefit to us is we have 240,000 square feet where we are at DEI and there's about 180,000 square feet in the new facility, but it's one large room which allows our four Cup teams to be on the same floor and it will just open up communication. And they're at most 10 minutes apart. They're very, very close together. So it will be nothing to go back and forth.
QUESTION: Bobby, one big part of this was the inability to fund the 13 and the 14. How much harder is this business than you anticipated it would be one year ago today?
GINN: I don't think the business is harder. It clearly, the issues of sponsorship is getting more and more competitive. What I've seen in the last year is that the bigger teams are getting the bigger sponsors, and the teams that are trying to build themselves up have got to find sponsors, then match multiple sponsors together to get teams put together. We were reluctant to take one-off sponsors. We felt like it was important that in the long-term we got sponsors that would be with us that were major sponsors. The business itself was pretty simple.
We had great people over at the shop that we built, and I want to thank everyone for the hard work they did. There's a lot of people that went into making today possible to be in the position, as Jay said and Mark said, to be invited to merge with someone. There were a lot of teams out there that were discussing it, but to be able to move into a merger with DEI was the perfect fit for, I think, both teams because the shops and all the other things.
But it also goes to the sponsors. We're in the hospitality business, the marketing business. One thing that Teresa and I started talking about almost from the time we sat down together was how we were going to use the facilities and the B to B that my company has got, to help do what we started out to do in Ginn Racing. It wasn't important for us to have Ginn on the cars; it was important for us to take care of sponsors in our resorts and be able to use our B to B and building a relationship with sponsors that could really host golf tournaments and various other things that we bring to the table collectively now, you know, a united team that's got the best of shops, the best of drivers, the best of facilities, and two people, three people that really understand how to market. And I got a lesson in sponsorship, and I'm going to use that in the future to hopefully help Max and Teresa and John and all of them build it stronger.
QUESTION: Just for Paul. As impactful as this announcement is, how is the complexion of your season immediately impacted by the decision for these two teams to merge?
PAUL MENARD: I mean first off, we can go race now. We're locked in. The start of the year we were obviously outside top 35, and it was a huge struggle to get in. We had to focus so much on qualifying; it obviously hurt our race performance. But I felt like when we got into the race, barring any problems on the car or whatever, we ran good. We had a bunch of top-20 finishes in the races we made.
I told Mark the other night I was going to pick his brain. He's a living legend, and I'm going to use him to the best I can. Like I said, we're going to go race now, and we can hopefully move up in points. We're 30th as it sits now. I think a top 20 would be pretty reasonable.
CHEW: Well, thank you, gentlemen. It's my understanding they will stay here available for some one-on-ones as soon as I'm done with some quick housekeeping responsibilities here. So thank you for sharing your time with us.
GM Statement Regarding Ginn/DEI Merger
GM Racing
July 26, 2007Statement from Brent Dewar; General Motors North America Vice President of Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing
Regarding Merger of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and Ginn Racing NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Teams
“Chevrolet’s partner teams in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series have all contributed immensely to Chevrolet's stock-car racing success. The merger of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and Ginn Racing brings two strong Chevy teams together and we wish them well as they embark on their new partnership."
Ginn/DEI merger forms strong alliance
By Nancy Knapp Schilke
Motorsport.com – Business NASCAR
July 25, 2007Two Chevrolet teams have formed an alliance that will make both of them stronger in the future -- and the future is now. Starting with the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend, Dale Earnhardt, Incorporated and Ginn Racing will work together under one four-car umbrella.
"This merger is great for both companies," said Max Siegel, president of global operations for DEI. "Our stated goals included an expansion to four cars as quickly as possible and, in order to do that, we had to acquire more shop space. This relationship with Bobby Ginn and his company allows us to accomplish both which makes this a perfect transaction."
The cars and drivers effective immediately in this business arrangement are Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Mark Martin/Aric Almirola, Martin Truex, Jr. and Paul Menard. No mention was made of Ginn Racing's other two drivers, Sterling Marlin and Joe Nemechek, whom both were under contract with MB2 Motorsports in 2006, and extended to 2007 under the buy-out by Ginn Racing.
A result of the merger was the withdrawal of Regan Smith's Chevy at the Indianapolis speedway. Instead the team has entered him in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Claremont, Indiana on Friday, driving the Ginn Resorts Silverado.
In July, 2006, MB2 Motorsports traded hands when Ginn Resorts CEO and president Edward Robert Ginn III purchased the ownership of the team, whose company was a primary sponsor and thus changed the name to Ginn Racing.
"When I purchased Ginn Racing last year it was done with a goal of fielding a multi-car effort capable of winning races and championships," Ginn said. "We came very close to winning the season's biggest race earlier this year with Mark (Martin) and today we feel as if we have done one better by partnering with a company with the legacy of Dale Earnhardt Inc."
Ginn kept Jay Frye in his new venture last year as CEO and general manager of Ginn Racing. Frye had been with MB2 Motorsports since its inception in 1996. Years back, Frye was with Anheuser-Busch -- the main sponsor of the DEI's No. 8 Budweiser car.
Martin who left Roush Racing at the end of the 2006 season shocked many when he did not retire as predicted, instead he landed with Ginn Racing as a driver for selected events this season plus taking on the role of driver development for his new team. He has been a mentor for Smith, Almirola and Ricky Carmichael as the three learn the ropes of stockcar racing.
"Our goal at Ginn Racing is to reach a new level, and with Mark joining our organization it not only elevates our presence, but his knowledge and credibility will also be a valuable asset to all of our race teams. Our young drivers are going to be groomed by one of NASCAR's greatest drivers of all time," stated Ginn last year at Martin's new role in racing.
With the merger comes the price of losing ownership points; this will be for the Ginn Racing No. 13 car driven by Nemechek as required by NASCAR rules. "NASCAR's cap of four teams per company meant we had to give something up," said Ginn. We felt so strongly about this merger that we surrendered the intangible value of the 13 car," Ginn said. "We all were completely comfortable that the benefits of working together far outweighed the value of points."
On the other end of the spectrum is the powerhouse team formed in 1980 by Dale Earnhardt, Sr. and his wife Teresa. Upon his death, his widow took over the reins of the Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI) with Earnhardt Jr. as co-owner. The team's current drivers are Menard, Truex Jr and Earnhardt Jr. Earlier, Earnhardt Jr. made the news headlines when he announced he was leaving DEI as a race driver and venturing out into the playing field. He was signed by Hendrick Motorsports for the 2008 season and beyond.
Today, DEI's CEO and president Teresa Earnhardt has taken the team one step further with the merger. Currently in the points standings, Truex Jr sits 11th, followed by Earnhardt Jr. and with Martin (on a limited schedule and sharing the No. 01 with Smith and now Almirola) in 18th. The combined team has three of their five drivers in the top 20.
"There are three huge benefits to us - the real estate, Mark Martin and an ability to work with Bobby Ginn on strategic development projects that Teresa has been planning for years," Siegel said. "Teresa and Bobby have discussed some very high level strategies concerning her development objectives and who would be better to partner with than Bobby? This is a win-win relationship in its truest form."
DEI and Ginn Racing will continue to enter Chevys in the NASCAR Busch Series and the Grand Division's NASCAR Busch East Series. Outside of this weekend Truck series race, they have yet to determine their future in the NCTS.
Two of the immediate decisions were based on keeping both team shops as the distance is less than five miles apart and naming John Story, DEI vice president of operations, to oversee the expansion.
"The combined resources of the companies are tremendous. Ginn Racing just completed the installation of a seven-post rig. With our recently formed R&D team, as well as the combined efforts of two strong engineering programs, we will be able to accelerate our learning curve. Both companies have many smart and talented people," commented Story. "All of our teams will undoubtedly become stronger."
Ginn Merges With DEI To Stay Competitive
By Jenna Fryer
AP Auto Racing Writer
July 25, 2007CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Bobby Ginn had grand plans to build a contender when he bought a NASCAR team last summer. But he learned rather quickly that winning takes a lot of money, and without solid sponsorships, it's almost impossible to do.
Faced with scaling back his program to a noncompetitive level, Ginn instead merged his organization with Dale Earnhardt Inc. on Wednesday to form a four-car team that will debut this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
"We absolutely would have survived without merging, but what we would have wound up doing is taken on lesser sponsors," Ginn told The Associated Press in a Wednesday telephone interview.
"We would have had to continue to cut costs, and that is disgraceful to me. I am proud of the merger. I would not have been proud of putting a car out there that couldn't compete."
The new deal makes Ginn a partner at DEI, which had been owned outright by the late Dale Earnhardt's widow, Teresa. She remains the majority owner under the merger.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will continue to drive the No. 8 Chevrolet for DEI for the remainder of the season, and Martin Truex Jr. remains in the No. 1 Chevy.
Paul Menard, who has struggled to make races this season in the No. 15 for DEI, will get the owner points from Ginn's No. 14 entry. That car had been driven by Sterling Marlin, who had locked it into the field each week based on owner points. Now Menard is assured a spot in the field.
Ginn driver Mark Martin will now pilot the No. 01 Chevrolet for DEI and split seat time with Aric Almirola. Ginn's third car, the No. 13 that had been driven by Joe Nemechek, has been parked and won't compete under the merger as NASCAR rules limit a single organization to just four entries.
"Teresa is very excited about this merger," said Max Siegel, president of global operations at DEI. "She wakes up every day making sure 400 people have a job doing what they love, and today she has done something that has strengthened her company and positioned it for another 25 years."
Ginn, who will be listed as the car owner for Martin and Menard at least this weekend, thinks he's done the same. A Florida-based land developer, he made a splash last summer when he bought controlling interest in MB2 Motorsports.
He quickly pumped money into the cash-strapped team and was determined to pull it above its midlevel status and turn it into a contender. Ginn built a new 200,000-sq. foot race shop, bought expensive equipment that only the elite teams have, assembled a deep driver development program and lured Martin away from Roush Racing in a deal that expanded the organization to three Cup teams.
Then the team shocked NASCAR by nearly winning the Daytona 500 - Martin was nipped at the finish by Kevin Harvick, but his strong start to the season made him the points leader through the first four races of the season.
Even though he was on top, Ginn stuck to his word and allowed Martin to keep his plan of running a partial schedule this season. So Martin climbed out of the car at Bristol in March and forfeited the points lead as he turned the wheel over to Regan Smith.
That strong start should have lured big-money sponsors to the organization, but they never materialized and Ginn was forced sponsor Marlin and Nemechek himself with his Ginn Resorts brand.
He stopped doing that in early June, allowing the two cars to run with plain black paint schemes - Martin's car is sponsored by the U.S. Army - and he was forced to let employees go as they scaled back operations.
"We were forced with either having to cut expenses or keep running the cars," he said. "And when I cut expenses, I noticed our performance level was going down. That really weighed on my mind."
Convinced that merging teams is the way of the future in NASCAR, Ginn set out to find a partner that would help create one fully funded super team.
Ginn found it in DEI, which has been trying to move back into elite status after several lean years following Earnhardt's 2001 death. The team took another hit in May when Earnhardt Jr. said he would leave at the end of the season - he's going to Hendrick Motorsports, based partly on a poor relationship with Teresa Earnhardt and partly on his belief that DEI isn't in position to win championships.
DEI has made strides since that May 10 announcement, focusing on building the team and preparing for a future without Earnhardt Jr. Siegel said Ginn was the perfect opportunity.
Ginn's shop is just four miles away from DEI, and will immediately house Martin and Menard's teams. Earnhardt and Truex will move into the building if they are eliminated from Chase contention, or when the season ends. DEI's existing facility will be used for the Busch and driver development programs.
DEI officials and Ginn will spend the next several weeks merging the personnel from both companies, and it's not clear who will make the cut. Smith, who has shared seat time with Martin this season but was expected to get a Cup ride of his own with Ginn, is now in limbo. He's entered in Friday night's Truck race in Indianapolis for Ginn, with nothing else immediately announced on his schedule.
Ginn said letting employees go - particularly Marlin and Nemechek - is the hardest part of the merger. But he's convinced it's for the best for both companies.
"I look at this like I may have sacrificed some ownership, and it doesn't have my name on it, but at the end of the day I have bettered everybody for doing this," Ginn said. "Even if the sponsors had come in, we probably would be talking about something like this anyway. This is just going to be the way teams operate going forward, and we needed to be invited to the party before it was too late."
Ginn Racing Outlines Plan for the Future
Ginn RacingMOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 17, 2007) -- Emphasizing an eye on the future along with solidifying the foundation of its NASCAR Nextel Cup program, Ginn Racing announced the following transactions.
Aric Almirola, the 23-year-old Busch stalwart and a member of the Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) program the past four years, has signed with Ginn Racing. He will become Mark Martin's co-driver in the 01 U.S. Army Chevrolet for the remainder of the 2007 season and will also share the ride with Martin in 2008. His first race in the 01 will be Aug. 12 at the road course in Watkins Glen, N.Y. As part of his contractual obligations, Almirola will compete in five remaining Busch races for JGR this season.
Regan Smith, 23, who was Martin's co-driver in the 01, will assume full-time driving duties in the team's No. 14 Chevrolet, beginning with the Nextel Cup race July 29 in Indianapolis. Smith replaces Sterling Marlin.
Due to a lack of sponsorship, the No. 13 Ginn Racing team is currently being evaluated. Joe Nemechek, who drove the No. 13, has been released and is free to explore other opportunities.
"We are starting our future now," said Jay Frye, Ginn Racing's CEO and general manager. "A lot has been said about our program recently and this shows we've been working hard to solidify our future. We are very excited aboutAric joining our U.S. Army team to co-drive with Mark. He is a talented young driver as is Regan, who has proved this season that he is ready to take full control of a Nextel Cup ride. These two 23-year-old drivers are the groundwork for future success."
"We appreciate everything that Joe and Sterling have done for us," added Frye. "They have been a class act."
Nemechek joined the team with four races remaining in the 2003 season. He drove the 01 car before taking over the No. 13 ride at the beginning of the 2007 season. While in the 01 car he had one win and three poles.
Marlin, a 30-year veteran in NASCAR, joined Ginn Racing following the 2005 season.
Smith, who has competed in five Cup races this season and was ranked fifth in Busch points before his No. 4 team scaled back after the 16th race, is looking forward to the new challenge.
"I am ready togo and take advantage of another Ginn Racing opportunity," said Smith. "This is a quality organization with great equipment. I have learned so much this year driving with Mark and you can bet that I will continue to seek his advice. I am also excited about having Aric as a new teammate."
Almirola, a Tampa, Fla. native of Cuban descent, was one of Joe Gibbs Racing's first prospects in the company's diversity program founded by Gibbs and the late Reggie White, an initiative that traces its roots back to 2003.
"I am so excited about this opportunity," said Almirola, who has three Busch Series poles and a victory, as he co-drove with Denny Hamlin to win the June 23rd race at The Milwaukee Mile. "To share a ride with Mark Martin and have him as a driving coach is awesome. I want to thank everyone at Ginn Racing for believing in me and also to all of the people who have supported me along the way. I just can't wait to get on with this ride. It's going to be such an honor to represent the U.S. Army and all of our soldiers. Wearing the Army uniform will mean so much to me."
"I can't thank Joe Gibbs Racing enough for what they've done for me," added Almirola. "They allowed me to get to this position by giving me a chance at a time when I had a lot of desire but little money. The equipment they gave me and the people they surrounded me with made me a better race car driver and a better person. They saw what this opportunity with Ginn Racing meant to me, and they didn't stand in the way. Joe Gibbs Racing will always have a special place in my heart."
Almirola, who has competed in 13 Busch races and one Cup event this season, was introduced to racing by his mother's father -- Sam Rodriguez, a Florida native. Almirola's father, Ralph, came to the United States from Cuba at age four during the Freedom Flights of the mid-1960s.
Almirola began his JGR career driving a late model in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series at the .4-mile Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, N.C., in 2004. After scoring two wins, six top-fives and 15 top-10s, Almirola traversed the Southeast competing in regional late model races.By the end of 2005, Almirola was running a limited schedule in the Craftsman Truck Series, which led to a full-time Truck Series ride and a nine-race Busch Series schedule in 2006.
Mark Martin Post Race Notes and Quotes – Pocono
GM Racing
August 5, 2007MARK MARTIN, NO. 01 U.S. ARMY MONTE CARLO SS - Finished 9th:
"This was just another solid effort by this U.S. Army Chevrolet Team. We had a pretty good car all day and were able to do a lot of passing. We had a about a 15th-place car in practice yesterday and were able to improve on that with another top-10 finish.
"I can't tell you how impressed I am with (crew chief) Ryan Pemberton and the entire Army Team. With all they have had to contend with the past two weeks and then to come out and run like we did at Indy and here by claiming two top-10 finishes, that says so much about the character of this race team. It's the Army spirit. You battle harder when you face adversity. It also says so much about why I wanted to come back and drive this team's race car again next year.
"We never quite got track position and tires were too important to short change ourselves there. If we could have gotten further up in line, we could have stayed there. There were just a few cars better than us. I think we could have finished inside the top five if we could have just found a way to get up there.
"We beat a lot of good drivers and teams today. These guys really know how to focus on race day. There have been a lot of distractions the last two weeks, but these guys really get it done. We've had great stuff on the race track and I'm really enjoying driving the soldiers' car.
"I have to congratulate Pat Tryson and Kurt Busch on the win. I'm very happy for Pat. Pat deserves that run and so does Kurt. It's great to see those guys close the deal like they did today."
Mark Martin Post Race Report – Pocono
DEIMartin, Army Team Solid With Another Top-10 Finish
LONG POND, Pa. (Aug. 5, 2007) -- For the second week in a row and the ninth time this season, Mark Martin took the checkered flag with a top-10 finish. The U.S. Army driver powered his 01 Chevrolet from a 25th starting spot to a ninth-place result in Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 Nextel Cup event at Pocono Raceway.
"This was just another solid effort by our U.S. Army Team," said Martin, who finished sixth in Indianapolis last week. "We had a pretty good car all day and were able to do a lot of passing. We had about a 15th-place car in practice yesterday and were able to improve on that with another top-10."
The veteran driver wasted little time flexing his muscle once the green flag dropped. He picked up six positions in the first four laps and drove all the way to 11th by the time he pitted for the first time under green on Lap 30 of 200.
"I can't tell you how impressed I am with (crew chief) Ryan Pemberton and the entire Army Team," noted Martin, who finished seventh here in June. "With all they've had to contend with the past two weeks and then to come out and claim back-to-back top-10 finishes says so much about the character of this race team. It's the Army spirit -- you battle harder when you face adversity."
"It also says so much about why I wanted to come back and drive this team's race car again next year," added Martin.
Martin broke into the top 10 for the first time on Lap 129. He dropped back for a while, but patiently bided his time until returning to the top 10 on Lap 153, where he would run for the remainder of the race.
"There were just a few cars better than us," said Martin. "I think we could have finished inside the top five if we could have just found a way to get up there. We beat a lot of good drivers and teams today. We've had great stuff on the race track and I'm really enjoying driving the soldiers' car."
Despite running in 16 of the 21 Cup races to date, Martin is 16th in driver points and the 01 Dale Earnhardt, Inc. team is 10th in owner points.
In his 16 races this season, Martin has posted four top fives, nine top 10s, 13 top 15s and 15 top 20s.
The Pocono race winner was Kurt Busch, who edged Martin's DEI teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Martin will take off next weekend's Nextel Cup road race in Watkins Glen, N.Y. He will return to action the following week at Michigan International Speedway.
Mark Martin – Friday Media Visit – Pocono
GM Racing
August 3, 2007Mark Martin, No. 01 U.S. Army Monte Carlo SS, met with members of the media and discussed the jobs lost after the Ginn Racing-DEI merger, on how much of that situation is a distraction to him coming to the race track, sponsorship plans and his part-time schedule for 2008, the status of drivers in the development program, Regan Smith, adjustments he's had to make by changing teams, how he handles the stress that has come along with the recent changes, on how to get back to a more relaxed schedule, integrating teams, Aric Almirola, spending time at DEI, Ricky Carmichael, winning three races in a row, on how the team merger may affect his dealings with Hendrick Motorsports and on riding motorcross.
Select quotes from driver interview:
ON IT BEING UNDERSTOOD THAT 120 PEOPLE WERE LET GO AFTER THE MERGER
"Well your understanding is different than mine. I'm not the spokesperson for that place but it was my understanding that I think about 70 made the cut and I didn't think there was 200. I thought there was 140 working there but I don't know what is exactly accurate. I thought it turned out better than expected. I think it was better than everyone expected and another thing that you have to keep in mind, that was coming anyway. Another team was being shut down and shortly behind that more yet in my estimation, so the thing that you have to remember is the merger didn't really.we were already in the process of shutting down a Busch team and one Cup team and the possibility of even another one maybe being in jeopardy going forward based on sponsorship."
ON HOW TO GET BACK TO A MORE RELAXED SCHEDULE
"This whole opportunity is going to bring some additional I think responsibilities and it's going to be a little bit more work especially for a while to make sure that we have it all off on the right foot and everything working like we would like for it to work and trying to combine the 01's racing hardware and thought processes with DEI's hardware and their processes which we have not managed to do yet obviously based on the change coming in such short notice. We're in the process of getting the personnel stuff squared away and we can work more on the competition side of it going forward. The guys are doing a great job with that, with their planning and all and we have quite a bit of other things in front of us that we need to sort out and as we sort those things out it will get more comfortable for me and for everyone involved but this is something that I'm very excited about. For me, it's real special to have this opportunity at this stage of my career to be a part of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated and to see them emerge in 2008 stronger than anyone ever expected."
Mark Martin USG Sheetrock 400 Post Race Report
Ginn Racing
July 15, 2007Mark Martin picked up two positions on the final restart to bring home a 14th-place finish in Sunday's USG Sheetrock 400 Nextel Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway. Martin had to come from the back of the field after wrecking his primary car in the early moments of Saturday’s first practice session.
“This was just an awesome comeback by the U.S. Army Team,” said Martin. “I let them down yesterday and they really had to fight back for this finish. I’m so proud to drive this car for (crew chief) Ryan Pemberton and the No. 01 Ginn Racing team."
“We had one of the best cars that I’ve ever had on Friday and I lost it yesterday in practice,” added Martin. “But these guys really dug down and came back with all they had. To lose a car like that and be able to pull the backup out and be competitive really says a great deal about this team.”
Martin was indeed stout on Friday by qualifying the Army Chevy fourth. He was forced to give up his second row starting position after the team went to the backup car and made an engine change. Under NASCAR rules, a team that makes an engine change is sent to the rear of the starting field.
The team recovered from the accident and Martin was able to participate in Saturday's second practice session.
True to character, the veteran U.S. Army driver wasted little time flexing his muscles once the green flag dropped on Sunday, picking up five spots on the first lap. He broke into the top-30 on Lap 22 of 267 and moved to 24th on Lap 46 when the field began green flag pits stops.
By the second pit stop on Lap 58, Martin had moved up to 17th, thanks to quick stops by the 01 over-the-wall crew. He quickly moved to 16th and remained there before gaining two positions on the final lap to post a 14th-place result.
The finish was Martin’s 11th top 15 in 14 races in 2007. He is ranked 18th in driver points, despite missing five races. The 01 team is ranked 10th in owner points.
The Nextel Cup Series will take next weekend off, before returning to action in two weeks for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Martin has eight top-10 and five top-five finishes at Indy, including a fifth-place run at the Brickyard last season.
Mark Martin Post Race Notes and Quotes – USG Sheetrock 400
GM Racing
July 15, 2007MARK MARTIN, NO. 01 U.S. ARMY CHEVROLET, FINISHED 14TH
"This was just an awesome comeback by the U.S. Army Team," said Martin. "I let them down yesterday and we really had to fight back for this finish. I'm so proud to drive this car for (crew chief) Ryan Pemberton and this No. 01 Ginn Racing team.
"We had one of the best cars that I've ever had on Friday and I lost it yesterday in practice," added Martin. "But these guys really dug down and came back with all they had. To lose a car like that and be able to pull the backup out and be competitive really says a great deal about this team."
Mark Martin Saturday Accident Quotes – USG Sheetrock 400
GM Racing
July 14, 2007Comments from Mark Martin, No. 01 U.S. Army Monte Carlo SS USG Sheetrock 400, Chicagoland Speedway
MARK MARTIN, NO. 01 U.S. ARMY MONTE CARLO SS
NOTE: Martin spun out and clipped the wall with the rear of his car coming off Turn 2 in today's first practice session and was forced to a backup car. He will give up his fourth-place starting position and start at the back of the field in Sunday's race. "It's just absolutely inexcusable. This U.S. Army team built me one of the best cars I've ever had in my life and there is just no excuse for me letting that happen.
"I'll probably never get over it as long as I live. I've really never seen a shock change make that much of a difference, but that should not have happened."
The car involved in the accident was a new chassis. The backup car last ran at Michigan (June 17) where it finished 29th. It finished seventh at Pocono (June 10) in its run before that.
Martin Forced To Backup Car After Accident
Martin to start in back of the field after wrecking in Saturday's first practice session at Chicagoland
Ginn RacingJOLIET, Ill. (July 14, 2007) -- Mark Martin will be forced to go to a backup car for Sunday's USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway, after wrecking his 01 U.S. Army Chevrolet in Saturday's first practice session. Martin will have to give up his fourth-place starting position and start in the back of the field for Sunday's race.
Martin spun out and clipped the wall with the rear of his car coming off of turn two. The veteran was hard on himself after the accident.
"It's just absolutely inexcusable," said Martin. "This U.S. Army team built me one of the best cars I've ever had in my life and there is just no excuse for me letting that happen.
"I'll probably never get over it as long as I live. I've really never seen a shock change make that much of a difference, but that should not have happened."
The car involved in the accident was a new chassis. The backup car last ran at Michigan (June 17) where it finished 29th. It finished seventh at Pocono (June 10) in its run before that.
The team is working at this moment to get the car ready for the next practice session.
Grand-Am 400K Race Statistics For Car Number 3
July 14, 2007Start: 17
Finish: 8
Drivers: Shane Lewis, Randy Ruhlman and Mark Martin
Team: Southard Motorsports
Car: Lexus Riley
Sponsor: Preformed Line Products/TrueChoice Motorsports
Laps Completed: 190
Total Time: 2:22:08.289
Behind Leader: 2 laps
Best Lap Time: 42.013
In Lap: 155
Average Speed: 104.265
Qualifying Time: --
Southard Motorsports Daytona Prototype Takes Eighth Place
With Mark Martin On Board At board at Iowa Speedway
Southard Motorsports
July 14, 2007Newton, Iowa (July 14, 2007) -- NASCAR legend Mark Martin joined Southard Motorsports for his first ever Daytona Prototype race and helped the team score an eighth place finish. Additionally, the team won the SunTrust Improve Your Position Award under the lights at Iowa Speedway Friday, July 13th. The crowd was impressive for Round 9 of the Grand-Am Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve, as Mark Martin, Shane Lewis and Randy Ruhlman worked together to take the No. 3 Preformed Line Products Lexus Riley to its first top-ten of the season at Iowa Speedway.
Mark Martin juggled a full schedule this weekend. Flying in late from NASCAR Nextel Cup qualifying at Chicagoland and slated to start the race at Iowa Speedway, Martin missed Daytona Prototype qualifying and was forced to start from the rear of the field. But that did not stop Martin from moving up quickly once the race got underway. Martin quickly adapted to the Prototype, passing seven cars to move into tenth place, while keeping pace with the leaders. When a caution came out on Lap 39, Martin pitted and Shane Lewis took over with full fuel and new tires.
The resulting pit stops put half the field, including Lewis, down a lap to the leaders. Battling back from 14th by turning fast, consistent times, Lewis stayed out during the next yellow and the car got its lap back. The team then took a gamble that another yellow would come out. Lewis ran firmly in fifth place, and showed as high as fourth, until late in the race when he finally had to come in for fuel. The team pitted the car in 32 seconds, not making a driver change, and went back out in ninth place. The race stayed green and Lewis worked his way back up to finish an impressive eighth overall in the 192-lap Daytona Prototype race.
Martin said after his first race in a Daytona Prototype car, "It sure was a lot of fun out there. I could almost go flat out around the oval. The car ran a lot better in the race and I've got to thank Shane and Randy for getting a much better set up than we had yesterday [in practice]. I could get a good run in the oval in this car, and then I'd try to get through the tight stuff. These cars are really sophisticated compared to the ones I usually drive, so it was a blast to drive this car."
"Mark did an awesome job on the start," commented Lewis after the race. "Obviously, his experience through the oval section paid off. He went for it right off the green. He did a great job and handed me an awesome car. Our pit strategy worked well. We'd made so many changes and hadn't practiced at night, I didn't know if the car would come to me or it would be loose or tight. The perfect part was the car came right to me; it was exactly where we wanted it to be. And I can't thank Randy enough. The entire plan was for him to get in at that next yellow. But when our track position was there, he sacrificed his seat time, and said, "Keep it running!" It allowed us to do a quick splash of fuel and stay out there to finish in the top ten. I can't thank him enough for everything."
Ruhlman, who helped set up on the car on Thursday and Friday, but did not end up driving in the race, said, "Sure, I'd like to have gotten in the car tonight. This is a great track and I love to drive under the lights. It's what was planned, but we had a unique situation here with Mark in the car. We had a chance to get a good finish here and if we'd taken the time to make another driver change, we'd have lost our track position. In this kind of racing, it isn't about one driver, like some other series, but about the team and making the most of our opportunities. And that paid off tonight with a good finish here at Iowa."
The 400-K race at the newly built, Rusty Wallace designed Iowa Speedway went the full 192-laps on the 1.3-mile road course oval in Newton, Iowa, just outside of Des Moines. The television coverage was good for the team with extensive on track coverage of the car on the SPEED Channel, as well as on-air interviews with drivers Mark Martin and Randy Ruhlman during the race. Local market coverage from television and radio, as well as print was heavy throughout the two-day race event.
The No. 3 Preformed Line Products Daytona Prototype is campaigned by Southard Motorsports of Powell, Ohio. The Riley chassis is powered by Lexus engines with technical expertise by TRD Engineering and carries sponsorship from Preformed Line Products from Mayfield Village, Ohio.
Mark Martin did doing double duty this weekend, driving in both the Grand-Am Daytona Prototype event at Iowa Speedway and the NASCAR Nextel Cup event at Chicagoland.
Iowa Speedway Post Test Day Quotes - Mark Martin
Southard Motorsports
July 12, 2007Question: What is it about the speedway that makes it so special? Everyone seems to like it?
MM: "Well, I think it's just designed really well. Rusty Wallace and the guys did a really good job with it. I wanted to come here and see the fans and check the place out."
Question: Tell us about these Daytona Prototypes if you would?
MM: "They are very sophisticated compared to what I'm used to driving. They do a lot more for you than our big heavy cars do. It's a lot of fun. I'm here for my first time in one, and we're just playing with it. It's still all about driving a car as fast as it will go, no matter what car it is or what track. That's basically what I'm doing: is going as fast I as I can with it here and keep it up on the pavement."
Martin Turns Several Laps In Daytona Prototype Practice At Iowa
Grand-Am.comNEWTON, Iowa (July 12, 2007) -- After months of anticipation, Mark Martin finally took the No. 3 Southard Motorsports Preformed Line Products/TrueChoice Motorsports Lexus Riley Daytona Prototype out for some track time in Thursday's Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve promoter practice session at Iowa Speedway.
In a busy four-day stretch, where he will compete in Friday's Daytona Prototype race at Iowa as well as Sunday's NASCAR Nextel Cup Series "USG Sheetrock 400" at Chicagoland Speedway, Martin turned 30 laps during a one-hour stretch at Iowa, setting a fast time of 43.823 seconds (106.793 mph).
It marked the first time Martin - one of the NASCAR's top road racers - had piloted a Daytona Prototype. He will share the car with Shane Lewis and Randy Ruhlman throughout the two days, which includes qualifying and a two-and-a-half hour race starting at 8 p.m. Friday local time (SPEED, 10 p.m. Friday ET).
"They are very sophisticated cars compared to what I'm used to driving," Martin said. "They do a lot more for you than the big heavy cars do. They are a lot of fun. This was my first time in one, so I was just playing with it."
Martin was also quick to note his admiration of the 1.3-mile, nine-turn track.
"It's beautiful. I think it's just designed very well," Martin said. "(Owner) Rusty (Wallace) and the rest of the guys did a great job developing the track, and I really wanted to come here, see the fans and check the place out."
Martin has five victories and 27 top-five finishes in 60 NASCAR Nextel Cup road races. Scott Pruett leads the championship point standings heading into the weekend.
Mark Martin Race Preview - USG Sheetrock 400
Ginn RacingMARTIN, U.S. ARMY TEAM HEAD TO CHICAGOLAND
After fighting back to a 17th-place finish at Daytona last Saturday, Martin and the team head to Chicagoland Speedway where Martin will look for his first top-five finish in six starts at the 1.5 mile-track.
MARK MARTIN AT CHICAGOLAND
Starts: 6
Wins: -
Top 5's: -
Top 10's: 3
Poles: --
Highest finish: 6th ('01)
First time: 7-15-01 (6th)
Last Year: 7-9-06 (18th)MARK MARTIN – LAST YEAR AT CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY
July 9, 2006
Started 9th, Finished 18thMark Martin and the No. 6 team weathered a tough day at Chicagoland Speedway in the USG Sheetrock 400 to finish 18th and hold on to the sixth place in the Nextel Cup point standings. Martin started ninth but struggled early on, falling back to 28th before rebounding for the top-20 finish. Martin and crew chief Pat Tryson used a blend of pit strategy and gritty racing to put Martin at 18th when the checkered flag fell.
MARK MARTIN – FAST FACTS – CHICAGOLAND
This will be Martin's seventh start at Chicagoland Speedway.
Martin finished sixth in the inaugural race at Chicagoland in 2001 and 18th there last season.
Martin has a 13.5 average finish at Chicagoland.
Martin has led in four of the six races at Chicagoland.
Martin is one of 20 drivers that has competed in all five races at Chicagoland.
Chicagoland is the only track on the Cup circuit where Martin has not posted a top-five finish.
Martin and the No. 01 U.S. Army are currently ninth in Nextel Cup owner points.
WORTHY NOTE
Chicagoland is the only track on the Nextel Cup circuit that Martin has never posted a top-five finish.
SHORT HISTORY AT CHICAGOLAND
This will be the Nextel Cup’s Series' seventh visit to Chicagoland Speedway, where Martin has finished inside the top 10 in three of his six visits. He finished sixth in the inaugural race there in 2001 and ninth the following year. In 2004, Martin had one of the fastest cars in the race and was running third when he lost his engine with only two laps remaining and was forced to settle for a 24th-place finish. He rebounded in 2005 with a 10th-place finish and finished 18th there last year.
TOP FIVE SHUTOUT
Chicagoland is the only track on the Nextel Cup circuit where Martin has never posted a top-five finish. It is one of four tracks (Pocono, New Hampshire and Daytona) where the veteran has not won in a Nextel Cup point race.
WHAT'S THE POINT
Despite having missed five races in 2007, Martin is still 18th in the Nextel Cup driver point standings, ahead of 13 drivers who have competed in all 18 events. In addition Martin trails 16th place Greg Biffle by only 65 points.
MULTI-TASKING
In addition to his cup duties at Chicagoland, Martin will take place in the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series at Iowa Speedway on Friday night. Martin will team with Shane Lewis and Randy Ruhlman in the No. 3 Preformed Line Products Lexus-Riley. It will be Martin's first time in a Daytona Prototype.
QUOTING MARK ON CHICAGOLAND
"The racing at Chicago has gotten better each year that we've gone there. The different grooves are really starting to develop and it's turning into a pretty good place to race. We should see some solid racing there this year and it's the kind of track where if you can get your car working right, you can really pass some cars.
"I'm looking forward to going to Chicago this weekend with Ryan (Pemberton) and the No. 01 Team. We are due a good run and I think Chicagoland is just the kind of track for us to break out. I know the guys are still pretty hungry for us to take this U.S. Army Chevy to victory lane and we continue to work towards that. We didn't have a lot of luck at Daytona, but we were able to fight back there at the end after having a flat tire with just a few laps remaining. This is a pretty resilient race team and it's always a pleasure to work with these guys."
Martin Looking For Final Piece Of The Puzzle With Top-Five At Chicagoland
Ginn Racing
July 10, 2007JOLIET, Ill. -- Mark Martin boasts 238 top-five finishes in his illustrious Nextel Cup career. Those finishes have come on virtually every track on the Nextel Cup circuit, except for one – Chicagoland Speedway.
“That is kind of a surprising statistic,” said Martin. “Because it’s really my kind of track and we’ve had some good runs there. Of course we have raced there a lot less than most of the other places, but hopefully we can go there this weekend and put that stat to rest with a solid top-five outing in the No. 01 U.S. Army Chevrolet.”
Though Chicagoland may be the only track on the circuit where Martin has yet to claim a top-five finish in a Nextel Cup race, that’s not to say he has not run well there. He has finished inside the top 10 in three of the six NASCAR Cup races contested at the 1.5-mile oval.
He finished one spot out of the top five in the inaugural run at Chicagoland in 2001. He all but had a top-five locked up there in 2004 when he lost his engine while running third with only two laps remaining.
“Chicagoland is a great place to race,” added Martin. “The track gets better each time we go there. It’s a track where if you can get the car working right, you can really pass some cars and make some noise. Hopefully, we’ll be doing plenty of that this weekend in the Army Chevy.”
Martin has led in four of the six events at Chicagoland. He raced only once there in the Busch Series, finishing fifth in 2005. He also finished fifth in the track's only IROC event in 2003.
Martin’s 238 top-five career finishes have come on 21 of the current 22 tracks and at former Cup race sites -- Riverside, Calif., North Wilkesboro, N.C. and Rockingham, N.C.
Martin has won at all of the current Nextel Cup tracks except for Daytona, New Hampshire, Pocono and Chicagoland.
Despite missing five Cup races as part of his limited schedule with Ginn Racing in 2007, Martin is 18th in driver points. The combination of Mark Martin and Regan Smith have the 01 Army team ranked ninth in owner's points.
Mark Martin to drive with Lewis and Ruhlman at Iowa Speedway race in Southard Motorsports Daytona Prototype
Grand-Am.comPOWELL, Ohio (July 9, 2007) -- When the Southard Motorsports No. 3 Preformed Line Products Lexus Riley sets off for the starting line at Iowa Speedway on Friday, July 13, it will have a special guest behind the wheel, NASCAR great Mark Martin. Martin will join drivers Randy Ruhlman and Shane Lewis, as they take on the new 1.3-mile, Rusty Wallace-designed road course at Iowa Speedway for Round 9 of the Grand-Am Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve.
While Mark Martin is no newcomer to the world of sports cars or road racing, the Iowa event will be his first time driving in a Grand-Am Daytona Prototype race. Martin, who has numerous NASCAR Nextel Cup wins, also holds the distinction of being part of four GT victories at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Earlier this week, at a pre-race press conference held at Daytona International Speedway before the Grand-Am and Nextel Cup races, the three drivers--Martin, Lewis, and Ruhlman, along with Iowa Speedway designer Rusty Wallace, talked about the upcoming Grand-Am race at the Newton, Iowa track.
Martin commented, "We've been hearing about the Speedway at Iowa for quite some time now, and I hadn't had a chance to get out there yet. The opportunity came up this year...and I jumped right at the chance to race on the road course and to run one of these cars. It should be really quite an experience. I've been able to watch them run and I'm looking forward to it. I've got some good teachers here to talk me through this, so I'm just planning on having a good time out there. I'm excited about it. And [the race] is in a region where we don't get to too often. I'm sure we're going to get to see a lot of race fans who ordinarily won't get a chance to see us race."
"Mark is a tremendous driver," says Ruhlman. "He's had so much success in NASCAR and on the ovals that people don't remember that he's an excellent road racer, too. There is no doubt that he'll do a great job in the Prototype, they are fun cars. I don't think there's much we can teach him, maybe the other way around. But it's energizing to have him be part of the team for this race. And with DP never having raced at Iowa before, I think we'll all have a lot of learning to do here in these cars. It should be a great race."
"I've never been there in a DP car, but I can say from before that Iowa is definitely a fan-friendly place," says Lewis, who had the opportunity to race at the Iowa Speedway earlier this year in a Koni Challenge ST car. "It will be a really exciting race to watch and to be a part of. We'll have the benefit of Grand-Am and NASCAR knowledge on the team, and we're definitely looking to be competitive, but there's also a fun factor that is important, too. I'm looking forward to the Prototype race and driving with Mark and Randy. I think it will be fun for us all."
A track sponsored test day on Thursday, July 11, will help the teams prepare for Friday's official practice and the 5 p.m. Friday qualifying session. The 400-K race at the newly built Iowa Speedway starts at 8 p.m. CDT for 192-laps or 2 1/2 hours on the 1.3-mile road course oval in Newton, Iowa, just outside of Des Moines. The race will be broadcast same-day delayed on Friday, July 13th at 10 p.m. ET.
The No. 3 Preformed Line Products Daytona Prototype is campaigned by Southard Motorsports of Powell, Ohio. The Riley chassis is powered by Lexus engines with technical expertise by TRD Engineering and carries sponsorship from Preformed Line Products from Mayfield Village, Ohio.
Mark Martin will be doing double duty this weekend, competing in the Grand-Am Daytona Prototype event at Iowa Speedway, as well as in the NASCAR event at Chicagoland. Martin has compiled one of the most successful careers in NASCAR history, and his 35 wins are the third among active drivers. A true legend within the sport, Martin enters his 25th season of NEXTEL Cup racing, the last 19 of which he spent behind the wheel of the No. 6 Roush Racing car. He is currently fourth in Nextel Cup's all-time standings and his name appears in the top 10 of several of NASCAR's all-time lists with an impressive 16 top-10 points finish in the past 18 seasons.
Randy Ruhlman, a veteran of the popular Trans-Am Series, has extensive racing experience. Ruhlman makes the record books as fourth in Top Ten finishes in Trans-Am history and was the top American driver in the 2005 Trans-Am Drivers' Championship, holding the points lead throughout the season and scoring a pair of wins--the season opener at the Long Beach Grand Prix and the Cleveland Grand Prix. He was named the 2005 BBS "Most Improved Driver of the Year". Concentrating most recently on road racing, Ruhlman spent many years driving the ovals and road courses of the ASA and the NASCAR short track series. In 2006, Ruhlman, a native of Greensboro, NC, drove the No. 40 Preformed Line Products Daytona Prototype for Derhaag Motorsports.
Shane Lewis is widely considered to be one of the sports leading development drivers and has competed in twenty-four 24 Hour Races--nine-times in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, three-times at Le Mans and twice at Nürburgring. An instructor at The Mid-Ohio School and always a fan favorite, Shane Lewis, resident of Florida, earned two Daytona Prototype podium finishes with Southard Motorsports in 2006, at the Long Beach Grand Prix and Phoenix. He has multiple wins in the Rolex Sports Car Series and Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series, as well as the IMSA Supercar Championship and the SCCA Pro Series World Challenge. Lewis was the 1998 Professional Sports Car Racing Rising Star award winner.
Southard Motorsports reflects the goals and dedication of its owners, Steve and Martha Southard, both former drivers themselves in Historic and Professional racing. One of only two teams to have competed in every Grand American Rolex Daytona Prototype Sports Car event since 2004, they have shown the continuity and commitment that are hallmark to all winning programs and the team was pivotal in winning the inaugural Jim Truman Driver's Award. Southard Motorsports' experience and knowledge was highlighted by last year's successful Daytona Prototype season, as they captured two podium finishes, a third at the prestigious Long Beach Grand Prix and another third at Phoenix. The team recently announced an alliance with the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption to increase visibility and awareness for the Foundation and its programs.
Preformed Line Products (PLP) is an international manufacturer and supplier of hardware and support systems for the communications and energy industries. Products include COYOTE Fiber Optics and VORTEX Vibration Dampers used in the telecommunications, cable and energy industries. Manufacturing facilities are located worldwide in the USA, Canada, China, Brazil, Mexico, England, Spain, South Africa, Australia and Thailand.
For further information about the drivers, sponsor, and team, visit the following links:
Southard Motorsports: http://www.southardmotorsports.com
Preformed Line Products: http://www.preformed.com
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption: http://www.davethomasfoundationforadoption.org
Shane Lewis: http://www.shanelewis.com
Randy Ruhlman: http://www.randyruhlman.com
Grand-Am Series: http://www.grand-am.com
(Newton, IA) - NASCAR driver Mark Martin will make his Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype debut Friday evening, July 13 on the new 1.3 mile road course at Iowa Speedway, the Newton, Iowa, track designed by former NASCAR Champion and ABC/ESPN sports commentator, Rusty Wallace.
Martin, who will drive the No. 3 Preformed Line Products Lexus-Riley in the July race, was in Columbus for a seat fitting at Southard Motorsports of Columbus. He met briefly with media representatives and regular team drivers Shane Lewis and Randy Ruhlman before heading to Michigan International Speedway and the Citizens Bank 400. Steve Southard of Southard Motorsports, Stan Clement, President of Iowa Speedway, and Craig Armstrong, VP and General Manager of Iowa Speedway, also attended the seat fitting.
Martin, known as a "racer's racer" – meaning he is willing to race any kind of vehicle in any kind of conditions anywhere in the world – says he excited about racing in Iowa, “I’ve heard good things about Iowa Speedway and know it’s Rusty Wallace’s pride and joy,” Martin told reporters. “I'm looking forward to driving the Daytona Prototype for the first time, I'm also very excited to see and race at Iowa Speedway. Co-driving with Shane will be fun. I know he can get the job done; he will be a big asset in helping me get comfortable in the car during our test sessions. I love road racing and sports car racing. Winning a time or two in the Rolex 24 hour races will help me, I think. I just need to get used to the car and with the help of Steve Southard I feel that won't take very long.”
Iowa Speedway President, Stan Clement, said racing fans expect a great weekend of racing in Iowa in July, “We built a state-of-the-art track we call ‘America’s Place to Race’ and it’s a privilege to have a world class driver like Mark Martin race with us. And the Rolex Series brings Daytona-style racing to Iowa’s newest and finest road course, right here at Iowa Speedway.”
Iowa Speedway Vice President & General Manager, Craig Armstrong, said, “The great thing about Iowa Speedway’s road course is that all of the racing action is in view from every seat in the house. With Mark Martin taking on the Daytona Prototype field on Friday and, the GT Sports Cars, MOTO ST motorcycles, and Lonestar country music concert on Saturday, there will be plenty of action during our Grand American Rolex Series weekend.”
Shane Lewis, who will drive with Martin in Iowa, said the combination of NASCAR and Grand-Am racing experience on the Southard team should benefit the Iowa event, “Everyone at Southard Motorsports is really excited about having Mark joining us at Iowa and no one is happier about it than I am. I’ve been asked if I am worried about how little track time Mark will have in the PLP Lexus-Riley before he’ll be running wheel-to-wheel in the race. I just sort of look at them funny. Mark is in the elite of the elite in the Nextel Cup Series. The guy was leading the points’ race earlier this year and he has won the Rolex 24 twice. The man knows what he is doing. He’ll be fine in the car. The team has been struggling this season with our new engine-chassis combination. The whole Southard team, including Randy and I are working day and night but we can’t seem to break into the top of the pack on a regular basis. Having a guy like Mark in the car at a debut event like Iowa gives us a lot of added energy. This could be just the thing we need to push it over the top. Will he have his challenges? Sure, we all do trying to learn a new car, especially on a 1.3-mile road course at night. But, I’ve been on the track with Mark Martin, I’ve seen him hustle the stock cars at Watkins Glen and Sonoma [Infineon Raceway]. He’ll be up to speed in a heartbeat and we’re really excited about having him onboard! It will be fun to team up with Mark. I think we’ll have a great car and lots of racing experience to offer fans. It should be quite a weekend and we intend to give it our all”.
The Southard Motorsports team, with regular team drivers Shane Lewis and Randy Ruhlman, will also compete in the EMCO Gears Classic presented by KeyBank at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, June 22-24.
Best of Grand-Am and NASCAR Nextel Cup Combine at Iowa
Shane Lewis/Randy Ruhlman Joined by Mark Martin in PLP Southard Motorsports Lexus-Riley
Motorsports.com, Canada
POWELL, Ohio, June 14, 2007 - The best of the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series and the best of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series will combine at Iowa Speedway on July 14. Steve and Martha Southard, owners of the Southard Motorsports' No. 3 Preformed Line Products Lexus-Riley, in conjunction with Grand-Am and Iowa Speedway officials announced today that NASCAR superstar Mark Martin (Batesville, Ark., now living in Daytona Beach) will join lead driver, Shane Lewis (Jupiter, Fla.) and co-driver Randy Ruhlman (Greensboro, NC) at the upcoming 400k debut of the Daytona Prototypes at the Newton, Iowa track. The announcement came moments ago during a press conference at the team's Powell, Ohio-based shop where Martin is visiting for a seat fitting in the No. 3 PLP Daytona Prototype. Lewis, who is racing for H.A.R.T. Racing this weekend in the KONI Challenge Series at Mosport International Raceway, was unable to attend the press conference.
While many of his Nextel Cup competitors have used the close relationship between NASCAR and Grand- Am to moonlight in the highly competitive sports car series, the July 13-14 weekend at the new 1.3-mile Iowa facility will be Martin's first time in a Daytona Prototype. However, it is the second time that Lewis and Southard Motorsports have used the bridge between the two organizations. In early 2006, two-time NASCAR Busch Series Champion Randy LaJoie (Kannapolis, NC) co-drove the No. 3 Southard Riley with the multi-time Grand-Am event winner.
Despite being a "rookie" in the Daytona Prototypes, Martin is not without an impressive road racing resume. Long considered one of NASCAR's elite road racers, Martin competed in multiple sports car events from the late-1980s through the mid-1990s. Most impressively, Martin helped take GT victories in the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 1989, '91, '93 and '95. Since that time he has focused on NASCAR’s top-circuits. His past experiences and Lewis' expertise with the mid-engine prototypes will serve Martin well as he will not test the red, white and blue sports car prior to the first official track activity at Iowa Speedway.
Their road racing knowledge aside, one might be surprised with how much Lewis and Martin have in common. Both got their racing start on the dirt ovals of their hometowns, Martin in Batesville, Ark., Lewis in Lancaster, Calif. Both are avid fitness enthusiasts with an eye towards maximizing their driving through a physical training routine. Beyond these, at their core is something even stronger; a desire to race. Both Lewis and Martin delight in competing in a variety of cars. Martin is regularly seen jumping between NASCAR Nextel Cup, Busch Grand National and Craftsman Truck Series machines as well as the occasional visit to the local short track. Lewis regularly races in both the Rolex Sports Car Series with Southard Motorsports and the KONI Challenge Series with the H.A.R.T. Honda Accord. Earlier in the season the 24- time, 24 hour race starter also got his first taste of the Indy Pro Series and continues to actively pursue opportunities in the IndyCar Series. He has also been involved in both NASCAR Nextel Cup and ARCA stock car programs in the past.
Martin has enjoyed 35 Nextel Cup race victories and earned over $58 million in prize money (through 2006) since joining NASCAR's top division in 1981. He is the all-time leader in International Race of Champions (IROC) titles with five and earned three-consecutive ASA Championships (1978-1980) plus a fourth title in 1986. Martin holds the record for most Busch Grand National wins (47) and pole positions (29). The Iowa event is currently scheduled as Martin's only appearance in the Southard machine.
Southard Motorsports' participation in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series dates back to 2003. Lewis joined the team as lead driver in 2004 and has driven for the team in every event since that time. One of the most sought-after test and development drivers in motorsports, Lewis has helped the team earn multiple top-10 and two podium finishes.
Live television coverage of the nighttime race at Iowa Speedway can be seen on the SPEED Channel starting at 10 PM (ET), July 13.
Lewis will drive the No. 3 Preformed Line Products Lexus-Riley twice more with Ruhlman before Martin joins the team at Iowa. The EMCO Gears Classic is next on the schedule at the team's home track, the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, on June 24. That event will be followed by the Brumos Porsche 250 at Daytona International Raceway on July 5. The 250- mile event is the traditional Rolex Series/Nextel Cup doubleheader celebrating Independence Day.
Shane Lewis: "Everyone at Southard Motorsports is really excited about having Mark joining us at Iowa and no one is happier about it than I am. I've been asked if I am worried about how little track time Mark will have in the PLP Lexus-Riley before he'll be running wheel-to-wheel in the race. I just sort of look at them funny. Mark is in the elite of the elite in the Nextel Cup Series. The guy was leading the points' race earlier this year and he has won the Rolex 24 twice. The man knows what he is doing. He'll be fine in the car. The team has been struggling this season with our new engine-chassis combination. The whole Southard team, including Randy and I, are working day and night but we can't seem to break into the top of the pack on a regular basis. Having a guy like Mark in the car at a debut event like Iowa gives us a lot of added energy. This could be just the thing we need to push it over the top. Will he have his challenges? Sure, we all do trying to learn a new car, especially on a 1.3-mile road course at night. But, I've been on the track with Mark Martin, I've seen him hustle the stock cars at Watkins Glen and Sonoma [Infineon Raceway]. He'll be up to speed in a heartbeat and we're really excited about having him onboard!"
Mark Martin: "I'm looking forward to driving the Daytona Prototype for the first time, I'm also very excited to see and race at Iowa Speedway. Co- driving with Shane will be fun. I know he can get the job down, he will be a big asset in helping me get comfortable in the car during our test sessions. I love road racing and sports car racing. Winning a time or two in the Rolex 24 hour races will help me I think. I just need to get used to the car and with the help of Steve Southard I feel that won't take very long."
Steve Southard, Team Owner: "Being able to work with someone the caliber of Mark Martin is really a great opportunity for all of us at Southard Motorsports. When Craig Armstrong at Iowa Speedway approached us with the idea, I had my concerns, not about Mark as a driver, but about us being up to task. I think the guys here will step-up our program another notch and will make not only our fans but all sports car fans proud. I'm sure that Mark will draw on his immense background and help our team considerably. We are looking forward to the challenge and welcome Mark Martin to our team."
Mark Martin to race Daytona prototype in Iowa
By Nancy Knapp Schilke
Motorsport.com, Canada
June 14, 2007Twice in his career, Mark Martin has raced in a sportscar endurance event, it was at the famed 24 Hours of Daytona and twice, he has been a winner! The NASCAR star is returning to the cockpit of a sports car, this time he will try his hand at a Daytona Prototype in the Grand American Rolex Series on the 1.3-mile Iowa Speedway road course.
"Co-driving with Shane (Lewis) will be fun. I know he can get the job done; he will be a big asset in helping me get comfortable in the car during our test sessions," commented Martin. "I love road racing and sports car racing. I just need to get used to the car, and with the help of Steve Southard, I feel that won't take very long."
Martin's adventure will be with Steve Southard's team, sharing the driving time with Shane Lewis and Randy Ruhlman on a race track designed by Martin's friend and former racing rival, Rusty Wallace.
"Everyone at Southard Motorsports is really excited about having Mark joining us at Iowa, and no one is happier about it than I am," Lewis said.
Southard added: "Being able to work with someone the caliber of Mark Martin is really a great opportunity for all of us at Southard Motorsports. We are looking forward to the challenge and welcome Mark Martin to our team."
In 1995 co-driving the No. 70 "Nobody's Fool" Roush Racing Ford Mustang in the Daytona twice-around-the-clock event with Paul Newman, Tommy Kendall and Michael Brockman. They not only won the GTS-1 class, but they finished third overall. It was quite an accomplishment!
Having the stamina and physical demands of a long endurance race was easy for Martin who has adhered to an physical fitness program which is needed in NASCAR racing as well, considering the demands put on a driver at events like the Daytona 500, Charlotte 600 and other venues, that in themselves are endurance events.
Perhaps that is one reason that the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver has the records he has in Cup and Busch races. This season at selected events for Ginn Racing in his semi-retirement year, along with his duties as the team's mentor for their young and upcoming racers, Martin led the Cup standings causing fans and media alike to wonder with hope if he would do the full-season.
Racing since he was 15, Martin follows his own path, knowing what he wants and when. He stuck to his early statement on "select events only" but ... he did add three more races to the 2007 schedule.
With 35 Cup wins, along his 41 poles, Martin has stated many times that he was "having a great time" this year plus he still races, at his own choice, in the Busch series -- where he still holds the record of most wins with 47 -- and he even hops into a truck once in a while.
Now he is extending his fun, with his normal seriousness into sports car racing -- which leaves us to wonder, if Martin might do a few more in the future.
Iowa will be his first time in a Daytona Prototype as he and Lewis take on the challenge in a two-hour and 30 minute hotly-contested race on July 14th in Newton, Iowa.
"I've heard good things about Iowa Speedway and know it's Rusty Wallace's pride and joy," Martin said. "I'm looking forward to driving the Daytona Prototype for the first time and I'm also very excited to see and race at Iowa Speedway."
Lewis is one of the team's two full-season drivers and is the one selected to get Martin up-to-speed, so to speak. "I've been asked if I am worried about how little track time Mark will have in the PLP Lexus Riley before he'll be running wheel-to-wheel in the race," he said.
"I just sort of look at them funny. Mark is in the elite of the elite in the NEXTEL Cup Series," continued Lewis. "The guy was leading the points race earlier this year, and he has won the Rolex 24 twice. The man knows what he is doing. He'll be fine in the car."
Harvick & Martin to Race at Iowa Speedway
Iowa Speedway
April 4, 2007(Newton, IA) - Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin – the top two finishers at this year’s Daytona 500 – will race at Iowa Speedway this year. Harvick, driving for Richard Childress Racing, will race in the track’s first NASCAR race, the NASCAR Grand National East-West Sunday, May 20. Martin, driving for Ginn Racing, will race Friday night, July 13, in the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series race. The announcement was made by Iowa Speedway Vice President and General Manager, Craig Armstrong.
Iowa Speedway President, Stan Clement, said Harvick and Martin will bring added excitement to this year’s 2007 Racing Schedule at Iowa Speedway, “These two drivers represent the ‘best of the best’ and for us to have the top two finishers in this year’s Daytona 500 race here at Iowa Speedway – that’s about as good as it gets”. Clement also reminded racing fans that plenty of season and individual tickets are still available for all races in 2007.
Andy Vertrees, Chief Operating Officer at Iowa Speedway, who designed the track with former NASCAR Champion, Rusty Wallace, said the arrival of Harvick and Martin is a milestone for the track, “Rusty and I designed the track to attract the greatest race car drivers and racing teams in America to race in Iowa. That’s why we call our track, ‘America’s Place to Race’. We built a state-of-the-art track and for us to have two NASCAR greats like Kevin and Mark here in Iowa - really puts us on the map. We invite Iowans and racing fans everywhere to visit us this year for some of the best racing anywhere”.
Martin known as a "racer's racer" says he is willing to race any kind of vehicle in any kind of conditions anywhere in the world, "I'm very excited about running in the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series race at Iowa Speedway in July. When we cut back to a limited schedule this season, one of the great things about it was that it would give me time to do a lot of other things that I’ve wanted to do. I love to race all types of stuff, and I think we'll have a blast up there in Iowa in July."
Kevin Harvick – who edged Martin on the last lap to win this year’s Daytona 500 – told Iowa Speedway officials he excited to race in Iowa, “I look forward to racing in this year’s NASCAR Grand National East-West race at Iowa Speedway. I’ve heard a lot about the track, that it’s a fast track, and it should be a great race”.
Harvick, Martin to race at Iowa Speedway
Associated Press
April 4, 2007DES MOINES (AP) --- The leading money earners in stock car racing's top level NASCAR Nextel Cup series will race this year at the Iowa Speedway, track officials said Wednesday.
Kevin Harvick will race at the Iowa Speedway's first NASCAR race, the Grand National East-West on May 20.
Mark Martin will race July 13 in the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series race.
The announcements were made Wednesday by Iowa Speedway General Manager Craig Armstrong.
Harvick is the leading Nextel Cup money earner so far this season with $2.2 million. Martin is second with $1.6 million.
Harvick and Martin were the top two finishers at this year's Daytona 500.
"These two drivers represent the 'best of the best' and for us to have the top two finishers in this year's Daytona 500 race here at Iowa Speedway -- that's about as good as it gets," said Iowa Speedway President Stan Clement.
Martin, 48, had planned on retiring last year, but he is running a limited schedule this season and is 15th in the Nextel Cup points standings. He said in a statement that he's choosing where he wants to race.
"When we cut back to a limited schedule this season, one of the great things about it was that it would give me time to do a lot of other things that I've wanted to do," he said. "I love to race all types of stuff, and I think we'll have a blast up there in Iowa in July."
Martin, considered one of the best drivers to never win a Nextel Cup championship, has finished second four times in title chases. He has nearly three dozen wins in 18 years of racing and more than 570 starts.
Harvick, 31, who is 10th in Nextel Cup points standings and second in Busch series points, said he's looking forward to his race at the new Iowa track near Newton completed just last year.
"I've heard a lot about the track, that it's a fast track, and it should be a great race," he said in a statement.
The Iowa Speedway, designed by former NASCAR champion Rusty Wallace, is a 7/8-mile asphalt tri-oval.
Mark Martin Race Report – Pepsi 400
Martin Makes Strong Comeback to Finish 17th at Daytona
Ginn RacingDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 7, 2007) -- Mark Martin battled back to finish 17th after picking up 3 positions in the closing laps of Saturday night's Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
The Ginn Racing driver restarted his No. 01 Principal Financial Chevrolet in 30th position after being forced to pit with a cut right-rear tire just moments before the race went green on Lap 147 of 160.
"We just didn't have a lot of luck out there tonight," said Martin. "But we were able to dig down and fight back at the end. It might not have been the finish we were looking for in the Principal Financial Chevy, but it sure could have been a lot worse. As always, I'm proud of this No. 01 team for not giving up."
Martin was running in 16th position when the night's seventh caution was issued on Lap 143. The team opted to stay out, but moments before the field was set to resume green-flag racing Martin noticed that he had a tire going down. Martin's spotter was able to confirm the tire was flat and the 01 car entered the pits just as the rest of the field went green.
Martin was able to take on right-side tires and stay on the lead lap. The race's eighth caution just a few laps later allowed Martin to catch up with the field for the final restart and battle for track position.
Martin started the race ninth based on owner's points after qualifying was rained out on Saturday. The veteran fought a tight-handling race car in heavy traffic for the majority of the race.
"It just didn't click for us tonight," said Martin. "We were able to come back, but we have a much better team than we showed."
The 01 Ginn Racing team remained ninth in the owner point standings. Despite missing five races, Martin is 18th in driver points.
Martin and the team will return to action next week at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. Chicagoland is the only track on the Nextel Cup circuit where Martin has never finished in the top five. He does boast a trio of top-10 finishes in six starts.
Mark Martin Friday Notes and Quotes – Daytona
GM Racing
July 6, 2007MARK MARTIN, NO. 01 PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL MONTE CARLO SS:
IT'S GOT TO FEEL GOOD COMING BACK TO DAYTONA WHERE YOU CAME OH SO CLOSE TO WINNING THE 500.
"Yeah, we still have the same race car. Regan Smith drove it at Talladega and brought it home in one piece, so we've got a great car to start with. And this team just did an incredible job for the Daytona 500 to put me in position to have a chance to win. The race, the crown jewel of my career, and I just wound up a little bit short. We'll see what we can do with it tomorrow night. It's a great car and a great team and a little bit new colors with Principal Financial on it this weekend and hopefully it'll bring us just a little bit better luck."
Mark Martin Media Thursday Interview – Daytona
GM Racing
July 5, 2007Mark Martin, NO. 01 PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL MONTE CARLO SS:
ON RETURNING TO DAYTONA AGAIN AFTER ALL THE HIGHS AND LOWS DURING SPEEDWEEKS
"First of all, let me tell you what I think. I think I had a 15th place car in the Daytona 500. I think I had an incredible team with a huge heart and great desire. And I wanted to win this race in the worst way. And I was willing to take more risks than I had ever in my career to do that. Through terrific pit strategy and a car that led the race better than any car I'd ever had before, Ryan and the team got me the lead with 27 laps to go, or 25, really. And we led the last 26 and three-quarters laps.
"Do I think that I could replicate that magic? I think it's hard to replicate that magic. But we're definitely going to try. We're trying to make the car better. We have the same race car with some improvements. We'll do our best to make the car better and do our best to not only replicate that effort, but top it. And that's all I can say. For anyone to expect me to win this race because we led 26 and three-quarters laps of the last 27 laps last time, probably doesn't appreciate the monumental effort and incredible job that we did to be in position to win that race. I think that's easily forgotten by people around me, because they just think it's just like falling off a log and we're just going to come back and close the deal this time.
"I was so proud. I didn't get passed on the restarts. I don't know how many we had. It usually happens; even the last one. I didn't get blown off on the restart. There were so many chances for me to screw that deal up. And I was proud. I was proud to be in front going into Turn 3 and I thought at that point that we were going to be able to close the deal. But when Kyle Busch spun out, my chances went way down. He was the fastest car in the race at that time and he was hemmed in behind me, so I was sitting really pretty until he spun."
HOW MUCH WOULD A WIN HERE MEAN FOR YOU ON SATURDAY?
"It would be second only to the Daytona 500. Now that that 500 is behind us, and we didn't close that deal, the next most important race is this one and winning the 400 and when we get through that one, we'll focus on the Brickyard and then when we get through the Brickyard we'll start talking about the Daytona 500. The No.01 team is going to give me another shot at it in '08. So we'll try to close the deal this time."
Mark Martin Preview – Pepsi 400
Ginn RacingMARTIN RETURNS TO 'HOME TRACK' DAYTONA
After finishing second in a controversial ending at this year's Daytona 500, Martin returns to the famed Daytona International Speedway looking to finish the job. Martin came up just a few feet short at the finish line to Kevin Harvick in one of the most exciting endings in NASCAR history. The finish solidified Martin's tenure in the No. 01 U.S. Army Chevrolet. This time Martin will look for the hardware and not all the hype and he continues to seek his first victory on the 2.5 mile tri-oval of DIS.
MARTIN AT DAYTONA
A long-time resident of Daytona Beach, Fla., this will be Martin's 45th start at DIS and his 21st start in the Pepsi 400. Martin has four top five and seven top-10 finishes at Daytona's summer race.
MARK MARTIN FAST FACTS DAYTONA
This will be Martin’s 45th Cup start at the famed Daytona International Speedway.
Martin has won twice in the IROC (’03 and ’05) series at Daytona, once in the Craftsman Truck Series (’06) and once in the Budweiser Shootout ’99.
Martin finished second in this year’s Daytona 500.
Martin has finished inside the top six in six of the last 11 and eight of the last 15 at Daytona.
Martin has finished top 10 in seven of his last 15 Pepsi 400’s.
Martin has nine top five and 16 top 10’s in 44 starts at Daytona.
Martin has led 241 laps at DIS, including 26 in this year’s Daytona 500.
VICTORY LANE AT DAYTONA
While the 500 just eluded him last February, Martin has visited Daytona’s victory lane on several occasions. He won the Budweiser Shootout in 1999 and the Craftsman Truck race in 2006. In addition he has two IROC victories at Daytona, with wins in 2003 and 2005.
MARK ON DAYTONA
"Well our last trip to Daytona was quite eventful to say the least. All I asked for was a chance to win that race and Ryan Pemberton, this U.S. Army Team and everyone at Ginn Racing gave me just that and I'll always be thankful to them for that. Daytona has been a tough place on me over the years, but that was a moment that I think most of us will always remember. We really wanted to win that race and we weren't happy with second, but it was a great effort and a great way to start my tenure with Ginn Racing.
"We showed at Speedweeks what our cars were capable of doing at Daytona and I'm excited about going back there and seeing if we can expand on what we learned in February. We've been on a bit of a down in the last couple of races and maybe Daytona will give us that boost we need like it did earlier this year.
"I've been out of the car the last two races and I've really enjoyed watching the races at home as a fan. Now it's time to buckle back up in the seat and I'm ready to go racing. We have four in a row now and it's all tracks that we fell really good about."
Martin Returns To Daytona Looking For Elusive Victory
01 team to run special Principal Financial Group paint scheme this weekend
Ginn RacingDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 3, 2007) -- While Mark Martin's controversial second-place run in February's Daytona 500 may have jump-started his tenure in the No. 01 Chevrolet, the veteran returns to Daytona International Speedway this weekend still seeking his first victory at the famed 2.5 mile-oval.
The Daytona 500 photo finish, which saw Kevin Harvick nip Martin by approximately three feet, has been nominated for an ESPY under the category of Best Finish.
The 500 finish launched Martin to the best start of his 20-plus year NASCAR Cup career and eventually into the Nextel Cup point lead. However, Martin goes back to Daytona for Saturday night's Pepsi 400 looking for "less hype and more hardware."
"We came so close and you can't ask for any more than a solid shot to win the Daytona 500," said Martin. "We were right there, but in the end I came up just a little short. The outpouring from the fans and all the attention was amazing. But this time I'd settle for a little less hype and some hardware in the form of a trophy."
"Daytona has been a tough track for me over the years," added Martin a long time Daytona Beach resident. "I've had a lot of heartache there, but I don't really count last February as one of those. It was a tough pill to swallow, but at the same time the guys on the U.S. Army Team and at Ginn Racing gave me a solid shot to win the biggest race of the year and you just can't ask for more than that. Maybe I can get it done for them this weekend."
Martin's car in Daytona will have primary sponsorship by The Principal Financial Group, the nation's 401(k) leader and premier benefits provider. The car will carry a special blue and white paint scheme that promises to show well under the lights during the 400-mile race.
"We are really glad to have a company like The Principal on board," said Martin. "And the car looks really good. I think it will show up really well under the lights at Daytona and I think the fans won't have any problem seeing us on the track. Hopefully we can run up front, finish the job and take that car to Victory Lane."
The U.S. Army, which is the primary sponsor on the 01 Chevy for 34 of the 36 Cup races, will have an associate status on the car in Daytona.
Though he has never won a Nextel Cup point's race at Daytona, Martin has visited Victory Lane there on several occasions. He won the Budweiser Shootout in 1999 and a Craftsman Truck Series race in 2006. In addition, the veteran boasts two IROC victories at Daytona -- in 2003 and 2005.
