Martin at age 50 comes back and wins one for the gray-haired
By Larry Hypes
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
April 22, 2009

Mark Martin back in victory lane? Why, it’s like Seabiscuit or Lazarus, as the movie people might say.

Now 50 years old, the No. 5 Chevrolet racer has un-retired and is once again challenging for the championship that has eluded him for 25 years. His win at Phoenix was the 36th of his career and first for Hendrick Motorsports.

Martin had not won in his last 96 starts — dating back to Kansas in 2005 as he became the third-oldest winner in NASCAR Cup history.

Harry Gant and Bobby Allison were older and Morgan Shepherd was also 50 when he won at Atlanta in ’93. It’s a pretty exclusive club.

In the old days, not many drivers made it that far. Injuries and good sense prevailed for most of them. Junior Johnson, for example, quit at age 35 with 50 victories.

Junior said he was already starting to win races at the same tracks and for him, the challenge was gone. He just quit driving and became an owner because he had not done that before.

Gant drove last month in the feature all-star event at Bristol. Harry is now something like 59 years old and does not look much different than he did when he was still a regular driver. Although Gant never did lift weights in a regular exercise class much, he had his own training style.

“Handsome Harry” was a carpenter and worked on houses quite a bit even after he started driving. That was not his classic workout, however.

Gant would find a suitable field and get himself a pick or a mattock. He would dig a ditch from one side to the other, and sometimes back again, covering up the hole on the return trip. No wonder he seldom put on weight or got tired driving a car.

Cale Yarborough always said that driving was a whole lot easier than picking cotton.

Neil Bonnett carried his plumbing association card as long as he lived. Bonnett also liked driving better than threading pipe.

A lot of those old guys left the textile mills down in Carolina to take a job behind the wheel.

They almost always said it beat working for a living.

Drivers like Curtis Turner and “Little Joe” Weatherly probably training lifting weights 16 ounces at a time in amber-tinted bottles. Those guys were notorious for partying right up until race time in the late 50s and early 60s when NASCAR was very much a rough and tumble sport.

Back then, drivers often raced in tee shirts or sports shirts in the days before uniforms were standard.

One of the greatest, and a driver who never became an “old man” was the late Glenn “Fireball” Roberts. He didn’t like to use the fluid that drivers often rubbed over themselves to help guard against fire because he said he was allergic to it and it irritated his skin.

Sadly, Roberts was tapped by Junior Johnson going through a turn at Charlotte in the ’64 World 600. His gas tank was punctured and the resulting fire almost killed him before Ned Jarrett could drag him from the car.

He did three weeks later in a local hospital of pneumonia.

Meanwhile, one of the links to the greats of the past, Martin, has once again come to the front and given the gray-haired generation something to cheer for. And, talk about training. The old guy says he has not had fast food since eating a burger about 15 years ago.

Still, it sounds (pun intended) like everything Martin eats is F-A-S-T food!

Martin earns landmark Phoenix win
By Josh Lobdell
Examiner.com
April 20, 2009

Beyond Bill Elliott there has not been a NASCAR driver so universally respected by the fans and fellow drivers like Mark Martin. Mark has been a Cup series mainstay since the late 1980’s and a fan favorite for nearly as long. His victory in this weekend’s Phoenix race is a landmark win in his career for a number of reasons.

First and foremost it returns the #5 car to victory lane. This car was the first number run by Rick Hendrick in the Cup series, and it holds a special place in NASCAR history not only for boss Hendrick but for many of the fans. Geoffrey Bodine won the first race for HMS in this car 25 years ago. Since then Ricky Rudd, Terry Labonte, Kyle Busch, and now Martin have taken this car to victory lane. Labonte also won the 1996 Cup title in this car.

With this win Martin becomes only the 4th driver to win a cup race past the age of 50. The others include Harry Gant, Morgan Sheppard, and Bobby Allison.

This is also the first win for Martin in 90 some cup races. The last time he won was October 9, 2005 at Kansas. To put that time into some perspective I had just brought my son home from the hospital earlier that week. Now my son is 3.5 years old and a big Martin fan himself.

Now let's take a look at the numbers, this was Martin’s 36th Cup win. When we add that to his 48 Nationwide Series wins (A series record) and his 7 Truck series wins that gives him 91 wins across the top three divisions of NASCAR. If those were all Cup series wins that would place him third on the all time wins list. However these 91 race wins insure he is one of the best drivers of his generation, and guarantees him a spot in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

There is one more number that is of great importance here. This was the 400th career top ten finish of Martins career. Think about that for a moment 400 top ten’s that is over 9 season’s worth of top ten finishes. Since this is his 21st full time Cup season Martin finished in the top 10 nearly half of the time he races. That is an incredible stat.

It is even more incredible when we think of the other drivers Martin has competed against. He has won races when Dale Earnhardt Sr. was the man to beat each week, he has won races during the prime of Jeff Gordon’s cup career, and he has now won a race during the prime of Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch’s prime.

To be fair Martin has never been the main attraction of the series for those reasons, but he has proven he can win at any time in almost any kind of vehicle. If we add in his 13 IROC race wins that would leave him just one behind David Pearson for second on the all time wins list.

This wins cements that fact that Martin is the best driver without a cup title on his resume, that and a Daytona 500 victory are the only things that could improve a racing resume that is truly elite. Regardless of that Martin will go down as one of the most popular drivers among his fellow competitors and the fans alike.

Mark martin has been a class act for a long time, and a long ago run-in with Dale Earnhardt shows why
By Ed Hinton
ESPN.com
April 20, 2009

Not enough NASCAR people offer specific examples of why they like and respect Mark Martin -- and why they're genuinely happy for him when he wins, as he did Saturday night at Phoenix.

Well, here's an up close and personal example.

We'll have to rewind through a 15-year period, but stick with me -- the 1990 part is both vital and gut-wrenching.

Down to the wire of that '90 championship, there were two contenders: Martin and the relentless player of mind games, Dale Earnhardt.

The day before the penultimate race of the season, at Phoenix, the two contenders were brought into the media center for a joint news conference about the championship.

No sooner had they sat down in front of the microphones than Earnhardt went to work on Martin's head.

The specialty concession of Phoenix International Raceway was homemade lemonade, and the track publicist brought Martin and Earnhardt each a large cup.

"This got any vodka in it?" Earnhardt cracked into the microphone, making sure everybody could hear.

"Well, no," said the publicist.

"We want some vodka in this, don't we Mark?" Earnhardt pressed.

Martin said not a word, although the allusion was clear to the savvy in the room.

Martin in his youth had had a drinking problem. That was back in the time where you see the gaps in his Cup career statistics chart. He ran a full season in 1982, part of a season for four different owners in '83, disappeared entirely from the Cup series in '84 and '85 and didn't return full-time until Jack Roush hired him in '88.

By Phoenix 1990, Martin hadn't had a drink in years -- still hasn't, 19 years later -- but Earnhardt kept boring in.

There would be a test session the following week, at Atlanta, going into the finale there.

"I'll tell you how me and Mark are gonna test," Earnhardt said. "We're gonna go out and make a lap, and then we're gonna come in and have a beer. Ain't we Mark?"

Martin said nothing, remained stoic-faced. In the audience I whispered to a colleague that Earnhardt had played some harsh mind games in his time, but this was the worst.

"Then we're gonna make another lap, and come in and have another beer. And another lap, and another beer. Ain't we, Mark?"

Earnhardt won that championship, but it wasn't because of that particular mind game. It hadn't fazed Martin; it was just the cruelty of it that stuck with me for years.

Now fast-forward about 15 years. Martin was in the Chase. I wrote a column about the diminutive man who by then had become known as "the best driver never to win the championship."

I cited all the times he'd barely missed the title -- four times he'd finished second, and four times third -- and pointed out '90 as his first near miss, complete with the Earnhardt story.

Next race was Talladega, just like this week. At the desk of a hotel in Anniston, Ala., I ran into a Ford publicist who said, "Mark wants to see you."

I thought, "Oh, hell. He's upset that I dredged up his old drinking problem."

Next morning, I stepped up into the trailer and saw him up in the lounge. He waved me in and said sit down. It took him a few seconds of gathering his thoughts before he spoke.

"I just wanted to thank you," he said. "I had no idea anybody realized what he [Earnhardt] was doing that day -- let alone that anybody would remember it all these years."

He wasn't upset about the column. He appreciated it.

That's the kind of man the stars of NASCAR were lined up to congratulate in Victory Lane at Phoenix on Saturday night.

At 50, ageless Martin as good as ever
By Jay Hart
NASCAR - Yahoo! Sports
April 19, 2009

AVONDALE, Ariz. – Mark Martin defies the age question. While some athletes stick around too long, reducing their legend to rubble, Martin left too early.

Because when he retired from full-time racing back in 2006, he was just as competitive at 47 as he was at 37. He’d made the Chase and with only a few races to go in the season, he sat third in the standings, just 10 points off the lead.

But he’d had enough of being on the road 40 weekends a year, away from his family, missing out on watching his kids grow up. That’s why he walked away three years ago.

He came back full time this season because he wasn’t finished, and in this case, he really wasn’t.

This isn’t one of those comebacks, where the lure of competition and past success tricks the athlete into thinking he’s still got it; that his experience is enough to make up for the physical decline.

At 50, Martin is in as good a shape as anyone in the Sprint Cup Series. His daily workouts are measured in hours, not minutes. His diet is textbook. In fact, after winning the pole for Saturday night’s Subway Fresh Fit 500, Martin tried to remember the last time he’d eaten a cheeseburger. He couldn’t; said he’d had a few in the past couple of years, but then only because he was feeling bad and needed something to pick himself up.

So don’t expect him to celebrate Saturday night’s win at Phoenix International Raceway, where he dominated a field filled mostly with drivers 15 and 20 years his junior, with a trip to In-N-Out. As we’ve come to find out with Martin, he’s loathed to succumb to temptation, lest the payoff can do more than fatten the stomach or the wallet.

That’s why a multimillion-dollar paycheck wasn’t enough to bring him back to full-time racing. There had to be more to it than that. There had to be the chance to be fast. There had to be a chance to win races.

Rick Hendrick gave him the opportunity to do both.

“I hoped it [a win] would happen, but I didn’t expect it to happen,” Martin said afterward. “I only hoped.

“But Rick Hendrick, I sat and watched him make Tim Richmond’s dreams come true when he came back, and it was a dream to me.”

Richmond missed the first 11 races of the 1987 season as he battled HIV. When Hendrick brought him back, Richmond responded by winning his first two races.

Martin’s comeback didn’t get off to that quick of a start. Though he ran well, engine problems plagued him early in the season. But he was building to this. Before Phoenix, he’d won two poles and led laps in five of seven races.

He started Saturday’s race by leading 102 of the first 103 laps. And despite a late caution, which erased a four-second lead and brought the likes of Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson – winners of the last five Cup championships – on his tail, the outcome was hardly in doubt.

When the green flag flew with six laps to go, Martin roared away from Stewart, looking every bit as strong as, say, 23-year-old Kyle Busch when he stomps the field.

Twenty years have passed since Martin’s first Cup victory, at Rockingham in 1989, and No. 36, which came Saturday night. Between then and now, he’s finished in the top 10 in the standings 16 times, including four runner-ups.

“The guy has been at the top of his game for 30 years in this sport,” said Kur Busch, who finished third. “If I’m halfway as competitive as he is when I’m in my 50s, that would be an accomplishment.”

Martin has now climbed to 13th in the standings, just nine points out of the top 12, thanks to four straight top-10 finishes.

When asked if he needed to win a race to validate his decision to return, Martin struggled to provide a clear answer. He said he came back not to win the championship he’s never won but to drive a fast race car. And he said he’s never found something to match the passion that he has for racing. Without it, there was a void, he said.

Still, he acknowledged, he’s had his doubts.

“There is a voice in [the] back of [your] head that says, ‘Are you sure you’re worthy of this opportunity?’ ” he said. “I know they thought so. I know [teammate] Jeff Gordon did. Rick did. But I still gotta produce. This isn’t over; this is what, eight races? I can’t go out and just start riding around now.”

The thing is, some do. But not Mark Martin.

Martin proves that in NASCAR old guys rule
By Greg Engle
Examiner.com
April 19, 2009

Who needs teenage development drivers? Or young guns fresh out of high school ready to take NASCAR by storm?

Saturday night in Phoenix a 50-year-old man proved that old age and experience is able to cause his own storm.

Mark Martin’s victory Saturday was without a doubt the feel good win of the year. And the overwhelming majority of fans and competitors alike had a reason to cheer when the checkered flag fell.

“I don’t think there’s anybody that’s not a Mark Martin fan,” said Tony Stewart who finished second. “Nobody works harder to stay in shape to be good and fit and ready to go than Mark does. And when you see somebody that works that hard at it, you like to see the results come for him, too.”

Martin’s victory certainly wasn’t a cakewalk. He started on the pole, but was forced to fight his way to the front on several occasions. He took the lead for the final time on lap 307 of the 312-lap contest and cruised to victory.

It was his first win in 97 races.

“We made a couple of early adjustments, but after that we never made adjustments,” said Martin. “There were cars better than us in the middle of the race, but it came to us. At the end, nobody could run with us."

The win helps to validate Martin’s decision for one more full season and perhaps one more shot at a Cup Series title, something that has eluded him for nearly 3 decades. After announcing his retirement at the end of 2005, and a farewell tour, Martin returned to help his team owner at the time Jack Roush the following year and finished 9th in the season ending points.

Then he said he was hanging up his helmet.

But in 2007 and 2008, Martin returned for a part time stint with first Ginn Racing then Dale Earnhardt Incorporated after a merger. Most expected Martin to fade into obscurity but a one-time ride in a Hendrick Motorsports Nationwide series car had Martin wanting to compete for at least one more full season. So he signed with Hendrick Motorsports for 2009 and got behind the wheel on the No. 5 Chevy.

“I did this because I wanted to do it out of love,” Martin said. “You know, I do it for the passion of what I have, and I don't have anything else with that kind of passion. I haven't found anything to fill that void and drive me like racing and all those things.”

Martin is now 13 in driver points just 9 markers from 12th place and the all important spot for the Chase for the Cup. His win Saturday night was great for NASCAR, for fans and competitors alike. Should he continue to win races and go on to win the championship that has eluded him in is career, it will be the feel good story of the year, not only for NASCAR but also for all of sports.

“I think this generation where everybody is supposed to retire a lot earlier, the longevity seems a lot more realistic now,” Stewart said. “It just shows that a guy like him can kick our butts just like anybody else.”

And if Martin decides to race beyond this season, no one will mind at all.

Martin savors long-awaited return to Victory Lane
By Jenna Fryer
AP Auto Racing Writer
April 19, 2009

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP)—One by one the visitors filed into Victory Lane, eager to pay their respects to Mark Martin.

Jimmie Johnson pushed past a throng of fans to get there, while NASCAR president Mike Helton weaved through the grandstands and across the track. Tony Stewart set aside his disappointment from finishing second to make his visit, and Jack Roush stopped by with heartfelt happiness.

Race fans annually vote Dale Earnhardt Jr. as NASCAR’s most popular driver, but after Martin’s win Saturday night at Phoenix International Raceway, it was obvious the honor truly belongs to the beloved veteran.

“There’s nobody that dislikes Mark,” said second-place finisher Stewart. “Mark has taught us all a lot about what it takes to be not only a good driver in this series, but a good competitor and somebody that everybody respects.”

In 27 years of NASCAR racing, Martin has touched too many competitors to count.

He never viewed a raw young driver as potential competition, and instead offered his counsel about on-track etiquette, finishing races, handling a race car and balancing the job demands. Time and time again, drivers admit that when in a precarious position, they often attack it with a “what would Mark Martin do?”

“He taught you a lot while you were running those races,” Stewart said. “And when you had a good day against Mark, and when you did things right and you watched him and learned from him, that just accelerated the learning curve.”

Martin’s reach stretches well beyond the race track. A fitness fanatic who obsessively monitors his diet, he’s managed to coax almost everyone around him to take better care of their bodies.

When he joined Hendrick Motorsports this season, he talked team owner Rick Hendrick into a fitness routine that helped him shed 20 pounds. Even Dale Earnhardt Jr. has traded in Tostitos for tuna salad on crackers, and has added a workout routine to his weekly schedule.

“My dad bought me a book called “Strength Training” by Mark Martin when I was a kid, and I was like `Man, this guy is built like a brick,”’ said third-place finisher Kurt Busch, a former teammate of Martin’s when they both drove for Roush.

“The guy has been at the top of his game for 30 years in this sport, it’s unbelievable to watch. If I’m halfway as competitive as he is when I’m in my 50s, that would be an accomplishment.”

At 50 years, three months and nine days, Martin became the third-oldest winner in NASCAR history with Saturday night’s victory. He broke a 97-race winless streak dating back to Kansas in 2005, and solidified what everyone inside NASCAR already knew: The guy is still at the top of his game.

It’s what has made walking away from the sport so hard for Martin, who has tried, and failed, to ease his way into retirement.

He wanted 2005 to be his last season, but replacing him turned into a complicated mess and Roush coaxed him into another year. He still longed for a break the next year, but didn’t want to completely walk away.

Roush didn’t have a partial ride to offer, but he found a limited schedule that would work for him with new team owner Bobby Ginn.

How good was the new arrangement? Martin nearly won the season-opening Daytona 500, then stepped out of the car a month later as planned for a two-race break.

While leading the points.

His sabbatical was mind-boggling to the many people who wondered why the man considered the greatest driver to never win a Cup championship would walk away from an apparent shot at that elusive title.

Martin said Saturday night he’s never regretted that decision.

“I have a reputation going of being a flip-flop, and I have flip-flopped on some things. But I didn’t flip flop on that, and I’m glad that I did what I did,” he said. “It was my commitment to myself and to my family, and it’s what I needed to do. And I wouldn’t have been a happy person had I gone forward. I needed that.

“That’s changed me, and I believe that everyone that knows me has seen a difference in me. I needed to do what I did.”

He skipped 24 races the past two seasons, and those weekends off re-energized Martin and renewed his commitment to racing. Then Hendrick came along, dangling in front of him a full season in the No. 5 car. Everyone knows the opportunity included another shot at a title—he’s finished second in the championship race four times—but Martin insists he never looked at the job offer with dreams of hoisting the Sprint Cup title.

To him, Hendrick offered nothing more than a chance to make his way back to Victory Lane.

“I’ll give it hell, but that’s not why I took this ride,” he said. “I took this ride to drive a fast race car, and maybe get a chance to win a race.”

After a rough start to the season—two mechanical failures and a blown tire dropped him to 34th in the points—Martin has moved within striking distance of the Chase for the championship. He gained five positions Saturday night and is now 13th in the standings, just nine points out of the final Chase qualifying spot.

Martin didn’t want to hear about it.

“I’m not going to wreck a good time by worrying about a championship or points,” he said. “I’m having a ball. Just let me have fun. Let me enjoy this. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, you know, and that’s where I am on that.”

AVONDALE, AZ - APRIL 18: Mark Martin, driver of the #5 CARQUEST/Kellogg's Chevrolet, receives the checkered flag from NASCAR Official Rodney Wise after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on April 18, 2009 in Avondale, AZ.
(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Mark Martin Post Race Notes and Quotes – Subway Fresh Fit 500
April 18, 2009
GM Racing

MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 CARQUEST/KELLOGG'S IMPALA SS – Winner

YOU ROLLED INTO VICTORY LANE AND YOU HAD A CELL PHONE CALL FROM THE BOSS, WHAT DID RICK HENDRICK TELL YOU ABOUT GETTING THE NO. 5 BACK INTO VICTORY LANE?

"He just congratulated me. He makes dreams come true. I sat and watched Rick and Tim Richmond win after he was sick; this is as big of a deal to me. It just means so much. Arlene (Mark's wife) thank you for letting me do it. Carquest, Kellogg's, Sprint, all the folks that support this thing, Chevrolet. Monster horse power under the hood. There was enough gas in the tank. Thank you. Thank you."

FALL OF 2005 THE LAST TIME YOU WENT TO VICTORY LANE, THEN A LATE RESTART, YOU HAD NEWMAN IN FRONT AND YOU HAD YOUR BUDDY TONY STEWART WHO WAS AT YOUR OPEN HOUSE A FEW WEEKS AGO BEHIND YOU, IT DOESN'T GET ANY MORE DRAMATIC THAN THAT WALK US THROUGH.

"Well I knew Tony Stewart was good for a while at the finish. I knew that I had the opportunity to loose it right there because Tony would throw anything. Tony raced me clean but he would have raced me crazy too to get the win. I knew I had to go. I went one way and then that didn't work so I went the other way and made it work. But we had the car."

"I want to thank the fans, man. I wouldn't have this job if I didn't have so many fans following me. Thanks to these guys, this is a dream come true. I really want to thank Rick Hendrick for making an incredible, incredible day in my life.

"I thought about, the thought went through my mind about back in 1989 with Jack Roush when we got our first win at Rockingham, I said my life is fulfilled. I thought about saying that again tonight. I stopped short of that but it means that much. It means just as much as getting that first one for me.

"We made a couple of minor adjustments but after that, we never made adjustments. The car went away from us a little bit in the middle of the race but it came to us in the end.

"I knew I could lose. I have lose one any way. I know every way to lose a race you know. I prayed so hard for the white flag so we couldn't have a green, white, checkered. I probably ran the fastest lap all night coming down for that white flag."

AVONDALE, AZ - APRIL 18: Mark Martin, driver of the #5 CARQUEST/Kellogg's Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on April 18, 2009 in Avondale, AZ. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Winning Team Press Conference - Subway Fresh Fit 500
Post - Race Transcript
NASCAR.com
April 18, 2009

An Interview With: MARK MARTIN – Winner
ALAN GUSTAFSON - Crew Chief

THE MODERATOR: We are now joined in the in field media center by tonight's winner of the Subway fresh fit 500, driver of the No. 5 Car Quest Kellogg Chevolet, Mark Martin. Mark, tell us about your run.

MARK MARTIN: Man, that was, that, was pretty awesome. Great, great race car. Great pit stops. Great strategy. There was a lot of pressure on both of us, and I really, truly believe that it will be a little bit easier for us going forward. Maybe not for Alan, I don't know, but for me, I've carried a lot of weight, you know, on my shoulders. I really, really, really wanted to do this. I really, really, really wanted to win.

You know, I couldn't get my fingers we have had Top 10 cars every race, but I couldn't get my fingers out there and get them around a win, and the performance yesterday in practice was something that I said, maybe this is it; it's better. I liked the car better than the other places that we've been.

So I think it's going to really make it even more enjoyable. I've had a blast already. This is I don't know. It's overwhelming. You know, I don't know. This is very, very overwhelming to me.

I hoped it would happen. But I didn't expect it to happen. I only hoped. It's a stretch. But Rick Hendrick, you know, I sat and watched him make Tim Richmond's dreams come true from being sick, and this may not be as dramatic, but big to me.

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by tonight's winning crew chief, Alan Gustafson. Alan, tell us about your view from on top of the box tonight.

ALAN GUSTAFSON: Well, like Mark said, it was a great night. To win one of these races, it's really hard, and a lot of things have to go your way, and all of the work has to kind of culminate at one time together. Fortunately for us, it did. I'm just really proud of Mark and all of the guys.

The start to our season wasn't what we expected, and I don't think in my eyes it was what we deserved. But tonight, I'm just really proud for all of the guys and Mark and Mr. Hendrick for supporting me. We had a dismal season last year, and he never had his faith never wavered on our team, and what we need to do to win. And I just want to thank him. We could not do any of this without him. He's just a really special person.

It was just a great night. Pit stops were really good. Mark's qualifying effort really helped us with the pit stops and we had a good car, but Mark Martin is the one what went out there and did it for us; he did it Friday night and he did it tonight.

To touch on something Mark said, I made a pact with myself: If I'm lucky enough to have Mark Martin drive my car, I'm going to win. So it's nice to get that done this early.

Q: As you're driving around there on the post victory lap and the fans are right there and they are lining the fence and flash bulbs are popping and they are cheering, what was that like looking out at them, what kind of things did you see and hear and feel at that moment?

MARK MARTIN: It was you know, it was pretty I wasn't going to do a burnout, but it was pretty incredible. It came to me, usually I'm all preoccupied with all kind of stuff, but it came to me immediately. I actually had quite a bit of thoughts about Alan, you know, and where he might have been in front of me if he would have still been around tonight; what an incredible competitor he was.

So I thought about that. Obviously enjoyed seeing the enthusiasm from the race fans. But you know, the response from the competitors means much more than the trophy, and that was an incredible really, really incredible, from all of the crew guys to all of the guys, including Jack Roush, who seemed genuinely happy. And Jack and I are at tight as we have ever been and have been through all of this.

I'm still a huge fan of Jack Roush's and he's still a huge fan of mine. So that was good to see. And then all of the drivers, you know, and the crew. It's just, like I said, I hoped it would happen, but you know, it's asking a lot, man. These things are hard to win. Alan told you, you know, it's hard just to make a car good enough to win, and then it's like ten times harder to win one on top of that.

So it's cool. It's a cool night.

Q: So with like 30 laps to go, we are going through the record books, everybody is scrambling to find age charts and everything. You are the third oldest driver in NASCAR history to win a race and only before tonight, only three drivers 50 or older had done it. So tonight, how old do you feel? You don't eat In N Out; you haven't been in Burger King in like 15 years; Kurt Busch read your book, Strength or whatever.

MARK MARTIN: I feel fine right now, I tell you. (Laughter) I told the guys in victory lane when they asked something about that, it was like, you know, I don't have any problem keeping up with a 25 year old, at least not for the next 15 minutes, because I have got the biggest shot of adrenaline that you've ever seen.

Feel really good. I've been so incredibly blessed. I was really happy in 2008, and have been even more happy in 2009, and I didn't think that was possible. I am in a different league stress level compared to last year. But working with these guys puts so much more fun in the factor that it overcomes the stress level of, like you told you guys, measuring up, measuring up to myself. I don't want to let anybody down, especially Alan and that team.

You know, I've wanted the effort or I've wanted the result, you know, to equal the effort on their side and on my side. We didn't just fall into this one. It was cool. That's the way I want to win right there, not stumble around and fall into it. Man, go out there and take it.

Q: Does he drive like someone half his age?

ALAN GUSTAFSON: Age is irrelevant with Mark. You hear his age come up and people ask me a lot. If I've been asked one, I've been asked a thousand questions about Mark and Mark's age, and I can tell you, I don't even think about it. It doesn't even come into the equation when I talk with him and work with him and when I'm around him. It's irrelevant with Mark.

Mark's enthusiasm, his energy, his drive; you know, he has more drive than any other person I've probably met in my life, make up for anything, any other shortcomings that he may have, which are very, very, very few, if any at all. I think that's irrelevant. He's incredible. He's as good as any of them, and you can't say enough good things about him.

Q: After your last green flag stop with like 52 laps left, they tell you you have enough gas to make it

MARK MARTIN: And I asked three times, four.

Q: You come on and say, oh, boy, we are in trouble if it goes all the way.

MARK MARTIN: No, it's so loud, you can't understand. I think I said, "They are in trouble."

Our stuff was right. They were in trouble if it went all the way. But I know where you're probably going here. And let me just tell you, I knew for positive it wasn't going to go all the way. That was way too easy. It ain't ever been easy and never will be for me. I knew for positive.

And I also knew that there was the old comments that comes out, and you guys claim I am, I never thought I was going to win. I finally thought I was going to win when I got to the white flag, and when I got when he said two to go, I ran my guts out. I had to hurry before they had them a wreck. So these things are hard to win, man.

Q: You did have the caution, as you said, right there almost at the end of the race. Were you like, I'm going to get by Ryan at the very first opportunity? What was your game plan?

MARK MARTIN: Tony Stewart, I've seen that dude in action on the restart. Wheww, he can do stuff. I knew it was my opportunity to lose it, and I also knew that Ryan, you know, he couldn't just quit. I mean, he knew he was done for, but he still had to do what he had to do.

So, you know, we were in a pickle there. I really it really would have been so much easier if Ryan had not been up there. That was my perfect opportunity to stumble, and of course, with better tires, I could accelerate better, and we accelerated and the got the run at him. Everything was perfect. I looked to the inside. He started coming down and I couldn't lift. I had to make a change, quick, and we did. I could not afford to skip a beat.

I've seen Tony in action, man. I couldn't afford to; I had to go. And I'm really fortunate that it worked out. He looked low, he went in the corner and slid up some, but our car was really spectacular the last two runs of the night.

Alan did good. I gave him an opportunity to I don't always give him free reign to make adjustments. I kind of gave him opportunity the last couple of stops, and he made the right calls, and our car was rocket ship the last two runs.

Q: This is the fifth consecutive race at Phoenix won by Hendrick Motorsports, other than the great job from the drivers and the pit crews, is there anything specific that you can tell us that Hendrick Motorsports crew chiefs have found on setups here that would point to five consecutive wins at this track?

ALAN GUSTAFSON: I don't think that there's anything specific. This was a track we actually did not have a very good record at up until a few years ago. I don't know exactly, but I think Terry may have won a race here a while back, and we won with Kyle in 2005 and I think at that time that might have been our only two wins here.

Jeff won, I don't remember, might have been the first COT race here or might have been one of the first COT races here, and I think the COT, we jumped out with a good program here. And any time you have success that kind of validates what you're doing, and Jeff won that race; and then Jimmie and Chad have been really dominate here.

So I knew coming into this weekend that what the baseline that we were going to have to beat was. We weren't scrambling or guessing what you have to do to win, because Jimmie has won so many races. So we knew that's what we had to beat; so we could look at that and evaluate it and try and make it a little better, and fortunately for us we had Mark Martin driving our car and that helps, too.

Q: You've been able to race with a guy who everybody says has the potential to have the most talent in the series, but to have the opportunity to race with a veteran, TV kept saying not a veteran, but TV kept saying he was your hero. What's it like to race with a legend? What does that mean when your career culminates to the point where you can say you led Mark Martin's team?

ALAN GUSTAFSON: It means a lot. I've been really fortunate to work at Hendrick Motorsports, first of all. I feel really fortunate to be able to do that. I feel fortunate for Mr. Hendrick to have the trust in me to be crew chief, is a big deal. I was fortunate to work with Kyle and have success and I've been fortunate to work around Jeff Gordon, who is incredible and Jimmie Johnson, Terry Labonte, on and on, Dale Junior, you can go down the list.

But Mark is really special for a lot of reasons. Mark was a guy that I watched growing up and had a huge amount of respect for. I loved the way that he raced. I loved his attitude and his working man's ethic and how he went about his business, how appreciative he is, how he understands the magnitude of the situations and respects that and appreciates that.

So for him to have the faith in me to do the job and Mr. Hendrick, you know, you can't put into words, I'm just really fortunate, lucky, and I'm just really blessed. I don't know what else to say.

Q: There's a saying that you don't get a second chance to make a first impression and yesterday you talked about having this opportunity at the end of your career with Hendrick, and you've had a very distinguished career in Cup already, but in a way, is this opportunity like a second chance for you, particularly in light of having the opportunity with that organization and also I think you are now nine points out of the Chase, which kind of brings the championship back into the picture?

MARK MARTIN: It's really cool, actually, technically, it's probably my third chance. I got a second chance when I got with Jack Roush. Most people don't get a second chance.

My dropping back to a limited schedule, that's also most careers like this, you don't really get a chance to resurrect. Like I said yesterday, I'm not as smart as I look. I'm lucky I have stumbled and tripped and fell into all seems like things have worked out for me. All this really came about from Jay Frye hooking me up over in the Hendrick Busch car. That's really how it happened. One thing led to another from there.

So you know, it's pretty cool. Jay Frye deserves some credit in this thing. I didn't plan all this out. It's been an incredible ride since stepping out of the 6 car, and you know, having a chance to re energize myself and realize that how much I love it, and how you know, something that's going to be hard to give up; obviously not hard to give up if you were not doing well, but the good fortunate. The performance level that I have and the cars that I'm get to go drive right now, I love it. I feel really lucky.

Q: It seemed like just about every driver came over to congratulate you in victory lane. Do you remember what any of them said specifically, and what did it mean to you to have that kind of tribute?

MARK MARTIN: Oh, you know, it was a lot of excitement. It was awesome. To see Jeff Gordon; I believe in my heart, that Jeff Gordon has a lot to do with me being here. I think that he has a strong voice with Rick Hendrick, and I believe that he I believe he had a lot to do with it. But Jack Roush, he sure had a lot to do with it, and all of the guys, the Jeff Burtons and Matt Kenseths and just everybody. I don't remember the specific words.

There's a lot of excitement going on and everything, but it's really special. It's more special even more special than the trophy. You know, you can't that's just respect, and you can't that, you earn, for sure. You just can't get it any other way. And you've got to give it to get it; I also believe that.

Q: What would Julian think of all this?

MARK MARTIN: He would be so happy I'm driving a Chevrolet, gosh.

Oh, I don't know. Talked about him today, actually, with Juan Montoya, a little bit. It's been 11 years, and we sure would be having fun. He would be proud as a peacock and running that mouth around his buddies, I'm sure. Thank you for asking.

Q: As hard as you've been on yourself at times throughout your career, can you allow yourself to really enjoy this victory tonight, and how long will that last, do you think?

MARK MARTIN: I don't know. Talladega is right around the corner, and it has been my nature to start worrying about that before I get out of the press room.

I'm going to temper that some. This one here is real special, and there's the possibility that remember I said, win a race. I took this deal, you know, so that I might have a chance to win a race, and we'll talk about multiples after we get won. I'm going to try not to be as insane, you know, as I have been in the past, and do my job and enjoy it, because you know, this one truly might be the last one. (Laughter) Hopefully not. Hopefully not. But you know, it's been a while since we got it done, and it certainly didn't look good except a year ago at this race it looked pretty good.

You know, like I said before, having a good enough car to win is only a tenth of getting it done. There's another nine parts to it that all have to work out. This is really, really good, it's really good for the 5 car, very timely.

I am going to enjoy it more than I have any other one, but I am going to race, too. I push pretty hard, but I'm going to try to keep that under, in check, thanks.

Q: Do you feel like you needed a win to validate any of your decisions to come back, or do you feel with the opportunities that you had, that they were still the right things to do?

MARK MARTIN: Really good question. Really good question. I had to think about that just a little bit.

You know, you can think and feel things, two different things, I think. I took this deal because I wanted to drive a really fast race car, seriously. And I thought I was going to get the deal done with my schedule, and I got my heart wrapped around it before the final thing came down that we had to do them all.

And so really, for me, I struggle with that I did this because I wanted to do it out of love. You know, I do it for the passion of what I have, and I don't have anything else with that kind of passion. I haven't found anything to fill that void and drive me like racing and all those things.

But there is a little voice in the back of my head, you know, asking if, are you sure you're worthy of this opportunity. And that's part of the reason I've been successful. And if you'll check with successful people, they are insanely driven, and so yeah, there's been a little voice in the back of my head saying, are you worthy of this opportunity.

I know that they thought so. I know that Jeff did and I know that Rick did. And I've still got to produce. This is not over. This is something like I think eight races. I've got to keep on; I can't just go out and start riding around now. (Laughing).

We'll do that. We'll be fine. That's two answers to one question, I think.

Q: When you finished second at the Daytona 500, you were on such a roll where it looked like you were just in championship form then, but you got out of the car because you were scheduled to get out of the car; how hard was that? And since things have turned around, since the luck has turned around, do you feel like maybe that championship is out there for you to grasp?

MARK MARTIN: I'm really glad I got out of the car. I have a reputation going of being a flip flop. And I have flip flopped on some things. But I didn't flip flop on that. And I'm glad that I did what I did.

It was my commitment to myself and to my family, and it's what I needed to do. And I wouldn't have been a happy person had I gone forward. I needed that. And that's changed me, and I believe that everyone that knows me has seen a difference in me. I needed to do what I did.

And so, that's the answer to that part. The second part is, the championship, I refused to consider championship. I didn't take this a lot of y'all wrote, and you shouldn't have, but a lot because I read what y'all right. I lot of y'all wrote that I took one last chance at a championship, you know, and it's like whewww, that's not why I took this ride.

I'll give it hell, but that's not why I took this ride. I took this ride to drive a fast race car, and maybe get a chance to win a race. And obviously we are going to race for points. It will be very disappointing if we don't make the Chase. And it looked like that was a very real possibility when we were setting 35th in owners' points or 31st or 27th. There's a lot of competition out there. You just can't out run those cats every day. I'm telling you, every one of them can drive and every one of them's got a good race car, and it's expecting a lot.

So what we need to do, Alan and I need to build our team; we're building. We need to build our team, and we got to get better, from where we are right now, if we want to be a championship contender, we have to get better. But we are eight races in. And we showed improvement tonight. The other races were really good, and we were about sixth place in every race, every single one but that one won't win a championship anymore.

And so, I don't know if I told you this, but it's like Hendrick Motorsports has a hundred let's just say, a hundred tools in the toolbox, and I have had not had a chance to drive but 25 of them; and 20 of them I didn't like, and five of them I did, but there's 75 left, and we only get to put two or three of them on the cart each weekend and I say yes, no, yes.

So I believe there's potential for us to get better, like we did tonight. Not all the time, because it's competitive, but we didn't run good, and I couldn't I couldn't run with the leaders at Bristol. And I couldn't run with the leaders at Martinsville. I could run in the Top 10 but there were three or four of them that just point a whooping on us and I didn't know. Why.

But part of that was I didn't have a chance to fill those tools, and some of that stuff I'm going to really like. Like the stuff we had here tonight, that's going to Richmond, that logic. We have to make some adjustments for that racetrack, but you know, I just I'm not going to wreck a good time by worrying about a championship or points.

I'm having a ball. I'm not going to let that ruin, just let me have fun. Let me enjoy this. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, you know, and that's where I am on that.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Mark, and congratulations.

MARK MARTIN: Thank you, guys.

Mark Martin Post Qualifying Interview – Pole Winner
GM Racing
April 17, 2009

MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 CARQUEST/KELLOGG'S IMPALA SS, POLE WINNER:

TELL US ABOUT YOUR LAP

"Well, it was good. I was really pleased with the race car. I intended on running quicker on the second lap. I certainly did in practice and I thought I was on track to be faster on the second lap and I got down in the middle of (Turn) 3 and 4 and I don't know exactly what I did because stuff is happening pretty fast out there, but whatever I did, I wasn't able to get back to the gas as soon as I wanted to. I had to wait on it. I didn't get the car aimed back down the race track enough to get the gas early enough and so it was about the same speed as the first lap. So I was disappointed in myself. I felt like an early draw was really going to hurt. I thought that it was going to cool off a lot. I was wrong about that. I don't think the track really picked up much. So I think a bunch of guys had potential to beat us and they messed their laps up. My first lap was fairly spot-on. It wasn't one like Atlanta or even Bristol. I think those were pull a rabbit out of a hat kind of thing. This was a good, solid race car and I drove a solid lap."

HOW DID THE CAR HANDLE TODAY AND HOW DO YOU LIKE COMING TO PIR?

"I love coming here. I have liked this place a lot. I believe it was '93 when we sat on the pole and won the race out here and had a lot of fun. I've had a lot of great races here. I've had great battles with Ernie Irvan here and this is a great place. The fans are so supportive of these races. It's a good place to race. So, I'm glad to be here."

TOMORROW, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOUR TEAMMATE, JIMMIE JOHNSON?

"Well, I don't know. When we beat Jimmie Johnson to win a race, I'm going to feel like I beat Superman. I will say this. We are very proud of the performance we've had on the race track all year. These guys gave me a top 10 car in every single race I've been in. We may have had some trouble, but we've had fast race cars. But I told (crew chief) Alan (Gustafson) after Texas, that I'm very proud of our performance. But if we're going to win, we're going to have to step it up one more notch. And I have not been happy with my race car in Happy Hour this year, until today. So I wasn't expecting to sit on the pole, but I have hopes that we're going to be a little bit better in race trim than we were the last handful of races. I have underestimated, I think, coming into this thing, that last little bit of speed that is going to come from Alan and I working together for a long time. They just shot me right out there in about a sixth place car, which is about where I ran in all the races. I was running fourth in Vegas when we blew up. We were running fourth in Atlanta. But we've hovered around sixth place a lot in all the other races. It's a thrill to be able to drive stuff like that. But if we want to win, we've got to get that last little bit. I have to drive those cars and run the races and then talk to Alan about it and then go to more races and drive those cars and sample his tools and find that last little bit. And those guys have got the jump on me on that. I'm just doing good to be keeping them in sight."

ON PIT ROAD AFTER YOU QUALIFIED, YOU SAID THAT THE GUYS GOING OUT LATER WOULD PROBABLY MURDER YOU, BUT YOU ENDED UP ON THE POLE. WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE ANOTHER PRONOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE RACE TOMORROW NIGHT?

"I'm an idiot (laughter. It's obvious, isn't it? (laughs). I called that wrong. And I could call my race car wrong. But I was very happy with my car in race trim today. I don't know how much better, performance-wise, that will get us. But at Bristol, Atlanta, Texas, and all these places, Alan and the guys have jacked that car up on Sunday morning and put stuff under it that wasn't under it on Saturday, based on all our talks and our debriefing. That's not going to happen tomorrow. I want exactly what I had on the one run. Maybe it's just a start in the right direction. It may be not every last ounce of it, but we need just a little bit more. Until I get the chance to experience all those little nuances in Hendrick box of tools, I can't tell them this, this, this, and this. They could put 100 things out in front of me and I only get to pick five, to go in my car and I'm like, oh. I don't know. And so we did try a lot of things in Texas that we won't have to try again. You know, in Happy Hour. And then Sunday morning they put some other stuff in and it was like better, better, better, better. So we're learning together. I just can't believe I raced all my life and then right at the end of my career I get a chance to do this. This is the coolest thing to work with these people and get a chance to experience it before I have to become a fan and spectator."

WHAT'S CHANGED THE MOST SINCE YOU LAST WON HERE 15 YEARS AGO?

"I know it's obscene that I remember what springs and sway bar that we ran, but I do when we one this race in 1993, but I do. It's changed. The cars have changed. The competition has changed. A lot of things have changed. The shock absorbers have come a really, really long way. The way we spring these things and set them up and the way we lay everything. Everything has changed. The way you do your job has probably changed. The world doesn't set still. I think the competition is pretty incredible now. That's the thing. When I look at my race car, for example last year, I look at the No. 8 car and if they were having a bad day and it was Aric driving the car and he was 36th fastest in practice, and it was like oh my gosh, that's terrible. Oh, let me see. That's terrible. Robby Gordon is 37th. Well, I can't out drive him on a good day. How could I expect Aric to? You know what I'm saying? And you look around and there is nobody out there on that race track that can't do the job.

"Now, all the drivers are awesome. All the drivers are awesome. And my guys was tore up today before qualifying because I was afraid I would not meet expectations for qualifying. I was really nervous."

SO EMOTIONALLY, YOU HAVEN'T CHANGED THAT MUCH?

"I don't know. I couldn't call that one. Let my wife, you should ask Arlene. I don't know how to answer that. I've seen a lot of things and done a lot of things. There's as much or more pressure now as there was then, for sure. I feel as much or more pressure because every time I strap down in that race car, I feel like I am being judged. Or I am judging myself. Maybe I am not being judged, it's me. I am judging myself. Every time I strap in that car. You can believe when I get in that thing, there won't be a lap at 80%. You get everything I got, every time I strap in it. You get that from everybody out there today. The competition level is probably the biggest thing."

YOU HAVE A TENDACY TO GIVE THE TEAM A LOT OF PRAISE WHEN YOU DO WELL ON THE RACE TRACK, DO YOU GET ANY PERSONAL SATISFACTION OUT OF OUT PERFORMING KIDS WHO PROBABLY WATCHED YOU RACE LONG BEFORE THEY EVER GOT IN THE SPORT?

"I don't know, that is a good question. The way you worded it doesn't spark. But, what you mean there kinda does. The way you worded it didn't make me immediately say "Oh yea". But, when you have guys like Aric (Almirola) or A.J. Allmendinger, Juan Pablo Montoya, who I think he is like awesome-he tells me at the driver's meeting last week 'I just want to keep up with you'. It is like, this is one of the best race car drivers in the world, has done things I will never dream of doing. That is pretty cool. So yea, in that respect, it does feel pretty cool for people to give you props, you know. But, at the same time, nobody feels sicker when they don't perform than I do. Just like I said earlier, I'm judge myself every time I strap in that race car. Lucky for me, I am driving really great stuff. The reason I praise that team is because I have raced for 25th, I came right here with a brand new race car a few years ago and ran 29th. I didn't have a flat time, didn't hit the fence, didn't have a bad pit stop. Nothing went wrong. Ok, so I know what it means to drive good stuff. I think it is important for my race team to get the credit that they deserve. Because I can't drive the junk to the front. I just can't do it. I think that is part of building a team. I think that is why the teams I have worked with they would do anything for me and it is because I will give them credit.

"I will also give them a spanking if they don't perform. I am not short on letting them know that this isn't good enough. But, if they are giving everything that they've got and doing a great job, I want them patted on the head."

YOU GO ALMOST EIGHT YEARS WITHOUT A POLE, THEN YOU HAVE THREE IN FIVE RACES, ARE YOU KIND OF SHAKING YOUR HEAD ON THIS THING?

"Yea, especially today. I know the others were surprises but Christmas comes once a year. This is really cool, it is really cool. It really makes, it just goes to show me I am an idiot. I am a complete and total idiot because I really was very...I looked at this thing real hard before I decided I would do it. I did want to drive the No. 5 car, but, I wanted to drive it on my terms. I was just about dumb enough to have passed on this opportunity. This is just awesome. It is just great.

"We have a little bit of work to do, but we have a lot of time to get there. Maybe we can get up there and contend for some wins. A win before the years up. I feel like we are making progress together."

ARE YOU ANYWHERE CLOSER TO GETTING THE OPTION TO STAY IN THE CAR FOR A FULL YEAR NEXT YEAR?

"Absolutely have not thought about it. Exactly the same answer as Bristol. I should have watched my tongue. It is zero. Have not thought about it. I had a blast last weekend with our Fan Appreciation Days, had a good time with them. I have quality of life with my family this year. Everything is in a great place and I don't feel any pressure and it is April. I could have felt one way this morning and felt completely different right now. It is April, that is why I am not even thinking about it because it is just so early. We don't have to address that.

"I heard there is commotion out there, but it is nothing."

Mark Martin NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Preview - Subway Fresh Fit 500
April 18, 2009
Phoenix International Raceway
Hendrick Motorsports

DESERT WINNER: Mark Martin, driver of the No. 5 CARQUEST/Kellogg's Chevrolet, earned his sole NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at Phoenix International Raceway on Oct. 31, 1993. Martin , then age 34, started third and led 212 laps of the 312-lap event en route to his fifth and final win of the season.

TRACK STATS: In 24 career Cup starts at PIR, Martin has earned one victory, nine top-five finishes, 15 top-10s and led 676 laps. He has an average finish of 9.4 at the one-mile track, his best at any oval, and has scored five runner-up finishes there. The only active track where Martin has a better average finish is the Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International road course. Just one other driver, Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson, has an average Phoenix finish in the single digits.

LOOP STATISTICS: Martin's average finishing position during his last seven races at Phoenix is 11.1. This season, he ranks ninth in the Sprint Cup Series with a driver rating of 91.4 and is joined by his Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jeff Gordon (first) and Jimmie Johnson (second) in the top 10.

THE NO. 5 TEAM AT PHOENIX: Phoenix International Raceway is a special one for the No. 5 team, which earned Hendrick Motorsports' first win at the track on Oct. 30, 1994, with Terry Labonte behind the wheel. Under the direction of crew chief Alan Gustafson, the No. 5 team earned its second victory there on Nov. 13, 2005. Overall, Gustafson and the team have recorded one win, one pole position and three top-10 finishes at the one-mile track.

CHASSIS CHOICE: Gustafson has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-538 for Saturday's race at Phoenix International Raceway. The chassis never has been raced or tested.

TO THE POINT: Martin and the No. 5 team have advanced 16 positions in the Sprint Cup point standings during the past three weeks -- the biggest jump by any team. Martin, who was 189 points outside of making the Chase for the Sprint Cup following last month's race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, is now just 93 points behind 12th-place Jeff Burton.

HENDRICK AT PHOENIX: Hendrick Motorsports, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, has six wins, 21 top-five finishes and 42 top-10s in 25 races at Phoenix International Raceway. Hendrick Motorsports has earned at least one top-five finish in 15 events and at least one top-10 finish in 23 races at the track.

ON A ROLL: Hendrick Motorsports drivers have won four straight races at Phoenix International Raceway, with Jimmie Johnson visiting Victory Lane during the last three events. Jeff Gordon won the April 21, 2007, contest after starting from the pole position. During the last eight races at the track, Hendrick Motorsports drivers have claimed five victories and five pole positions.

MISSING HARDWARE: Gustafson's office at Hendrick Motorsports features trophies from his four career poles and three of his four career Sprint Cup Series victories. The missing trophy is the one the team received in November 2005 after its win at PIR. The trophy -- an Arizona-state shape cut out of stone -- was given to the driver, but the company that produced it was unable to make a replica for Gustafson or team owner Rick Hendrick.

PROBLEM SOLVER: Gustafson was awarded the Moog Problem Solver of the Race award from the 500-mile event at Texas Motor Speedway on April 5. Gustafson's No.5 Chevy finished in the top 10 and increased its average lap speed from the first half to the second half of the race by .37 seconds -- the most of any Sprint Cup team that day.

GONE FISHING: On April 27, four members of the No. 5 team will join Kellogg's professional anglers for a day of fishing on Mountain Island Lake near Charlotte, N.C. Lead mechanic Brad Pickens, suspension mechanic Gene Cornwell, fabricator J.D. Holcomb and general mechanic Darrell McDonald all will participate.

QUOTES

MARK MARTIN, DRIVER, NO. 5 CARQUEST/KELLOGG'S CHEVROLET (ON WHAT HE LIKES ABOUT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY.): "I have always loved racing at Phoenix. There's just something about that track that naturally clicked with me. It didn't take long at all before we were challenging for a win there. Last year, I thought I was going to get another win. But we had to pit for fuel with just a few laps to go, and I ended up finishing fifth. It was still a good finish, but extremely hard to take when I knew we could have had a win."

MARTIN (ON THE SUCCESS OF HIS FAN APPRECIATION DAYS IN BATESVILLE, ARK., LAST WEEK.): "The entire event was just great. I love being able to spend time with my fans. Really spend time with them, not just sign something as I'm walking out to pit road. We had a great turnout. My buddy Tony (Stewart) came out for the third year in a row. And this year, with Rick (Hendrick, team owner) and (Dale Earnhardt) Junior coming, too, it was just huge. The response from the fans was unbelievable. I know that my fans are a big reason my career is where it is. I'm grateful for them, and I enjoyed being able to spend that kind of one-on-one time with them all."

MARTIN (ON NASCAR POSSIBLY MOVING THE SPRINT CUP SERIES BANQUET FROM NEW YORK CITY TO LAS VEGAS.): "I love it! Las Vegas is one of my absolute favorite places to go. I'm not a drinker, and I'm not a gambler. I just love the ability to find something to do at any time, day or night. And the difference between Vegas and New York is that if I want to jump in my car to do it, I can in Vegas. New York always left me feeling a little trapped. Don't get me wrong, though, I always thought the banquet in New York City brought the distinguished side out of everyone in NASCAR. It is a beautiful city, especially around the holidays, and I know everyone looked forward to going there. I have been to every banquet there but six since 1981. But the news of it moving did excite me. Change is good, and I'm anxious to see what NASCAR will do with the banquet out in Vegas."

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 CARQUEST/KELLOGG'S CHEVROLET (ON WHAT A CREW CHIEF FOCUSES ON AT PHOENIX.): "The key to Phoenix is turning through the center well. It really becomes a compromise because if you use the back of the car to roll through the center, then you give up the driver's ability to really use the throttle off of the corners. There's a fine balance, and it forces you to compromise between the two. Ideally you get to the point where the front of the car turns really well, but that's hard to do."

GUSTAFSON (ON THE CHANGE TO THE PHOENIX SCHEDULE THIS YEAR.): "This year, they've cut the schedule down from three days at the track to two. We will go in for tech on Thursday and that's it. So, really, we just have to restructure the way we approach Friday. Normally we do all qualifying setup then qualify then switch to race setup on Saturday. For this weekend, we'll do all race setup, then a quick qualifying setup, then qualify, then go back to race setup. It's not really a big deal where it will affect the outcome of anything -- it's just a different planning approach."

GUSTAFSON (ON HIS MISSING PHOENIX TROPHY.): "Trophies are the payoff for all of our hard work. Yes, we get perks and we love our jobs, and everything else is nice, too. But the tangible trophy, that's something that is instant gratification. I've been lucky enough to get replicas of all the other trophies we've won with this team. But I can't get one from the Cup win at Phoenix or the Nationwide win there. It would definitely mean a lot to have one. I'm still hoping that somehow it can happen.

Mark Martin Post Race Notes and Quotes - Samsung 500
GM Racing April 2009

MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 CHEEZ-IT/CARQUEST IMPALA SS, FINISHED 6TH:

"First let me say just how darn happy I am for Jeff (Gordon), Stevie (Letarte) and that whole 24 team. I couldn't wait to get to victory lane and congratulate those guys.

"The Cheez-It/CARQUEST Chevrolet was really good today. I was worried after yesterday's practice that we may have a 20th-place car.

"But the guys, like every other Sunday, gave me a great race car. They worked really hard and Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) made all the right changes to get us in the top 10 today. That last run, we were the loosest we'd been all day, I'm not sure if it was the tires or what. I really wanted that top-five, but just couldn't get there. I'm looking forward to spending my off-weekend with my fans in Batesville and then heading to Phoenix with these guys."

Mark Martin NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Preview - Samsung 500
Home - Texas Motor Speedway
April 1, 2009

ONCE A COWBOY: Mark Martin, driver of the No. 5 Cheez-It/CARQUEST Chevrolet, wore the famed cowboy hat at Texas Motor Speedway on April 5, 1998. Martin started seventh and led just 37 laps on his way to Victory Lane, earning his second of seven NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins that season.

TRACK STATS: In 16 career Sprint Cup starts at the Fort Worth, Texas, venue, Martin has earned one victory, five top-five finishes and eight top-10s. He has led a total of 169 laps at TMS. In 2008, Martin posted eighth- and 12th-place finishes at the intermediate track.

THE NO. 5 TEAM AT TEXAS: Since 2005, the Cheez-It/CARQUEST team has earned two fourth-place finishes at Texas under the guidance of crew chief Alan Gustafson. In November 2007, the No. 5 Chevy started 17th and rebounded to lead 153 laps en route to the top-five finish.

CHASSIS CHOICE: Gustafson has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-523 for Sunday's race at Texas Motor Speedway. Martin drove this car to lead practice and then claim the pole position for the March 8 event at Atlanta Motor Speedway. During that race, Martin was running fourth when a tire issue occurred.

TO THE POINT: Martin and the Kellogg's/CARQUEST team have advanced eight positions in the Sprint Cup point standings during the past two weeks. The team is now 27th, 117 points outside of 12th, the cut-off position for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. The team was 189 points behind two weeks ago.

THE BIG CHEESE: Cheez-It, the world's largest-selling cheese cracker, will adorn the hood of the No. 5 Chevrolet this weekend. "The Big Cheese" will make its debut this Sunday and decorate the hood of the No. 5 Chevy for four races this season, including Richmond (Va.) International Raceway and Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in May and Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in August.

HENDRICK AT TEXAS: Hendrick Motorsports, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, has two wins, 15 top-five finishes and 23 top-10s in 16 races at Texas Motor Speedway. Hendrick Motorsports has earned at least one top-five finish in 13 events and at least one top-10 finish in 15 races at the track.

MOST LAPS LED: Since 1997 -- the first year that Texas Motor Speedway hosted a Cup event -- the No. 5 Chevrolet has led the most laps of any Hendrick Motorsports car -- past or present -- at the 1.5-mile oval. Three drivers before Martin combined to lead 386 laps. Hendrick Motorsports has tallied 856 laps led at Texas Motor Speedway.

POINTS PROGRESS: Three of the five Cup teams that have earned 300 or more points during the last two races belong to Hendrick Motorsports. The No. 48 team has earned 360 points -- the most of any team -- and has moved from 13th to fourth; while the No. 24 team has earned 325 and currently ranks first in the standings. The No. 5 team has scored 301 points and advanced eight spots to 27th.

STORE INFORMATION: Mark Martin will greet fans and sign autographs at Super Wal-Mart in Highland Village, Texas, at 5 p.m. local time on Friday.

CRIBS: Martin's Batesville, Ark., home and the Mark Martin museum will be featured on CMT Cribs on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET. Encore performances will air at 8:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. that day. The show will feature his riverfront home, as well as an extensive collection of the race cars that have been a part of his storied NASCAR career.

FOR THE FANS: Martin will host his fifth annual Fan Appreciation Days at his car dealership and museum in Batesville, Ark., on April 9-10. Martin, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet, will be in attendance both days. Two-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart will be on hand April 9 at 3 p.m. local time, while Hendrick Motorsports team owner Rick Hendrick will make an appearance April 10 at 10 a.m. Martin's teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be there April 10 at 2 p.m. All guests will participate in a question-and-answer forum as well as an autograph session. The museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Visit www.MarkMartinMerchandise.com for more information.

MARK MARTIN, DRIVER, NO. 5 CHEEZ-IT/CARQUEST CHEVROLET (ON RUNNING CHASSIS NO. 5-523.): "Every time I sit down in that race car, I've been one of the fastest cars at the racetrack. I got some laps in it (during testing) at Charlotte in October. I did the Goodyear tire test in it in Indy, and in both of those tests we were real, real, real fast. Obviously it was really good in Vegas and in Atlanta, and the exciting thing about Texas is not only are we running the same car, but we will use the same setup principals that we learned and developed during those two races. Hopefully it will be an evolution of slight improvement. I feel like Atlanta was a slight improvement maybe over Vegas. I think we're still making progress, and the more we're working together -- I can't wait to get back in that thing and get it out there. Texas is certainly one of my more favorite racetracks."

MARTIN (ON HIS CONFIDENCE AT INTERMEDIATE TRACKS GIVEN THEY ARE A STRONG POINT FOR THE NO. 5 TEAM.): "They're also my favorite. All of that bodes well. But to be real honest with you, I look forward to going everywhere. We haven't been anywhere yet that we haven't run good at. I'm anxious about the road courses because I haven't done a road course in the (Impala SS), and I'm probably more concerned about road courses than anything on the schedule right now. And I'm sure that will be fine, too."

MARTIN (ON GOOD-LUCK CHARMS.): "I'm not a real 'good-luck charm' kind of guy. But D.W. (Darrell Waltrip) gave me a horseshoe, a rabbit's foot and some clovers when I was on 'Trackside' in Bristol. I've kept them close to the pit box for the last two races, and we've had two top-10 finishes. So they haven't brought us bad luck. Until they do, they're going to be in the same place each weekend. I have to admit, I don't like four-leaf clovers. I had one given to me at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) years ago, and I was wrecked on the pace lap. I drove that whole race down on the apron and was miserable. So those don't make it out to the pit box."

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 CHEEZ-IT/CARQUEST CHEVROLET (ON CHASSIS NO. 5-523.): "We've put a lot of effort into this car. This was our first car built specifically for Mark. When we knew that Mark was going to be our driver for this season, we started working on this chassis. Instead of having weeks to build a car, we had several months. With that amount of time, we could really look at and re-evaluate how we do some things. With those findings, we created Chassis No. 5-523. This car then became the basis for how all of our other cars have been built. I think that Mark likes this car so much because it's the car that he's spent the most time in. We tested it at Lowe's last year, and also at Indy and Vegas. He raced the car earlier this year at Vegas and Atlanta, too. So he's definitely had more time with this car than any other."

GUSTAFSON (ON THE TEAM'S FOCUS ON INTERMEDIATE TRACKS THIS SEASON.): "We put the same amount of focus on every type of track we race on. I think that our car was really good at Las Vegas and at Atlanta this year, but I can't take that and say that those were our best tracks this year just because we weren't able to see the races out to the finish. So, who knows what would have happened. But we were good there from what we saw. Mark is good everywhere he goes. But he is really, really good on 1.5-mile tracks. He has given us great feedback for those tracks, so in turn, the packages we have for intermediate tracks is good. The thing is, we can't sit back and just be complacent and sit on what we have. Other teams are going to continue to improve, and we need to be doing the same thing."

GUSTAFSON (ON TURNING THE BEND FROM GOOD TO GREAT.): "I believe that we are a good top 10 car every weekend. The point now is, however, to break into that elite crowd. We need top fives and wins. The jump from top 10 to winning is the hardest one to make. We are working really hard to make that jump. We can't be comfortable with the finishes we've had. We have to look at those top-10s just the same as if we were struggling. That's where the intensity is and that's what we have to hold onto to turn good into great."

GUSTAFSON (ON THE TEAM'S RECENT TOP-10 FINISHES.): "This team has had some sense of momentum the whole time. Our performance was always good. We just hit a rough patch with our finishes that left us baffled. We really started questioning what we were doing. I guess it kind of goes with superstitions. But getting these good finishes, finally, just confirms that we are where we thought we were the whole time. We just needed to get the end result to feel OK with that. I don't feel stress or tension anymore on race days. I tell myself that I have put the best car out there on the track that I can. I have the best pit crew on that pit wall. And I will do the best job calling a race that I can. The crew guys tell themselves the same thing. We are all doing the best that we can. If something goes wrong, well, that stuff happens."

Mark Martin crew chief takes MOOG problem solver honor
Auto parts company continues NASCAR honors
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April 9, 2009

MOOG continued to honor the best crew chiefs in NASCAR when Alan Gustafson, crew chief for Mark Martin and the No. 5 Cheez-It/CARQUEST Chevrolet, wrapped up a strong finish at the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Gustafson is the latest recipient of the NASCAR MOOG Problem Solver of the Race Award, which is presented following each Sprint Cup event to the crew chief whose team posts the largest increase in average lap speed from the first half to the second half of an event. The award is presented by Federal-Mogul Corporation, manufacturer and marketer of MOOG chassis parts.

After starting in 23rd position, Martin and the No. 5 Chevrolet picked up a race-best .37-second in average lap speed over the second half of Sunday’s event to secure a sixth-place finish. The No. 5 Chevrolet picked up a whopping nine positions, to 18th overall, in Sprint Cup points, putting Martin well within reach of the top-12 field that will battle for the season-ending Chase for the Sprint Cup.

“Every time I sit down in that race car, I’ve been one of the fastest cars at the race track,” Martin told NASCAR Scene. “I believe that we are a top-10 car every weekend.”

Much of the attention for the team’s rapid rise in Sprint Cup points has rightfully been directed to Gustafson and the Hendrick Motorsports crew, which helped Martin claim the pole in Atlanta and secure top-10 finishes at Bristol and Martinsville preceding Sunday’s race.

“The beauty of the MOOG Problem Solver Award is that every crew chief has an equal opportunity to win – you simply need to ‘break the code’ on a given day with precisely the right chassis set-up for the track and race day conditions,” says Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director Tim Nelson. “Alan had outstanding days at Bristol and Martinsville, but the #5 car was even better here at TMS. It’s great to see him earn his first MOOG award on this very challenging track.”

For more information, visit www.moogproblemsolver.com.