Mark Martin Post Qualifying Notes and Quotes – Shelby 427
GM Racing

MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 POP TARTS/CARQUEST IMPALA SS, Qualified 8th : "That was a 10 man, that is what I am in for right there. Man I want to thank Alan Gustafson and everybody on the Pop Tarts/CARQUEST Impala team for letting me drive that car. Thank you. Thank you. Thank the fans. That was awesome. I know the draw might not help us out any, I don't care where we wind up. That was one heck of a race car I just drove and a great lap and that is what I live for."

Mark Martin NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Preview - Shelby 427
Las Vegas Speedway
Hendrick Motorsports
February 24, 2009

VEGAS VICTOR: Mark Martin was the first driver to visit Victory Lane at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 1, 1998, exactly 11 years ago. Martin started seventh and led 82 laps before scoring the inaugural NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at the 1.5-mile racetrack. Martin, who will drive the No. 5 Pop-Tarts/CARQUEST Chevrolet this weekend, counts the performance as the most memorable of his 35 career Cup victories.

MARTIN AT VEGAS: In 11 Sprint Cup starts at LVMS, Martin has posted one victory, five top-five finishes and nine top-10s and has led 259 laps. Last year, he started third and finished 10th at the 1.5-mile track. His average start is 14.2, and his average finish is 11.1.

POP-TARTS ON THE HOOD: Pop-Tarts, Kellogg's most popular morning food product, will be on the hood of the No. 5 Chevrolet during this weekend's events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Pop-Tarts will join CARQUEST as the co-primary sponsor three more times this season -- at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in August, Lowe's Motor Speedway in October and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in November.

MILESTONE RACE: Sunday's race at Las Vegas will be Martin's 725th career Sprint Cup start. During his 27 seasons of full- and part-time competition, Martin has earned 35 victories, 243 top-five finishes and 396 top-10s. He has driven more than 266,000 miles, which is roughly 30,000 miles farther than the moon is from Earth.

THE NO. 5 TEAM AT VEGAS: Under the direction of crew chief Alan Gustafson, the No. 5 team has posted two top-five finishes and three top-10s in five starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The team posted a career-best runner-up finish in March 2005. In 11 total Cup events at Last Vegas, the No. 5 team has scored two top-five finishes and four top-10s.

TIRE TESTERS: The No. 5 crew was one of four Sprint Cup teams chosen to participate in a Goodyear tire test at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in December 2008. With NASCAR's new testing policy, the test session helped the No. 5 team transition to its new driver prior to the start of the 2009 season.

HENDRICK AT VEGAS: Hendrick Motorsports, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this season, has scored four wins, 11 top-five finishes and 15 top-10s in 11 Cup events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Most recently, Jimmie Johnson won at the 1.5-mile racetrack in 2007.

THE BREAKFAST AISLE: Martin and his Hendrick Motorsports teammates currently are being featured on Brown Sugar Cinnamon flavored Limited Edition NASCAR® Printed-Fun Pop-Tarts. The pastries will be available throughout the 2009 Sprint Cup Series season at major retail outlets across the country.

WEST COAST CHASSIS: Gustafson has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-523 for Sunday's race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This chassis never has been raced, but was tested during the Goodyear tire test at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in December and at Lowe's Motor Speedway last fall.

MARK MARTIN, DRIVER, NO. 5 POP-TARTS/CARQUEST CHEVROLET (ON HIS 1998 WIN AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY.): "That was a new deal for the team I was with at the time. For all practical purposes, it was a brand new team. Granted, we looked the same. Same number, same crew chief -- it didn't look new. But, we had just moved from Liberty (N.C.) to Mooresville (N.C.). All of the team personnel were new. It was a big change for us. Vegas was the third race that year, and I was still a little uneasy about the changes made. When we won, it was like we overcame a huge obstacle. It was a big moment for us, and it still means a lot to me. That night, when all of the pictures and media deals were done, we took off on a helicopter. It was dark out, and I looked down and saw the lights from the track. It was probably the first win ever in my career when I realized what I had accomplished -- that I won a race in the highest level of motor sports. Before that night, all wins were just wins to me. They weren't special. But ever since then -- that was 11 years ago -- every win has been important to me."

MARTIN (ON HOW THE ROUGHNESS OF THE LAS VEGAS TRACK AFFECTS THE CAR.): "It's definitely surprising how rough the track is, seeing as how they just repaved it a few years ago; it's actually almost rougher than it was before, especially going into Turn 1. It's a great racetrack, though. No one likes new pavement, but as the years go on, the asphalt ages and gets more conducive to racing. The track gets more forgiving and the groove widens out. Rough racetracks are a big part of my racing history. (LAUGHS.) Most of the ones I raced on were rough. But I like that. It gives the track its character."

MARTIN (ON HOW THE DECEMBER TIRE TEST HELPED PREPARE THE NO. 5 TEAM FOR LAS VEGAS.): "The test was definitely a help for us. It gave us the opportunity to work together and start getting comfortable with each other. That was a process that had to take place prior to the season starting. Now, when I strap in, the car feels like my car, my space. And working with the team, it all feels right now, instead of foreign. The test at Vegas last year was a big contribution to me getting to this point, so from that standpoint the test was very important. Since that point, we have found different ideas we want to work with and work on than what we used in the test anyway. It will give us a good starting point when we unload, though."

MARTIN (ON WHY HE LOVES THE CITY OF LAS VEGAS.): "I hate schedules. I hate being on a schedule, probably because I have been since I was a teenager. But I do like being entertained. So for me, Las Vegas is perfect. There's no planning involved. It's completely spontaneous. At any time of day, I can say, 'Let's go,' and we can walk out of the hotel and find something fun to do. I don't gamble at all. But I like good food. And I like all the action. There's something cool going on all the time."

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 POP-TARTS/CARQUEST CHEVROLET (ON HOW THE TIRE TEST AT LVMS LAST YEAR WILL BENEFIT THE TEAM.): "Anytime you can get on the racetrack, it's an advantage. We were extremely happy to be chosen to be a part of that tire test. With NASCAR's new testing policy, those tire tests have become invaluable. Tires have become an increasingly important part of the race and play a huge role in the setup of the car. So getting the chance to learn the nuances of the tires for that particular track is also a benefit."

GUSTAFSON (ON HOW IMPORTANT GETTING A HANDLE ON 1.5-MILE TRACKS IS WITH THE CUP SCHEDULE.): "Every race is important to us, not just the intermediate tracks. Because those are so prevalent on the schedule, I can understand the importance of getting started on the right foot. A good start to the season is important, not only for the points situation but also for the team's confidence. A good finish this weekend would just make everything a little easier and gives the team confidence that we're going in the right direction."

DOUG DUCHARDT, VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT, HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS (O