Mark Martin NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Preview
Autism Speaks 400, presented by Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips & Cheese
Hendrick Motorsports
May 27, 2009

DOVER DOMINATION: Dover (Del.) International Speedway is the top track for Mark Martin in nearly every statistical category. Martin's four wins at the one-mile oval are a personal best and match the four he has scored at Lowe's Motor Speedway. His 21 top-five finishes at Dover best every track on the circuit, and his 28 top-10s there are equaled only by Michigan International Speedway. Martin has led a personal best 1,722 laps at "The Monster Mile."

FOUR-TIME WINNER: Martin's first three victories at Dover occurred in three consecutive fall events from 1997-1999. His most recent win occurred in June 2004 when he started seventh and led 19 laps en route to the win.

STILL STRONG: During the past two years, Martin has earned two top-five finishes and three top-10s in four starts at Dover. In his most recent appearance at the one-mile concrete track, Martin started second and finished fourth.

THE NO. 5 TEAM: Under the direction of crew chief Alan Gustafson, the No. 5 Kellogg's/CARQUEST team has competed in eight Sprint Cup races at Dover International Speedway, earning four top-five finishes. In his first year as crew chief, the team finished second in both races at Dover, leading 90 laps in the spring event.

IN THE TOP 12: Martin and the Kellogg's/CARQUEST team currently sit 12th in the Sprint Cup standings, with 14 races remaining until the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

CHASSIS CHOICE: Gustafson has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-527 for Sunday's race at Dover International Speedway. Martin drove this car to his second victory of the season at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway earlier this month.

HENDRICK AT DOVER: In 48 events (151 starts) at Dover, Hendrick Motorsports teams have scored 10 wins, 37 top-five finishes and 65 top-10s. Hendrick's drivers have led 3,780 laps there.

FIRST WINNING CHASSIS: Dover is a special place for Hendrick Motorsports, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. On Sept. 20, 1992, Ricky Rudd drove the No. 5 Chevrolet to Victory Lane at Dover International Speedway, marking the first time a Hendrick Motorsports-built chassis had won a Cup-level event. Rudd started sixth and led 32 laps driving the No. 5 Chevy nicknamed "Midnight." The win also was the first for crew chief Gary DeHart and the 32nd for team owner Rick Hendrick.

JOINT EFFORT: Martin and Gustafson will be guests on SPEED Channel's "Trackside" from Dover International Speedway. The show will air at 7 p.m. ET on Friday.

QUOTES

MARK MARTIN, DRIVER, NO. 5 KELLOGG'S/CARQUEST CHEVROLET (ON WHY HE HAS BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL AT DOVER.): "I honestly don't know. There are just some tracks that the first time a driver is on them, it just instantly suits the driver's racing style. That's how Dover has always been for me. The first time I went to Dover, back in 1982, I remember Darrell (Waltrip) got the pole. He went something like 144 miles per hour. And everyone was like, 'Whoa!' We all thought that was so fast back then. Dover was just an impressive racetrack right from the first time I was there. It's really, really cool."

MARTIN (ON CHOOSING TO RACE ON CONCRETE OR ASPHALT.): "I prefer asphalt 10 times over concrete. But Dover's track is so awesome, even the concrete surface can't ruin it. The grip and slip of tires on asphalt is just so much more predictable than on concrete. Everything is just a little more controllable. On concrete, like Dover and Bristol (Tenn.), the car can break loose so quickly and out of nowhere."

MARTIN (ON DOVER WIDENING AND LENGTHENING PIT ROAD.): "I really don't think the changes to pit road will affect the race at all. They definitely made pit stops safer for the crew members, though, which is very important. And I'm sure the widening of pit road will help us to keep our cars a little cleaner, too. Qualifying was always really important at Dover to get a good pit stall, and I don't think that will change at all. Every driver is still going to do everything he can to get every advantage over the next guy."

MARTIN (ON DOVER INSTALLING SAFER BARRIERS ALONG PIT ROAD.): "I was so happy when I found out about the SAFER barrier being installed. That was something that needed to happen for sure. I don't think that's the most dangerous wall we could hit over the season, but I really think that the SAFER walls need to be installed everywhere. So that was a good start."

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 CARQUEST/KELLOGG'S CHEVROLET (ON HIS IMMEDIATE SUCCESS AT DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY.): "This team has always had a good feel for Bristol and Lowe's, which really have the same setups as Dover. The way the cars load through the center of the corners is very similar. So we were able to transfer some of our success from those tracks to Dover. Then, in 2005, we were able to test at Dover, and it went really well. That's the only time I've ever tested at Dover. We were able to get a good amount of data and evaluate the information we had. Dover is a great racetrack. It's fun and very aggressive. The car has to turn really well and hold that for a long period of time. It's a driver's track."

GUSTAFSON (ON HOW DOVER'S PIT ROAD RENOVATIONS WILL AFFECT THE RACE.): "I was really happy to hear about the adjustments Dover made to pit road. It needed to happen. The way it used to be, there was no room for the cars to exit pit road and it made it extremely dangerous for the guys who go over the wall. Pit road is going to be good now. They pretty much fixed everything that needed to be. I saw that the entry to pit road is now in the center of Turns 3 and 4, which isn't ideal, but, really, at Dover, there is no ideal place. They are making necessary improvements, and they've done a good job from what I can tell so far."

GUSTAFSON (ON THE SAFER WALL BEING INSTALLED ON PIT ROAD.): "The SAFER wall and barriers is one of the best things that has happened in this sport in a long time -- that, the HANS device and the carbon fiber seats. I feel, however, that SAFER walls should be installed all around the track. I don't think anyone can predict where a bad crash is going to happen. Who knows what could break on a car and where? I just think it should be a given to put them up at ever track, all the way around."

GUSTAFSON (ON THE BEST PIT CHOICES ON PIT ROAD NOW.): "I haven't really seen a map of pit road in much detail, but I'm sure the changes to pit road will affect the way crew chiefs pick pit stalls. You want to be as close to Turn 1 as possible. And, of course, openings are a premium. The closer you are to Turn 4, the harder it is for your driver to exit pit road because of how tight pit road used to be there. But, that could all be different now. One opening may be more advantageous than another. If the stalls are big, like at California, then having an opening isn't as big of a deal. We'll have to see, I guess."

NASCAR opens floor to drivers, owners with town hall-type meeting
By David Newton – ESPN
May 26, 2009

CONCORD, N.C. -- NASCAR officials spent more than four hours in two meetings Tuesday discussing with drivers, owners and team management everything from the sport's drug testing policy, to how to improve the new car, to the economy.

It was a big change from the days when the governing body made decisions and solved problems by talking to one or two drivers in the back of a hauler at the track.

"The old school way has worked for a long time," Ryan Newman said. "You have to at least consider the majority of the people's questions, not just one."

All of those involved described the meetings as positive and expected more to follow in the future.

"Hopefully, this is the beginning of a new form of communication," NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said.

Chairman Brian France said open lines of communication are needed because "things are more complex."

"One-one-one meetings and trying to cover all the issues of the day either at a shop or at the track, that becomes hard to do," he said. "There are too many complicated issues. It was consistent with where we need to be.

"And we have a lot of smart people in the industry. We had Roger Penske here. We had a good communication line in the first place. We just want to build on that."

Hunter said a lot of good ideas were broached, some that would have to be considered short term. He did not elaborate, but among those under consideration are double-file restarts with all of the leaders up front.

One of the biggest complaints coming in was the new car that many drivers and crew chiefs believe has hurt competition. Series director John Darby consistently has said no changes are planned -- that changes would create more problems.

France said the governing body is more open to changes after Tuesday's conversations.

"We think the car is putting on a good show," France said, "but clearly if there's some adjustments without changing the financial [structure], we want to be open to that.

"We heard some ideas that we're going to consider. They heard some reasoning why our thinking was staying put on the new car. It was a good exchange."

Newman said all aspects of the car were discussed -- from tires, to improving down force, to weight distribution, to reducing horsepower to enable the drivers to have more control.

"In the end there was no answer, but we also learned a lot of things we need to talk about," he said. "It's like a marriage. It's a two-way street. You need to talk about things to make it better."

The drug policy that has been scrutinized since Jeremy Mayfield was suspended on May 9 was clarified. Drivers "scared" that a prescription drug could cost them their career left assured that was not the case.

"I'm very comfortable now," Mark Martin said. "I'm also very comfortable with the way they're handling the list."

NASCAR does not provide its drivers with a full list of substances they are tested for, arguing that leaving it open ended gives them more room to catch offenders.

"I feel much better now than I did before the meeting," Martin said.

France said he was quite certain everybody has a clearer understanding of the policy.

"We covered that very carefully," he said. "There were some questions still remaining. Hopefully, we cleared that up.”

Martin also feels better about the direction of the sport, realizing NASCAR is more willing to listen to everybody instead of a select few.

"A lot of ideas were floated around," he said. "The biggest thing we all have to realize is we have the greatest thing going in the sport. Even though it may feel like we have a lid on us right now, we're smarter than most of the sports in the world.

"It's a tough time for a lot of our core fans. That's part of the economy and that's where we are. That will get better. In the meantime, we need to do everything we can to make it better for our fans and sponsors."

Rick Hendrick agreed, recalling a time when he and two other team owners traveled to Daytona Beach, Fla., to meet with former NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr.

"He said, 'Let me tell you, I don't need you. I don't need you. All I need is people to pass,' " Hendrick said.

Hendrick called Tuesday's meeting a "great step."

"I thought it was really good," he said. "I learned a long time ago if you get everybody involved they can't complain. That's what happens in our sport. People don't feel like they get a voice.

"They recognize the world has changed."

Bobby Labonte was the first driver to arrive for the town hall, pulling into the R&D Center around 9:30 a.m., a half-hour before the first meeting began.

Among those attending the morning session were team owners Hendrick, Chip Ganassi, Felix Sabates, Doug Yates and Max Jones. Among the drivers were Labonte, Newman, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Juan Pablo Montoya and Martin. France and most of NASCAR's top management also attended.

Both sessions lasted about 30 minutes longer than officials anticipated, but nobody complained.

"It's NASCAR's responsibility to try to do what's best for the sport," Hunter said. "The tone of the meeting was very positive. We discussed just about everything in an open forum."

Martin liked the format and is excited that NASCAR plans to hold more meetings in the future.

"No solutions," he said. "A lot of great ideas. I really expect NASCAR to formulate groups to really drive a lot of different issues, sort of task force groups. ... Anything you do is going to take some time.

"We've got a great sport. Everybody pulling together will lead to making it better. Sometimes you just have to bring people together and remind them we're all in it together."

Mark finishes 17th at Coca-Cola 600

Mark Martin Qualifying Quotes - Coca-Cola 600
GM Racing
May 21, 2009

MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 CARQUEST/KELLOGG'S IMPALA SS, QUALIFIED 4TH:

"This day and age you have to get more than it wants to give and I don't feel like I go more than car was giving. So, we are driving a fast race car, having a blast and will get ready to go racing on Sunday."

Mark Martin Thursday Media Visit - Coca-Cola 600
GM Racing
May 21, 2009

MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 CARQUEST/KELLOGG'S IMPALA SS, met with members of the media at Lowe's Motor Speedway and discussed pit road mishaps, his eating habits, fitness and more.

WHY ARE THERE SO MANY PIT ROAD MISHAPS THIS YEAR, NOT ONLY MISSING PIT STALLS, BUT ALSO DROPPING LUG NUTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT?

The missing pit stalls is because everybody is riding the speed limit dead-on. So if you are watching you speed, you can't be watching for your pit. And if you are watching for your pit, you can't be watching your speed, or for guys pulling out or coming in or whatever. Believe it or not, that is a really, really difficult little piece of your driving, that pit road thing. The nuts coming off I think are due to longer threads this year mandated by NASCAR. The teams are still getting their arms around how that is affecting the nuts being knocked off."

IS MISSING THE PIT STALLS MORE PREVALENT THIS YEAR THAN SAY LAST YEAR?

"It is growing all the time because when they first came with a speed limit, everybody was not trying to get every single ounce out of that speed. The more, when one guy starts doing it, then everybody has to start doing it. Just like exercising, when one driver starts it, if you want to be on equal footing, you have to. Same thing on pit road. So, it has become more and more important to push your speed to the limit every year since the speed limit started."

DO YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE LOST ANY MOMENTUM WITH THE ALL STAR IN BETWEEN THIS RACE AND DARLINGTON?

"You know momentum is cool but it can be broke by a dollar part or one little mistake. You like riding the wave but it's no big deal."

DO YOU EAT ANYTHING OR DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT TO KEEP YOUR ENERGY HIGH?

"Yeah, I live every day like tomorrow is the biggest race of my life 365 days a year. If I could eat anything to help that race then I would be doing that every day. So really I don't believe you can eat a bowl of pasta and be any better prepared for a race then if you didn't. Fitness is a lifestyle. You have to live it. You can't drink a gallon of water, eat a bowl of pasta and go to bed early the night before the race and be prepared tomorrow. You have to get rest every night."

DO YOU EVER EAT ANYTHING DURING THE RACES?

"Red flags. Yeah, I can barely make it to the end of the races. I'm a two and one half hour guy. I eat every two hours. So the first thing I do after the race is eat. At Darlington and Phoenix I ate from Victory Lane to the press room because I had to eat."

DO YOU HAVE SNACKS WITH YOU?

"Red flags yes. The adrenaline carries me. I don't feel any energy crash. I just am hungry when I get out of the race car and realize when the adrenaline wears off that I'm very hungry. I don't have any problem with energy in the race car. All the rest of the time I do but in the race car is no problem."

DID YOU LIKE THE DOUBLE-FILE RESTARTS WITH THE LEADERS UP FRONT IN THE ALL-STAR RACE AND WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THAT IN REGULAR RACES?

"I'd have to think about that. The beauty of that would be to get the lapped cars from messing up the lead-lap cars race. The drawback to that is if you're running second and you're at a race track where the bottom is the premium the guy in third is better off than the guy in second. There are disadvantages that way. I'd have to think about it some more. I have never been a fan of the lapped cars on the inside since 1981. It is something to think about."

MAYBE GIVE THE LEADER A CHOICE WHETHER TO START ON THE OUTSIDE OR THE INSIDE.

Yeah but you would need to do it all the way back. What about the guy that's running fifth. I race every spot not just first. You know what I'm saying. You can't just focus on first because you might be running ninth. You might need to restart on the outside. I'm not saying, I'm just saying I'm not prepared to answer it because I haven't thought about it enough. I told you the two things. I'm really not a fan of putting the lapped cars up there in the middle of the lead-lap cars. You're restarting 30th when you're running 15th and 15th isn't bad today. A lot of good guys are running 15th in these races and to restart 30th that's difficult."

HAS THERE EVER BEEN A TIME WHEN THE ADVANTAGE OF BEING THE LEADER AERODYNAMICALLY MATTERED THIS MUCH?

"No. That has grown through time and it is more important now than ever. Everybody is the same speed probably. It's probably that. You can point at a lot of different things. The cars are more aero dependent. In 1990 you didn't have aero push. I don't know why. We didn't have it in '90 but I started feeling aero tight at Martinsville in the late '90s and people thought I was crazy. But I wasn't. You can feel it now and I could feel it then it was just a lot less then."

CAN I ASK WHAT YOU ATE WHEN YOU GOT OUT OF THE CAR?

"I eat turkey on wheat with mustard. Turkey, wheat, mustard, that's my staple. I usually have fish and vegetables, something like that for lunch before the race. I get a lot of carbs. I eat a lot of carbs every day but I burn a lot. But I've never found that carb loading did anything but blow you up. I just think that fitness is a lifestyle. If you want to be ready you need to start getting ready a year before and you need to live it every day. That's my belief but I'm obsessive and compulsive."

YOU WEREN'T ALWAYS SO HEALTH CONSCIOUS, WHAT DROVE YOU TO BELIEVE THE WAY YOU DO NOW?

"Well I made a pretty serious change in 1988 when I got my second chance with Jack Roush. I wanted to succeed. I'm obsessive and compulsive and it's a lot better to be that way about health and fitness than it is Twinkies and couch."

DO YOU FEEL BETTER NOW WHEN YOU START A RACE?

"I feel better when I start it and I feel better when I finish it. And I feel better in my own race. It's not all about racing. It's my commitment to life, better quality of life."

CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE EVOLUTION OF THE DRIVER IN TERMS OF THE HEIGHT, WEIGHT AND SIZE OVER THE LAST 25 YEARS?

"The old school crew chiefs one of them said in 1981 that I was too little to drive these cars. It was old school. A lot of things have changes. I wasn't but things came along like power steering although I ran third at Martinsville without power steering in 1981. A lot of things have changes. It still comes down to how much do you have to spend. I spend everything I have every race. So if I can get more fit I believe I will spend more. I believe that in my heart. If I get less fit then I have less to give. I believe that. So if I look tired after the race I should, I better. If I was driving as hard as I could I need to be tired. I believe you spend what you can. I don't know anything about the stats saying the drivers are lighter, shorter or whatever. Could be a coincidence, could not I don't know. I think you can be any size you want to be and do this deal but going into the future you're going to have to be fit. If you're 240 pounds you better be a rock. You better have the stamina. You probably need to be working on cardio and endurance, not strength training. If you way 125 you probably need to be focusing strongly on strength training. You work with what you have. I believe that."

YOU'RE 5'6", 130 POUNDS?

"I'm probably 125. 5'6" is right. Yeah 130 is a conservative number. I fall under that unless I've got shoes and cell phone and stuff like that on."

THERE AREN'T AS MANY DRIVERS OVER SIX FOOT, HAVE YOU NOTICED?

"I think that's a coincidence. I don't think height precludes being successful. I really don't."

YOUR TEAMMATE JEFF GORDON HAS A BACK ISSUE, YOU'VE HAD BACK ISSUES HAVE YOU TALKED TO JEFF ABOUT IT AND GIVEN HIM ANY ADVICE?

"Well I talked to him about it. I haven't really given him any major advice. He's ahead of me on his problems. I have talked to him about it. His issue is a little different than mine."

YOURS WAS PRETTY BAD WASN'T IT?

"Yeah, mine was pretty bad. I had surgery. I suffered a year and a half before then I finally got the surgery. I suffered less for the next five years but it's really the best it's ever been right now because of my physical conditioning."

Mark Martin NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Preview – Coca-Cola 600
Hendrick Motorsports
May 19, 2009

50 YEARS YOUNG: Mark Martin and Lowe's Motor Speedway's annual 600-mile race are both 50 years old this year. Martin, who celebrated his birthday in January, first competed in the season's longest Sprint Cup event on May 30, 1982. Neil Bonnett won that day, and Martin, just 23 years old at the time, finished 27th. Martin has raced in 25 of the 49 May events at LMS.

PREVIOUS WINNER: Martin has won four times in Sprint Cup competition at Lowe's Motor Speedway, but only once in the Memorial Day weekend event. On May 26, 2002, Martin started 25th and led 44 laps en route to Victory Lane. That win also was his most recent at the 1.5-mile track.

MARTIN AT LOWE'S: In 48 career Cup starts at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Martin has earned four victories, 17 top-five finishes and 22 top-10s. Martin has led a total of 1,168 laps at his favorite track, which ranks as the second-highest for him at any one venue. He has led the most laps -- 1,722 -- at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.

MILE MAN: Martin has logged more miles -- 23,205 total -- at Lowe's Motor Speedway than any other track on the Sprint Cup circuit. If Martin circled the globe on the equator in his No. 5 CARQUEST/Kellogg's Chevrolet, he would be just 1,795 miles shy of completing his mission. Martin almost could make up the remaining distance with just one round-trip from his home in Batesville, Ark., to the Hendrick Motorsports complex in Concord, N.C.

LOOP STATS STAR: Martin holds an average running position of 14.8 during the past eight races at Lowe's Motor Speedway, which ranks him second only to Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson. In the driver rating, Martin is fourth with a score of 92.1. He has spent 2,255 laps inside the top 15 during those eight races, second again to Johnson, who has raced 2,640 laps inside the top 15 there.

THE NO. 5 TEAM: Under the direction of crew chief Alan Gustafson, the No. 5 team has competed in four Memorial Day weekend 600-mile races at Lowe's Motor Speedway. While the team has yet to break the top 10 in that race, it has earned one top-five finish and two top-10s in four October events at Lowe's.

IN THE TOP-12: Martin's win at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway two weeks ago, propelled the once 34th-ranked driver to 11th in the Sprint Cup standings. With 15 races remaining until the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Martin has a 52-point cushion over 13th place.

CHASSIS CHOICE: Gustafson has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-523, Martin's favorite car in the stable, for Sunday's race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Martin drove this car to the pole position at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March and to a sixth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in April.

ONE MORE: Hendrick Motorsports' next win will mark the 180th for the organization. Rick Hendrick leads all car owners in the modern era and ranks second all-time with his 179 Sprint Cup wins.

CHEVY WEEK: The 2010 Daytona 500 pace car is one of four Chevrolets that will be on display May 19-24 during Chevy Week at Hendrick Motorsports. Additionally, fans can check out the 2010 Camaro LS7 Concept, the 2010 Camaro Black Concept and the 2010 Camaro GMPP Accessories car. They will be on display in front of the Hendrick Motorsports team shops and museum, which will have extended hours during this time. Visit www.HendrickMotorsports.com for more information.

HENDRICK AT LOWE'S: Hendrick Motorsports, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this season, has 15 Cup wins and 13 pole positions at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Both figures rank as the second highest in each category for the organization. Nine of Hendrick's wins at Lowe's were recorded in the 600-mile event.

HIGH MILEAGE: Hendrick Motorsports teams have logged more mileage at Lowe's Motor Speedway than any other track. In 49 races, Hendrick drivers have tallied 79,656 miles there. For perspective, you could drive the roughly 2,500-mile length of Interstate 40, from Barstow, Calif., to Wilmington, N.C., 32 times.

HENDRICK ON TWITTER: Hendrick Motorsports has launched its official Twitter page: www.twitter.com/HendrickInfo. Check out the page for updates on Martin, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the rest of Hendrick Motorsports.

SPEED STREET: Martin will be signing autographs at the Kellogg's display at "Speed Street" in uptown Charlotte, N.C., on Friday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. local time.

QUOTES

MARK MARTIN, DRIVER, NO. 5 CARQUEST/KELLOGG'S CHEVROLET (ON WHAT HE LEARNED FROM LAST WEEKEND'S ALL-STAR RACE.): "The all-star race allowed us to confirm the setup ideas that we already had. We learned some things about the car and refined our ideas on what we really need to look at for Sunday's race. We'll focus on keeping the car turning well throughout long runs. I expect Sunday's race to have a lot of long green-flag runs in it. Our car last Saturday was good for the short run, which is what you need for the all-star race format. We'll work this weekend on tailoring our car more for long runs and shift our focus to that."

MARTIN (ON HIS MEMORIES FROM HIS 2002 MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND WIN.): "That race was just so special to me. At my museum, in Batesville, Ark., I have that picture blown up pretty big from Victory Lane that night. My family is in there with me, and the team and everyone is just so happy. That's what winning means to me -- seeing the faces of all the crew guys and watching them celebrate their hard work. That win just really stands out to me. It was an important one, and I'm reminded of it every time I see that picture."

MARTIN (ON HIS PHYSICAL FITNESS AND HOW IT WILL COME INTO PLAY IN SUNDAY'S RACE.): "Well, being physically fit doesn't hurt. A lot of how I feel this weekend will depend on the temperature and humidity. That is a huge factor to a driver's health every race weekend. Every race is demanding. As a driver, I will always spend as much as I have. I will put into each race as much as I have to give, as much as I can possibly spend. It's a long race on Sunday, and it will be demanding, but, as I do in every race, I will give everything I have."

MARTIN (ON HIS MEMORIES OF THE FIRST TIME HE SAW LOWE'S MOTOR SPEEDWAY.): "I love this racetrack. The first time I raced at Lowe's, in 1982, I thought that it was just like the track I was used to running on at home. Just like the quarter-mile banked track I ran on all the time -- except a lot bigger. I was really comfortable on the track instantly. It had every characteristic that the quarter- and half-mile tracks did that I was used to running on in the Midwest. It was just an instant level of comfort for me. And I've liked it ever since."

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 CARQUEST/KELLOGG'S CHEVROLET (ON WHAT THE TEAM LEARNED FROM LAST WEEKEND'S ALL-STAR RACE.): "I think that everyone in the all-star race uses it as a quick test session for the 600. The main thing we were studying was the new tire and how it reacted throughout the race. We experimented with a few setups to see which one the tire meshed with the best to maintain a good balance throughout the run. I think that could be tricky for Sunday's race."

GUSTAFSON (ON MARK MARTIN'S HEALTH BEING AN ADVANTAGE IN A 600-MILE RACE.): "Mark's physical condition is definitely going to help him on Sunday. This race is grueling. A normal race can take a lot out of a driver, but add another 100 miles onto it and it gets even more intense. It doesn't look like it's going to be too hot or humid, so that will definitely help all of the drivers. But Mark's mental toughness, as well as his physical health and endurance, gives him an advantage over the guys out there who don't necessarily have the same physical commitment that he does. When a driver gets physically exhausted, he's prone to make some mental mistakes that he wouldn't have otherwise. I don't anticipate that being an issue at all with Mark this weekend."

GUSTAFSON (ON THE TEAM'S PAST TROUBLES IN THE 600-MILE RACE.): "If you look at statistics, the fall race looks much better for us as a team. But the truth is, we've run really well in both races. We've just found more bad circumstances in the May race. In 2005, we were leading and broke a valve spring, which is so rare for Hendrick Motorsports. We ended up finishing 25th on seven cylinders. The following year, we were running second, and about midway through the race we were spun by another car. In 2007, we suffered an alternator issue that forced us to change batteries. If the statistics told the whole story of a race, there's really not much difference between how the CARQUEST/Kellogg's Chevrolet runs in either race. The finishes are just better in the fall."

Mark Martin Friday Media Visit – All-Star Race
GM Racing
May 15, 2009

MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 KELLOGG'S/CARQUEST IMPALA SS, met with members of the media at Lowe's Motor Speedway and discussed the format for the All-Star race, the drug testing policy, having fun racing and much more.

WOULD YOU DO ANYTING YOURSELF IF YOU WERE THE GUY MAKING THE CALLS TO CHANGE THE FORMAT OF THIS RACE TO MAKE IT MORE SORT OF A STANDARD FORMAT THAT MAYBE STAYS THE SAME YEAR TO YEAR OR A FORMAT THAT MIGHT MAKE THE RACE A LITTLE MORE EXCITING?

"Well let me answer the last question first. If they put me in charge I would mess everything up. Years ago I would have made it more like a regular race because I didn't like the fact that this race basically to put it bluntly is set up to make it where the fastest car doesn't win. So it's exciting for the fans. Well at this stage of the game I'm kind of like understanding that so I think the format is pretty awesome. It think it's great. So I think the format is pretty awesome. I think it's great. It's great for the fans. You don't have to have the fastest car to win this race because things kind of go up in the air especially late in the race here. I applaud the format. The ten-lap shootout is much more exciting than 20. I always hated the inversion with a passion. I'm not so sure that's a bad idea either from a fan standpoint. This is a real privilege for all of us to be able to participate in and we have to make sure it is something specials for the fans. And I think they're doing their best at that."

OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE A TON OF MOMENTUM ON YOUR SIDE COMING INTO THIS WEEKEND, HOW MUCH IF AT ALL DO YOU THINK THAT CAN HELP YOU IN THIS RACE WITH THIS RACE BEING DIFFERENT?

"Momentum is great until a dollar part breaks it then it doesn't carry you. You love momentum. It's great and everything but I don't subscribe to that curing any issues that you have (laughing). No matter how much momentum you have if you happen to miss the set up and have a slow car it doesn't fix that for you so you have to do the job week in and week out momentum or not."

YOU SAID BECAUSE OF THE SITUATION WITH JEREMY (MAYFIELD) EVERYBODY IS A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS, EVERYONE IS LEARY OF OTC'S, WOULD IT HELP YOU IF YOU JUST KNEW WHAT IT WAS THAT JEREMY TESTED POSITIVE FOR AND IF IT CAME OUT THAT IT WAS AN ILLEGAL SUBSTANCE, NARCOTIC, CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE WHAT WOULD YOUR REACTION BE?

"Well I think from my standpoint and other drivers if that is what is was I think we would be not as on edge. On the other end I would be disappointed for Jeremy and our sport but yeah I do feel that it we would all feel a little bit better if we knew because when you pick up the paper and you see NASCAR zero tolerance what does that mean. If you're taking something as prescribed what does zero tolerance mean. So it's just a little bit scary. It's a little uneasy. It's our careers man. I'm sure that we're all over reacting a little bit but certainly nobody wants to be caught up in that. People have allergies, people have whatever. They have injuries and stuff and I'm sure that's all fine. Dr. Black says that's all fine but it's still pretty scary. I made my call to Dr. Black this week. I'm sure there are a number of others as well."

WHAT DID YOU ASK HIM ABOUT?

"I asked him about anti-inflammatory. You know anti-inflammatories. They weren't even testing for that is what he said. Well he didn't say that specifically, he said I don't think they're even testing for that. That's anti-inflammatory. I don't know what he even said. Something like we're not looking for that. That's like Advil or something like that or a prescription anti-inflammatory for an injury that I have and that probably a third of the guys in the garage have some sort of injury that is relieved by some degree from anti-inflammatories of some kind."

DO THEY NEED A LIST OF SUBSTANCES THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN'T TAKE?

"Let me just say this. I'm way not smart enough to be having any more conversations about this. I'm way not smart enough. I don't know. I'm not very comfortable talking about it. NASCAR is way smarter than I am, formats, racing. If they had put me in charge 15 years ago we wouldn't have the sport that we have today although I thought I knew what I was talking about. They're way smarter than I am. I don't know and I haven't had any discussions with them about why there's not a list or whatever. Everyone just wants to make sure they're right and they don't accidentally trip up. I thought this thing was supposed to keep marijuana, cocaine, heroin and things like that out of the deal. That was my assumption of what the drug policy was all about."

IT SEEMS LIKE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS A LOT OF THE UNEASYNESS AND THE NERVOUSNESS COMES FROM NOT KNOWING WHAT EXACTLY COULD GET YOU IN TROUBLE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW WHAT EXACTLY COULD GET YOU IN TROUBLE?

"Of course but NASCAR must have a very good reason why there's not. I don't know. But yeah, absolutely. I think most of us would like to know what was on or not on that list. I'm sure they have a good reason why there is no list. I'm not educated enough to be the spokesperson on all this stuff. I don't know."

MICHIGAN WAS ALWAYS A PLACE THAT YOU'VE HAD PRETTY GOOD SUCCESS AT, WHAT IS IT ABOUT MICHIGAN THAT YOU LIKE?

"Handling is almost everything everywhere we go except for Talladega and then Daytona and then after that it's almost everything everywhere in today's deal, but the corners are so big at Michigan if you're really good on handling it shows up even more there than it would somewhere else. It pays dividends if you get your car handling better than the next guy. It pays more there than most."

I SPOKE TO JUSTIN ALLGAIER AND HE REALLY ADMIRES YOU AND SAYS HE WOULD LIKE TO BECOME THE KIND OF DRIVER THAT YOU ARE, COULD YOU JUST TALK A LITTLE ABOUT HIM?

"I don't know him. I've seen him on TV and seen his interview. He certainly did a great job performance wise and speaks very well and seems very respectful which is nice to see out of young guys. I didn't know him but I knew his dad when I was a kid racing and it's really cool to see because I knew his dad well. He was at the short-track races all through the mid-west back when I was getting started. So it's cool to see him having the success he's having."

IT JUST SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE HAVING A LOT OF FUN ON THE TRACK ESPECIALLY WITH YOUR RECENT SUCCESS, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR MENTAL FRAME RIGHT NOW? ARE YOU ENJOYING AS MUCH AS YOU LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE?

Yeah, it's not a show. You pretty much see what you get with me. I feel like I've learned a lot in the last two or three years and really, really, really come to appreciate this sport and how much I love it and the privilege that it is to participate on the level that I get to participate and to have the opportunity to be competitive at this stage in my career is really special. I'm living it up. I'm really enjoying it."

DO YOU KIND OF FEEL FOR DALE JR. WITH ALL HE'S FACED AS BEING THE FACE OF NASCAR AND NOT HAVING THE PERFORMANCE BE THERE AND FINISHING RATHER POORLY THESE DAYS?

"Let's take the performance out of the equation just for a second and let me tell you personally how I feel about Dale Earnhardt, Jr. I feel that he's the strongest man, got the broadest, strongest shoulders of any man in NASCAR racing and I would not trade places with him. Absolutely not. That being said, when we talk about the performance side of it every great race car driver goes through what Dale Jr. is going through. Sometimes it's just not as big of news and sometimes it is big news. Jeff Gordon went through slight of that last year himself. His dad went through it. I went through it. I've been through it more than once where we didn't get the kind of performance or results that we were all capable of. My team and I were capable of. That's what they go this year. This year they are a better team and have actually run better than the results they've gotten and they have some work to do on how they run as well. It will come around. Where they're at right now is they just need to not let the pressure get them so tight that they can't perform at their best level. So my advice to Junior was hey this is All-Star weekend come here and take a deep breath and take a deep breath for your team and go out here and have some fun and let this thing come to you. It's going to come around. It's going to come around for those guys."

IN OTHER SPORTS IS BECOMES PRETTY APPARENT WHEN IT'S TIME FOR GUYS TO RETIRE, WHAT TELLS A DRIVER WHEN IT'S TIME TO RETIRE?

"I'm not sure, probably its different things for different people. For some that love the sport and not be a contender every week maybe it's when they can't get a ride. For others that can't stand to be anywhere but a contender then after they're convinced they can't be anymore than after they're convinced they can't be anymore then that's when. For some they want to step out at the top of their game and it all depends. I think it's a little bit different for each individual."

IS IT AS MUCH ABOUT DESIRE AS SKILLS DETERIORATING?

"It's all a combination. I think that some drivers are given up on by teams, owners and sponsors before its time. I think that happens and causes the performance to not be there and eventually leads to the necessity to step out. I think that happens quite often."

HOW DID YOUR WORKOUT GO YESTERDAY AT PEAK FITNESS?

"I wish you wouldn't advertise that. It won't be as much fun the next time that I go if everybody in the world knows that I'm there. It went good. It was lots and lots of fun because I got to take Matt for the first time. He started about three weeks ago a very ambitious weight lifting program so it was really fun because they got to take him in. When we went in the place was almost empty. There weren't very many people and I got to take him through my routine so I really enjoyed it. It was pretty cool."

WHEN YOU WERE GOING THROUGH THAT SLOW START AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON, HOW DID YOU KEEP YOUR POISE AND WHAT WAS YOUR MINDSET TO GET YOU THROUGH THAT?

"When we broke down in California we were about a tenth-place car which wasn't very comforting but it was a lot better than running 25th. It was our first down force race together and we learned a lot from that race and I've been much stronger ever since. We were running fourth at Vegas when we blew up and ran top-five the whole race and we were running fourth in Atlanta when we cut the tire. So from Vegas on we've been very comforted by the performance on the race track not to say that California was not a good one but we certainly have gotten better since then. It was a little below our expectations in California but we've learned a lot and we've gotten much better as we've been able to work together. The performance is what kept us going and kept our chins up and I think the bond between Alan (Gustafson) and I and the whole team and I has grown through the season. After Phoenix it felt very strong. Prior to the start of the Darlington race and is even stronger now. I think that's incredible. That's very important and that won't be broken by any bad luck or disappointment."

Mark Martin NASAR Sprint Cup Race Preview
NASCAR Sprint Showdown & Sprint All-Star Race
Hendrick Motorsports
April 13, 2009

TWENTY YEARS: The 2009 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race will be Mark Martin's 20th start in the non-points event, which is the most for any driver locked into this year's field. Martin's first all-star start in 1990 resulted in a third-place finish. He finished ninth in last year's race.

TWO-TIME WINNER: Martin is a two-time NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race champion. His first victory occurred in 1998 after he started fifth and led 31 laps. Martin also won in 2005 after starting from the outside pole position and leading 24 laps.

ALL-STAR FINISHES: Along with his two all-star victories, Martin has posted seven top-five finishes and nine top-10s in the exhibition event. While he has yet to secure the pole position, he lined up on the front row in 2000 and 2005.

LOOP STATISTICS: Martin holds an average running position of 7.8 during the past four all-star races, which ranks him fifth among all drivers in those events. Martin's driver rating of 97.7 places him seventh in that category.

THE NO. 5 ALL-STAR TEAM: Under the direction of crew chief Alan Gustafson, the Kellogg's/CARQUEST team has competed in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race three times. The No. 5 team led a combined 45 laps in its first two starts under Gustafson, but was unable to finish either race in 2006 or 2007. Last season, the team started 17th and finished 13th.

ALMOST PERFECT: The No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports' first car, has raced in 23 of the 24 all-star races that have been held. Terry Labonte guided the No. 5 Chevy to its lone all-star win in 1999 after leading 24 laps. The only time the No. 5 failed to make the field was in 2005, when Labonte moved to the No. 44 and Kyle Busch was in his rookie season.

WINNER, WINNER: Martin and the Kellogg's/CARQUEST team earned their second victory of the 2009 season last Saturday at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. The victory, Martin's 37th of his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career, ranks him 17th on the Cup all-time winner's list, a spot he shares with former Cup champion Bobby Isaac.

IN THE TOP-12: Last Saturday's victory catapulted the team to 11th in the Sprint Cup standings, 52 points ahead of 13th and 10 points behind 10th. Earlier this season, the team was 34th in the standings after suffering three consecutive finishes of 31st or worst. Since then, the team has had just one finish outside of the top seven -- 43rd at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

CREW CHIEF OF THE RACE: For the second time this season, Gustafson was awarded the Wypall Crew Chief of the Race award for last Saturday's race at Darlington. The winning crew chief is voted on by a panel, including Jeff Hammond, Todd Berrier and Bob Osborne.

PIT CREW CHALLENGE: The Kellogg's/CARQUEST pit crew will compete in Thursday evening's NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, N.C. The 2009 pit crew consists of front-tire carrier J.D. Holcomb (Whitesburg, Ky.), front-tire changer Kyle Turner (Yorktown, Va.), jackman Jason Hunt (Greensboro, N.C.), rear-tire carrier Dion Williams (Atlanta), rear-tire changer Josh Kirk (Chambersburg, Pa.), gasman Brad Pickens (Greer, S.C.) and catch can Travis Gordon (Richfield, N.C.).

INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION: Turner, current front-tire changer for the Kellogg's/CARQUEST team, won the individual championship as a rear-tire changer in the 2006 pit crew challenge with a time of 14.84 seconds. Turner was also a member of the 2005 pit crew challenge winning team.

CHASSIS CHOICE: Gustafson has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-497 for Saturday's exhibition race. This chassis has not been fielded this season, but did finish eighth in the 2008 Sprint Cup finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

HENDRICK IN THE ALL-STAR: Hendrick Motorsports, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this season, has fielded at least one entry in each all-star race since the event first was held in 1985. With six victories, car owner Rick Hendrick is the winningest owner in the all-star event, which is celebrating the 25th event this year.

ALL-STAR MEMORY: While every current driver at Hendrick Motorsports has scored at least one career win in the all-star event, Jeff Gordon leads his teammates with three trips to Victory Lane. Gordon won in 1995, 1997 and 2001, but the 1997 event is the one most people remember. That day -- May 17, 1997 -- Gordon rocketed from his 19th starting spot to Victory Lane driving "T-Rex," a Monte Carlo named after chassis engineer Rex Stump and its Jurassic Park paint scheme.

HIGH-RANKING: All four Hendrick Motorsports' drivers rank inside the top six for spending the most time inside the top 15 during the last four all-star races. Out of 360 laps completed, Gordon ranks the highest with 343 of those inside the top 15, while Johnson is third with 336 laps. Dale Earnhardt Jr. ranks fifth with 308 and Martin is sixth with 299.

QUOTES

MARK MARTIN, DRIVER, NO. 5 KELLOGG'S/CARQUEST CHEVROLET (ON THE EXCITEMENT OF THE ALL-STAR RACE.): "I love this race. It gets a little crazy sometimes, but it's always fun. Winning back in 2005, I have great memories of that night. I was driving a throw-back paint scheme, which I love doing, and it was one of my last wins in the No. 6 car. That was just a great night. I would really, really like to get back up on that stage with Rick (Hendrick)."

MARTIN (ON HIS WIN LAST SATURDAY AT DARLINGTON.): "Doing all of the media interviews this week, it's starting to sink in. It's unbelievable to me. The car wasn't perfect on Friday, but Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and the guys worked their tails off to make it right. I knew, once the race got under way a little bit, that we had a great race car. I just didn't expect to win. It was a big surprise. Alan is just incredible. He continues to amaze me every weekend with how smart he is, and Darlington was no exception. I can't thank him enough."

MARTIN (ON HOW THIS TEAM HAS TURNED AROUND THIS SEASON.): "You know, when we suffered the engine losses at California and Vegas, it was bad. Then we had the cut tire in Atlanta, and I thought, 'This just can't go on.' I knew how good this Kellogg's/CARQUEST team was. I know how good they are now. It was just a timing thing. A bad luck thing. I had moments when I thought, 'This is bad.' But I knew, with the way these guys work, and all of the resources we have at Hendrick Motorsports, it would turn around. And it has. We're not out of the woods yet -- a lot can happen. But it's good to see this team winning races and smiling, because that's what they all deserve."

MARTIN (ON WHO HE WOULD VOTE INTO THE ALL-STAR RACE, IF HE COULD VOTE FOR ANYONE.): "Dale Earnhardt (Sr.), without a doubt. He was such an exciting race car driver and never let anyone down in the all-star race as far as excitement was concerned."

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 KELLOGG'S/CARQUEST CHEVROLET (ON BUILDING HIS CURRENT PIT CREW.): "It's a constant evolution as anything is in this sport. You're always evolving. You're always refining. In 2008, we had some struggles with the pit crew. In the last quarter of that season, we aggressively went after making some changes --changes in philosophy and in personnel. Mark Mauldin, our pit crew coach, and I met quite a bit and really tried to hash out a good plan to make the pit crew practices and development and refinement more of a science. We wanted a system that worked well. If a person changed, or if someone was unfortunate enough to get injured, we had a good system in place. Mauldin deserves a lot of credit for that. He's worked really hard to get these guys prepared. He took a lot of experience in other sports, such as football, and the way they compete for spots to be a starter, and day in, day out competition to be better. He applied all of that to our pit crew practice. That's really paid off. I think the guys -- each individual -- deserves a lot of credit because we really shook up what they thought was how a pit crew department should be. We pushed them really hard, and they've all responded. They're all team players and have worked really hard. I'm not going to say that we have the fastest pit crew on pit road, but I do think we have the most fundamentally sound and most consistent. I think they're going to keep getting better the more time they have and the harder they can push each other. The more races they have together, they'll just get better and better."

GUSTAFSON (ON WHAT HE LOOKS FOR IN EACH POSITION ON A PIT CREW.): "There are physical attributes, as well as mental ones, that they all need. Tire changers have to have really good hand-eye coordination and hand speed. Mentally, they have to be strong, because they're going to miss lug nuts and have issues, and they have to bounce right back from that. They can't let that affect them. That's probably the biggest skill position over the wall.

"Tire carriers have gotten really athletic in the last four or five years. We have two super athletes as tire carriers on this team. They are both really strong and agile. They've become what a typical NFL player would be. You have to be 200-plus pounds, really strong, but you also have to be very agile on your feet. Being as fast around the car didn't used to be a big deal, but especially with the COT, the rear is so long, so the rear carrier has a lot farther to go compared to the front carrier. His foot speed has to be really fast and he often has adjustments to make, too. Plus, carrying a 75-pound tire to put on studs, all in one second.

"The jackman has to have mental toughness like the changers. He has to sit there and wait to drop the jack and be mentally strong enough to wait for the work to be done before he drops that jack, even when you see all that competition coming at you. He's kind of the coordinator of the stop. When I call for adjustments, he's the coordinator from front to rear to make sure everyone is on the same page. He also has to be strong, fast and agile to carry that jack and lift the car. He's got to be nimble as well, as he's running around other crew members, tires and hoses.

"Accuracy is very important for the fuelers. They have to get the can plugged in, get to the car as fast as possible. He's got 100 pounds on his shoulders and has to make sure he hits that dry brake straight. The catch-can man used to be a novelty, but he's a vital part of the pit crew now. He makes the majority of the adjustments on the back. They have to plug in, fuel, make an adjustment, get that stuff out and over the wall and get back there to pull the left-side tires off. All of that takes some strength and speed."

GUSTAFSON (ON WHO HE WOULD VOTE INTO THE ALL-STAR RACE, IF HE COULD VOTE FOR ANYONE.): "If I was a fan and could vote anyone in, any racer ever, the one guy that stands out for good and bad reasons, because he always made the race fun to watch, was Dale Earnhardt (Sr.). I remember him running Terry (Labonte) up the track and letting Michael Waltrip through to win the race. The year he wrecked Darrell Waltrip off of Turn 4 and causing chaos in that one. That would be the guy that I would say would make the all-star race the most exciting of everyone I've ever seen race. There are a lot of good candidates. But he's the one guy that's always made that race interesting."

MARK MAULDIN, PIT CREW COACH FOR THE NOS. 5/88 TEAMS (ON WHAT IT MEANS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PIT CREW CHALLENGE.): "We're really excited about it for a couple of reasons. The guys work so hard in the pits during the races and sometimes we don't get recognized for the efforts that we do. It blends in with the performance of the car and the performance of the crew chief. This is a chance for the pit crew to get recognized individually. The guys all look forward to it. It's a good team building effort, and we appreciate NASCAR and everybody involved who put this together for us."

MAULDIN (ON COMPARING THE ATHLETICISM OF A PIT STOP TO A PROFESSIONAL SPORT.): "Football from a competitive standpoint is similar to racing but that's about where it stops. The mentality is different. We get five chances. We get five plays a game, where a football player may get 40 offensive, 50 offensive plays a game. We're closer probably to a baseball scenario with the hitter getting four chances and on a good night, maybe five. And we want to capitalize on these. And there's a lot of intensity in these pit stops because we know we don't get a lot of opportunity to show what we can do, so we try to put the most into every one. And there again it's not the fastest, it's the most efficient. That's what we look at is efficiency."

MAULDIN (ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE NO. 5 PIT CREW.): "I would say the philosophy of the No. 5 team is just roll up your sleeves, bring your lunch pail and go to work. They're in it to do their job. They don't care who gets the credit. We just want to win races. They're just a solid, fundamentally sound pit crew. The (No. 5) is like a diesel engine. They just keep chugging and chugging."

MAULDIN (ON WHAT IT'S LIKE TO RUN A PIT STOP FOR MARTIN.): "He's just an awesome individual. Whether he were a race car driver or a soda truck driver, he's the kind of guy you really like to be around and you want to be around and you want to work hard for him. He's been there and done that. Not only is he great in the race car, he's great on the radio. He tells us exactly what he needs in the race car, and he's so appreciative of everything you do. For myself, you're going to get more out of me with carrots than you are a stick, and Mark is such a quality individual that he conveys confidence. He conveys gratitude. Everything we do he appreciates. And we're not perfect. Human beings are going to make a mistake every now and then and he understands that. Instead of pounding on us, 'Come on you guys; you gotta step up.' He says, 'Guys, we'll get it next time.' He's been around, and he realizes that nobody can put more pressure on us than we put on than ourselves. Rather than getting after us, he calms us down. He's great."

DARLINGTON, SC - MAY 09: Mark Martin, driver of the #5 Cheez-It/CARQUEST Chevrolet, waves the checkered flag while doing a victory lap after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Southern 500 on May 9, 2009 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

Mark Martin Post Race Notes and Quotes – Southern 500 presented by GoDaddy.com
GM Racing
May 9, 2009

MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 CHEEZ-IT/CARQUEST IMPALA SS - Winner:

"It feels great! I want to thank the fans and Cheez-It, CARQUEST and Chevrolet for all of their support and of course Sprint. Alan Gustafson and this race team and the boss...Hey Rick, thank you, man. I am loving it, man. That was so incredible, man. Once we got out front, it was just easy. The car was awesome."

HOW CLOSE WERE YOU AT THE END ON GAS?

"We never sucked any air, so I guess we had enough. I don't know. We worked pretty hard to save some gas, so I don't know how close it was. My history, I always, always, always run out. So, that is pretty neat to make it. I don't know how much we had, but we tried to save what we could. Out front, I was really gassing it up a lot too when the No. 48 would get up on me so I knew I could be burning more than we had seen to. Just a great day. I just want to thank everybody for letting me do this. This is a great race team. Thank you fans."

HOW SWEET IS THIS WIN IN THE SOUTHERN 500?

"This is unbelievable. Just absolutely unbelievable. A big huge thanks to Cheez-It and all our sponsors, Carquest, Chevrolet and Sprint for supporting this thing and the race fans. You know I've got such a great race team. This was a big surprise. You know we had a strong car but I never expected to win. Alan Gustafson is absolutely the best. I may have been his childhood hero. I'm living a second childhood now and he's my childhood hero."

WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE TONIGHT?

"We had a good enough car to do it. Pit strategy put us in position to pull it off. We had a problem and had to go to the back of the pack and had to work the strategy to get up there. We passed a lot of cars but those last few we were really struggling with. With some great strategy from this race team and Alan there we go."

WERE YOU WORRIED AT ALL ABOUT JIMMIE JOHNSON BACK THERE?

"Heck yeah. He's superman, man. Have you seen him lately? Three championships in a row. You know the guy is incredible. I thought he was trying to snooker me and lolly gag back there and then all of a sudden mash the gas and I'd be off guard. I was trying to save gas but I couldn't let him get near me because I know how tough he is."

DID YOU KNOW THE LAST TIME THERE WAS A SOUTHERN 500 TERRY LABONTE WON IT IN THIS NO. 5 CAR?

"Isn't that sweet. That is so great. Go 5!"

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 CHEEZ-IT/CARQUEST IMPALA SS:

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WIN THE SOUTHERN 500? "It's a huge deal. That was a tough one, probably the toughest win I have had in my career. We weren't very good on Friday and these guys really dug in and worked on that car and got it really good. Mark drove his tail off. I just want to thank Cheez-It, CARQUEST, Kellogg's for supporting us through the lean times. Want to say hi to Mr. H back home, we love you buddy. "Really proud of Mark, really proud of these guys. It was tough man, we weren't good on Friday. We rebuilt this thing yesterday morning and these guys did a hell of a job."

DARLINGTON, SC - MAY 09: Mark Martin, driver of the #5 Cheez-It/CARQUEST Chevrolet, jumps off his car in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Southern 500 on May 9, 2009 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images

Winning Team Press Conference – Southern 500 presented by GoDaddy.com
NASCAR
May 9, 2009

An interview with:

MARK MARTIN - Winning driver
ALAN GUSTAFSON - Crew chief

KERRY THARP: We're going to roll right now into your race winner for tonight's Southern 500, Mark Martin, driver of the No. 5 Cheez It Carquest Chevrolet for Rick Hendrick Motorsports. We're also joined by his crew chief, Alan Gustafson.

Mark, your 37th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory, your second win here at Darlington Raceway. The first one came back in 1993. You guys were up here on Friday. You're back here now on Saturday night. Just your thoughts, your emotions about what was just a terrific display out there tonight.

MARK MARTIN: Well, I want to start by saying what an incredible privilege it was to spend time with the past winners. That intro, that was a very, very special time. David Pearson told me I was going to go out here and win this thing. David Pearson is the coolest dude ever. Cale Yarborough, so many of those guys...

I really do appreciate bringing that flavor back into our sport. We need to remember our heroes, and that's really special.

I'm overwhelmed, just totally overwhelmed. This is a little bit more special in some ways than Phoenix because I was just kind of spun out, I just couldn't hardly believe it at Phoenix. There was so much going on. It's soaking in a little bit better.

Also this win was pure race team and Alan Gustafson. As you guys know, I'm in my second childhood right now (smiling). Alan says that I was one of his childhood heroes. Well, the tables are turned now. He's mine.

It's early in the year. A lot of cool things could happen yet this year the way things are going.

KERRY THARP: Alan, talk about this race out here tonight. Certainly a grueling, grueling race. Only the survival of the fittest there. Talk about your race team.

ALAN GUSTAFSON: Yeah, I'm really, really proud of our race team. I'm exhausted, man. I don't know how Mark does it. That's definitely the toughest race I've ever won, one of the toughest races I can remember running.

We weren't very good on Friday. Mark went out there and got us a good qualifying lap, salvaged a starting spot for us. But we knew we had a lot of work to do on the car. Just really proud of the guys. All the guys on the team, you know, especially the engineering staff, Chris, Lee, Clint, those guys, they jammed keys all night long. My wife let me work a lot and didn't give me a hard time. We made some adjustments that are really probably four or five times more than we would normally make on a race day morning. So really proud of all the guys for making those adjustments and getting it right.

It was a tough night. We ran up front most of the night. Had some lug nuts fall off, had to go back to the back, Mark drove his way back to the front, got stuck in the back again. Just glad it worked out. Extremely happy. Really proud of the guys. They earned this one. It was not easy for a second. Phoenix wasn't easy. They're never easy. Sometimes things seem to go your way, and nothing went our way. It was tough, except for the end, it went our way. It's really special.

KERRY THARP: Questions now for either Alan or Mark.

Q: Mark, the last time you won here 16 years ago I bet pit strategy was pretty much four tires every time you came down pit road. Can you just contrast how this track and the strategy behind it has changed. We saw no tires, two tires, people staying out tonight.

MARK MARTIN: That's very true. You know what, I lost a race one time putting four tires on. The caution came out, and we had the thing in the bag. I didn't think Darrel Waltrip was in the picture. We came in, put four tires on. He stayed out, it rained (laughter).

I tell you, yeah, we could figure out all kinds of ways to lose races, that's for sure. But, yeah, you know, this place was repaved, though, many years ago. The first couple of years it was similar to this. So the only thing that I will say about the paving is it seems to hang on a little longer than it used to. Other places as well. Charlotte has hung on, Lowe's, as well. It will eventually get back to the way it was before.

But, you know, tonight was a very frustrating night for many, many other drivers, including myself. My car felt like I was trying to race on ice. I didn't have the option to slide the car. And I like sliding the car. I like making the car do things by pitching it and slipping it and all that stuff.

But if you slip this thing, you're gonna get a piece of that wall. So, you know, we were very calculating starting on Friday. It was pretty cool what Alan said. We're going to set the car up to defend over here so you can do your business over there. I showed him where I liked to do my deal. That's what we did pretty much. We had a great strategy starting on Friday. Alan called a brilliant race I'm really lucky to be working with some of the brightest NASCAR's ever seen.

Q: You obviously are very happy. Could you talk a little bit about creating a very happy crowd out there.

MARK MARTIN: I hope they were happy. I sure was.

ALAN GUSTAFSON: Yeah, I mean, I guess you might have heard it. I don't know. When you win, you're just kind of like, Wow, this is unbelievable.

But we can't do it without the fans. They're a huge part of what we do. We love the support they give us. They're really great to this sport. If they like your car or your team or not, the passion they have is unbelievable. We really feel privileged to be a part of it. If we made them happy, that just makes it that much sweeter.

Q: Mark, this is the first time since 1999 you've won more than one race in a season. You have two already in the first 11 this year. I know you've always talked in the past about cherishing each win because you never know when the next one is going to happen. With the way you're performing, can you start to get greedy? Is it easy to get greedy, start thinking about more and more wins in this second childhood of yours?

MARK MARTIN: You know, my answer to that is: be careful. Don't set yourself up. I'm just very, very happy right now, and I don't need to say, you know, we're gonna win a whole bunch more races this year. We're going to race just like we raced this race and all the other ones, and the ones we cross the line first, we'll take the trophy.

It could happen. But if not, at least we got two instead of one. That's the way I look at it (smiling). Don't take those kind of answers from me as pessimistic or a lack of confidence. All I want to do is be happy and have fun doing this. If you don't set yourself up for disappointment, then it's much easier.

You know, let's just go out, and I want to get the All Star Race. That's one of my favorite races. I can't wait to get there. We're having a blast. I mean, we really, really are. I think we'll learn, as we experience the disappointments, to let those roll off our backs a little bit more. It was pretty tough on Alan and I. California was really tough. I think we grew a little bit through that experience. And Vegas was really tough. But I think we'd already grown some from the experience in California. That's the thing that we have to do.

It's okay to have the passion. It's okay to have the drive. But you can't let it tear you apart, you know.

Q: How did you avoid all the craziness out there tonight?

MARK MARTIN: Well, I felt like my car was about 50% or 40% out of control, so I didn't get very close to anybody most of the time (laughter). I was hating it, you know, on the restarts when we'd have to get all jumbled up there.

But, you know, Dick Trickle told me back in 1977 something that kind of irritated me. He told me, in order to finish first, first you must finish. What does that tell you? He wouldn't have told me that if I hadn't been wrecking. I was a young man, I was in the gas, knocking front clips off. He told me that, and that's the truth.

I guess some of those other guys haven't learned that yet. I guess that's okay, you know. There are a lot of people eliminated theirselves. You have to watch yourself if you want to survive conditions like were out there tonight.

Q: Alan, when you made the decision to stay out on the old tires, were you surprised that six other cars stayed out behind you also on old tires? Did you get a sense at that point you might have a real good chance to win the race?

ALAN GUSTAFSON: I wasn't surprised. I actually thought that more would. The way the race was going, there wasn't a whole lot of value in tires. You know, you could kind of see that with two tires, some of the varying strategies. Seemed like everybody was better when they were up front and in the lead. That was definitely an advantage.

I expected more to do it. We were really, really close to a fuel window. I think we were about six cautions away from making it on gas when we pitted. I think we got a couple of 'em right there on that caution. So I was a little surprised that more didn't stay out.

And then when we had a buffer, you know, that was good. But anytime you have Three Time right there behind you, that's not going to be an easy task. We knew he was going to be tough, but at the same time he's one of the best teammates out there. You have some comfort in that.

Then Tony came charging through there. We were concerned about Tony. He seemed to make a big run to third, then kind of stalled out. You don't know you win 'em till you win 'em. When we came across, that's when I really knew. Obviously with each passing lap, the opportunity and possibility got better.

Q: When you had the lug nut problem, could you talk about your conversation on the radio about being frustrated, trying to stay calm, work your way back up from the trouble you were in.

ALAN GUSTAFSON: I guess you're going to let me answer this one (laughter).

I was afraid to get on the radio at that time. So, no, the guys, knock on wood, our pit crew has done great. That's the first lug nuts that have come off this year. That's been a big problem.

MARK MARTIN: This guy right here was Kyle Busch's crew chief for how many years?

ALAN GUSTAFSON: Three.

MARK MARTIN: He can take it (laughter).

ALAN GUSTAFSON: I was a little concerned. I told Mark, We did it to you, just bail us out. I tell you, that's really when I knew our car was pretty good because he came from I don't know where it was, you know, 25th or 24th to 10th quick. I said, Wow, that was impressive. He did, he bailed us out, got us right back up front. We're gonna make it up to him. I promise him that.

Q: Mark, for years and years when you would get into one of your hot streaks, you would always be very careful to admonish us that you didn't take anything for granted, that you treated every win as though you might not get another one. That kind of philosophy. Here I couldn't help noticing you talking about you can't wait for the All Star Race, who knows what else could happen this season. Are we hearing a Mark Martin who has a whole different feeling right now than you've had either ever or in a long time?

MARK MARTIN: I am a different person. I still think that I'm cautious about what I set myself up for. But I know I'm gonna have some fun. You know, I mean, if everything turns into a disaster, maybe not. But then the next week we will.

I'm having a blast. I'm really, really having a blast. And I learned things all through my career. I never stopped learning. And I learned some really great lessons in 2007 and 2008. You know, like I said, yes, I'm a different person. Yeah, I'm still growing up, I'm still maturing.

Q: More optimistic than you used to be?

MARK MARTIN: I'm cautious. I can't expect results. I can't do that. Just like Alan says, I can expect the effort, and the effort's phenomenal. But you can't expect all the results to be like they were tonight, nor can you expect them to be like they broke our heart in California. But we have to control that. We can't let that be a negative charge in our deal when things don't go right.

Yeah, I'm optimistic because I'm happy. I'm having a blast. I can't wait. That's my favorite place, Lowe's. I'm driving a fast racecar, you know. I expect it will be fast there. We haven't had a slow one yet. This is fun.

Q: Alan, with your years in the organization, you have maybe as good a perspective. Tonight six of the top seven cars were Hendrick equipment. Certainly with what Stewart Haas and Hendrick the last five or six races, domination. Can you put in perspective the depth of the Hendrick organization, even with Stewart Haas. So many years there were one or two cars at Hendrick that were up there, a struggle to get the other cars up too.

ALAN GUSTAFSON: This is as good as I've seen us in some time. We're all pretty proud of that. We're proud of the effort and the work. It's countless hours from a lot of people. It's incredible direction from Rick Hendrick. It's Rick Hendrick going out and getting us Mark Martin to drive our car. That's awesome. Him having faith in us. We know what the 24 and 48 have done. They've had a lot of success. But we've worked hard. We haven't had the results in the 5 and 88 that we would have wished for, but we're working hard to change that. I think Mark's a big piece of that puzzle.

The depth you're talking about, there's an incredible amount of talent there. You know, it's hard in this sport to keep that talent and keep a budget and keep everything in check. And the reason that happens is Rick Hendrick. There's nobody else I'd rather work for. There's nobody else I want to work for. And I think there's 80 people in that 5 and 88 shop who say the same thing. I think there's 500 people at Hendrick Motorsports who say the same thing. He's really a special person, somebody you want to be around.

Stewart Haas, they're really fortunate I think to have gotten somebody like Darian. It's not often that somebody will leave our organization because they want to be around Rick. I know Darian has a huge amount of respect and admiration for Rick. But I know Rick also will take care of Darian regardless of what happens. Stewart Haas is fortunate to have a guy like Darian. I've worked with him a long time. I think he's as good as there is out in the series. He's going to win a lot of races. He's going to be tough to beat. That's obvious by the way they've run. Tony is a great driver. He's really special also.

That 39, you can't discount what they're doing. They had a rough start to the year like we did. Tony Gibson is doing a great job. Ryan is doing a great job. Ryan has had a couple off years and really looks rejuvenated, really looks good. He was really fast tonight. We raced him hard tonight all night long. Richmond was the same way. They should be proud of what they've done over there at Stewart Haas.

I think the one thing, I say a million times, I'll say it a million times again, the one thing that all comes back to is Rick Hendrick.

Q: How come everybody but the winner gets out of the car all gassed after a race like tonight? When you're on the outside looking in, once you get inside a place like Hendrick, can you believe what you didn't know or appreciate about that team from the other side?

MARK MARTIN: Well, it was hot. But when you're leading a race, it could have been 200 degrees in there and it wouldn't have bothered me. It's especially hot when you have a bad night, a frustrating night, very irritating. But these guys have done a great job of making me comfortable in the racecars, an incredible job on the seats and everything.

When I go over there to that shop, I feel like I've gone to NASA and they're getting me prepared to go to the moon. I really mean that. They treat every little pad, every little detail, everything about it, the helmet, the shield, the air to the helmet, the cooler, the cooling, every piece of it is handled as if it was the most important thing in our race. It's just really, really cool. This is quite an experience for me to get to be a part of this at this stage in my career.

KERRY THARP: Again, congratulations. Just a great performance out there by this 5 team. We'll see you at Charlotte.

MARK MARTIN: Thank you.

ALAN GUSTAFSON: Thank you.

DARLINGTON, SC - MAY 09: Mark Martin, driver of the #5 Cheez-It/CARQUEST Chevrolet, poses in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Southern 500 on May 9, 2009 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Mark Martin & Alan Gustafson Friday Media Visit
GM Racing
May 8, 2009

(Mark qualified 12th for the race)

MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 CHEEZ-IT/CARQUEST IMPALA SS, AND ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, met with members of the media at Darlington Raceway and discussed Mark returning for another full season in 2010, racing for a championship, his Hendrick Motorsports teammates, Brad Keselowski and other topics.

MARTIN - MARK, TALK ABOUT RACING HERE AT DARLINGTON

"This is a great place to race. I was thinking about it on the way up here this morning. I have been coming here a long time and have seen a lot of stuff. A lot of times, you might come here and think about the good old days, today is the good old days. I mean, this is it. I am so excited to go to the race track every weekend and drive Alan's car and work with this team and be doing what we are doing. It is cool to be here."

GUSTAFSON - ALAN, TALK ABOUT HOW YOU ASSESS THE TEAM'S PERFORMANCE SO FAR THIS SEASON

"The performance of the team, I think, has been really good. We've gotten in to some circumstances that got us three or four finishes that we'd rather not have, down in the 30s and 40s. We worked hard on correcting those issues. The motor issues, the motor shop did a really good job with that. The win Phoenix was a big deal. Mark did a great job at Richmond. We will just sort of forget about Talladega, there isn't much you can do about that.

"Coming to Darlington, it is always a great place to race. It is a lot of fun. The history is unbelievable here; it is just one of those places. There are very few tracks to come to, Darlington, Indianapolis, Daytona, that you come in to the place and you just feel the history of the race track and that is a great sensation. So that is really neat.

"The pavement is going to be tricky. We don't have a lot of time on this pavement. The tire has changed. Can't wait to run the first lap to see what we will have there so we can adjust to it. The Nationwide cars looked like they struggled a little bit so hopefully we won't have those problems."

MARTIN - WHAT WAS YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS IN DECIDING TO COME BACK NEXT YEAR?

"Technically, we added 10 races to my schedule. There were some criteria that I had to happen. It was clear what Mr. Hendrick wanted from the start. But there were some things that had to be clear to me. For example, could Alan and I communicate and get the performance together that team deserves was one of them. Another one that was probably the highest on the list is that what Alan and the race team wanted. Which was paramount to me. Lastly and very importantly, I wanted to make sure that I could do it. I have enormous respect for Alan and for the guys on this race team and certainly did not want to feel like that I couldn't do the job even if they wanted me there. I wanted to make sure I could do the job.

"All those things were satisfied and you look at today's climate as far as economic climate and the way the team is performing, it is a good time to put all of that to rest. Now we can just go out and have fun. I would still appreciate if you wouldn't write that I am coming back for one more shot at a championship. I did this because I love racing with all my heart. I love this race team and I am having a blast driving the race car. That is why I made the decision. I just wouldn't sign up for that. It is what Rick wanted to do to start with a year ago and I just wouldn't sign up for something and then wish I hadn't. We have proven over the first five or so races that all of that was good. After Phoenix was the first conversation I had and that conversation lasted five minutes would be a stretch. That was it. I had the conversation with Rick and it was probably less than five minutes. It was more like 60 seconds, you know. He said that was what he wanted to do and I said that was what I wanted to do and so here we are."

MARTIN -- ARE YOU SURPRISED THAT A GUY LIKE TONY STEWART HASN'T WON AT THIS PLACE?

"You can't make these things happen even if you run good enough to win, they don't always pan out. Sometimes you have to wait a lot longer than you wish you had to. Yes and no."

MARTIN - DOES THIS MEAN YOU ARE GUARANTEED TO KEEP ALAN? CAN YOU ADDRESS RUMORS ABOUT CREW CHIEF SWAP BETWEEN THE NO. 5 AND THE NO. 88?

“I am in no position to make any kind of demands at Hendrick Motorsports. I've only known Rick well for a short period of time. I would do whatever Rick Hendrick told me to do, even though I would be incredibly disappointed. I have every intention of working with Alan as long as I drive the No. 5 car. He is an incredible crew chief and there has never been any conversation other than he and I checking with each other when the rumors were swirling around. Rick Hendrick is the boss, but I am not concerned. "Rick never spoke to me about it."

GUSTAFSON

"I have never talked to Mr. Hendrick about anything to do with; I assume you are addressing the No. 88, the swap there. Not really sure where that rumor came from but, my point of view is that I feel really, really fortunate to work with Mark, anybody would. They are going to have to shoe-horn me out of there. I have been with the No. 5 for 10 years, that is my family. That car is very special to me. That team is very special to me and I wouldn't trade that for anything. I have heard these before and fortunately for us, with a really high profile organization, we've got really great drivers. With that comes a lot of pressure to perform. I heard the same things last year with the No. 24 and heard how bad Steve (Letarte) was. Steve is a really good friend of mine, so I really glad right now that he is the smartest guy in the series. That changes pretty quick.

"I feel the same way about Tony (Eury, Jr.). I haven't known Tony nearly as long as I have known Steve, I have known Steve forever, but the same thing is going to happen to Tony and one day we will all look up and he is going to be the smartest guy in the garage. I will be really happy for him when that day comes."

GUSTAFSON -- MARK SAYS HE DIDN'T COME TO DO THIS TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP, BUT WILL YOU BE DISAPPOINTED IF YOU DON'T HAVE A SHOT AT A CHAMPIONSHIP?

“I have said it before, that is why I race. I race to win, I love the sport. I want to be successful. The championship is kind of the pinnacle of what we do. We all want to accomplish that. For me to sit here and say I don't' do it for that wouldn't be true. But, I don't look at it any different now than I did at Daytona or after any race this year now that Mark has decided to come back for another full season. We are going to work just as hard every day to do it. I think we have the people to do it. I know we have the driver to do it. Things just have to go our way. So we are just going to the best we can. Mark had a great quote at the beginning of the year. He said 'I can't guarantee results, but I can guarantee the effort and the work we are going to do'. That's just the way we are going to look at it. We are just going to work really really hard. If we could win a championship, I don't think you'd accomplish anything bigger in your professional life than to win a championship at Hendrick Motorsports with Mark Martin. I think that is as good as it gets. I am going to do everything in my power to do it. If it doesn't happen, then it just doesn't happen. You can't focus on it or dwell on it.

"I think you could win four in a row, in my opinion, and I am not demeaning what the No. 48 has to do, they are phenomenal. But, it would mean more to me to win one with Mark than it would four in a row. That is probably the best way I can put it in perspective."

MARTIN

"Let me sort of clarify so there is no confusion when I say that about the championship thing. Just for example, in l999 in July, on Friday night before the 400 on Saturday, I broke my wrist, a rib and my knee and I raced Saturday night. Not to say that I wouldn't have because that is what I wanted to do. But I did that because I wanted to win a championship. I raced for a year and a half with excruciating back pain. I would have done that anyway, but I did it, I never missed a practice session, I never missed a test session, I never missed anything, because I wanted to win a championship. I allowed that points thing to affect how I felt about racing because I focused on that more than I really realized how much I was. When I finally stepped out of the car and did 26 races in '07, I started to gradually realize how much I love to race. I'm going to keep it that way. That requires a little bit of discipline for me, but that is where I am going to be. I am going to continue to race because I love to race. I'm not going to try to will more points than we can score at the finish line each week."

MARTIN -- WHY IS IT SO MANY DRIVERS DO MELLOW AS THEY GET OLDER AND DO YOU MAINTAIN THAT EDGE?

"You are supposed to and there is something wrong with me. (LAUGHS) You are supposed to mellow. That is the natural thing. I don't know, I feel very very fortunate. I reflect fairly regularly and I have especially this week because I can't believe I am getting to do this and do it in this car. With this team. With this performance. This is unbelievable. You know, I came here for the first time in 1981. That is a long time ago. And you know what; I am more excited than I was in 1981 to be here right now. I am really really fortunate for that. I don't know how to really accurately answer your question. But you ask people around me, like my wife, my son and some other people that know me and they will tell you something's not right about me."

MARTIN -- WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON PROCESS TO MOVE GUYS FROM NATIONWIDE TO CUP LIKE BRAD KESELOWSKI?

"Brad won in his fifth race in Sprint Cup completion. He is in very very good standing with his career. I think it would be very good for him to do both, Sprint Cup as well as Nationwide. To continue to see things and do things and learn. Let's face it, a lot of what you learn is from mistakes. They may not be big mistakes, but they are from experience, whether it was a mistake or not. The more he races, the more he will be ready to take on the challenge of racing for the Chase and racing for a championship and doing a great job week in and week out.”

MARTIN --IF HE DOESN'T DO A FULL SCHEDULE, DOES HE STILL GET GOOD EXPERIENCE?

“Oh yes. But it is only as many as you do. If it is half, you get half as much. I think no matter what his schedule is, the more racing he does, the further he moves along at a more rapid pace, the more rapidly he moves along."

MARTIN -- IS CONSISTENCY ENOUGH TO DO IT IN A CHAMPIONSHIP?

"I think you have to turn up the wick once the Chase starts. I think you really have to turn with wick up. Consistency will do it as long as you are consistently in the top-five. The No. 48 is really setting the bar high for anyone that is stepping up. I think we have seen it the last few years, different teams really step it up. The No. 16 last year came out of the gate and I think he won the first two races, something like that. Winning these championships under this Chase format, you have to be consistent and you have to really roll."

MARTIN -- WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO WIN HERE AT DARLINGTON? WHAT HAS GONE RIGHT OR WRONG FOR YOU?

"What went right for us in '93 was that nothing went wrong of any substance. Doggone, one year, we dominated the race and the rain came out and we pitted and Darrell (Waltrip) stayed out and he won. For example, there are lots of things that can go wrong and cost you. We definitely had the car to win the race that particular year.

"It started raining about the time we left our pit stall; I don't what the circumstances were. If Darrell was pitting on the back stretch and we were on the front or whatever it was, whatever, those guys were smart enough to stay out, that is my memory. You have to have it all. But you have to have a good enough program to win and you have to have nothing stand in your way."

MARTIN -- HOW DOES HAVING TEAMMATES RACING SO WELL DRIVE YOU?

"Well, to have Dale, Jr., Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson for teammates means I have got to pay attention every day, if I want to compete on the same level those guys do. They set the bar really high and each one of them has real strong suits in let's say different areas. They have incredible strong suits. I look at all of them and try to rise to that level. It is a great inspiration for me. It is even more inspiring to me that they seem to genuinely pull for me and our team. It is really an honor to be a part of it. Alan and I, we want to win, and it is a tall order, but it can be done. We can beat our teammates on a good day. He'll say more than that, but I'll say on a good day we know we can. Those guys are incredible teams that have been established for quite some time and really work well together. For Alan and I to be in contention, for me, is very satisfying."

Mark Martin to drive full schedule in 2010
By Jenna Fryer – AP Auto Racing Writer
May 6, 2009

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Mark Martin doesn’t want to drive race cars forever. But as long as he can compete at the highest level, he can’t bring himself to walk away from NASCAR.

Martin said Wednesday he’ll run a full season next year, his 22nd in NASCAR. He’s in the first year of a two-year deal with Hendrick Motorsports, but 2010 was fluid and Martin had initially thought he’d run just a partial schedule next season.

But he’s proven this season to still be at the top of his profession, ending a 97-race winless streak with last month’s victory at Phoenix. At 50-years-old, he became the third oldest winner in NASCAR history.

“I’m in the best condition of my life,” Martin said. “I’m recharged, and I’m motivated. Going to the racetrack every weekend is still really fun, and that’s the key. There’s more gas in my tank.”

Martin will stay in the No. 5 Chevrolet, but sponsorship for next season has not been solidified.

After two seasons of partial schedules, Martin was talked into coming back this year for a full schedule by car owner Rick Hendrick, who offered the best equipment in NASCAR. Given an opportunity to compete for wins—and possibly the Cup championship that has eluded Martin over his storied career—Martin agreed.

The second year of the contract was supposed to be a partial schedule, possibly shared with Hendrick developmental driver Brad Keselowski. That part of the contract was amended this week to give Martin the entire year in the car.

“Week in and week out, Mark continues to be one of the best race car drivers in the world,” Hendrick said. “He’s already made an incredible contribution to Hendrick Motorsports and our entire company is excited about running another full season and winning races with him in 2010.”

It’s not clear how Martin’s decision will impact Keselowski, who became NASCAR’s newest Cup winner two weeks ago with a surprise victory at Talladega Superspeedway.

Keselowski drives full-time in the Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports. Under NASCAR rules, Hendrick is permitted to field a fifth Cup entry in seven races this season as a way to help Keselowski gain experience at the top level.

Keselowski also picked up an additional eight to 10 races with car owner James Finch, and drove Finch’s car to the dramatic win at Talladega. It raised the profile of the 25-year-old protege of Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Keselowski said he wants to run full-time in the Cup series next season.

But he also said he’d like to stay involved with Hendrick, and Martin’s commitment to 2010 means Hendrick doesn’t have a seat for Keselowski. It’s possible Hendrick can still get Keselowski in a Cup car through one of his partners

Mark Martin Still Has Something Left in the Tank - Extends Contract
By Jerry Bonkowski - Auto Racing Daily
May 7, 2009

It was great to hear the news Wednesday that Mark Martin will be returning for yet another full-time season in Sprint Cup racing in 2010.

This way, he gets not one (2009) but two (2009 and 2010) chances at still winning that one prize which has forever eluded him ever since he came to the Cup series nearly 25 years ago: the Sprint Cup championship.

The lure of winning that title was the onus for Martin to accept team owner Rick Hendrick’s offer to drive the No. 5 Chevrolet this season. And while Martin has slipped somewhat in the points – he’s 15th currently (up from 18th last week), heading into Saturday’s race at Darlington – he’s still a bonafide contender.

And if he catches fire later this season, particularly during the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Martin could not only win his first title, he’d now have the opportunity to do something else that he’s never been able to do: return the following season to defend that championship run.

Martin, 50, who won a few weeks back at Phoenix – his first win since 2005 – is happy and content, perhaps more so than he’s ever been in his racing career.

The main reason is he’s doing everything on HIS terms. He didn’t have to accept Hendrick’s offer to return this year or next. He didn’t have to leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. and the part-time schedule he had the previous two seasons. He also didn’t have to subject himself to the rigors of a full 36-race season.

Few drivers his age would. But Martin is in such great shape physically, mentally and emotionally, that you can’t help smile and say “You go, Mark!”

Now that he’s agreed to a contract extension through 2010, there’s also one other thing to smile about and say to him when it comes to his bid for the Cup championship:

“If at first you don’t succeed in 2009, try, try again in 2010!”

Then again, at the rate he’s going and how well he continues to excel, he might be racing for 10 more years, rather than just one more after this year.

Martin to race full-time in 2010
By Diego Mejia
autosport.com - NASCAR News
May 7, 2009

Mark Martin will race again for the whole season next year, Hendrick Motorsports announced Wednesday.

Last summer Martin had signed a two-year contract with the Sprint Cup outfit, which was initially to run full-time in the #5 car this season and do 26 events in 2010.

However, back in March he had already hinted at possibly running the complete 36-race schedule again next year.

Hendrick Motorsports announced that the initial agreement has been revised and Martin will have a further shot at his maiden Sprint Cup title.

"Week in and week out, Mark continues to be one of the best race car drivers in the world," said team owner Rick Hendrick. "He's already made an incredible contribution to Hendrick Motorsports, and our entire company is excited about running another full season and winning races with him in 2010."

Martin is currently running his first full-season for the past three years after running limited schedules for Ginn Racing and Dale Earnhardt Inc. Last month he claimed his first victory since 2005, becoming the third-oldest driver ever to win a Sprint Cup series race.

"It means a lot to drive the No. 5 Chevy for Rick and for Hendrick Motorsports," Martin said. "I'm in the best condition of my life, I'm recharged, and I'm motivated. Going to the racetrack every weekend is still really fun, and that's the key. There's more gas in my tank."

The 50-year-old veteran currently runs fifteenth in the championship, despite showing great speed and consistency. In the first ten races of the season he has scored three pole positions and five top ten finishes, but he has also retired three times, first at Fontana and Las Vegas with engine failures, and then at Talladega where he was involved in an early multi-car crash.

Brad Keselowski, who has made four Sprint Cup starts for Hendrick Motorsports and drives for sister-team JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series, had been expected to share the drive of the #5 car with Martin in 2010.

He could still race for Hendrick Motorports in a number of races, although he has expressed his desire to land a full-time drive for next year.

Mark Martin NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Preview - Southern 500 Presented by GoDaddy.com
Hendrick Motorsports
May 5, 2009

DARLINGTON WINNER:

Mark Martin, driver of the No. 5 Cheez-It/CARQUEST Chevrolet, won the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on Sept. 5, 1993. Martin started fourth and led 178 laps before taking the checkered flag that day. He has claimed the runner-up position at Darlington six times, which ties Dover (Del.) International Speedway and Pocono Raceway as the most second-place finishes for Martin at any one track.

DARLINGTON STATS:

In 42 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Darlington, Martin has recorded one win, 16 top-five finishes and 25 top-10s. He has led a total of 755 laps at the historic track. Last year, Martin started 27th and finished 16th.

LOOP STATISTICS:

Martin has made the fourth-most green-flag passes (228) at Darlington during the last four races there, with 95 of them happening on the frontstretch. Martin's average finish at the track during those four races is 10.5 -- the fourth best of any driver.

THE NO. 5 TEAM AT DARLINGTON:

Crew chief Alan Gustafson has led the No. 5 team through four races at Darlington Raceway. Under his direction, the team earned its best finish -- seventh place -- there in May 2006.

THE BIG CHEEZ:

For the second consecutive week, Cheez-It, the world's best-selling cheese cracker, will adorn the hood of the No. 5 Chevrolet. Cheez-it was also on the hood at Texas Motor Speedway in April where the Cheez-It/CARQUEST team finished sixth. Cheez-It's final race with the No. 5 team will be at Pocono Raceway in August.

CHASING POINTS:

Martin and the No. 5 team have rebounded once again to climb three spots in the championship standings. After scoring a fifth-place finish last weekend at Richmond, Martin ranks 15th and trails 12th-place Matt Kenseth by 61 points.

MEMORABLE WIN:

Gustafson counts the 2003 Southern 500 victory the No. 5 team earned with Terry Labonte as one of his most memorable wins. Labonte led 33 laps en route to the sentimental victory in the last Labor Day weekend Southern 500 held at the track. Gustafson was the No. 5 team's lead engineer at the time, and seven of his crew members today were a part of that winning No. 5 team.

FIRST COLLABORATION:

On May 11, 2007, Martin and Gustafson joined forces for the first time, competing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Darlington. The duo scored a runner-up finish, and unknowingly laid the groundwork for Martin to become a Hendrick Motorsports' driver in the Sprint Cup Series. Gustafson and Martin competed in one more Nationwide race that season, earning a 14th-place finish at Michigan International Speedway in August 2007.

CHASSIS CHOICE:

Gustafson has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-527 for Saturday's race. Martin most recently, drove Chassis No. 527 at Auto Club Speedway in February. The team started 18th and ran inside the top 10 for the majority of the race before the Chevrolet's engine expired.

HENDRICK AT DARLINGTON:

Hendrick Motorsports, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, has 12 wins, 35 top-five finishes and 58 top-10s in 48 events (137 starts) at Darlington Raceway. Hendrick's drivers have led 2,781 laps at the racetrack.

700 CLUB:

Hendrick Motorsports' next top-five finish will be the organization's 700th in Sprint Cup competition. Since 1984, Hendrick drivers have scored 178 wins, 699 top-five finishes and 1,154 top-10s. Hendrick has the most top-five finishes among active teams.

FOR RACE FANS ONLY:

Mark Martin will be a call-in guest to QVC's "For Race Fans Only" this Friday evening at 8 p.m. local time. Autographed diecasts of the winning No. 5 CARQUEST/Kellogg's Chevrolet from Phoenix International Raceway will be sold on the show.

QUOTES

MARK MARTIN, DRIVER, NO. 5 CHEEZ-IT/CARQUEST CHEVROLET (ON HIS FIRST RACE WITH HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS IN 2007.):

"That race was so much fun. What stands out to me the most, more than the race itself, is working with Alan (Gustafson, crew chief). That was my first experience with how bright he is. It was the first time I got a taste of just how incredible these race cars are at Hendrick. It was an exciting race. We started pretty far back, but we had a strong car and battled our way into contention. It was definitely a great experience for me."

MARTIN (ON IF HE EVER THOUGHT HE WOULD RACE FOR HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS FULL TIME IN A SPRINT CUP CAR.):

"Never. (LAUGHS.) That thought never crossed my mind back then. Me driving this No. 5 car was definitely a process of evolution. A lot of things had to happen and evolve in just right the way over a period of time for us to get where we are."

MARTIN (ON HOW HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH CREW CHIEF ALAN GUSTAFSON HAS EVOLVED.):

"I got to race with Alan twice in 2007, then not at all in 2008. So this year, especially this year, has been a growing experience for us both. We've really gotten to know each other better. We're much more comfortable with each other now than we were that first race. I've gotten better at just leaving decisions in Alan's hands. He carries a huge load on his shoulders as far as the cars, the setups and all the decisions go. He makes it much easier on me. My cars have been great every week, and I worry a lot less about being competitive and being in sync with the team."

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 CHEEZ-IT/CARQUEST CHEVROLET (ON THE TURN OF EVENTS FROM MARTIN'S FIRST RACE WITH THE TEAM TO NOW.):

"At the time, I didn't see this happening, of course. But my immediate impression was, 'Man, I'd really like to do that again. I'd like to work with Mark some more.' I never saw it coming this far, but at the same time, I knew if it ever did it would be an enjoyable experience. We're very fortunate that it worked out this way. I'm happy that Mark drives our car, and I feel fortunate for that. It was the start of it all. It was a lot of fun. Looking back at it, it was a true representation of what it would be like for him to drive our cars."

GUSTAFSON (ON HOW MUCH HIS AND MARTIN'S RELATIONSHIP HAS CHANGED SINCE THAT RACE.):

"The dynamics of how we interact with each other, deal with each other, and the information we give each other is really similar. Now we know each other a little better. He knows our cars a little better. And I think that's helped us be better as a team. I dare say that if we went back and ran that race again we'd win. We wouldn't finish second. We struggled qualifying in that race, and that's probably why we didn't win. We know each other a little bit better. And I think he knows our cars better now and can give us feedback a little quicker now than he did when he first drove for us."

GUSTAFSON (ON HOW HIS PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH MARTIN HAS GROWN.):

"Anytime you have more time together, you become more attached or rely on each other for more things. There are a couple of instances I can really remember when I went through some hard times, and he was the first guy there to help me out or call; which is really cool when you have a guy of his caliber calling. The only relationship we really had at that point was him driving the Nationwide car, so for him to have the interest in me and my career and try to help me out meant a lot to me. He's a great person -- a great guy to be around. The more we're together, the more we rely on each other. The more you go through good times and bad times, then your relationship means more, and it becomes more a part of your life. Fortunately for us we've had a lot of good times lately. That's a lot of fun. I'm sure there will be bad, but we'll handle that well. Nobody handles that better than Mark. It's really nice to have that guy there to support you -- especially someone who has that much wisdom and handles that stuff as good as he does to try and help lead you through it, too."

GUSTAFSON (ON WHAT THE KEY TO DARLINGTON IS NOW THAT TIRES AREN'T AS IMPORTANT.):

"We've only raced there one time since they repaved it. The track is going to change significantly. The first race after they repave is always really, really good. The weather and sand around Darlington are very abrasive on the surface so I think we'll go back to a different track this weekend than we did last year. It's not as rough and bumpy and grinding tires down like it used to. But it's Darlington. It's still really treacherous. There's really one groove through Turns 1 and 2 -- there's one preferred line and you want to get that. You still struggle through Turns 3 and 4 trying to get your car to turn and get off the corner really well. A lot of us cringed when they said they were going to repave Darlington, because it was really special to us the way it was. But I think the cool thing about it is that it's still Darlington. Even though they repaved it, the characteristics are still there. The track is still really similar and races very similar to how it did. It still has a lot of cool characteristics of the old surface. I think it races a lot the same."

RICK HENDRICK, OWNER, NO. 5 CHEEZ-IT/CARQUEST CHEVROLET (ON MARTIN'S FIRST RACE WITH HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT DARLINGTON IN 2007.):

"The first time he drove for me in Darlington, he went out and ran second. I was just blown away by the talent and the way he complimented the crew. I listened to him on the radio and he was kind of crew chiefing the car from the driver's seat and just really thinking through what the car needed and what he was able to do. And the way he treated the team and the way he built the organization around his efforts that day. Man, I was impressed. I had more fun at that Nationwide race."

HENDRICK (ON WHAT MARTIN HAS BROUGHT TO HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS THIS YEAR.):

"Mark is so much fun to be around. And he has so much talent. He's added so much to our organization. Not just to the (No.) 5 car, but to our entire organization. He's made all of us step up."