NASCAR's Mark Martin
2009 Season Articles - October
MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 POP TARTS/CARQUEST IMPALA SS -- Starts 2nd
WE'LL START OFF WITH A QUICK OPENER FROM YOU. MARK, YOU'RE TRYING TO CATCH JIMMIE, WHAT IS YOUR OUTLOOK FOR TALLADEGA THIS WEEKEND?
MARTIN
MARTIN: "The outlook is good. This is the most relaxed I've been going into Talladega in the last 10 years that I can remember; certainly since '04 when the Chase format started. I just really feel good. I feel like this is going to be our lucky day.
JEFF, YOU HAVE MORE VICTORIES (SIX) AT TALLADEGA THAN ANY OTHER ACTIVE DRIVER. CAN YOU GET A SEVENTH WIN TOMORROW?
GORDON: "Well, we certainly hope so. The last few times we've been here haven't quite gone our way, but that's the way it sort of seems to be for us here at Talladega. It's sort of feast of famine. I feel good. The car was great yesterday. We were sort of anticipating the rain today and we didn't do any qualifying runs and I think had we, if we had to do one today, we certainly wouldn't be anywhere close to third. This is certainly a positive for us and a great way to get the weekend started and we'll just kind of see where it goes from there."
JEFF, LAST WEEK AT MARTINSVILLE, YOU BATTLED WITH JUAN PABLO MONTOYA AND YOU TALKED AFTERWARD. YESTERDAY, HE SAID HE DOESN'T HAVE A PROBLEM ANYMORE. WHAT DID YOU TALK ABOUT, AND IS IT SETTLED IN YOUR MIND TOO?
GORDON: "I certainly hope so. We didn't really speak. I just said that I hope whatever it was that I did to make him mad that it was over, and left it at that. That's all you can do. Martinsville is one of those tracks where it's intense; especially on the restarts. You're going to rub and bang a little bit. You hope that you can move past it. Even there in the late stages of the race, we raced one another hard but clean. You just go on from there."
YOU GUYS GET TO START UP FRONT BECAUSE OF THE QUALIFYING RAIN-OUT, BUT DOES IT REALLY MATTER THAT MUCH WHERE YOU START HERE?
MARTIN: "It doesn't really matter, but I'm thrilled to be on the front row. It's the kind of honor that I guess you enjoy when you've accumulated the kind of success that we have together. So I'm proud of what we've accomplished and that puts us on the front row here. But it doesn't really matter where you start. My car yesterday was just average with the field. It was not anything overly special and part of that's my fault. I've totaled two restrictor plate cars this year in three races. At least one of those was pretty special. So you can build as many as you want. You can build 10 and you get one or two special ones and you get several average ones and one or two that aren't so special. We'll go out here tomorrow and race and hope that we can keep it in the front half, but my experience says that you're on a cycle throughout the field and the one thing I don't see me doing is riding in the back. I'm going to race tomorrow and I've told everybody this, I'm going to race tomorrow like there's no way that I can be in a wreck. And I feel lucky."
MARK, DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED THE LAST TIME YOU AND JIMMIE JOHNSON STARTED ON THE FRONT ROW HERE TOGETHER?
MARTIN: "Jimmie reminded me (laughter). I'm still embarrassed about that."
WAS THAT YOUR STEERING BOX?
MARTIN: "It was some kind of phenomenon that happened with the steering box where when you turned it left, if you turned it back right real quick, it would lock. And it wouldn't unlock until you turned it left again. It looked really crazy, but I almost hit the inside wall down here before I finally released the pressure and I don't know. It still did it in the race, I just never got in that particular situation. But on pit stops, when I would turn right real quick, it would still lock. And it would still do it when you got back to the shop. If you took it left and then shoved it right, it would lock and wouldn't unlock until you let pressure off of it."
GORDON: "Did you bring that steering box with you this weekend (laughter)?"
MARTIN: "Yeah, so anyway (more laughter) that's a long way in the rearview mirror. Why don't we look forward here instead of back. Not my proudest weekend."
JEFF, ON THE STEVE ADDISON REPLACEMENT, AND AS SOMEONE WHO HAS HAD A CREW CHIEF REPLACED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON, IS THIS A TREND NOW?
GORDON: "Well, I don't see that it's the middle of the year. I think that it's the time of the year. They are in a very similar situation to us where they're not in the Chase and with only a few races to go, they could maybe try somebody else out to see what kind of chemistry or see what things they need to work on. I think Steve is a great crew chief. They won a bunch of races last year and were in the Chase and you would have thought they'd be the car to beat. I thought they were going to be one of the teams to beat this year for the Chase as well. It just didn't work out. So obviously they feel like they need to make a change for whatever reason.
"I think that if you think you're going to need to make a change, it's better to make it now and get some experience with the new crew chief and whatever changes you need to make for these last three races. You hate to see it happen, but it's probably the best for the team."
Mark Martin Friday Media Visit - Amp Energy 500
NASCAR Sprint Cup driver MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 POP TARTS/CARQUEST IMPALA SS, met with members of the media at Talladega Superspeedway and discussed managing his stress running the full season, his expectations going back to Texas after his run in Charlotte, the new safety precautions put in place for this race and more.
ON THIS RACE.
“I’m cool with it. I believe this one is going to be a good for us. Probably a good one would be just not wrecking.”
ON JIMMIE JOHNSON RACING FOR A FOURTH CHAMPIONSHIP, WHILE HE’S STILL LOOKING FOR HIS FIRST:
“if he goes on to win it, he will have outscored me. So he definitely deserves it. And I won’t, because you have to score the most to win. I have a lot of thoughts on that. First is, I’ve been beaten by Earnhardt, I’ve been beaten by Gordon, I’ve been beaten by Tony Stewart. And I will not be embarrassed if I’m beaten by Jimmie Johnson. I’m not ashamed of any of ‘em. That doesn’t make me have a bad career. In fact, a lot of people would think that’s pretty good.
“And I never stood up and said I was better than any of those guys. Those are the guys. I believe it was Earnhardt twice (who Martin finished second to). And Gordon and Tony. And I have the greatest respect for all of them. I’m not ashamed of it. I love this sport, I love what I’m doing, and I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: I am not bitter about what I have not accomplished. But I am proud of what I have accomplished.”
IS THE RACING GOOD?
“I think the racing’s better this year than it was last year. And hopefully it will continue to get better again next year. It wouldn’t matter what kind of car you had, if you racing, it would be hard to pass, because all 43 are almost the same speed. It didn’t used to be that way.”
STILL HAPPY YOU CAME BACK FULL-TIME?
“It would have been the biggest mistake of my career to have passed on this opportunity. I feel very good. I feel fresh. And surprised that there’s only four (races) left. The people had Hendrick Motorsports have made this a better year for me than I expected. The sponsors have been wonderful to work with and it’s beyond my wildest dreams. One thing is, the testing (ban) has helped enormously. I would not have re-signed for 2010 had the testing been brought back, much less 2011. That’s huge.
“You know, when you’re in a bad mood and something happens, it irritates the heck out of you and when you’re in a good mood, and the same thing happens and it doesn’t bother you. Have you noticed that? Well, that’s where I’ve been there this year. I haven’t been tired, burned out, frustrated and all those kinds of things. I’m fresh and enthusiastic and all those kinds of things.”
WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS TIME TO MANAGE IT SO YOU DON’T HAVE AS MUCH STRESS?
“One thing is the testing has helped enormously. In other words I would not have signed for 2010. I would not have signed for 2010 had the testing been going back much less 2011. So that’s huge. You know when you’re in a bad mood and something happens and it irritates the heck out of you, and when you’re in a good mood and the same thing happens it doesn’t bother you, have you noticed that? Well that’s where I’ve been this year. I haven’t been tired and burned out, frustrated and all those kinds of things. I’ve been fresh and excited and enthusiastic and have had a good frame of mind. So the challenges that I’ve faced this year have been easy to deal with. These guys have had a lot to do with the whole thing. Alan (Gustafson) and all the people. Not just the No. 5 team but everyone at Hendrick Motorsports. Where I am in my head today, this is what I want to do. This is where I want to be. This is what I want to be doing with my life. I don’t want to be here and somewhere else at the same time. I want to be here. I was some of that before I wanted to be at the race track with Matt and I wanted to be at home on the couch or whatever it was and I got a chance to do those things. I’m really, really at a good place in my mind right now and at peace with everything. My whole life, what I’m doing and incredibly blessed with Rick Hendrick and Alan Gustafson. All the people are so good. They’re so first class and so professional within the whole organization, teammates the whole things. You know the challenges that we have faced and dealt with this year have been easy to deal with.”
YOU’VE ALWAYS HAD VERY INTERESTING MUSICAL TASTE, HAVE YOU DISCOVERED ANYBODY NEW LATELY?
“Well I think you guys know about Gucci Mane and I’m wearing that out. But yeah it’s all in the rap department right now, new stuff and old stuff. I still love Dr. Dre and Snoop and all that stuff from the early 90’s.”
WHAT ABOUT THE GAME?
“I just downloaded two new songs from Game, but Gucci Mane is the man. I just really enjoy his stuff right now. I play it every day when I’m working out. I’m spending between 1 1/2 and three hours a day in the gym because I’m rehabbing some tendonitis and that’s taking an enormous amount of time on top of my regular routine so I’m getting a lot of iPod time.”
WHAT’S YOUR EXPECTATION GOING BACK TO TEXAS?
“I look forward to it. We did get a chance to show what we had at Charlotte and we didn’t have enough that particular weekend. We were second fast in every practice. We were second fast in qualifying but in the race we didn’t perform quite like we wanted to so we get another chance. Texas is a different race track and a different day. It’s been a good place before but this is the time when we need to land on both feet.”
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE NEW SAFETY PRECAUTIONS THEY’VE PUT IN?
“I do agree with the unfortunate fact that we have to slow the cars down because that’s the only way we keep them down on the race track and out of the grandstands. Its unfortunate we have to slow them down because that takes away from the racing itself from our standpoint. From the fans standpoint it makes it as good or better so they’re going to get a as good or better show but from the drivers and teams standpoint it’s going to be very frustrating because the cars are going to be so under what they could do that it’s more like setting the cruise control and going down the interstate with the other guys than it is who can make the fastest car. So NASCAR has addressed it. It’s unfortunate that we have to slow the cars down but we do and I agree 100 percent with their call on the restrictor plate.”
IS IT GOING TO BE HARDER TO DRIVE AWAY FROM EACH OTHER NOW THAN IT WAS BEFORE?
“Yeah.”
WON’T THAT MAKE THE RACING EVEN CLOSER?
“Yeah, it will. It will be better for the fans.”
IT'S STILL JUST AS TRICKY FOR YOU GUYS ISN’T IT?
“It’s worse but it doesn’t put cars in the grandstands. It just wrecks them. I mean seriously. That’s the deal. We’ve got to keep them out of the grandstands. Unfortunately I’m a guy, Mr. anti-restrictor plate. I’m the first one to tell you that that’s our number one job and always has been number one. Wrecking these cars, we can usually handle that but we can’t handle getting one out of the race track so we’ve got to keep them in here and restrictor plates is the only way we know to do it and we’ve got to keep the plate small enough to try to keep them on the ground.”
DO YOU VIEW THIS AS THE LAST STAND FOR THE GUYS CHASING JIMMIE BECAUSE HE’S PRETTY GOOD AT THE LAST THREE TRACKS?
“Yeah, but he could have trouble. But this is the biggest opportunity, yes. This is the biggest opportunity for all of us and I would assume he would go into this race uptight like I always have and I’m not because it really doesn’t matter. Either way for us because we can’t do anything about it anyway so we might as well just go out there and have some fun with it. That’s my approach.”
YOU SAID YOU FEEL FRESH NOW, IS THAT PHYSCIALLY AND MENTALLY?
“Physically I’m okay. My workout routine is on it.”
IS THERE ANOTHER PART OF YOU THOUGH THAT LOOKS FORWARD TO THOSE LAST FOUR RACES JUST TO GET AWAY FROM WORRYING ABOUT POINTS AND ALL THAT STUFF?
“Yeah, I’m tired of points. I ain’t tired of racing. Racing don’t bother me. I’m not tired of racing. I am tired of points which we’ve done this about long enough. We need to get a fresh outlook. We’ve got four more and for four more we’ll race for everything we can get, every point we can get because every position that we can get is valuable to us.”
DOES IT SEEM A LITTLE BIT SAD TO KNOW THAT THIS YEAR IS GOING TO COME TO AN END?
“Because of the points I’m glad that it’s going to come to an end in four races. Other than that I don’t care. This is exactly what I want to be doing. It’s been enough build up toward, there is a lot more pressure on me to make the Chase than it is what we’re doing now because I wanted to have a chance. We’re having our chance. We’re sitting second. We’ve done a great job. We’re a contender and that’s what I wanted to do. We’ll see how it all goes. I’ll look forward to starting with a clean slate in Daytona.”
YOU MENTIONED TENDONITIS THAT YOU ARE REHABBING, WHERE IS IT?
“It’s in my feet.”
IS THAT A CHRONIC THING, HAVE YOU BATTLED THAT FOR A WHILE?
“It’s not a big deal. I’ve had it for almost two years and it comes and goes.”
IS IT FROM YOU WORKING THE PEDALS?
“No. I think they say you’re unlucky when you get it. I don’t think they say there is something that causes it. I think they say you’re unlucky. Plantar fasciitis is what it called.”
YOU SAID YOU WERE ADDING ON TO YOUR WORKOUT ROUTINE TO HELP THAT CONDITION?
“Well there’s rehab. I’m rehabbing the strength and flexibility in my feet, ankles and lower legs.”
OBVIOUSLY THE LAST TWO PLATE RACES HAVE ENDED WITH A LAST-LAP CRASH, I UNDERSTAND YOU PUT TWO GUYS AT ANY TRACK YOU CAN HAVE A LAST-LAP CRASH BUT THAT IT’S HAPPENED AT RESTRICTOR-PLATE RACES DO YOU LOOK AT IT AS A COINCIDENCE OR DOES THAT BECOME A CONCERN AND IF ITS NOT A CONCERN WHEN DOES IT BECOME A CONCERN?
It is a concern whether it’s first or second or on back and the trend is there whether its first or second or a little on back. It’s virtually impossible to finish a restrictor-plate race without wrecking. Inside the last 20 laps I don’t see it happening. I see five cautions or more cautions just because you can’t let a guy have any space any more. You can afford to let them have space earlier and you can’t now. It’s unavoidable. It may not be first and second every time but you’re going to have multiple cautions at the end of a restrictor-plate race.”
I JUST WONDERED IF AT SOME POINT NASCAR HAS TO STEP IN AND PROTECT THE DRIVERS THEMSELVES, THEY SAY THE DRIVERS HAVE THE STEERING WHEEL, ACCELERATOR, BRAKE PEDAL HE HAS TO LIVE WITH THE CONSEQUENCES.
“Yeah, but you can’t help it if your five wide. Whose fault does the wreck become then? I’m sorry. You can’t blame it all on the drivers. You can’t. That’s not fair because of the circumstances that we are put into. You gotta go. It’s the end of the race. You can’t let anybody have any room. Where you’ve got three wide in Daytona or four, or five or six here how can it be somebody’s fault? What the last guy to make it five wide? Is it his fault when the hole was open? He’s gotta go. You shouldn’t be able to get five wide here. You wouldn’t if we didn’t have plates on it but we’d land in the grandstand when we wrecked then.”
THE LAST COUPLE OF RACES WE’VE SEEN WHERE TWO GUYS NOSE TO TAIL CAN KIND OF PULL AWAY FROM THE FIELD WHICH IS SOMETHING YOU REALLY HADN’T SEEN TOO MUCH UNTIL RECENTLY, DO YOU SUSPECT THE SMALLER RESTRICTOR PLATE MIGHT INHIBIT THAT?
“I don’t expect that to stop that from happening.”
SO YOU STILL THINK TWO CARS CAN MAKE A BREAK AWAY?
“It’s a phenomenon. I don’t know what it is. I’ve watched for two years on TV and then I was here and I didn’t do it but I saw it happen. I don’t think any of us really understand how you get hooked together like that and go away like that.”
IT GOES AGAINST EVERYTHING AS A VETERAN DRIVER THAT YOU’RE USED TO?
“Yeah, it’s some different phenomenon then there was before. It’s specific to the COT I think.”
DO YOU THINK NASCAR SHOULD REVISIT ITS POLICY ON DRIVERS WHEN THEY RUN INTO A SITUATION LIKE A.J. ALLMENDINGER RAN INTO THE OTHER DAY?
“I don’t think there is any problem with NASCAR’s policy and the team always does have the right at any time. It always has in the contracts they can suspend. I think it’s being handled fine.”
DOES STRATEGY COME INTO PLAY AT A TRACK LIKE THIS WHEN YOU CONSIDER YOUR PLACE IN THE CHASE?
“At this race track strategy might come into play a little bit but my strategy is finish as high as I can every time I go out. So we’ll do whatever we think will give us our best shot at the best finish we can get.”
THE FINISH WE HAD HERE BACK IN THE SPRING, THE CRAZINESS OF THAT, DO YOU THINK THIS TRACK IS A LITTLE SAFER NOW THAT THEY MADE SOME CHANGES WITH THE FRONT?
“Well they’ve worked on the fences and they’ve also put a smaller restrictor plate to lower the speeds of the cars which will keep them on the ground better. Unfortunately we needed to do that. We’ve got to keep the cars on the ground.”
Martin feels 'lucky' at Talladega ... this time
You might want to sit down before you read the next sentence: Mark Martin says he "feels lucky" about his chances in the AMP Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway Sunday.
Martin feels lucky at Talladega? Didn't he used to be predestined to wreck at NASCAR's biggest track?
If so, he's not resigned to that fate anymore, especially since he's second in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, 118 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson with four races remaining.
"I refuse to be concerned about Talladega. I refuse," Martin said. "We'll go there, we'll try to not worry about it much and we'll strap in on Sunday and, unless (crew chief) Alan (Gustafson) asks me to take a different approach, we will race as far forward in that pack as we can be every lap of the whole race.
"That's where I'm at right now. I'm not going to sweat it. Somehow or another, I just feel lucky about this one. If you can wreck on lap (seven) of the last one there, something tells me I ought to be able to miss it this time. That's about as bad of luck as you can have. So I don't know. I feel like it will be OK. If it's not, it will still be OK."
Even if he doesn't catch Johnson, Martin has had a triumphant return to the Sprint Cup Series. After racing as a part-timer for the past two seasons, the 50-year-old took over the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports full-time in 2009 and has won five races and seven poles.
Able to pick his races while running part-time, Martin skipped the Talladega events. That's no surprise, given his stated aversion to the style of racing at the track -- an antipathy reflected in his Talladega results.
In his final 10 Talladega Cup races driving the No. 6 Ford for Jack Roush, Martin posted an average finish of 27th. He managed to make it to the end for an eighth-place finish in his finale in the fall 2006 race, but in the three races before that he wrecked, wrecked and wrecked.
In Martin's return to Talladega in April, his former protégé, Matt Kenseth, moved up into Jeff Gordon coming off Turn 3 on the seventh lap, setting off a wreck that involved at least 16 cars. Five never returned to the track, including Martin, and he finished last.
Same old Talladega, right? But Martin said something's got to give."Look, it's no secret I'm not a huge fan of restrictor-plate racetracks," Martin said. "If you go back and look at my history at Talladega, you'll see why.
"Something's got to change here, right? I've thought for a while now that I'm feeling good about Talladega. I think this may be a good one for us. I hope so."
Martin's long history at Talladega hasn't been all bad. He's a four-series winner at the track, capturing the ARCA race in 1981, the first truck series event at the track in 2006, the 1997 Nationwide race and Cup races in 1995 and 1997, including the fastest 500-miler in NASCAR history. Only Dale Earnhardt and Terry Labonte have more top-10 finishes in Talladega Cup races than Martin's 22.
Now Talladega holds the key to Martin's championship hopes.
"To me it's my opportunity to really get back into the running for it," Martin said. "So I plan on going there and driving like I know I am not going to wreck."
When the point totals for the 12 drivers who qualified for the Chase were reset, Martin started the championship playoff as the leader. But he's lost the lead to Johnson, who has won three of the six playoff events.
"We need to beat the 48, but their performance is just incredible," Martin said. "I think we still have something for them, and I think this 5 team can run with those guys and beat those guys. We've done it before."
Martin tries a different approach for Talladega
Mark Martin was talking to millions of race fans a couple of weeks ago during an interview at Lowe's Motor Speedway, but quite clearly, he was also talking to himself. His message: He will not let his dislike of racing at Talladega Superspeedway come between him and the Sprint Cup championship he so badly wants.
"I refuse to be concerned about Talladega," Martin said that day. "I refuse."
This Sunday, Martin's resolute words and attitude will be put to the test because the drivers in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will do their thing in the Amp Energy 500 at nasty,
Unpredictable and potentially dangerous Talladega.
Oh, boy, and happy Halloween.
Some drivers find going flat-footed all the way around the 2.66-mile oval exhilarating.
Others simply suck it up when the series takes to the church-roof-steep banking at NASCAR's biggest track.
And some think there is something unnatural—and wrong—about putting a 3,400-pound stock car on superspeedway with 33-degree banking that produces speeds well in excess of 200 mph.
Martin has not been shy about proclaiming himself to be part of Group Three over the years.
In fact, he felt so strongly about not wanting to race at Talladega that he didn't. In 2007, Martin semi-retired from Sprint Cup. He left his longtime home at Roush Racing and took a job with MB2 because the folks there would allow him to compete on a part-time basis.
Martin was able to pick and choose the races he wanted to drive in, and among the first things he did was dump the races at Talladega.
For two entire seasons, Martin did yard work at home when the Cup cars were beating each other's fenders off at Talladega.
He returned to Talladega for the first time since 2006 in the spring. He had to. He had committed to run for a championship for new team owner Rick Hendrick, and that meant driving in 36 races in 2009 and that meant driving at Talladega.
This weekend, Martin will be back at the place, and how twisted is it that he will need to show well there—perhaps win—if he is to remain a serious threat to win this year's Chase?
Martin is second in points, 118 behind teammate Jimmie Johnson, who is going for his fourth straight championship. And unless Martin wins Sunday on his least favorite track, and/or Johnson has big trouble, Martin could leave Talladega all but eliminated from contention. Twisted.
Hence his attitude in recent weeks.
"We'll go there, we'll try to not worry about it much and we'll strap in on Sunday," Martin said. "And unless Alan (Gustafson, his crew chief) asks me to take a different approach, we will race as far forward in that pack as we can be every lap of the whole race. That's where I'm at right now. I'm not going to sweat it."
In fact, Martin said this week, he has a good feeling about Sunday. Perhaps the pep talks to himself have helped.
"Somehow or another I just feel lucky about this one," Martin said. "If you can wreck on Lap 5 of the last one there, something tells me I ought to be able to miss it this time. That's about as bad of luck as you can have. So I don't know. I feel like it will be OK. If it's not, it will still be OK."
It's not as if Martin is bad at Talladega. He has two victories there and has finished in the top 10 in more than half of his 43 starts.
Yes, he has six DNFs and has been caught up in big wrecks: In the spring, he was caught up in a wreck minutes into the race.
But who hasn't done that at Talladega? Heck, Johnson has six DNFs at the place.
"To me, it's my opportunity to really get back into the running for it," he said. "So I plan on going there and driving like I know I am not going to wreck."
Meet the new Mark Martin—optimist by necessity.
Martin has a new approach to Talladega
Can a change of heart change Mark Martin's championship fortunes?
Through Martin's nearly 28 years of competition at NASCAR's top level, he has never been a fan of racing at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, site of Sunday's Amp Energy 500.
Of the 7,141 laps he's raced at the track, he's led 315 – about 4 percent. And he has two wins at the track, the most recent in 1997.
When Martin decided to move to a part-time Cup schedule in 2007 and 2008, he left Talladega off his list of races.
When asked why, he was succinct: "There are too many wrecks there!"
A full-time return to the series this season with Hendrick Motorsports meant a return to Talladega, and after wrecking in the April race and finishing last, his opinion didn't change.
"Here, having a great car doesn't do you any good because you can't separate yourself from the other cars," he said at the time.
But times change – even from the spring to the fall.
Entering Sunday's race, Martin remains the driver with the best chance to deny Hendrick teammate Jimmie Johnson a fourth consecutive championship.
To do so, Martin needs to make up a 118-point deficit to Johnson in the last four races. It won't be easy. And it will require Martin to have a better finish at Talladega than he's previously expected in Alabama.
"I have a feeling that I'm going to have a great Talladega race," Martin said last weekend at Martinsville, Va. "I don't know if our competition will or not.
"I wrecked on Lap 5 last time. I've got a feeling that this just isn't going to happen this time. The law of averages is going to get you sooner or later, and I think I've got some good karma going in there. So I'm very optimistic."
Good karma? Optimistic about Talladega?
Is this the same Mark Martin who, after wrecking out of a Talladega race in 2005, said in a TV interview he didn't like racing there and that fans were the only ones that could prompt any change – if they somehow persuade NASCAR to change the rules.
"It's my turn. Why not go there? To me, it's my opportunity to really get back into the running for (the title)," he said.
Strange as it may seem for such a talented driver, that has not always been the case for Martin when it comes to the high-banked, 2.66-mile speedway.
"The last time I went there I was concerned about it because we didn't need to (wreck), and we were struggling to get from the bottom of the barrel to the Chase," he said. "And we got in a wreck.
"I am going to go there and not worry about it. I'm going to go there and race and I am going to race like I am not concerned about getting in an accident."
Even then, Johnson would to have to run poorly for Martin to make up much ground in the Chase for the Sprint Cup standings.
Is that possible? It doesn't appear likely, as consistently strong as Johnson has been through six Chase races.
But, like Martin's opinion of Talladega, that could change.
Mark Martin says he feels good about Talladega this time
Mark Martin doesn’t like playing the Alabama Lottery.
And who can blame him? Unlike other state lotteries, the Alabama Lottery is a game of chance where winning brings great reward but losing can clean you out in a hurry.
For two years while he was driving part-time for DEI, Martin just refused to play the lottery. But now, with the Sprint Cup championship that has eluded him for 27 years on the line, Martin has his eyes on the Powerball.
The Alabama Lottery -- aka the AMP Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway -- is up this weekend and this time Martin refuses to be jinxed, flummoxed, beaten down, beaten up or freaked out by the 2.66-mile restrictor-plate track that has bedeviled him over the years.
"I have a feeling that I'm going to have a great Talladega race,” Martin said. “I don't know if our competition will or not. But I wrecked on lap 5 last time there. I've got a feeling that this just isn't going to happen this time. The law of averages is going to get you sooner or later and I think I've got some good karma going in there so I'm very optimistic. It could be a great equalizer.”
It could very well be an equalizer. If not for a poor showing at Talladega last year Carl Edwards might have given Jimmie Johnson a run for his money.
And this year the race was pushed back three weeks later, which means a championship contender who does poorly will have even less time to try to make it up in the standings.
The law of averages definitely owes one to Martin.
Martin has won at Talladega but that was way back in 1995 and 1997, practically a lifetime ago.
Since 2002 his average finish at Talladega has been 27th.
In April, the first time he raced there since 2006, he crashed on Lap 5 and finished dead last.
It’s not exactly one of his favorite tracks.
"No, it's not,” he said. “But that is why it's time for it to pay. It's my turn. Why not go there? To me it's my opportunity to really get back into the running for it. So I plan on going there and driving like I know I am not going to wreck.”
That’s the opposite of what Martin did in April, when he fretted and worried about Talladega and ended up finishing last.
This time it’s que sera, sera.
“I wasn't mad when it was over with,” he said of his early exit in April. “It just happens and that is how I will leave Talladega this time. If I am in a wreck on lap one, it is what it is and I am going to go there and not worry about it. I'm going to go there and race and I am going to race like I am not concerned about getting in an accident.
This is the Zen approach to Talladega.
"Sometimes accidents are all around you and you don't get tangled up and I am going to race like I am expecting it to happen around me and not catch me,” he said. “I've thought about it and that is how I feel. If we wreck, then I am not going to worry about it. If we wreck, we don't have a chance to win the championship and if we win, we might -- we just might. So we are going to go there and just see what it turns out.”
There’s a lot on the line for Martin at Talladega. He’s in second place in the standings, 118 points behind Johnson.
If that elusive championship trophy is to finally land on his fireplace mantel, he must close that gap now -- at one of the few tracks where Johnson -- whose worse finish in the Chase this year was ninth -- has been vulnerable.
Another driver who has had issues with Talladega is Edwards. A year ago he was in the thick of the championship race and decided to be conservative and try to stay out of trouble.
Instead, he triggered the Big One close to the end of the race.
“A year ago, I didn't want to go there at all because I knew the potential for losing points,” said Edwards, who this year is winless and way back in 10th place in the standings. “But right now I know the potential for Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin and those guys to lose points, so, greedily, I'm kind of hoping to go there and have things get mixed up and gain some points."
Edwards forever etched his name into Talladega lore on the last lap of the spring race when he was launched up into the catch fence after trying to block Brad Keselowski from passing him for the win.
Since that race the speedway has raised the fence and NASCAR has said it will make the restrictor plates on the carburetors -- which prevent the cars from achieving speeds in excess of 220 mph -- even smaller in the interest of safety.
“I think that smaller restrictor plates will keep the speeds down,” Edwards said. “That's probably a good move considering we're already nose-to-tail wide-open the whole time, I don't think that will have a detrimental effect. I think it's a good move by NASCAR.
“I think making the fence taller and stronger is good. That won't keep parts from flying through the fence, but that could happen at any race track,” he said. “But it may help keep an entire car out of the grandstands, which would be catastrophic, so that's a good move as well.”
Not every driver concurs with Edwards. Dale Earnhardt Jr. said the smaller restrictor plate will just make things worse.
“You all know what sells tickets,” he told reporters at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, referring to the numerous wrecks at the track.
“It seems like the smaller the plate gets, the more we wreck, in my opinion,” he said. “The smaller you make the plate, the more on top of each other we race and the more we're going to wreck. Every time that plate gets smaller, it gets more dangerous in my opinion.”
The plates reduce speeds, but they also have the effect of bringing the better cars back to the rest of the field. The result is racing in huge packs, which often culminates in massive crashes.
"Talladega is definitely the big wild card that all the drivers seem to be very worried about and they have every right to be,” said Kurt Busch, who is sixth in the points standings. “You can have a perfect car, perfect pit stops all day, be leading on the last lap and still have things happen. That's the excitement level of it and the factor that Talladega brings to the Chase.”
And this year, for the first time, a Talladega race will feature double-file restarts after each caution. But Busch says that double-file restarts -- unlike other tracks where they have improved the racing -- will have little effect at Talladega.
“The restarts there on a scale of 1-10 will be one, the lowest,” he said. “You really don't get a choice to which lane you're going to be in and on a restart, you're waiting for your car’s power to get built back up because of the restrictor plate, so you're kind of just riding around for a lap and a half or so.
On double-file restarts, the leader gets to choose whether to start on the inside or outside lane. At most tracks that decision depends on where the racing groove is best.
At Talladega that’s not a factor. At Talladega it depends on who is behind you.
“If you're the leader and you want to choose the outside versus the inside, you're going to look at who's third and fourth, on who you want to be your 'pusher,' Busch said. “So if I'm running up first and my little brother (Kyle Busch) is third, I know third has to line up on the inside, so I'm going to line up in the inside lane. If I had a teammate that's out there running fourth, then maybe I'll choose the outside and make sure I put my teammate behind me.”
That’s because finding the best “groove” to race in doesn’t mean much at Talladega. What is important is finding a reliable partner to bump draft with, someone to slam into your rear bumper repeatedly at 190 mph and push you around the track.
And that just adds to the feeling that many drivers have that Talladega is completely out of their hands.
Martin has been as frustrated about that as anyone, but he’s finally reached the point where he refuses to hyperventilate.
"You know, having a fast car there doesn't help you nearly as much as it does in other places,” he said. “It all comes down to what is meant to be. So I am going to go there and see what is meant for the No. 5 car and for me. We'll know after the race."
Mark Martin NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Preview – Amp Energy 500
POINTS BATTLE: Mark Martin and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team currently rank second in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship battle, just 118 points back of teammate Jimmie Johnson. Martin, who was the points leader following the first three Chase races, and teammate Jeff Gordon (150 points back) are the only two drivers within one-race striking distance of Johnson with four events remaining in the 2009 season.
AVERAGE FINISH: The No. 5 team owns a 6.5 average finish through six races in the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup. Martin holds the third-best average finish of the Chase drivers behind Johnson (3) and Gordon (5.7).
FINAL POP-TARTS RACE: Sunday's race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway marks the final outing for the Pop-Tarts/CARQUEST paint scheme.
TALLADEGA VICTOR: Martin, driver of the No. 5 Pop-Tarts/CARQUEST Chevrolet, is a two-time Sprint Cup winner at Talladega Superspeedway. Martin started third and led 88 laps en route to the April 30, 1995, win. Two years later, on May 10, 1997, Martin climbed from his 18th starting spot to earn his second win at the Alabama racetrack.
MARTIN AT TALLADEGA: In 43 career Cup starts at Talladega, Martin has earned two wins, 10 top-five finishes and 22 top-10s. He notched his two career Talladega pole positions back-to-back in 1989 (May and July) and has led a total of 315 laps at the restrictor-plate track.
OF THE CHASERS: Martin and Gordon are the only drivers inside the Chase for the Sprint Cup who have multiple wins at Talladega. Among current Chase contenders, Martin leads with 22 top-10 finishes there, and he has led the second-most laps (315) at the 2.66-mile track. His average Talladega finish (16.1) is third among those inside the Chase.
HENDRICK AT TALLADEGA: Hendrick Motorsports, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this season, has won 10 races and led 1,891 laps at Talladega, both track records. Additionally, Hendrick drivers have scored 41 top-five finishes and 59 top-10s there.
TOP ENGINE BUILDERS: On Oct. 21, Matt Pennell and Scott Vester built their Chevrolet R07 engine in record time (22 minutes and 57 seconds) to win the Randy Dorton Hendrick Engine Builder Showdown at Hendrick Motorsports. Pennell, a Hendrick Automotive Group (HAG) technician, partnered with Vester, a Hendrick Motorsports engineer, to win the event. Twelve teams, each of which partnered a HAG technician with a Hendrick Motorsports engineer, participated in the two-day competition, which is held in honor of the late engine builder Randy Dorton and sponsored by MAHLE-Clevite.
MARK MARTIN, DRIVER, NO. 5 POP-TARTS/CARQUEST CHEVROLET (ON HIS RACING EXPERIENCE AT TALLADEGA.): "Look, it's no secret I'm not a huge fan of restrictor plate racetracks. If you go back and look at my history at Talladega, you'll see why. (LAUGHS) This year, I really thought we had a shot of winning Daytona, but the rain got us. Then we go to Talladega, and we're out on Lap 6. Daytona in July ended in another wreck. Something's got to change here, right? I've thought for awhile now that I'm feeling good about Talladega. I think this may be a good one for us. I hope so."
MARTIN (ON THE TEAM'S TITLE HOPES.): "It's not over, and Talladega is the race that everyone has known could change things. But, the finishes we've had over the past three or four weeks obviously aren't going to cut it. We're putting everything into this race team and each race that we can."
MARTIN (ON WHAT THE TEAM NEEDS TO DO IN THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS.): "Well, we need to beat the (No.) 48, but their performance is just incredible. I think we still have something for them, and I think this (No.) 5 team can run with those guys and beat those guys. We've done it before. We've raced to win each and every race we've been in this year, and that's not going to change. We don't need to go out there and reinvent the wheel. We just need to win."
ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 POP-TARTS/CARQUEST CHEVROLET (ON TALLADEGA STRATEGY.): "There's obviously strategy that unfolds during the race, but even before the race there's two clear-cut strategies. You can race as hard as you can and try to stay up front, or you can try to lag back from the main pack and avoid any potential accidents. You have to decide which way to approach it and then decide how you want to execute that. Our strategy is not for anyone to know right now. (LAUGHS) We'll work with our teammates and make our objectives clear to them. If our objectives are the same between certain shops or cars, we'll try to work together and execute the best we can. It's not like we'll hold anything back. We'll definitely work together.
"I don't think we have to do the opposite of what (the Nos. 24 and 48 teams) do to beat them. But we, as a team, have to beat them. We have to decide which way is going to give us the best opportunity to beat those guys."
GUSTAFSON (ON THE TEAM'S TITLE HOPES.): "It's not over. I mean, there are four races left. Anything can happen. Each race pays the same points. We can't beat them at one track and win the championship. We have to beat them the next four weeks. That's the key, and it's going to be tough."
GUSTAFSON (ON HIS TOUGHEST COMPETITORS BEING HIS TEAMMATES.): "It's probably the least scary of all the scenarios. There's not much unknown there; we know what we're facing and dealing with. It's nothing that we haven't dealt with before or that isn't easily dealt with. I'd rather it be our teammates that are the toughest to beat than anyone else."
People's choice, Mark Martin, showing softer side
MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Mark Martin senses that this is going to be a good week for him as he continues chasing Jimmie Johnson and the NASCAR season championship he so covets.
If he's right, it would only add to what has been an emotional ride for the 50-year-old Martin, who has largely discarded his curmudgeonly shell in his return to full-time racing with Hendrick Motorsports and shown a softer, even somewhat sappy side on a regular basis.
"It's because I'm not tired, I'm not burned out, not frustrated," he said at Martinsville. "I'm enjoying the opportunity and I appreciate it more than I ever did before."
Johnson gained 28 points on the final short track of the season to extend his lead to 118 over Martin with four races to go, but the series shifts to Talladega Superspeedway, the last wild card on the schedule, where one big wreck could really shake things up.
"I have a feeling that I'm going to have a great Talladega race," Martin said. "I don't know if our competition will or not. But I wrecked on lap five last time there. I've got a feeling that just isn't going to happen this time. The law of averages is going to get you sooner or later and I think I've got some good karma going in there. I'm very optimistic.
"It could be a great equalizer."
It would be a development that would be widely celebrated among NASCAR fans, who have embraced Martin as the sentimental favorite -- a stature that can stop him in his tracks.
"That's an incredible honor," he said. "And it's also a little bit of pressure. It means so much to me that they feel that way that I desperately don't want to disappoint them."
Without a doubt, Martin stands as the best driver never to win a championship, and his close calls are well documented. He's finished second four times, losing out by 26 points to Dale Earnhardt in 1990, and by 38 points to Tony Stewart in his last close call in 2002.
In 1990, his team incurred a 46-point penalty after a race at Richmond for using an illegal carburetor spacer, even though NASCAR agreed it had not enhanced his performance.
Martin has also finished third four times, and in the top five another five times.
His return to full-time racing this season came after he landed a ride with Hendrick, joining a stable of teams that includes Johnson, who is seeking his record fourth consecutive series championship, and Jeff Gordon, who has already won four, but none since 2001.
What has happened since is fairy tale stuff: Five victories, one behind Johnson for the series lead, and his first since 2005. Seven poles, 12 top-five finishes and 19 top-10s.
"It's amazing, and beyond my expectations," he said. "It's really an honor. I've said all that all year long. People may be getting tired of hearing that, but it's the truth."
In the Hendrick shop, it's a story that even Johnson and Gordon are caught up in.
Johnson is viewed in some circles as the villain who could deny Martin a title, and said even though he roots for his teammates, he's not letting up in his own drive to win again.
"I certainly root for him if I'm not having the day, and the same for Jeff," Johnson said. "I have not thought about being the guy who could take away someone's opportunity."
Gordon, who beat Martin for the title by 364 points in 1998, thinks all the drivers and teams are watching with interest, and that several are rooting for Martin to win.
"I don't think there is anybody more deserving than Mark Martin," he said.
"But (Johnson's) team, they've earned the position they're in," he added. "They've worked hard at it. They're a great, great team and I think they're in a position to make history.
"I think there is something very special about that."
Martin finished eighth at Martinsville, a disappointing finish considering he ran near the front for much of the race, but heads to Alabama with no intention of changing his approach. Revered for the way he races, he's not given to trying desperate measures.
The suggestion that he would brought out his old drill sergeant-like persona.
"I am racing with everything I got, and if I could find a way to be better, I would," he said. "And I will continue to look and search for anyway I can, going forward, to find a way to be better yet, but all I can do is put it out there. That's all I can do. I will put it out there and race with every bit of fire. Because I don't cause a lot of stink on the racetrack doesn't mean I don't race without a lot of fire. ... I race with everything I've got."
And when it's not enough, he no longer lets his disappointment consume him.
"I still get disappointed, OK?" he said. "I still get disappointed, and we have met with many disappointments this year, but I don't dwell on the disappointment and I revel in the opportunity. ... It's less about me, and that comes with age and maturity. What I'm doing today is a lot less about me and a lot more about the people that I care about.
"I'm trying as hard as I ever did. I'm just not frustrated about it."
Mark Martin Post Race Notes and Quotes – Tums Fast Relief 500
MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 KELLOGG'S/CARQUEST IMPALA SS, FINISHED 8th:
"It was a great job. We got everything that we could. It just wasn't quite enough but it was a super job, everybody gave it all.
ANY THOUGHTS ON THE CHAMPIONSHIP?
"We need to pick it up. You, now, eighths, sevenths, that won't get it right now. But you know what; we gave it everything we had."
TAKE US THROUGH YOUR DAY
"Well, you know, I'm proud of the team and what we did. We spun the tires all day and weren't able to fix it. We fought hard and we gave it everything we had and that's all we could muster today. I'm really proud. You know, eighths, sevenths, doesn't look like that's going to be enough to go out here and win this championship, but there's still some racing left and a lot of things can change at Talladega. We're going to go there and race like there ain't no way we can wreck. You know, I'm very pleased. I would have liked to have been hooked up better, but we couldn't get it and we fought tooth and nail for everything we could get."
YOU TOLD US THAT BY THE SIXTH RACE OF THE CHASE, THAT'S WHEN EVERYBODY WILL REALLY BE BATTLING FOR THIS CHAMPIONSHIP. HOW IS THE WAY YOU RACE FOR THE NEXT FOUR RACES GOING TO CHANGE?
"It's not. Are you kidding me? How could it change? If you're trying to win, you sure as heck start out trying to win. And we're trying to win now. It's all the same. We would have led the most laps and won the race today if we could have. But it's tough out here. There's a lot of competition and these guys are making more bite and turning in the center of the corner and we had our car turning in the center and we couldn't get both parts of it. We got one part. We're doing all we can."
Hendrick Motorsports’ Mark Martin says title hopes dimming with Jimmie Johnson’s incredible run
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Mark Martin has said people shouldn’t handicap NASCAR’s Chase For The Sprint Cup until after the race next week at Talladega Superspeedway because of the chances of the field getting shuffled by a major wreck.
But Martin admits he’s lost a lot of ground the last two weeks with finishes of 17th at Lowe’s Motor Speedway last week and then eighth Sunday at Martinsville Speedway. He went from 12 points behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson with six races remaining to now being 118 points behind leader Johnson with four races to go.
Martin has held onto second in the points, though, with a 32-point edge on teammate Jeff Gordon and a 74-point cushion on Stewart-Haas Racing’s Tony Stewart in fourth.
“After next week, we’ll know for sure, but we certainly don’t look as good as we did two weeks ago,” Martin said. “We were really looking good two weeks ago, and we’ve lost points for two weeks. We didn’t give them away. We got beat. With the kind of performance the 48 [of Johnson] is putting up, it’s just pretty incredible.
“It’s pretty incredible to expect to beat that. I think that we’re holding our own very well against the rest of the Chase guys.”
Johnson has an average finish of third in the six Chase races.
“What are you going to do when the leader’s average finish is [that high],” Martin crew chief Alan Gustafson said. “If … you need to make up points on him, I’m thinking you’re going to need to win. That’s pretty self-explanatory.”
Martin ran in the top five most of the day at Martinsville but got shuffled back to eighth during a 138-lap green-flag run that ended on lap 444. Martin then couldn’t gain any ground during the final 57 laps.
“The guys that beat us turned the center and got off the corner,” Martin said. “We spun the tires all day. We could turn the center, but we couldn’t get off the corner and we couldn’t fix that. So we earned everything that we could get today.
“We raced as hard as we could. We had the one long run and lost a few spots toward the end of that run and obviously we weren’t good enough to recover from that. We got shuffled out of the top five. I’m very satisfied with the effort. We gave it our all, and we got beat by a few and we beat a few. If we could have led the most laps and won, we sure would have. We gave it our all, and therefore, I’m satisfied.”
Gustafson wasn’t satisfied, but he wasn’t disappointed.
“I’m not happy, but we’re not there right now,” Gustafson said. “We’re working hard, and we just haven’t been able to do it. We’ve just got to find some places to get better. It’s going to be tough, but that’s what we’re going to have to do.
“I’m not disappointed, and I’m not looking around thinking we shot ourselves in the foot here. The cars drive pretty good and the pit stops are really good and the strategy has been good, but it just hasn’t been good enough. So we’ve got to find some more.”
Martin’s season has been incredible if not a little inconsistent. He was 34th in points just four races into the season but he rattled off four wins to crack the top 12 and make the Chase. He then opened the 10-race, title-determining segment of the season with a win at New Hampshire.
“I don’t want having an incredible year cause us to be disappointed by not scoring more points than everybody in the thing,” the 50-year-old Martin said. “We will win it if it’s meant to be. But if it’s not, we won’t. We’re giving it everything we’ve got.”
Martin Remains Optimistic Following Martinsville
Mark Martin finished eighth in the TUMS Fast Relief 500 in Martinsville on Sunday. At any other time in the season, a top ten finish might be welcome but it’s not going to get the job done if he has any hope of winning the NASCAR Championship that’s eluded him throughout his career.
Despite the fact that it will take something drastic happening to the 48 team to keep them from winning their fourth straight championship, Martin remained optimistic after the race and said he won’t change a thing about the way the Kellog’s/Carquest team is doing things from week to week.
“Are you kidding me? It’s not going to change. We’re going to keep doing what we’ve been doing the whole time,” Martin said after the race. “It’s tough out here. There’s a lot of competition out here.”
Martin said he was proud of his team for what they did but admitted seventh and eighth place finishes would not be good enough to secure a championship.
Martin is now 118 points behind Johnson heading into next week’s Amp Energy 500 at Talladega. Martin has repeatedly said that Martinsville and Talladega would tell the tale of who would win the Chase. Now that Martinsville is in the books, Martin heads to Talladega – a track known for the “big one” – a wreck that can take out a large junk of the field in the blink of an eye.
“A lot of things can change at Talladega,” Martin said. “We’re going to race there like we can’t be wrecked.”
Martin finished 43rd at the spring race in Talladega.
Although some fellow drivers may have grown weary of seeing him win races and championships, Martin has the utmost respect for Johnson referring to him at one point as “Superman” and said he thinks Johnson would have done well back in the rough-and-tumble stock car days.
“Had he been here with me when I was racing Dale Earnhardt in the early 90’s for the title, I think Jimmie would have held his ground,” Martin said.
But Martin’s not ready to concede the championship to Johnson just yet. “I’m going to race him for it,” Martin said. I’m not giving up, not one bit.”
Despite Martin’s positive attitude, he’s going to need some good luck and hope Johnson experiences some bad luck to realistically have a shot at the championship. Martin finished 43rd in the spring race in Talladega while Johnson experienced his only DNF of the season at Talladega.
Mark Martin Post Qualifying Notes and Quotes - Tums Fast Relief 500
MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 KELLOGG'S /CARQUEST IMPALA SS: QUALIFIED 4TH
DID YOU LEAVE ANYTHING OUT THERE?
"Well, yes I did. I slipped on my second lap. I dialed some rear brake into it. It was too much. The last run we made, it needed it. And then I think we got the car a little bit better. The car was phenomenal. I got that quick lap on the first lap; I should have been able to get a quicker second lap. I got the rear wheels bouncing going into (Turn) 1 and it was great. Awesome run! It's pretty cool to run that fast on the first lap. We have a great race car. It'll be a good starting spot.
"The first lap was phenomenal and I tried to reach and get some more and I got wheel hop going in to one. The second lap had potential to be quicker but I had too much rear brake in it and over drove it."
Hendrick Motorsports' Mark Martin flattered by praise from other Cup drivers
MARTINSVILLE, Va. - Mark Martin says that helping other drivers is simply a matter of treating others the way he was introduced into NASCAR Cup racing. He always learned more quickly through an open exchange of information, something that he has continued with other drivers and that has helped push him to his current role as both a spokesman in the sport and a championship contender.
Martin and his Alan Gustafson-led Hendrick Motorsports team enter this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway second in the point standings, 90 behind leader and teammate Jimmie Johnson. Behind him, though, are several drivers Martin has given advice over the years.
Martin, 51, has long enjoyed that role in the sport and even ran a couple of part-time seasons, sharing rides with rookie or young drivers and helping them learn the ropes of the sport.
Among those who have sought his advice is Earnhardt Ganassi Racing's Juan Pablo Montoya, who enters this weekend sixth in the standings.
"I ask Mark Martin a lot of questions, and he helps me out a lot," Montoya said. "Whatever I need, and it’s very helpful. On the race track, whoever is doing something different, you’ve got to see how they are doing it and how they are making it work, anybody from the front of the grid to the back of the grid."
Martin considers it a compliment that someone like former Formula One driver and Indianapolis 500 winner Montoya is seeking his advice.
"First of all, one of the biggest forms of flattery is to have someone come and want to talk to me and want my opinion or advice; it's very flattering," Martin said Friday. "It's something I've done ever since I really got hooked up with Ray Dillon (chassis builder) in 1979, I have done an enormous amount of it. In 1980 and '81, we built race cars, and our customers came and I did the setup on their car to set their car up just exactly like mine, and they paid me $100 cash, and I was loving it! And then they would come to me at the race track, because we were always the fastest, and I always figured back then I could beat them anyway, you know?
"And it was very flattering, and it was part of my duty to be a house car, and [former driver Dick] Trickle and some of those guys had always been that way with me as well. And it was fairly open. I was open with Rusty Wallace. I raced with him before we got to NASCAR. He told me everything that he had, loud, in the middle of the pit. You know how Rusty was."
Perhaps he has taught new drivers a little too much sometimes. Martin now finds himself battling drivers such as Montoya for wins and points positions week to week. He says that the drivers don't share the same type of information now that they used to, but that they are still generally free with input - no matter the level of competition.
"Do I think Montoya could beat me? Sometimes," Martin said. "He's probably going to beat me whether I answer his question honestly or not. And I'd much rather be honest than dishonest. And I'm flattered that he asked me the questions.
"He'll figure out a way to beat me on any given day whether I answer honestly or not. So we don't share technical race car information today like we did 15 years ago. Rusty and I always told each other what we had in our cars 15 years ago here at Martinsville. And the drivers don't do that. So it has closed up a lot."
Mark Martin Friday Media Visit - Tums Fast Relief 500
MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 KELLOGG'S/CARQUEST IMPALA SS met with media and discussed racing the competition in the Chase, Jimmie Johnson's skills, his intentions to race hard, sharing information in the garage with other drivers, and more.
ON RACING AT MARTINSVILLE AND DOUBLE-FILE RESTARTS
"I watched these races in '07 and '08 and they seemed to be really good races. And then I was here for the first race this year. I had a great race. I started toward the rear of the field based on points because it rained and where we were. It worked well for us and we worked our way into the top 10 and ran there and it seemed to be a fairly clean race with good racing. And that's what I expect. I expect the double-file restarts to be very similar to what we've had at the other races where we've had winners and losers, but they have worked better than I expected and I hope that they work better than expected here."
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA WAS TALKING ABOUT THE OPENNESS OF THE NASCAR GARAGE, ASKING YOUR FOR HELP, AND HOW COMPETITORS HELP COMPETITORS, WHY DO YOU HELP? FOR JUAN, IT WAS AN ADJUSTMENT COMING FROM F-1
"First of all one of the biggest forms of flattery is to have someone come and want to talk to me and want my opinion or advice; it's very flattering. It's something I've done ever since I really got hooked up with Ray Dillon in 1979, I have done an enormous amount of it. In 1980 and '81 we built race cars and our customers came and I did the set-up on their car to set their car up just exactly like mine and they paid me $100 cash and I was loving it! And then they would come to me at the race track, because we were always the fastest, and I always figured back then I could beat them anyway, you know?
"And it was very flattering and it was part of my duty to be a house car and (Dick) Trickle and some of those guys had always been that way with me as well. And it was fairly open. I was open with Rusty Wallace. I raced with him before we got to NASCAR. He told me everything that he had, loud, in the middle of the pit. You know how Rusty was (laughs). Anytime Rusty needed or wanted to know what I was doing on set-ups, and this was set-ups, this wasn't driving back then, this was even set-ups which is more critical. That's not traded today in the NASCAR garage like that.
"Do I think (Juan Pablo) Montoya could beat me? Sometimes. He's probably going to beat me whether I answer his question honestly or not. And I'd much rather be honest than dishonest. And I'm flattered that he asked me the questions. He'll figure out a way to beat me on any given day whether I answer honestly or not. So, we don't share technical race car information today like we did 15 years ago. Rusty and I always told each other what we had in our cars 15 years ago here at Martinsville. And the drivers don't do that. So it has closed up a lot."
ON THE 5TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HENDRICK PLANE CRASH
"Because I'm closer to the organization, I feel the pain that radiates throughout the organization and obviously feel and sense the pain; not only that is associated with this weekend but periodically other times as well. So, it is a source of great pain when you can feel it throughout the organization."
WHAT IS JUAN PABLO MONTOYA DOING BETTER; WHERE HAS HE GAINED?
"He is gaining in every respect, but his biggest gain has been to drive the car and to come in and tell the team what the car is doing and what he needs it to do better. And that couldn't come the first year he was here. It's impossible. It comes with experience. He's also developed a great touch or a very good strong touch in being able to rally his team around him even though at times he might be a little bit short-fused a little bit about things, but nothing like he was two years ago at this point in time. Communication, understanding, and he's learned to really drive the car even when it's loose. He is as good as I thought he was and he's proving it. But before he got here, I thought he was this good and I think Juan can get still better yet going forward with even more experience."
YOU'VE CALLED JIMMIE JOHNSON 'SUPERMAN' AND YOU'VE RACED SOME OF THE BEST DRIVERS OF ALL TIME, DO YOU THINK JIMMIE IS BETTER THAN THOSE GUYS OR DO YOU THINK HE'S A PRODUCT OF BEING IN A GREAT SYSTEM RIGHT NOW?
“Yeah, I think he's as good. It's a different time and a different day and age. But had he been here with me when I was racing Dale Earnhardt in the early '90's for the title, I think Jimmie would have held his ground. In my opinion, it appears to me that he would have held his ground better than I hold mine."
TECHNICALLY, IS THERE A WAY TO RACE THOSE GUYS JUST WITH DRIVING SKILLS?
"That's not fair. Jimmie does his on technical. Earnhardt did his with his hands (laughs). Earnhardt did a lot of what he did with his hands and he wasn't near above playing head games as well. Jimmie is good because of technical; because he works physically and understands about the car and writes things down. Dale Earnhardt didn't take notes after every race and make out a full page set of notes after every single race so that they could go back to them before the next race. Dale just piled in that thing and wheeled it like an animal, you know? Jimmie understands that the way he can win is to make his car better than everyone's and he focuses on that and he makes his health better, physically, as well. So he's doing it all."
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR CHANCES TO CATCH JIMMIE JOHNSON? A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE PICKED YOU AS THE SENTIMENTAL FAVORITE, DO YOU TAKE THAT AS AN HONOR?
"That's an incredible honor. And it's also a little bit of pressure. It means so much to me that they feel that way that I desperately don't want to disappoint them. That is that. It means a lot to me. I said that we would have a clearer picture of this championship after six races. This will be number six. As I analyze it a little closer, I think it'll be very clear after seven (races). I think it will be clearer after this race, but it's really going to require Talladega to clean it out and shuffle it; see if it shuffles. I have a feeling that I'm going to have a great Talladega race. I don't know if our competition will or not. But I wrecked on lap 5 last time there. I've got a feeling that this just isn't going to happen this time. The law of averages is going to get you sooner or later and I think I've got some good karma going in there so I'm very optimistic. It could be a great equalizer."
ON THESE BEING THE BIGGEST RACES OF THE YEAR AND ARE YOU GOING TO BE AN ANIMAL ON THE TRACK AND GET AFTER IT OR ARE YOU GOING TO SIT BACK AND SEE IF JIMMIE FALTERS?
"I'm going to race him for it. I am not giving up, not one bit. I'm going to race him for it. Mike, it might make for good writing but if I go out there and get ugly here Sunday, then it might COST me that championship Mike. Now be smart about it. I know that it sounds all cool, and with drama but what I need to do is race him for it. And I am racing with everything I got and if I could find a way to be better, I would. And I will continue to look and search for anyway I can, going forward, to find a way to be better yet, but all I can do is put it out there. That's all I can do. I will put it out there and race with every bit of fire and because I don't cause a lot of stink on the race track doesn't mean I don't race without a lot of fire. You ask somebody that's raced me this year. I race with everything that I got."
ON HOW NASCAR HANDLES THINGS AS OPPOSED TO F1 AND CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW IT WOULD BE TO BE IN THAT OTHER WORLD?
"I understand why Juan is over here if that is what you mean. It doesn't seem like it would be fun. This environment in NASCAR is very similar to the environment that I started racing dirt tracks on and graduated into asphalt late models and to ASA and all the way up through the ranks. So this is all I know. You know, it's not that much different now than when I was racing ASA, or even before, so certainly it's my passion and I love it and I have heard different stories about F1 and it doesn't sound like something that is enjoyable. It certainly would be enjoyable if you were in the best stuff and winning everything, but you can't always be in that and your stuff isn't always the best so I like what we have got going on here. I like what I have done for 35 years."
SO TO BE CLEAR YOU ARE VERY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT GOING TO TALLADEGA. DID WE HEAR YOU RIGHT? IT HASN'T BEEN ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE PLACES.
"No, it's not. But that is why it's time for it to pay. It's my turn. Why not go there? To me it's my opportunity to really get back into the running for it. So I plan on going there and driving like I know I am not going to wreck. And last time I went there I was concerned about it because we didn't need to, and we were struggling to get from the bottom of the barrel to the Chase and we got in a wreck on lap five. And I wasn't mad when it was over with. It just happens and that is how I will leave Talladega this time. If I am in a wreck on lap one, it is what it is and I am going to go there and not worry about it. I'm going to go there and race and I am going to race like I am not concerned about getting in an accident.
"And sometimes accidents are all around you and you don't get tangled up and I am going to race like I am expecting it to happen around me and not catch me. I've thought about it and that is how I feel. If we wreck, then I am not going to worry about it. If we wreck, we don't have a chance to win the championship and if we win, we might.....we just might. So we are going to go there and just see what it turns out.
"You know, having a fast car there doesn't help you nearly as much as it does in other places so you know, it all comes down to what is meant to be. So I am going to go there and see what is meant for the No. 5 car and for me. We'll know after the race."
ON HOW YOU THINK ONE DRIVER WINNING A LOT AFFECTS THE WHOLE SPORT IN SCOPE AND IF IT'S GOOD OR BAD FOR IT
"I don't think they pay less attention, they maybe don't pay more attention. People get tired of that and it causes peoples blood to flow. In other words when Earnhardt was winning so much people just watched because they wanted someone to beat him.
"So when someone dominates, I feel that the same number of people that it turns off, it also fires up a large number of people to want to see something change; to see that dominance change. So back in the day, we didn't worry whether or not fans were going to get tired of Earnhardt winning, or Rusty winning ten races or Bill Elliott, you know? We just went out there and did it. And if you can dominate, that is a good thing for you. Of course the forty-eight has been dominant and there are some people that are hoping that continues and some fans who think somebody can do something about that. So we will just see what happens. Sooner or later everything changes."
It's now or never for Mark Martin at Martinsville Speedway
Mark Martin has started an astounding 753 races in his Cup career. He's started races when he's been sick, injured, happy (think: Nov. 9, 1989 in Phoenix, seven days after his first career win), and sad (think: Feb. 26, 2001 in Rockingham, N.C., seven days after his good buddy Dale Earnhardt, Sr. died). Martin started his first Cup race the day I celebrated my tenth birthday -- I'm now (gulp) 38 -- and he's raced during five different presidential administrations.
You get the point: The guy has been doing this for a very, very long time and faced many different circumstances.
But none are like what Martin will confront on Sunday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, the site of what very well may be -- hyperbole alert! -- the most important race of his Hall of Fame career.
Why will Sunday be so seminal for the 50-year-old? Because if Martin, who has finished runner-up in points more times (four) than any other driver in NASCAR history, is going to have a chance to catch Jimmie Johnson in the standings, it's imperative that he cut into Johnson's 90-point lead on Sunday. If not, Martin, the most hard-luck driver of any generation, will further cement his reputation as being the best driver alive to have never won a championship.
As I wrote in SI magazine this week, Martinsville, the shortest track on the Cup circuit (.525 miles), always produces bumper-car-style banging. It's hard to pass, which makes track position so vital. And this is where Johnson could suffer. The one weakness that the No. 48 team has shown over the past two months is their pit stops. They've had issues on pit road in every Chase race, even the last two, which both ended with Johnson's Lowe's Chevy in Victory Lane. But unlike the first five Chase tracks, it's extremely difficult to make up ground at Martinsville because the quarters are so tight.
Martin, better than anyone, knows that Johnson has won five of the last six races at Martinsville, which obviously makes JJ the favorite on Sunday. But if Johnson slips up -- and trust me, if you've been paying close attention to the 48's pit stops over the last month, you know that this is very real possibility --then Martin should be poised to challenge for the checkers. Why? Because Hendrick Motorsports absolutely dominates this place. Ever since that plane crashed in fog en route to Martinsville in the autumn of 2004, killing all ten on board (including Hendrick's son, brother, and two nieces), Hendrick has won eight of the ten races at the short track. Think Martinsville means a little bit to this organization?
So Martin, who's in his first year at Hendrick, will be in the best equipment of his career on Sunday: a spanking new car, chassis No.5-561. Crew chief Alan Gustafson, who this season has established himself as one of the best in the sport, and his crew have been working on it for weeks, and will incorporate all the latest Hendrick technology. If I was a betting man, I'd wager that this new No. 5 Chevy will be very, very fast.
In the spring race at the Martinsville, Martin started 31st (rain wiped out qualifying, and he was 31st in points at the time). But displaying his unmistakable smoothness through the turns, he impressively -- and patiently --weaved his way through the field to finish seventh.
I talked to several spotters last week at Charlotte about Martin, and they all pretty much said the same thing: he is driving better now than at any point of his career. It's hard to disagree. Which is why I'm picking him to take the checkers and -- at least for a week -- make the Chase interesting again.
Remember: This championship is not over yet. We're only halfway to Homestead.
Mark Martin NASCAR Sprint Race Preview – Tums Fast Relief 500
POINTS BATTLE: Mark Martin and the No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST team currently rank second in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship battle. Martin, who was the points leader following the first three Chase races, trails Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson by 90 points.
AVERAGE FINISH: The Kellogg’s/CARQUEST team owns a 6.2 average finish in the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup, despite picking up its first Chase finish outside of the top-10 on Saturday evening at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Martin holds the third-best average finish of the Chase drivers.
MARTIN’S-VILLE: Martin has won twice at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, going to Victory Lane on April 26, 1992, and April 9, 2000. He also has earned 11 top-five finishes and 22 top-10s in 43 Cup starts there. Martin has completed more laps—20,073—at Martinsville than any other track and has led 318 of those. He earned three straight pole positions at the .526-mile oval from September 1990 to September 1991.
OF THE CHASERS: Martin is one of four drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup with multiple wins at Martinsville Speedway. He is tied with Johnson for the second-most Martinsville top-five finishes and ranks third among Chase drivers in top-10s there.
REMARKABLE SEASON: In NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season-to-date statistics, Martin is the second-fastest driver early in green-flag runs, as well as late in green-flag runs. He also has posted the fastest lap 583 times this year—the second most of any driver. He has had the second-highest green-flag speed throughout the season and has spent the second-most amount of laps—7,188—in the top 15. Johnson leads all of these categories.
MOST RECENTLY AT MARTINSVILLE: Earlier this year, rain showers canceled qualifying at Martinsville, causing Martin and the Kellogg’s/CARQUEST team to line-up 31st on the starting grid. Martin overcame that starting position to finish seventh.
NO. 5 TEAM AT MARTINSVILLE: Under the direction of crew chief Alan Gustafson, the No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST team has earned three top-five finishes and seven top-10s at Martinsville. The team has led a total of 126 laps, all of them in 2007 when it finished fourth in both events with Gustafson at the helm.
NEW CHASSIS: Gustafson has chosen Chassis No. 5-561 for Martinsville Speedway this Sunday. This chassis never has been raced, but was tested last week at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway.
HENDRICK AT MARTINSVILLE: In 51 races (154 starts) at Martinsville, Hendrick Motorsports has 18 wins, 53 top-five finishes and 86 top-10s, all of which are the most for the organization at any racetrack. Johnson most recently visited Victory Lane at the short track in March, commemorating the 25th anniversary of Hendrick Motorsports’ first win, which happened at Martinsville on April 29, 1984.
QUOTES
MARK MARTIN, DRIVER, NO. 5 KELLOGG’S/CARQUEST CHEVROLET (ON THE TEAM’S 17TH-PLACE FINISH ON SATURDAY EVENING AT LOWE’S MOTOR SPEEDWAY.): “We have had some great weekends this year. We’ve done better and won more than I ever dreamed of. And with that, you’ve got to take the not-so-great weekends, too. And that’s what happened. It’s all in how you handle it. And this team could’ve given up, but they didn’t. We fought for the best finish we could get, and, unfortunately, that was 17th. That’s just racing. That’s what happens.”
MARTIN (ON HIS CHAMPIONSHIP HOPES.): “Did the 17th-place finish hurt? Yes. But it’s not over. I still say, like I’ve said all along, we’ve got to get through Martinsville and Talladega (Ala.). Then we’ll have a clear view of what’s going to happen here with this championship. Give us those two more races to see.”
MARTIN (ON DOUBLE-FILE RESTARTS AT MARTINSVILLE.): “No one really knew what to think when double-file restarts started at any track. But, so far, I think they’ve worked out really well. I don’t worry about them too much. With how tight Martinsville is, it’s probably going to get a little intense sometimes. But overall I don’t think it will be any crazier than it has been in most other races.”
ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 KELLOGG’S/CARQUEST CHEVROLET (ON GETTING PAST THE TEAM’S 17TH-PLACE FINISH LAST WEEKEND.): “We just go to Martinsville. We really have no choice. The key for us is to run as well as we can. We can’t control anyone else. We’ve kind of put ourselves in a position where we’re in a hole. It’s not like we have to go to Martinsville and gain back 90 points. We have to gain 90 by Homestead (Fla.). If we just go to Martinsville and do the best we can, work hard, get the car right, have good pit stops and strategy and execute all day long, we’ll get a good finish. Hopefully that will get us closer to our goal than we are right now. We just move on.”
GUSTAFSON (ON ANY LINGERING CONCERNS FROM LAST WEEKEND AT LOWE’S.): “You always worry anytime you have a bad weekend. You question what happened and how you got in that situation and how to make sure you’re not in that situation again. There weren’t many signs that made us think we were going to struggle last weekend like we did. When you do struggle, you gotta make sure it doesn’t happen again. I know we can fix it. I don’t think we need to reinvent the wheel. We just have to clean up a few areas.”
GUSTAFSON (ON THE TEAM’S FOCUS AT MARTINSVILLE.): “Winning. The same thing it’s always been. I felt that way going into Charlotte and every other week. We don’t approach any race differently. We just go to win, and the rest will take care of itself. Sometimes you accomplish it, and sometimes you finish 17th. It’s just the way the sport goes. We can’t re-adjust what we do or change our strategy. I don’t think it would have gotten us in any better position last week. We just work on our mistakes, get better and go to Martinsville trying to win.”
GUSTAFSON (ON DOUBLE-FILE RESTARTS AT MARTINSVILLE.): ”I think the strategy will be a little different because before, as you got back in traffic, you would have to deal with lapped cars. So part of the problem with getting tires and losing track position, is that you would not only have to fight your way past the leaders, but also the lapped cars. That’s not the case anymore. You’ll be racing for position, so I think the strategy will vary some. Tires may be a little more important because you can use them up a little quicker. I do think it will change the outlook of the race some. It will still be Martinsville, but the double-file restarts will throw a little wrinkle in it.”
GUSTAFSON (ON HIS OUTLOOK FOR THE FINAL FIVE RACES.): ”Winning. That’s it. I can’t predict who is going to run where or where Jimmie (Johnson) is going to have a weakness. I can’t do that. The way to score maximum points is to win. Regardless of what the (No.) 48 does, that’s the best thing we can do. There’s no strategy. You can’t project or figure. You’ve got to win. And that’s what we’re trying to do. If we win, we will gain the most points possible, whether they finish second or 30th. There’s nothing more than trying to win. Second doesn’t matter to me; I don’t care if we’re second, third or fourth in points. It’s about the championship. We’re not going to race with reckless abandon, but winning is where it’s at. If our best shot at winning the championship may put us at risk to finish third or fourth in the points, then fine. Second to me would almost be an insult. As good as Mark is and as hard as this team has worked, they deserve to win. So I’m not real interested in second.”
Mark Martin Post Race Notes and Quotes - NASCAR Banking 500 only from BOA
MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 POP TARTS/CARQUEST IMPALA SS, FINISHED 17TH:
"I want to thank Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and my crew. We had a lot of issues tonight and we could have given up and none of them did. We had a really good effort. I got really tight at the end. I was afraid that was going to happen because that is what happened all night long. On green flag runs we got super tight at the end of each one. But everyone on this Pop Tarts/CARQUEST Chevrolet team kept fighting and I am really proud of them for that."
Mark Martin Post Qualifying Interview - NASCAR Banking 500 only from BOA
MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 POP TARTS / CARQUEST IMPALA SS -- Qualified 2nd
TALK ABOUT YOUR QUALIFYING EFFORT AND THE TRACK CONDITIONS
"The track was just absolutely incredible. I don't know how many laps Kasey (Kahne) made but I made four including qualifying. All four of my laps were spectacular. I am really excited about my race car. It drove so well in practice and that was obviously a really, really great lap. Great race car. It is this race team. It is Alan Gustafson continues to amaze me. The guy is incredible and we are just working really well together."
HOW MUCH OF A PLUS WAS IT TO GET PRACTICE AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME YOU WILL RUN THE RACE?
"As far as I am concerned, that practice was just a complete wash because we were the first cars on the race track with no rubber. Then the Nationwide cars put some rubber. Most of us were in Q (qualifying) trim anyway. I don't think you could have done real substantial race trim stuff with zero rubber on the race track. But we got qualifying in and that was good."
DO YOU THINK THE SPEED THAT YOU HAVE FOUND IN THIS CAR WILL MAKE FOR A RACIER RACE ON SATURDAY NIGHT?
"You know, an enormous amount of that speed was track conditions. Surprisingly, it was really fast, grippy for no rubber. Sometimes this place needs rubber to get better. I think it is going to be great. It is always great racing here. Continues to get better. The teams continue to make the cars better. I think the no-testing thing has been awesome. I think we have had better racing this year and made plenty of progress with the race cars. I think it is great. Good car and a good program."
YOU HAVE SAID YOU WANTED TO DRIVE A FAST RACE CAR AND WIN RACES AND REFUSE TO TALK ABOUT POINTS AND THE CHAMPIONSHIP, BUT OTHERS SAY YOU ARE THE MOST ENERGIZED AND MOST LIKELY TO BEAT JIMMIE, WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON IT?
"I know what you are saying and I understand your confusion. You also do know me and I feel less pressure and stress right now than I did the last two months before the Chase cutoff. I feel like...I'll see you after the race at Talladega and after the race at Talladega, we'll talk about our championship. I think everybody will know then who the real contenders are and a lot of things can change between now and then. If you'll look back, you will find that I led the points back in '90 from May, Phoenix was the next to the last race and then Atlanta was the last race, and I led the points from May until Phoenix. I really thought I was going to win. That ain't going to happen to me again. I am never going to think I'm going to win and it not happen. So, we'll race and we will let the racing decide the points tally. I'm not going to think about it and I don't have to. I won't change that points tally, so I refuse to look at it. I'm not going to look at it. I'm not going to be thinking about all that. I'm going to think about trying to win this race and then try to win Martinsville."
IT DIDN'T SEEM LIKE YOU WERE HAVING ANY FUN RACING FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP IN '90 AND '97, IS THIS A WHOLE DIFFERENT DEAL?
"It is a whole different deal because I really...it really shouldn't be for a number of reasons. One is I didn't think I ever would again and two, because I was convinced that it was too late for me."
ARE YOU GUYS COMFORTABLE WITH THE SPEED AS FAST AS THEY ARE?
"As far as the racing goes, I think it will be good. Eventually the bottom groove will get rubbered up and Kasey and his buddies that like to run the high side, go up there and find grip. Hard-heads like me stay on the bottom. So you guys up top and got guys on the bottom. I think that will come. It may take a while. It will be tomorrow night's race before that starts to move up. Then when we go out there and do 500 miles, it will happen and I think it is going to be a great show."
Mark Martin Post Qualifying Notes and Quotes - NASCAR Banking 500 only from BOA
MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 POP TARTS / CARQUEST IMPALA SS -- Qualified 2nd
ON THE LAP
"I'm just so thankful. I feel like I'm one of the luckiest guys around to get a chance to drive Alan Gustafson's car and work with these guys. Man, they put some great stuff under me. It was so much fun to drive that car today, even though I only ran four laps. They were four great laps. I knew I needed to step up my game from practice and I did but it wasn't enough. I wanted to make sure I made it back, so at least I made it back."
Mark Martin Thursday Media Interview - NASCAR Banking 500 only from BOA
MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 KELLOGG'S/CARQUEST IMPALA SS, met with members of the media at Lowe's Motor Speedway and discussed the Hall of Fame selections, if a driver can win the championship without winning a race, his thoughts on Talladega and more.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE COMPETITION HERE THIS WEEKEND?
"Well this is a great place. I don't know how many times I've said it's my favorite place. I can't imagine any place being better to go racing at. The fans here are always charged up. It's awesome to have all the teams, the majority of the teams based right here. It just makes for a real special feel. I just like racing on this race track. I always have since the first time I rolled out on it."
HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE HALL OF FAME SELECTIONS YESTERDAY AND WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS FIRST CLASS?
"I was careful when they made the selection yesterday to not say something that was stupid. It kind of pleased me when I looked at all the comments today because I wondered about Pearson myself. I don't really have my finger on the pulse of a lot of things and the history of NASCAR I'm probably not as up on that as I am on current setups of these cars or something that pertains more to what I'm focused on because I'm pretty laser focused. So that being said I'm not strong enough to give you real good opinions about it. I would have liked to have seen them induct a lot more than five the first year because we really needed this thing many, many years ago. The old-timers and the founders and all that they need to be in there. This may catch up as we go forward but there are so many people that need to be in that hall of fame that I hope that some of my current buddies are still alive when they get inducted in. I'm serious. There's so many that need and deserve to be in there and I would have liked to have seen them take more than five. Also, who needs to vote Bill France, Sr. and Jr. in? They should have been a fixture in the beginning. That is the history of NASCAR. But the other thing that it does is make it very exclusive going forward. We're already talking about 2011. It's pretty cool. Like I say I'm not smart enough and don't have my arms around all of that enough to say other than certainly the guys that went in need to be in there, I just wish that we could have put another 15 in along with them. It's going to take a while to get all those guys in but it's exciting to finally have it started and underway. I just wish maybe we could have got it started a long time ago, many, many years ago. Even if we didn't have the facility that we have now if we could have had the core. There are so many core people that need to be in there."
IS IT PLAUSIBLE OR REALISTIC UNDER THIS POINTS SYSTEM FOR A DRIVER TO WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP WITHOUT WINNING A RACE?
"Absolutely if you do what Juan (Montoya) is doing, yes. A little less likely than in the past but still very doable. We're only 40% into this thing and I know when I said before this thing started I didn't think you could average 5.5 and it looks like it's very possible again. It's just hard to believe that you can have that kind of average finish for 10 races. If you have something like that it's very difficult to beat that one. There's a lot of things to happen yet. Punctured tires, accidents, there's just lots of great stuff to go yet. We haven't even got started good in this Chase."
"I'd look at that in two ways. In one hand absolutely, score the most points you win. On the other hand, it would be a little bit disappointing especially if you had someone that won four, three and didn't pull it off. That's the same old story we've always had in NASCAR. I can't tell you how many times that a driver won 10 races and the two-race winner won the championship before the Chase. That would be the same thing in a condensed form. To be real honest with you whoever scores the most points wins no matter what and no matter how many stories you write about it, if a guy won without winning a race it wouldn't matter how many times you wrote about that guy winning that championship without winning a race he would still have the trophy."
FOUR RACES INTO THE CHASE IS YOUR MAIN EMOTION RIGHT NOW I'VE GOT GREAT RACE CARS EVERY WEEK AND I'M RUNNING GOOD EVERY WEEK AND I'M HAVING FUN, OR IS IT HOW IN THE WORLD AM I NOT LEADING THIS THING?
"That's a very interesting question. I'm much more at ease right now than I was the last two months before the Chase cutoff. You know me and you know part of the reason why but I'm absolutely not focused on the tally after homestead right now. I'm just exactly what you said. Can't believe that I'm getting to drive this stuff and work with these people. We're just out there doing it. I felt like we had a great race in California and was not frustrated that we lost the point lead after having such a great run. I was proud of my team and proud of what we did. We have four races in a row that the kind of quality that I didn't think someone would be able to sustain. We'll see, we're only 40 percent in. We'll see if anyone including us can sustain that. We're off to a good start."
EVERYBODY SEEMS TO THINK THE NO. 48 MIGHT JUST CHECK OUT ON EVERYBODY BUT BRIAN VICKERS SAID YOU'RE THE ONE TO WATCH, WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THAT?
"Well that's nice that he said that. Now we have to go out and do it. Like I said before, I'm really, really proud of this race team and proud to be a part of this effort. It's really phenomenal what we've been able to do. There's no reason other than just the odds that say we can't sustain what we've been doing. We've been doing it long enough and actually gotten stronger in the last 10 or 12 races based on our experience together. What Alan and I have going on is really special and the communication and the mutual respect and the way it is working. A thing I think that everybody should take note of is that one of the things I'm most proud of about Alan is I bet you he probably might be a little bit intimidated by me but it never shows and that's big. That's helped me as much as anything he could do is to not let me intimidate him and prevent him from doing his very best job for me. Not that I try to, I have been around a long time and a lot of
times have gotten into situations where the crew chief gave in to what I thought or what I said to quick and I'm certainly not always right. We're getting it right together and that was my point. We are able to get it right so much we hope to keep doing it."
HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU ABOUT TALLADEGA CONSIDERING YOU HAVEN'T WON THERE IN OVER A DECADE?
"I refuse to be concerned about Talladega. I refuse. We'll go there, we'll try to not worry about it much and we'll strap in on Sunday and unless Alan asks me to take a different approach we will race as far forward in that pack as we can be every lap of the whole race. That's where I'm at right now. I'm not going to sweat it. Somehow or another I just feel lucky about this one. If you can wreck on lap five of the last one there something tells me I ought to be able to miss it this time. That's about as bad of luck as you can have. So I don't know. I feel like it will be okay. If it's not, it will still be okay."
JIMMIE JOHNSON HAS HAD THREE DIFFERENT REAR TIRE CHANGERS SINCE THE NIGHT RACE AT BRISTOL, ARE YOU SURPRISED IT HASN'T SLOWED THEM SOME AND AS A DRIVER HOW MUCH DOES THAT POTENTIALLY AFFECT TEAM CHEMISTRY?
"It affects it in different ways. I think it could put the whole team on their toes knowing that your job is based on performance and you've got whatever your job is on that pit stop you better be getting it done because there's somebody behind you that is ready to take your spot. The thing that they work really hard at Hendrick Motorsports is having some depth. I don't know about the No. 48 but I know the No. 5 car has backups and they all practice and they all work and they're backups. That competition is tough. It puts a little bit of pressure on you but that's what this game is all about. There's pressure everywhere you turn. Am I surprised it hasn't slowed them down? Really not surprised because of what I explained. They look for depth in their programs and they look to have someone actually two behind the a-guy and the way you become the a-guy is getting it done in practice and then eventually getting it done in the races and you become the a-guy. That's kind of how that is."
WHY DID IT CLICK SO FAST FOR YOU AND ALAN AND YOU MENTIONED HE MIGHT BE A LITTLE INTIMIDATED BY YOU, HAVE YOU EVER GOT AFTER HIM ON THE RADIO AND YOU HAD TO SORT OF KEEP IT CALM?
"No, I haven't really approached any kind of line. Most of the guys I've worked with in the last 10 years have been some intimidated. Not to say that Tony Gibson was because Tony got right in my back end. I'm not saying that Ryan (Pemberton) was but we weren't under the same kind of pressure that we were under this year trying to make the Chase and run for a championship. But I know over a period of time I have beat down some crew chief in the past and I realized that and when you get to that point you can't fix it. That damage is done so from experience I've learned too. I've learned how to handle things and in my frustration I still am conscious that will hurt me and I know that no matter how much those guys you, when you kick them and you kick them again I don't car I'm telling you it affects them. They can still love you but it's just not the same. I've been through all that. Don't forget I was 25 once too. I've had my struggles along the way and I'm just trying to help those guys that work on that car reach their full potential and encourage them and let them do what they can do. I'm proud, I'm proud of them because what we're doing on the race track is them it's not me. The only thing I've had to do with that is encouraging them and giving them opportunity to reach their full potential."
HAVE YOU HAD TO BE SORT OF A DIFFERENT MARK MARTIN OR MAKE ACCOMMODATIONS TO FIT IN WITH DIFFERENT CREW CHIEFS WHO HAVE DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES, DO YOU HAVE TO NOT BE YOU SOMETIMES?
"I definitely had to check myself with Tony Gibson. We went to Atlanta with Tony last year and I told him this was the worst car I've ever driven and jacked him so far up that when Atlanta was over with I knew that I had made a mess of things. So from there on with Tony I was always calm, this is not working, we need to do this because I found out if I got excited and really got after him he would get excited. Then we'd be in trouble. It's okay if one of us is excited but if both of us get excited then we're probably not going to hit the target. So Tony and I really, really, really got good communication going forward from that. But I just had to be careful about getting him too wound up because he would make bigger changes than I would have under more calmer situations. Then we would miss our mark. Yeah in the past I've adapted how I deal with guys based on how they react to my input. With Alan it hasn't taken any conscious effort. My respect for him is so huge that I just can't see me getting wound up. There could be no way we could fight any harder than we fought to get into the Chase. Make no mistake that was something that you guys completely overlooked. For us to get in the Chase, that was big. To be 35th in drivers points, we were 34th in owners points, but we were 35th in drivers points after Atlanta and it didn't stop there. We had a few more little accidents too and setbacks as well. We already had our pressure cooker experience just to get into the Chase."
ON COMPARING THIS SEASON AT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AND 2005 AT ROUSH RACING
"Well for me you have to realize at that time in 2005 that was the best it had ever been as far as teams working together, multiple teams working together at Roush. 2005 was awesome and we had a lot of years where we had struggles with that, getting it that good. But that was the best year with the most harmony between all the drivers and crew chiefs. We had really good stuff. That's the way competition is in this things. You just can't stay on top all the time. The best teams, they get back on top more often or for longer periods or their off the top for shorter. Nobody can stay on top all the time because its competition. That's how it is. We were really at the top of our game there and really had things working. 2006 was a good one as well but the No. 6 car wasn't as on target as it was in 2005.
"With Hendrick it feels a lot like 2005. It certainly is the best I've ever seen a group work together off the race track to make their stuff the best stuff on the race track. It's still on the race track no matter how you guys like to cover it. On the race track we still race each other. We are still competitors. The special consideration that my teammates get my best friends get too, you know what I'm saying. You've got your friends out there, your buddies and they get the same special considerations that Dale, Jr., Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson get from me and there is not a lot of it because we're all competitors on the race track. Off the race track we work together to be the best."
Mark Martin NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Preview – NASCAR Banking 500 only from BOA
DRIVE FOR FIVE: No driver in NASCAR Sprint Cup history has won more October races at Lowe's Motor Speedway than Mark Martin. If the No. 5 team can reach Victory Lane on Saturday, he would break a three-way tie with Bobby Allison and Cale Yarborough to become the only driver with four October wins. Martin also would join teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon as the only active drivers with five victories at the intermediate oval.
POP-TARTS ON THE HOOD: For the third time this season, Pop-Tarts, Kellogg's most popular morning food product, will be on the hood of the No. 5 Chevrolet during this weekend's events at Lowe's Motor Speedway. In its most recent race, the Pop-Tarts/CARQUEST Chevrolet finished second in Martin's 1,000th Sprint Cup start at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Pop-Tarts will return to the hood for the final time this season at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in two weeks.
POINTS BATTLE: Martin, driver of the No. 5 Pop-Tarts/CARQUEST Chevrolet, currently ranks second in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship standings. Martin, who was the points leader following the first three Chase for the Sprint Cup races, trails Hendrick Motorsports teammate Johnson by 12 points.
BEST AVERAGE FINISH: After finishing fourth last Sunday at Auto Club Speedway, Martin owns a 3.5 average finish in the four Chase races thus far. He is tied with Juan Pablo Montoya for the best average finish.
GUSTAFSON'S RECORD SEASON: Crew chief Alan Gustafson has recorded personal bests in wins (five), top-five finishes (12), pole positions (seven) and laps led (791) this season with the No. 5 team. With 18 top-10 finishes already under his belt, he is just three away from setting another personal record with the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team. Gustafson guided the No. 5 team to 20 top-10 finishes in 2007.
MARTIN AT LOWE'S: Martin is a four-time winner at Lowe's Motor Speedway, taking the checkered flag in October 1992, October 1995, October 1998 and May 2002. In 49 Cup starts at the 1.5-mile racetrack, Martin has earned 17 top-five finishes and 22 top-10s. His 49 starts at a single track are a personal best for the NASCAR veteran, who has that many at Lowe's and Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. He also has completed more miles -- 23,545.5 -- at Lowe's than any other track.
OF THE CHASERS: Of any Chase driver, Martin has the most career starts (49), top-five finishes (17) and top-10s (22) at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He has led the second-most laps (1,168) at Lowe's and owns the fifth-best average finish (15.9).
LOOP STATISTICS: Of the drivers inside the Chase, Martin has the third-best average running position (12.136) in the past nine races at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He also has the third-best driver rating at 91.7 and has run inside the top 15 for 2,371 laps -- the second most for any Chase driver.
NO. 5 TEAM AT LOWE'S: Under the direction of Gustafson, the No. 5 team has earned two top-five finishes and three top-10s in 11 LMS starts. In that time, the No. 5 Chevy has paced 77 laps at the intermediate track.
HENDRICK AT LOWE'S: Hendrick Motorsports, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this season, has 15 Cup wins, 13 pole positions, 45 top-five finishes and 69 top-10s in 51 races (166 starts) at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
HONORARY CREW MEMBERS: This weekend, CARQUEST and the No. 5 team will welcome honorary crew members Matt Krueger and Lyle Wuestenberg. Wuestenberg partnered with CARQUEST last November to help grant Krueger's dream. The 19-year-old Krueger, who has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, got the chance to drive his personal 1999 Chevy Camaro around Lowe's Motor Speedway.
WINNING CHASSIS: Gustafson has chosen Chassis No. 5-523 for Saturday night's race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. This is the same chassis that Martin drove to victory at Michigan International Speedway in June and a second-place finish at Dover (Del.) International Speedway in September. Chassis 5-523 also has been raced at Las Vegas, Atlanta, Texas and Lowe's Motor Speedways this year.
ONE-TWO FINISH(ES): Out of Hendrick Motorsports' 11 Cup wins this season, seven have involved one-two finishes with its Chevrolets. Hendrick drivers have scored the first and second spots at Auto Club Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, Dover (Del.) International Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Michigan International Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. Overall, Hendrick Motorsports has tallied 29 one-two finishes since first fielding a multi-car team in 1986.
MARK MARTIN, DRIVER, NO. 5 POP-TARTS/CARQUEST CHEVROLET (ON THE TEAM'S CONTINUED CONSISTENCY.): "Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) told me that we would have to have an average finish inside the top five to win the championship. I thought he was crazy, that no one could do that. But now, if you look at the points, there are three drivers doing that. That just shows how competitive this Chase is. It's going to be a dog fight. All I can ask of this team is to keep bringing great race cars to the track, and they have done that week in and week out. This team has a lot of heart. And it's showing right now. We are getting the best finishes we can possibly get each week. That's all we can do, and where that leaves us, we'll see."
MARTIN (ON WHEN THE TIDE WILL TURN FROM RACING TO A CHASE OUTLOOK.): "I think after Martinsville (Va.) we'll have a clearer picture of who this Chase is going to come down to. With Lowe's this weekend, we'll have three intermediate races in a row. Then we jump to the shortest track on the schedule, and that's a different kind of beast. The teams will have to have a different outlook for that race. I think the teams that can be consistently good on all of these types of tracks will shine at Martinsville. Then we'll really know going into those last four races."
MARTIN (ON RETURNING TO LOWE'S MOTOR SPEEDWAY.): "I really like this racetrack. From the first time I raced on it, it just was a natural fit. Lowe's reminds me a lot of the banked dirt tracks I would run back home, only a lot bigger of course. Plus, with it being right by Hendrick Motorsports, I'd love to win this one for Rick (Hendrick, owner) and Alan and the guys."
ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 POP-TARTS/CARQUEST CHEVROLET (ON RACING AT LOWE'S MOTOR SPEEDWAY.): "Lowe's is a fun track to race on but it's also very challenging. You have to be the best at everything -- qualifying, pit stops, handling, etc. -- to get a good finish there. Everyone gets really geared up for this race with it being in our hometown. We want to win with all of our friends and family watching."
GUSTAFSON (ON THE TEAM'S CHANCES OF WINNING THIS SATURDAY.): "We have a great opportunity to win at Lowe's this weekend. This team is peaking at the right time. We are hitting our stride in all areas, with the cars, the engines, the pit stops -- all have been good. I feel like winning may be the only way to gain points so that is what we're going to focus on doing."
GUSTAFSON (ON THE NO. 5 TEAM'S RECORD-SETTING SEASON.): "I'm really proud of this team and what these guys have been able to accomplish this year. All of those stats are great, and they're something that we have worked really hard to achieve. But we know there is a lot of work still left in front of us to get to where we want to be. We want to win that championship. So, no records that we've set for ourselves are enough yet."
Mark Martin Post Race Notes and Quotes – Pepsi 500
MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 KELLOGG'S/CARQUEST IMPALA SS, FINISHED 4TH:
"It was awesome. Man, my team did such a great job today. Brought me an awesome race car. They were spot on all weekend. Man, I am just so proud of them and proud to drive that No. 5 Kellogg's/CARQUEST Chevy. It was just an awesome run. I just couldn't ask more. We were right there, within striking distance so I am proud."
WHAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FIRST AND FOURTH TODAY?
"Well we were real close. I'm real proud of our Kellogg's/Carquest Chevrolet and our team. Man these guys are so awesome. They brought me all weekend a great race car. Great job, great adjustments and you know we made progress with the race car. There was a time when we could go out front but we were right there. I'm just proud. I couldn't be more thrilled to be driving that No. 5 car."
Mark Martin Media Visit – Pepsi 500
MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 KELLOGG'S/CARQUEST IMPALA SS met with media and discussed tire strategy, date change for California fall race, rhythm in the Chase, Juan Pablo Montoya and other F-1 drivers coming to NASCAR, and more.
THE RACE LAST WEEK CAME DOWN TO TWO OR FOUR TIRES. HOW DO YOU AND YOUR CREW CHIEF DECIDE WHETHER TO TAKE TWO OR FOUR TIRES?
"Sometimes Alan might ask me or sometimes I might make a suggestion. Or he makes the call and I don't question it. It's kind of a two-way street when you are working these races because you try to bring your perspective and put that together with the crew chief's perspective as well."
DOES IT GO THROUGH YOUR MIND THAT YOU ARE GAMBLING OR PLAYING IT SAFE?
“Yes, either gambling or risky, no risk...everything you do has a certain degree of risk to it but you have to weigh out what the trade-offs are. You know, how much do you risk putting cars in front of you with two tires, and you taking four.
"Certainly that is a risk. It makes your car better or taking two and not having the best car and having cars behind you with four on. There is a certain amount of risk to that as well. So we are just racing and we do what we think will do the best for us."
IT SEEMS AS THIS CHASE GOES ON YOU HAVE DEVELOPED A GOOD RHYTHM AND ITS SHOWING.
"Well its three races and we would like to keep it going. You know the team and I are really focused on the racing and not so much focused on..........what the reality is, the racing decides. We've gotten better as the season has gone along so we have been working together and have gotten some of the things going that we didn't have. We had maybe an extraordinary amount of things that kind of plagued us or got us and those things have settled down now. And if we have seven more races of where we don't have any of that, I have a lot of confidence in the performance of this race team and see how it works out. Right now we are not really focused on all of that down the road, we are focused on the racing and going to let the racing decide."
MARK ARE YOU A BETTER DRIVER NOW THAN YOU WERE IN YOUR 30's? "In some ways."
IN WHAT WAYS?
"I couldn't tell you that."
MORE EXPERIENCED PROBABLY?
"Sure. I have done more things wrong when I was in my 30s and that has a tendency to shape who you are and how you drive."
ON THE CHANGE OF THE DATE AT CALIFORNIA AND HOW THAT AND THE WEATHER WILL MAKE THIS RACE PLAY OUT DIFFERENTLY
"I don't know if I was out here last year, and I am sure I wasn't out here the year before. So I missed that really hot one. I heard all about it. I don't know, I don't think I have been out here the last couple years for this race."
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRST CUP START ABOUT WHEN AND HOW IT CAME ABOUT?
"Well I built my own car...my guys and I...our short track car that we raced in ASA and all the Late Model short tracks around. We put a car together and took it to North Wilkesboro and did our first race."
HOW DID IT GO?
"We qualified 6th and they started the race with it sprinkling and I was freaked out about that because it was yellow and green and I had never experienced that before so I didn't turn....I don't know why I had never had a rear end cooler before and to me we weren't really racing so I didn't turn it on so when they did go green, I burned the rear end up. So, one of those days."
DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHEN YOU HAD THAT START, THAT YOU WOULD HAVE THIS KIND OF CAREER AND BE RACING THIS MANY YEARS LATER?
"Of course not. It was just a real thrill to be on the racetrack with Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough and Darryl Waltrip, Bobby Allison and all those guys."
ABOUT YOUR WIFE ARLENE AND HER ROLE BACK AT HOME AND WITH YOU IN THE CHASE
"You know, especially since I started driving the five car I leave 80% of the racing there and don't bring it into the house and I definitely don't bring the disappointments or problems that we might experience into the home. And that has worked really well. We have shared all the excitement and enthusiasm together for all the good things that have happened and she is my partner for twenty-five years and I wouldn't be the person I am today if she hadn't took me to raise back in 1984."
DOES SHE CRITIQUE AT ALL ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS ON THE RACETRACK OR DOES SHE STAY OUT OF THAT?
"She stays out of it. She is not a huge race fan...if she is a race fan at all. So that is not her expertise. We do really, really, really well together. She has been there with me through some of the toughest of times and been there for the great successes. I think she has really enjoyed the success as well as all my family and friends. We have all really enjoyed all the successes that we have had this year every bit as much as I have."
ON BEING REALLY CALM AND COOL ON THE RADIO AND ITS ABILITY TO MAKE BETTER DECISIONS DURING THE RACE
"Well it does. But hopefully I won't get in a position of where I let myself let the emotions get out of control or in control of me and we can continue to race based on our experience and expertise."
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO SEE DALE EARNHARDT, JR. GROW UP AND THE MAN HE HAS BECOME?
"I am really proud of him and proud for him. I've said before and I'll say again, he is the, in my eyes, the strongest man in NASCAR. He really inspires me the way he's managed to handle the amount of fame and scrutiny and just the crush of all of that with broad shoulders and gracefully. He is a heck of a race car driver and I look forward to when he gets back on a roll and shows everybody just how good he really is. Just reminds everybody how good he is."
CAN YOU RELATE HOW HARD IT IS NOT TO HAVE HIS FATHER AROUND, TO SOME DEGREE, HOW YOU HAVE TO COME BACK AND FIND THAT STRENGTH?
"It's a tragedy. It is a tough part of life that everyone has to deal with. For me, it was really tough because he (Martin's Father) was my hero and there never will be anyone in my life that was in his league in that respect. I just miss being able to share the good times as well as maybe when I am not having a good day, maybe having someone to lean on. His loss in many ways was 10 times over mine because of the fame, the scrutiny, the media, the crush of all of that. So there again, it just reiterates what I said to start with."
HE SEEMS TO EMULATE YOU ON THE TRACK, RACES PEOPLE CLEAN, RACES PEOPLE THE WAY HE WANTS TO BE RACED, CAN YOU THINK OF A BETTER COMPLIMENT TO YOU FROM ONE RACER TO ANOTHER?
"I can't either. He didn't say that, but you did and I agree. Those words didn't come out of his mouth, but that is a reasonable observation. It is cool to see. It is cool to see. That is what you have seen. People see what they want to see but I see some of that as well. But, no matter what, I admire and appreciate the way he conducts himself on and off the race track."
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HOW MONTOYA IS DOING IN THE CHASE?
"I am not surprised. I predicted that he could be a player in this thing. I am more sure now than ever that those guys can be a player. It is going to be fun to watch. We are only three races in, there is a lot of racing to go. They are showing a lot of strength."
DO YOU FEEL MONTOYA IS RACING DIFFERENTLY THAN HE DID BEFORE?
"I feel he is racing hard and smart. That is what it took to get him in the Chase and I feel like he is racing the same way. As hard as he can as smart as he can."
THIS WEEK IT WAS REVEALED THAT SOME OTHER F-1 DRIVERS ARE GOING TO TRY NASCAR, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?
"It wouldn't be the place of mine to say. I don't know that much. My guess is more for fun and to see what kind of interest could be stirred up. It is quite a commitment to do what Juan Pablo has done. Not just everybody is going to be able to put that whole program together and battle through what it take to get where Juan is now. Two and three-quarter years to get Juan where he is and I think he is probably one of the best drivers that this sport has ever seen. There is just a lot of difference in the kind of racing he did and the racing he is doing now. It takes a while."
DO YOU HAVE FUN TALKING TO MONTOYA?
"It is humbling to me that he asks me a lot of questions. That is pretty incredible to see somebody of his talent. We talk, he asks a few questions and we talk back and forth a lot. I admire and appreciate him."
Mark Martin’s Memories of Lowe’s Motorspeedway
The NASCAR Banking 500 only from Bank of America on Saturday night, Oct. 17, brings down the curtain on the 50th season of NASCAR racing at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
From Joe Lee Johnson's victory in the inaugural Coca-Cola 600 to David Reutimann's first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win on Memorial Day in May, memories are what make Lowe's Motor Speedway an important part of NASCAR history.
"I love this race track," said Mark Martin, who has 13 victories at the 1.5-mile track. "The first time I raced at Lowe's, in 1982, I thought 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."
Martin's victory in the 2002 Coca-Cola 600 stands out as one of the biggest moments of his career.
"That race was just so special to me," Martin explained. "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."
Mark Martin NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Preview – Pepsi 500
POINTS LEADER: Mark Martin, driver of the No. 5 Kellogg's/CARQUEST Chevrolet, remains the points leader after three races in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Martin has maintained the lead throughout the Chase thus far, a feat that no driver has accomplished in the five previous Chase seasons. He currently owns an 18-point advantage over Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson.
AVERAGE FINISH: Martin holds a 3.33 average finish in the 2009 Chase after scoring a top-10 result in each of the three races thus far. Martin won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, finished second at Dover (Del.) International Speedway and took seventh last Sunday at Kansas Speedway. Johnson, the defending champion, holds the best average finish for a Chase contender, with a 5.0 finish during the last 10 races of 2007.
MARTIN AT AUTO CLUB: Martin is a previous winner at Auto Club Speedway. On May 3, 1998, Martin started third and led 165 laps en route to the victory. In 16 Cup starts there, he has earned one win, four top-five finishes and seven top-10s. Although the series leader in pole positions this season with seven, Martin has yet to earn a pole at the Fontana, Calif., racetrack.
OF THE CHASERS: Martin has led 273 laps at Auto Club Speedway, the fourth-most of any driver inside the Chase. MOST RECENTLY: On Feb. 22, his last outing at Auto Club Speedway, Martin started 18th and steered his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet into the top 10 before an engine issue ended the team's day on Lap 167. He finished 40th.
GUSTAFSON AT AUTO CLUB: Crew chief Alan Gustafson earned his first career pole position at Auto Club Speedway in February 2005. On Sept. 4 of that same year, he returned to the track and earned his first career Sprint Cup victory.
NO. 5 TEAM AT FONTANA: Under the direction of Gustafson, the No. 5 Kellogg's/CARQUEST team has earned one victory, two top-five finishes and five top-10s at Auto Club Speedway. The team has led 215 laps on the two-mile track.
INDY CHASSIS RETURNS: Gustafson has chosen Chassis No. 5-550 for Auto Club Speedway this Sunday. This car has been raced only at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July when Martin started the Brickyard 400 from the pole position and took runner-up honors.
POLE MAN: Martin earned his seventh pole of 2009 -- the most he's ever earned in a single season -- last Friday at Kansas Speedway. Martin's 48th career pole ranks him ninth on the all-time Sprint Cup pole winner's list.
HENDRICK AT FONTANA: In 18 Cup events (70 starts) at Auto Club Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has earned seven wins, 22 top-five finishes and 31 top-10s and led 1,503 laps. The organization, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this season, has scored a top-five finish in 15 of those 18 events.
CHEVY CROWN: With seven races left in the 2009 Sprint Cup season, Chevrolet now has collected its record-extending 33rd manufacturers' championship. Martin leads all Chevy drivers with five wins, and Hendrick Motorsports has contributed 10 of the 15 Chevrolet victories thus far this season.
QUOTES
MARK MARTIN, DRIVER, NO. 5 KELLOGG'S/CARQUEST CHEVROLET (ON THE TEAM'S AVERAGE CHASE FINISH.): "Going into the Chase, when we were in New York City (speaking with media), I repeatedly said that I didn't think there was any way that anyone of these guys could have a top-five average finish like Jimmie (Johnson) has done in the past. The competition is just too strong. So far, I'm proving myself wrong. Can this keep up? I don't know. But I'm not going to judge this year or our performance in the Chase by a top-five average. We'll go out like we've done every weekend and race our guts out. And if we finish like the effort we put in, we'll have top-fives every weekend. We'll just see."
MARTIN (ON HIS CAREER-RECORD SEVEN POLES THIS SEASON.): "Man, every time we've sat on the pole this year, I ask myself how my heart can take any more of this. (LAUGHS.) The cars are just so fast. And I go out there with full trust in Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and the team, and I trust that my car is going to be perfect. So I drive it that way. And there have been times that it was a really, really scary fast lap. It's been fun. I've enjoyed seeing the guys' faces when we're on the top of that leader board. That's what it's about. Everyone working hard and seeing that hard work pay off."
MARTIN (ON NOT LETTING THE PRESSURE GET TO HIM.): "Right now, there is no pressure. Everyone is talking about the Chase, and how each winner, each weekend is suddenly the top contender. I'll say it again; ask me with four races to go. Last week this team could have succumbed to the pressure of not having a perfect race car, but we didn't do it. I watched my guys dig and scratch and claw to the best finish we could possibly get. And it was enough. It wasn't a great day, and I know there is not a guy on this team that was happy with a seventh-place finish. But for where we could have finished, it was great."
ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 KELLOGG'S/CARQUEST CHEVROLET (ON THE TEAM'S AVERAGE CHASE FINISH.): "Having an average finish at the end of the Chase inside the top five has been our goal since we knew we were in. That's what it will take to win the championship with the Chase format. You have to have consistent top-five finishes and at least two wins I think. This team can continue on the same level it has been. If we do, we will win this championship. But we're going to have to be perfect for that to happen."
GUSTAFSON (ON KEEPING CALM UNDER PRESSURE.): "One thing that I learned this year, that I used to not be the greatest at, is keeping my emotions out of my job. Being emotional just doesn't work here. No matter what the situation is, what your team is going through, what just happened on the racetrack, you absolutely cannot let that distract you from your end goal. I learned that this year. I focus on doing my job week in and week out. We get the best finish possible and move on to the next task."
GUSTAFSON (ON "TOGETHER: THE HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS STORY."): "I went to the premiere of the movie in Charlotte (N.C.) last week. I thought everyone involved did a great job. It's an emotional movie. The way that Mr. (Rick) Hendrick (team owner) and his family opened up -- it was just incredibly personal. They put it all out there. Hopefully it will give everyone in the sport and the fans a better perspective of how hard everyone has worked at Hendrick Motorsports to get it to the championship-winning team it is today. I know that they will have a new appreciation for Mr. Hendrick and what all he has been through and sacrificed in his life."
Hendrick cars pass 2nd inspection
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR found no problems with the cars of championship leaders Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson on Tuesday following a second, more thorough inspection.
The Hendrick Motorsports-owned cars were taken to NASCAR's research and development center after Sunday's race at Kansas to make sure there were no issues with the Chevrolets. The team was warned last week that the cars had squeaked through inspection following their 1-2 showing at Dover.
"There was no room to breathe," Sprint Cup director John Darby said.
NASCAR found that the bodies of the cars raced at Dover barely met specifications. The crew chiefs were warned not to bring the Chevrolets back to the track.
The close call led to grumbling by rivals that the Hendrick teams had been given a break by NASCAR and should have been penalized. Darby insisted the cars were legal, by a hair.
Martin is leading the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship standings while Johnson is second, 18 points back.
Team owner Rick Hendrick said before Sunday's race at Kansas he wasn't concerned with conspiracy theories of favoritism, and offered to let NASCAR examine his cars every week.
"NASCAR is fair, and if they want to check us every week, that's OK," he said. "I understand. I really do."
NASCAR apparently took him up on his offer while expanding its standard two-car secondary inspection to four. Also taken back to North Carolina was Tony Stewart's race-winning car, which is standard procedure. In addition, Kurt Busch's car was taken as the random selection. Both cars passed inspection.
Mark Martin Post Race Press Conference – Kansas
THE MODERATOR: We're going to roll into our post race Price Chopper 400 presented by Kraft Foods at Kansas Speedway today. We appreciate Mark Martin coming in. He drives the No. 5 CARQUEST Kellogg's Chevrolet. You still hold the points lead after three races in the Chase, 18 points over Jimmie Johnson. Talk about your race out there this afternoon here at Kansas.
MARK MARTIN: Well, we didn't quite have it nailed down. Our car was just a little bit off of some of the guys out there, and our race team fought really hard, and we fought for everything we got today.
It was a great effort, and it was actually a very good result based on, you know, missing it just a little bit. It's the first time we've missed it that much in a while, and you're going to have that. I'm just proud of this race team, and we just lacked a little bit being able to get up there and contend for the win.
But we pretty well peaked at the end. Our car was probably the strongest the last run. So with that in mind, I've got to say, man, we're still fighting hard as we can go.
Q. You said you missed a little bit, but you actually extended your points lead a little bit.
MARK MARTIN: Yeah, you can look at anything any way you want. I did and I didn't. I extended on the 48 but I didn't on several guys. Look at it however you want. It's a race, okay; every race, that's how you score points.
What is there, seven more to go? I don't think we should be getting all hyped up about the tally right now, you know. We've got a lot of racing to go.
The races are actually what determines it. We had a good race, a good result based off of being a whisker off.
Q. We just got in here and just wanted to check with you, overall how would you evaluate your race? Like you said, just picked up some points, but if you could look at the whole picture of this race, are you pretty pleased for No. 3 in the Chase to be still up front be finishing seventh here today?
MARK MARTIN: Yes, I am. I have at times been off this much and been in 25th place. If we miss it a little bit and we battle and fight and scratch and come up with a seventh place finish, then I'm very, very proud. I'm proud of my team, and I'm proud of what we accomplished today. And we'll have to try to tune it up a little bit for the next one.
THE MODERATOR: Mark, we appreciate very much you stopping by.
Mark Martin Post Race Notes and Quotes - Price Chopper 400
MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 CARQUEST/KELLOGG'S IMPALA SS, FINISHED 7TH, CHASE STANDINGS LEADER:
WAS BALANCE THE ISSUE WITH THIS CAR?
"We were off a little on speed too. It's really great when a race team can fight and scratch and battle and come up with a 7th place finish when you miss it a little bit. And we did. We did try to throw some magic at it today. But it was still just a little bit off. But it was a great fought battle and I'm really proud of the guys and it was a good result."
YOU'VE RETAINED THE POINTS LEAD
"We finished as high as we could. We raced our guts out and that's what you've got to do in all of them and see how they (points) tally up."
Mark Martin Post Qualifying Notes and Quotes - Price Chopper 400
MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 CARQUESTKELLOG’S IMPALA SS, POLE WINNER:
YOU'VE HAD SOME FANTASTIC CARS THIS SEASON, WHERE DOES THIS ONE RANK?
"I didn't think we were very good in practice. Anything inside the top-20 was going to make me happy. I don't know where that came from but a lot of it came under the hood. The engine department has been phenomenal. Great chassis department back at Hendrick Motorsports. Fabricators have been awesome. This thing is beautiful every time I get into it. It's just perfect. Alan (Gustafson) is a genius. I don't know if it really matters if we're really all that good or not, we think we are."
OUTSTANDING RUN OUT THERE, WHAT DID YOU GUYS DO FROM PRACTICE TO QUALIFYING?
"You have to ask Alan. We've got a deal. I don't question him much. I tell him what I think and then I leave on the qualifying deal and that really works good. I was trying to fuss and all that stuff and he said you go on and do what you do. That's what I did and they performed the magic. I don't know what they did."
HOW MUCH DID THE WIND GUSTS AFFECT IT OR DID IT?
"I almost walled it off of (turn) two but I almost walled it all three of the last three runs in practice. I was further from walling it this time than the other three and was able to keep my foot closer to the floor. I still had to lift coming off of (turn) two but nearly nearly as much as I did in practice."
ON THE LAP
"We were about a 23rd fastest car by the end of practice. If you would have told me before I went out to make that lap I could have 18th and stay in the garage, I'd have stayed in the garage. We've got something really special. I have (crew chief) Alan (Gustafson) the information and I turned and I walked away and I cleared my head. When I strapped in, I strapped in with no thoughts of any of that. All that was behind me and I just plowed it off in Turn 3 and I felt like I was breaking the land speed record coming off Turn 4 for the green flag. I was just so fast through there. It was like, ok, here we go!"
WHAT IS THIS DOING FOR YOUR HEART?
"Today was a tough day on my heart. It's making it very, very strong. In fact, it was such a stressful day and a very stressful lap. If my heart survives the next couple of years, I'm sure it'll make it to 100."
Mark Martin Pole Winner Interview - Kansas
MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 CARQUEST/KELLOGG'S IMPALA SS, POLE WINNER
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO GET YOUR SEVENTH POLE OF 2009?
"That's pretty incredible. 1989 was the most poles for me in one year -- I remember it was 1989, we got six so that's a crazy stat right there."
HOW DOE IT FEEL TO HAVE THE YOUNGER DRIVERS LOOK UP TO YOU SO MUCH AND ENDORSE WHAT YOU'RE DOING?
"It's been incredible. I try not to think too far forward right now. I'm thinking about the present, but not too much forward because I don't want to think about the possibility of letting all those people down. I will race with all my heart like I have all my life. I'm incredibly blessed. Hendrick Motorsports swept the top-three spots today in qualifying and I was really excited for Dale (Earnhardt) Jr., he really needed a shot in the arm and got it. It would have been nice to see him on the pole, but it's still front row is great. I've been blessed. Let me ask you guys something. Has any of you ever stepped on a cat's tail? Have you? I have accidentally stepped on a cat's tail before and it's pretty funny how fast, they make a noise and they go really fast. That's kind of like when I stepped on the gas in that 5 car today, it was like stepping on a cat's tail. This thing has so much horsepower, I'm really impressed with everything -- with the engines, with the chassis, with the fabrication. What Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and I have going is really something special -- it's really something special. I hope for Alan that he will continue in his career to have something special with other guys in his career. I won't. The communication that we have, the faith and belief that we have in one another -- it doesn't matter if they don't fix my car. If I tell them that it's not good and I walk away, when I come back, I believe it's fixed and I'll drive it like it is fixed, which is pretty much what we did today. We believe in each other -- I don't see how you can believe any more than this team believes. We are new together this year. That's one thing that we have going for us really, to be honest with you. We have never let each other down, never. I think that's worth something to us right now and we're just going to fight for it with all our heart."
DO YOU FIND IT AS EASY TO STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE NOW WHEN YOU NEED TO?
"I must because I'm stepping out of it every time I qualify. And I've been driving really hard this year, really pressing my luck. The equipment has been great and I've had good luck with it. I hadn't let us down yet, I hadn't messed up and had to take the blame for messing our day up because I wrecked the car driving over my head. We are going for it -- no matter where we are on the race track. If we happen to be out there running 25th on Sunday, you can believe we are racing our guts out. We're not leaving anything on the table, no matter if we're leading or we're running in the back, we'll be racing and fighting with everything we've got."
DO YOU KEEP TRACK OF WHERE JIMMIE JOHNSON IS ON THE TRACK DURING THE RACE? DO YOU THINK OF IT JUST BEING THE TWO OF YOU THIS WEEKEND?
"No, I would think that would be ridiculous. We're 20 percent in to this Chase. We don't even know whose going to be the contenders yet. You would expect the 48 (Jimmie Johnson) to be, they have been before. No, I have not kept up with the 48 as of yet, but it's very early in the running. We were really fighting to get in the Chase and I kept up with our competitors then so obviously when I believe the race is on, I probably will. I don't think that will probably come until something like four to go. It's just very early."
HAVE YOU HAD THE SENSATION OF STEPPING ON A CAT'S TAIL IN A RACE CAR BEFORE AND IF NOT, WHAT IS IT LIKE TO SUDDENLY REALIZE THAT THIS IS WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO FEEL LIKE?
"I have used that reference before because I have really stepped on one before, it was an accident, but it was pretty incredible how a cat will move and the noise that it makes. And I was referring really to the engine, our engine today was amazing. Down every straightaway, it felt like I had a tail wind going both directions. I know the guys are bringing their A-game from the engine shop for this Chase. I've driven really good race cars and I've had a lot of success, but I haven't had this much success this late in my career before."
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE AS STRONG AS DICK TRICKLE USED TO BE AT I-70 SPEEDWAY?
"That was one hell of a compliment -- that's how it feels, I'm humbled. I spent a lot of time chasing him too."
DID YOU CONSIDER RUNNING OUT OF GAS AT MICHIGAN THE TEAM LETTING YOU DOWN OR IS THAT A SIGN THAT YOUR TEAM DOES NOT LET THINGS LIKE THAT LINGER?
"That's technical and that's a technical question. I guess my response to that is, selective memory. I never, ever felt like my team let me down because we ran out of gas. I felt like that we as a team ran out of gas. You could take what I said and technically say that's not true, but certainly our history is much shorter and much more successful for the short period of time when you think we haven't worked together, we went to California in February and we did not run good. We're excited about going back because we've learned so much about our cars and that was our first time and we really have learned a lot and come a long way. When we came from 34th in owner's points to make the Chase, I don't think there was any letting nobody down. We all had to dig to do that. Technically, you could say what you want to say, but for me, they could not possibly, I told Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) right there in the lounge after that race, I said 'Alan, it's okay, I don't care if we make the Chase or not man, we've run four races. It's been Christmas every day this year for me.' That's how I felt right then and there. If we didn't make the Chase, I absolutely did not care. We had won four races. Way beyond my expectations and I really meant that. It's been Christmas for me every day this year. And he says, 'We're gonna make it.' And I was like in the back of my head saying, 'I don't think so, I don't know how we're going to do it, there's not much time left and everybody that we're racing is running good.' We really stepped it up and since then we've had top-fives after top-fives. It's really gotten stronger."
Mark Martin Friday Media Visit - Kansas
MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 CARQUEST/KELLOGG'S IMPALA SS, met with members of the media at Kansas Speedway and discussed No. 5 and No. 48 at NASCAR R & D center, racing at Kansas, success this season, being in the Chase, Joey Logano accident, physical fitness and other topics.
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO YOUR CAR FROM DOVER BEING A LITTLE TOO CLOSE TO THE GREY AREA AND NASCAR NOT ALLOWING YOU TO BRING IT BACK TO THE TRACK IN THAT SET UP?
"Well, the five car has been to the R&D center more than any other car on the circuit. We went five times...they take the winner every time. And every time, it's been legal. We were the random car at Dover and that particular car has been there I think a couple of times already this year. And it's close, but it's legal."
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO A DRIVER TO HAVE A CREW CHIEF THAT DOES PUSH IT TO THAT VERY LIMIT?
"I don't know. I worked on these race cars when I was younger...a lot. And we always pushed everything that we had. Just like we do on the racetrack. You push everything, every rule, no matter what it is...that's racing. That is why it's called racing and that is what you do.
"So the car we have here has won two times this year and has been over there twice and they took another good look at it...my guys did...before they brought it here to the racetrack and we are good, we are racing."
ON JIMMIE JOHNSON'S COMMENTS THAT HE WANTS OTHER COMPETITORS TO BE AFRAID OF THIS ORGAINIZATION AND WANTS THEM TO BE DISTRACTED BY THIS NON-ISSUE
"I don't know. That is a little deep for me. I'm just really proud to be driving this five car and working with these guys. The engine department has done an incredible job for us this year, the team has built wonderful chassis, the fab shop has been spot on. The race cars are beautiful, they're fast, and we have had great teamwork. And we have earned the position that we are in right now and the racing will tell whether we can stay there or not."
WITH THIS BEING THE FIRST 1.5 MILE TRACK IN THE CHASE, HOW MUCH WILL BE LEARN ABOUT WHO WILL BE GOOD THE REST OF THE WAY?
"Well, it's still going to be only thirty percent. Let's let the racing decide the champion, not fortune tellers. You know, that is how I feel about it. You know it's....we've had a great year. We've had great engines, chassis, fabrication, teamwork and I am real proud of what we have accomplished this year and let's let the racing decide."
ABOUT WHETHER WINNING AT CHICACO MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER ABOUT COMING TO KANSAS?
"It does but it's not everything. You still have to do it here. Last year in the eight car we ran real well at Chicago and then we came here with that set up and it didn't work out well for us at all.
"I believe that this car will be more forgiving in that way and I am hoping and we expect to be able to use that same logic to be really strong here. But if not, we will find our way. We were lost last weekend at Dover and we found our way and that is what this race team does. You know, Alan, and the guys and all the teamwork that we are doing on and off the race track....we have been successful in finding our way so I expect that we will be strong."
MARK, YOU HAVE A 1.5 AVERAGE FINISH IN THE CHASE. CAN YOU KEEP UP THAT PACE?
"History says we can't keep up that pace, but it sure feels good right now. I am just really proud of the things that we have been able to accomplish. There is one thing that we do have that I think we have more of than any of the other 11 in the chase. That's the heart. My race team has the biggest hearts in the world and I feel really good about what we have accomplished especially considering that we started together in February kind of new and have really learned our way and have managed to peak about halfway through the season and I am proud of all that and no matter what the racing from here on out decides, as far as I am concerned, we won't lose. We might not score as many points, but we won't lose."
ON WHETHER THE NO. 5 TEAM HAS ANOTHER LEVEL THEY CAN TURN IT UP TO AND HAVE WE SEEN ANOTHER LEVEL NOW IN THE CHASE
"Well, it's too early to be fair and say. If I answered that, I would answer yes, but that's based on twenty percent of the Chase. So if I read somebody said yes, I would say, 'listen to them', you know....it's twenty percent. So I really don't want to answer that as a yes, I would like to answer that as we certainly have based on twenty percent of the Chase.
"We have got to let the racing decide and that is the one thing that is cool about all this points stuff. You always want to talk about the points stuff, but the races decide that. We have got a lot of racing to go, and a lot of excitement, and I think that everybody needs to stay in tuned to these races."
WHEN IN YOUR HEAD IS IT OKAY TO START THINKING ABOUT THE CHAMPIONSHIP?
"I think with four to go we will have a much clearer picture. With four to go."
ON WHEN YOUR FITNESS PROGRAM STARTED
"January 1988. When I hooked up with Roush, that was the first time that I didn't have to physically work on the race cars in the shop every day. And so that is where I had time then to start it."
ON WHETHER YOUR ROUTINE HAS HAD TO CHANGE NOW THAT YOU ARE IN THE CHASE
"Well, in some ways you could say that I have been training for this Chase for 21 years. But I trained just as hard last year racing a limited schedule and when I don't drive anymore, I will continue to train just as hard because it's an important part of my life. Not every day am I excited or thrilled about going to the gym, but I do love it and it's an important part of my life."
WHAT IS IT THAT YOU DO AS PART OF YOUR TRAINING?
"Strength training four days a week, and I do cardio three. My cardio is not brutal because I am very lean and I eat a lot of food and I don't have any intentions of getting any leaner or skinnier. So I limit my cardio to three days a week and I lift heavy and hard. Some people, if they lifted as hard as I lift and ate as much as I do would be pretty big."
ON WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU TO BE IN NASCAR ALL THESE YEARS AND NOW THEY HAVE A HALL OF FAME FOR THE SPORT
"I think it's great and I think they will have five inductees a year and that's going to mean it's going to take a long time to see a lot of our heroes in there and I hope I am around to see a lot of them."
DO YOU HAVE A FIRST FIVE THAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE IN THERE?
"That would be very unfair. Without thinking about it very much I would think that I would want to put 25 in there the first year."
YOU ARE GOOD FRIENDS WITH LAGONO. DID YOU TALK WITH HIM THIS WEEK AT ALL ABOUT THE RIDE HE WENT ON OR GIVE HIM ANY ADVICE?
No, Joey has kind of slipped by the advice think a bit. He hasn't been checking in with me very much lately and he has been doing very well. But I have thought about him, and I have thought about his dad. I really like his dad a lot, but we haven't spoken since Sunday before the race."
SOME PEOPLE SAID THEY WERE SURPRISED THAT HE SAID HE WAS SCARED DURING IT. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT A DRIVER SAYING SOMETHING LIKE THAT?
"I think it's an honest answer. That is just him being honest. It scares me to think about it. So I can certainly think that the ride itself would be scary. Some guys are just a little bit different and that kind of ride might not scare them but I think honestly the ride would scare a lot of people. But driving a race care sure doesn't scare him."
DO YOU DO ANY SCOREBOARD WATCHING DURING THE RACE WEEKEND AND SEE WHERE THEY QUALIFIED AND SUCH?
"I'm a race fan. So I do that, Chase or no Chase. Every week."
WHO HAS BEEN A DISAPPOINTMENT TO YOU SO FAR IN THE CHASE? CARL EDWARDS?
"I haven't seen any disappointments in the Chase other than Kasey (Kahne) having an engine problem. So no, it's just really, really tough out there and everybody in the Chase is running good."
HOW MUCH ARE YOU ENJOYING THIS CHASE, THIS YEAR AND THIS POINT IN YOUR CAREER?
"Well we are just getting started right now with the Chase part of it but there is a lot of pressure off of me now. We had to fight our way into the Chase with all the trouble that we had at the beginning of the year, but now that we are in here we are having fun again but its dream come true and I certainly never thought we would be having this kind of year."
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA WAS JUST SAYING THAT NO MATTER HOW WELL THEY DO YOU ARE CONSTANTLY OUTRUNNING THEM. HOW SATISFYING IS IT TO BE PUTTNG UP SOME BIG NUMBERS IN THE CHASE SO FAR?
"Its pretty satisfying but I keep thinking the same thing about him. I predicted that he could win this Chase and surprise a lot of people and so far he has proven that they are ready to contend for it.
"But it's a lot of fun to drive and work with such great people and drive a great race car. It's all about the people who build this race car. If I had a less competitive race car I would be stuck in the middle of the pack."
Mark Martin & Jeff Gordon Post Qualifying Notes and Quotes - Amp Energy 500
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