Top 5 Mark Martin Moments: IROC

I've reached the final moment in my countdown of my Top 5 Mark Martin Moments.  For this moment, I'll take a look at something that Martin is extremely proud of.

1. IROC

Mark Martin was the King of IROC.  IROC stands for International Race of Champions, and it was a series that put the best drivers in the world -- in cars prepared the exact same way -- to see who was the best.  And Mark Martin was the best every time he got into a car.

Each season was only four races long, so you had to be extremely consistent to win a championship.  One bad race and your season was over.

Martin raced 12 separate years in IROC, for a total of 47 career races.  He won 13 of those races, a record in IROC.  He won five championships, also an IROC record. 

Mark Martin's 2005 Championship IROC car sits in his museum in Batesville, AR.  Martin won a record five championships in the now-defunct series. (Photo courtesy Mark Martin Museum and Gift Shop Facebook Page)

The amazing part of those stats are who he raced against.  The list of drivers he beat include Dale Earnhardt, Emerson Fittipaldi, Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Rahal, Scott Pruett, Al Unser, Steve Kinser, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson and Helio Castroneves.

Martin has won many races, but he still says that his IROC stats are one of the things he is most proud of.  If IROC were still around today, I'm sure Martin would still be kicking butt and proving why he is one of the best drivers in the world.

Thank you for all the great memories Mark, and good luck going into this new phase of your career.

What is your favorite moment of Mark Martin in IROC? Let me know by leaving a comment!

What did you think of my Top 5 Mark Martin Moments?  What would you have included? If you missed any of them, check out moment #5, moment #4, moment #3 and moment #2.