Showing posts with label Thank You Mark. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thank You Mark. Show all posts
Monday, November 18, 2013
Numbers Change, Class Doesn't: Thank You Mark Martin
Next year won't be the same without Mark Martin on the track. Thank you for all the memories.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
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.
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.
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.
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| 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) |
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.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Top 5 Mark Martin Moments: 2005 All-Star Race
I continue to look at my Top 5 Mark Martin Moments today, with moment number 2!
2. 2005 All-Star Race
This race was honestly the best. I remember watching this and being so excited that Mark Martin was going to win in his final All-Star Race of his career. Now, we all know that he came back the next season, but this was in the middle of his "Salute to You" tour.
Martin had a dominant car, and it was a sweet throwback Valvoline paint scheme. As he led the field around the track, fans flashed back to memories of Martin in a similar paint scheme winning races throughout the '90s.
But the reason I mostly remember that race was what he said after taking the checkered flag: "I'll be back next year if ya'll give me a ride."
Those words gave every Mark Martin fan hope that maybe 2005 wasn't the last season we'd see him in a Sprint Cup car. The smile on Mark's face in victory lane was priceless, and everyone knew that he still had a few more wins up his sleeve if he came back in 2006.
Of course we all know that Martin didn't retire in 2005, and he won't dare utter the word "retire" this weekend at Homestead. And if he does return to the track at some point, we'll all be there to cheer him on.
What is your favorite memory of Mark Martin? Comment below and let us know!
Check out moment #5, moment #4 and moment #3, and check back tomorrow for the final moment on our countdown!
2. 2005 All-Star Race
This race was honestly the best. I remember watching this and being so excited that Mark Martin was going to win in his final All-Star Race of his career. Now, we all know that he came back the next season, but this was in the middle of his "Salute to You" tour.
Martin had a dominant car, and it was a sweet throwback Valvoline paint scheme. As he led the field around the track, fans flashed back to memories of Martin in a similar paint scheme winning races throughout the '90s.
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| Mark Martin crosses the finish line in the 2005 All-Star Race. The win was extra-special because of the throwback paint scheme Martin ran as a part of his "Salute to You" tour. (Photo courtesy Chris Stanford/NASCAR) |
But the reason I mostly remember that race was what he said after taking the checkered flag: "I'll be back next year if ya'll give me a ride."
Those words gave every Mark Martin fan hope that maybe 2005 wasn't the last season we'd see him in a Sprint Cup car. The smile on Mark's face in victory lane was priceless, and everyone knew that he still had a few more wins up his sleeve if he came back in 2006.
Of course we all know that Martin didn't retire in 2005, and he won't dare utter the word "retire" this weekend at Homestead. And if he does return to the track at some point, we'll all be there to cheer him on.
What is your favorite memory of Mark Martin? Comment below and let us know!
Check out moment #5, moment #4 and moment #3, and check back tomorrow for the final moment on our countdown!
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Top 5 Mark Martin Moments: Roush Racing
The countdown of the Top 5 Mark Martin Moments continues today with number three!
3. Roush Racing
No matter how many times Martin changes teams, many will still think of him as the driver of Jack Roush's No. 6 car.
Roush gave Martin a fresh start in the Cup Series when Roush picked Martin as the driver for his start-up Roush Racing team in 1988. Together, they paired for 35 wins and 41 poles between 1988 and 2006.
Martin was the face of the team, and was a teammate to many drivers in the garage who came through Roush Racing. Some of the drivers he mentored include Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards.
Unfortunately, the pairing split up after almost 20 years together when Roush did not have any room for Martin in 2007. The rules stated that no one could have more than four teams, but Roush was grandfathered in because he had five at the time. As much as he would have liked, Roush could not add a sixth team so that Martin could run a partial schedule like he wanted. Instead, Martin headed to Ginn Racing, which eventually became DEI.
Martin's tenure at Roush was long and successful, but all good things must come to an end. Fans everywhere will always remember the great things that Roush and Martin did together.
What is your favorite memory while Mark was at Roush Racing? Comment below!
Be sure to check out number 5 and number 4 on our countdown, and check back tomorrow for #2 on our list of Mark Martin memories!
3. Roush Racing
No matter how many times Martin changes teams, many will still think of him as the driver of Jack Roush's No. 6 car.
Roush gave Martin a fresh start in the Cup Series when Roush picked Martin as the driver for his start-up Roush Racing team in 1988. Together, they paired for 35 wins and 41 poles between 1988 and 2006.
Martin was the face of the team, and was a teammate to many drivers in the garage who came through Roush Racing. Some of the drivers he mentored include Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards.
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| Martin celebrates his final victory with Roush Racing with his team in Kansas in 2005. Martin won 35 races while at Roush Racing. (Photo courtesy Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images) |
Unfortunately, the pairing split up after almost 20 years together when Roush did not have any room for Martin in 2007. The rules stated that no one could have more than four teams, but Roush was grandfathered in because he had five at the time. As much as he would have liked, Roush could not add a sixth team so that Martin could run a partial schedule like he wanted. Instead, Martin headed to Ginn Racing, which eventually became DEI.
Martin's tenure at Roush was long and successful, but all good things must come to an end. Fans everywhere will always remember the great things that Roush and Martin did together.
What is your favorite memory while Mark was at Roush Racing? Comment below!
Be sure to check out number 5 and number 4 on our countdown, and check back tomorrow for #2 on our list of Mark Martin memories!
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Top 5 Mark Martin Moments: Nationwide Series
Today I continue to look back through Mark Martin's career with my favorite moments. Today, we look at moment number four:
4. Nationwide Series
Before Kyle Busch dominated the Nationwide Series, the greatest driver of the series was Mark Martin. It seemed that every time Martin got into a Nationwide car, he would win the race. His stats for the series are absolutely remarkable.
In a 23-year career, Martin has run 236 races. He's won 49 of those, which is a remarkable 20.7%. He also has 30 career poles and 112 career Top 5's. All of those used to be records before Busch began to dominate the Series.
The fact that Martin has those numbers is made even more impressive by the fact that he only ran one full season in the Nationwide Series, in 1987.
His last win came in 2011, and it was one of the most exciting finishes I can remember as a fan. After taking the white flag, Brad Keselowski cut down a tire while leading to hand the lead over to Martin. Check out the last few laps below:
Even though Kyle Busch has surpassed Martin as the king of the Nationwide Series, I don't think we will ever see someone be as dominant as Martin was for such a long period of time. From his first seasons in NASCAR to his last seasons, he could win in a Nationwide car if he was given the chance.
What is your favorite memory of Mark in the Nationwide Series? Comment below to let us know!
Be sure to check out Moment #5, and check back tomorrow as our countdown continues!
4. Nationwide Series
Before Kyle Busch dominated the Nationwide Series, the greatest driver of the series was Mark Martin. It seemed that every time Martin got into a Nationwide car, he would win the race. His stats for the series are absolutely remarkable.
In a 23-year career, Martin has run 236 races. He's won 49 of those, which is a remarkable 20.7%. He also has 30 career poles and 112 career Top 5's. All of those used to be records before Busch began to dominate the Series.
The fact that Martin has those numbers is made even more impressive by the fact that he only ran one full season in the Nationwide Series, in 1987.
His last win came in 2011, and it was one of the most exciting finishes I can remember as a fan. After taking the white flag, Brad Keselowski cut down a tire while leading to hand the lead over to Martin. Check out the last few laps below:
Even though Kyle Busch has surpassed Martin as the king of the Nationwide Series, I don't think we will ever see someone be as dominant as Martin was for such a long period of time. From his first seasons in NASCAR to his last seasons, he could win in a Nationwide car if he was given the chance.
What is your favorite memory of Mark in the Nationwide Series? Comment below to let us know!
Be sure to check out Moment #5, and check back tomorrow as our countdown continues!
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Top 5 Mark Martin Moments: 2009 Season with Hendrick Motorsports
This weekend, Mark Martin will make his final start before moving on to a new phase in his career. While he will still be around the track -- and won't use the word "retire" -- the chances of seeing Mark in a Sprint Cup Car on a regular basis are very slim.
So to celebrate his great career, I'll take a look at some of my favorite Mark Martin moments. So to start off, here is the number five moment on my list:
5. 2009 Sprint Cup Season with Hendrick Motorsports
The 2009 season was a great year for Mark Martin fans. After running a partial schedule in 2007 and 2008, he returned to full-time competition to drive the No. 5 car for Hendrick Motorsports. Joining Hendrick Motorsports seemed to be a good move for Martin, but no one expected the paring to produce like they did.
Martin quickly got into victory lane in just the eighth race of the season at Phoenix in April. He won again in May, this time at the historic Southern 500 from Darlington Raceway. He took the checkered flag again a month later at Michigan in June, and then he won at Chicago in July for his fourth win of the season.
He had to race his way into the Chase because of some very bad finishes early in the season, but he continued his winning ways once the Chase began. He won the Chase opener at New Hampshire for his fifth and final win of the season.
He gave Jimmie Johnson a run for the Championship, but he too fell during Johnson's historic five-championship run. He finished second in the points for the fifth time in his long career. But with Jeff Gordon finishing third in points, it was the first time a team had swept the top three positions in the points.
While five wins wasn't a career high for Martin -- he won five times in 1993 and seven times in 1998 -- it was a career resurgence for the veteran driver. He whipped the young guns into shape, and proved that the "old man" could still get it done.
What did you think of Mark Martin's 2009 season? Let me know by commenting below! Be sure to check back tomorrow for the fourth moment in our countdown!
So to celebrate his great career, I'll take a look at some of my favorite Mark Martin moments. So to start off, here is the number five moment on my list:
5. 2009 Sprint Cup Season with Hendrick Motorsports
The 2009 season was a great year for Mark Martin fans. After running a partial schedule in 2007 and 2008, he returned to full-time competition to drive the No. 5 car for Hendrick Motorsports. Joining Hendrick Motorsports seemed to be a good move for Martin, but no one expected the paring to produce like they did.
Martin quickly got into victory lane in just the eighth race of the season at Phoenix in April. He won again in May, this time at the historic Southern 500 from Darlington Raceway. He took the checkered flag again a month later at Michigan in June, and then he won at Chicago in July for his fourth win of the season.
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| Mark Martin celebrates his win at Darlington in May 2009. That season he had five wins on his way to a runner-up finish in the points. (Photo courtesy Todd Warshaw/Getty Images) |
He gave Jimmie Johnson a run for the Championship, but he too fell during Johnson's historic five-championship run. He finished second in the points for the fifth time in his long career. But with Jeff Gordon finishing third in points, it was the first time a team had swept the top three positions in the points.
While five wins wasn't a career high for Martin -- he won five times in 1993 and seven times in 1998 -- it was a career resurgence for the veteran driver. He whipped the young guns into shape, and proved that the "old man" could still get it done.
What did you think of Mark Martin's 2009 season? Let me know by commenting below! Be sure to check back tomorrow for the fourth moment in our countdown!
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