TURNER MOTORSPORTS ANNOUNCES MARK MARTIN TO DRIVE THE NO. 32 DOLLAR GENERAL CHEVROLET IN SELECT 2011 NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES EVENTS
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (January 12, 2011) – Turner Motorsports is pleased to announce the addition of racing legend, Mark Martin, to its 2011 driver line-up. Martin will pilot the No. 32 Dollar General Impala in NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Auto Club Speedway, Michigan International Speedway and Kentucky Speedway with crew chief, Trent Owens, calling the shots. He will also drive the No. 32 Silverado in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) races at Michigan International Speedway and Pocono Raceway.
“I’m excited to be running back in the Nationwide and Truck Series again,” said Martin. “Everyone at Dollar General and Turner Motorsports has been great and I’m looking forward to hitting the track with them next year. Working with Turner [Motorsports], I get to extend my relationship with Chevrolet and continue to have Hendrick horsepower under the hood which is really, really good.”
Martin brings unparalleled experience to Turner Motorsports. With a NASCAR career spanning 30 years, he has 40 wins in 794 Sprint Cup Series starts, holds the all-time Nationwide Series records for most wins (48) and most pole positions (30), and seven wins in 23 NCWTS starts. In 2006, motorsports media members acknowledged his accomplishments by naming him the greatest Nationwide Series driver of all-time. Martin continues to compete full-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports machine.
“The races we picked for both series are personal favorites of mine. I’d love to win another truck race, and I’ve got to get back to Victory Lane in the Dollar General car so I can keep Kyle [Busch] from breaking my Nationwide Series record,” Martin joked.
Martin has experienced tremendous success at the tracks at which he will compete for Turner Motorsports. In five Nationwide Series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Martin has three wins, four top-fives, five top-10s and two pole awards to his credit. In only two Nationwide starts at Auto Club Speedway, he has earned one win and a third-place finish. At Michigan International Speedway, he has two wins, eight top-five and nine top-10 finishes and one pole position in his 11 starts. Martin will make his Nationwide Series debut when the team travels to Kentucky Speedway in July.
Team owner, Steve Turner, is very pleased with the experience that Martin brings with him and has high expectations for his organization in 2011.
“We are thrilled to announce the addition of Mark Martin to our stable of drivers,” commented Turner. “Mark [Martin] shares my same passion for helping groom young talent and has expressed interest in helping us get our young drivers to the NASCAR Sprint Cup level. I can’t think of a better mentor than Mark Martin. Everyone at Turner Motorsports knows the value and experience he brings to our organization and we are all delighted to have him join our team. We look forward to getting Mark [Martin] and Dollar General into the winners circle in 2011.”
About Turner Motorsports
Turner Motorsports, LLC, established in 1999, is in the midst of its sophomore season of NASCAR competition. Owned by Texas-native, Steve Turner, the racing organization has expanded in 2011 from a two-truck operation in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to become the largest stand-alone multi-series team in NASCAR’s top-tier touring series. Turner Motorsports operates out of an 110,000 square-foot state-of-the art facility in Mooresville, N.C., and will house three entries in both the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series. The team boasts an all-star driver line-up that includes Mark Martin, Kasey Kahne, Reed Sorenson, Jason Leffler, Justin Allgaier, Ricky Carmichael, James Buescher and Brad Sweet. The Chevrolet-backed team has created alliances with General Motors powerhouse teams Hendrick Motorsports, who will provide engine support for both its NNS and NCWTS programs, Kevin Harvick Inc. for body and aero support, and Earnhardt Technology Group for drive train and suspension technology assistance. Turner Motorsports’ marketing partners includes Dollar General, Great Clips, Monster Energy, BRANDT, AccuDoc Solutions, Wolfpack Rentals, Rexall, Fraternal Order of Eagles, ABF Freight, Bigspot.com, Northeastern Supply, Deft Paint, SEM and Safety-Kleen.
For more information on Turner Motorsports, visit www.teamturnermotorsports.com.
