CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine driver Mark Martin claimed his first NASCAR All Star race victory in 1998 and scored another in 2005. As the Michael Waltrip Racing driver prepares for his 24th All-Star Race -the most of any driver- he figures Saturday night will be a good time to hoist another trophy in victory lane at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Saturday night’s race will consist of 90 total laps; four 20-lap segments followed by a mandatory four-tire pit stop and a 10-lap sprint to the $1 million big-money finish. If one driver wins all four 20-lap segments and bests the field in the final 10-lap shootout, he will double his winnings and take home Bruton Smith’s Big Bonus of an additional $1 million.
MARK MARTIN: “The All-Star race is one of the highlights of the season for all of us. It’s just a great event for the fans and the drivers. Charlotte is home for a lot of people in NASCAR. Friends and family get to come out and watch you race. The other thing is the All-Star race is really a break from counting points. In this race you run for a big trophy and a big check. That’s incentive enough for me. I’d love to take a big trophy and some of Bruton’s money home Saturday night.”
MOST STARTS: “Sure that is gratifying. I’ve been fortunate to work with a whole lot of great people, teams and organizations over the years. I’ve had a ton of help. It’s hard to believe this will be number 24, but I’ve enjoyed every one. It’s a great event and I’m honored just to be part of it. This race creates memories.”
Courtesy of NASCAR
NOTES
· STATS: In 23 All-Star Races, Martin owns two victories (1998 & 2005) and six top-five finishes. He’s led 66 laps and has never started on the pole. He ran in the Winston Open in 1988 &’89.
· No. 55 DRIVERS: Martin will drive the No. 55 in 24 races, Brian Vickers in nine races and Michael Waltrip in three races. In nine races in 2013 Martin’s highlights this season include a third-place finish at Daytona and a pole at Phoenix.
· CHASSIS: 722 finished eighth at Bristol with Brian Vickers behind wheel. Backup 720
· MARTIN AT CATWALK: Martin will attend the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation’s 4th Annual Catwalk for a Cause presented by Toyota on Wednesday. The sold out fundraiser is expecting over 450 people at MWR. Fans can make a donation to the foundation: click here or bid on signed NASCAR driver items: click here. All proceeds benefit the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation Special Needs Fund at Levine Children’s Hospital. Sirius Speedway will broadcast live from 3-7 p.m. from the event while fans can see photos and tweets at: www.Zoomph.com/catwalk.
· MWR FAN FEST MOVED TO FALL: Michael Waltrip Racing will host its annual Fan Fest in the fall at the height of NASCAR’s “Chase for the Sprint Cup.” The event at MWR’s headquarters in Cornelius, N.C., has traditionally been held during Charlotte Motor Speedway’s May events, but this season the race shop is undergoing some capital improvements to further enhance the visitor and employee experience. This month MWR began construction of a new 7,500-square-foot training facility. The multi-level gym will further the skills of pit crew members. The facility includes an inlaid car silhouette so crews can practice agility drills around a car, free weights, weight machines, CrossFit elements, cardio equipment as well as locker rooms and offices. Construction should conclude in June.
· TRY THE MWR SOCIAL STOP: Make Michael Waltrip Racing’s “Social Stop” your second screen on Sunday to follow all the racing and social media action when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races this weekend. MWR’s “Social Stop” goes live before the race allowing fans to view information from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube all on one page. Twitter feeds from MWR drivers, media members and NASCAR fans will populate the page. Visitors can also interact with fellow race fans and answer poll questions on the page. Visit
· VOTE FOR MWR TRUCK DRIVERS: Freightliner held the second round of the Freightliner Run Smart Hauler Challenge in Talladega. Now it’s time to vote the eliminated drivers back into the competition for the third round. MWR has three drivers needing votes: Al Nelson, John Murphy and Stump Lewis. You can vote for each driver once daily at Voting ends May 20.
· DOWNLOAD MWR INSIDER PROGRAM: Michael Waltrip Racing launched its Insider Program in 2013 offering fans sponsor discounts, specials on merchandise plus fan giveaways throughout the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Fans can access the MWR Insider Program through the CardStar application available on Android and Apple devices. MWR is working on behalf of the fans to expand the offerings beyond its current sponsor line-up, aggregating industry-wide deals and discounts. Fans can text MWR to 42828 to get the card for free. Offers include free headset with rental of a FanVision unit ($19.99 value) and 25% off NASCAR Fatheads at Fathead.com.
· FOLLOW NO. 55 ON TWITTER
@55markmartin
@brianlvickers
@mw55
@rchilders55
@mwrteam
@mwrgirls
@aaronssports
@toyotaracing
· PIT CREW
Crew Chief – Rodney Childers
Car Chief – Steve Channing
Front Changer – Ryan Langley
Rear Changer – Shannon Myers
Front Carrier – Chris Hall
Rear Carrier – Mark Kennerly
Jackman – Tony Cardamone
Gas man – Brian Dheel
2nd Gas Man- Josh Galloway
Spotter – Jeremy Brickhouse
Engineer – Billy Scott
2nd Engineer – Scott McDougall
Tires – Kevin White
Eng.Tuner- Denny Chandler (TRD)
Shocks – Mike (Nook) McCarville
Interior/7th man- Jacen Johns
Truck Driver – Glenn Shano
2nd Truck Driver – John Murphy
Pit Coach – Greg Miller
Dir. Race Engineering—Chad Walter
Ex. VP Engineering- Nick Hughes
Ex. VP Comp.—Scott Miller
· No. 55 DRIVER SCHEDULE
5/26 Charlotte Martin
6/2 Dover Martin
6/9 Pocono Martin
6/16 Michigan Martin
6/23 Sonoma Vickers
6/29 Kentucky Vickers
7/6 Daytona Waltrip
7/14 Loudon Vickers
7/28 Indy Martin
8/4 Pocono Martin
8/11 The Glen Vickers
8/18 Michigan Martin
8/24 Bristol Vickers
9/1 Atlanta Martin
9/7 Richmond Martin
9/15 Chicago Martin
9/22 Loudon Vickers
9/29 Dover Martin
10/6 Kansas Martin
10/12 Charlotte Martin
10/20 Talladega Waltrip
10/27 Martinsville Vickers
11/3 Texas Martin
11/10 Phoenix Martin
11/17 Homestead Martin
