NASCAR legend Mark Martin was born on January 9th, 1959, and is considered one of the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time despite never winning a Cup Series championship. Martin has won 49 times in what is now known as the Xfinity Series, 40 Cup Series wins (17th all-time), and finished third in the NASCAR Cup Series standings four times.
“For nearly 40 years, I have measured myself against the best stock car drivers of the era. It’s been #1HellOfaRide.”
Martin finished runner-up in the series standings in 1990 and 1994 to Dale Earnhardt. In 1998, he was runner-up to Jeff Gordon. In 2002, he was runner-up to Tony Stewart and in 2009 to Jimmie Johnson.
Martin began racing part-time in 1981 with Martin-Reeder Racing, then in 1983 driving for Jim Stacy, two races with D. K. Ulrich, and one for Emanuel Zervakis before driving for Morgan-McClure Motorsports for six races.
Martin returned to driving in the American Speed Association in 1985 with Jimmy Fennig as the crew chief and captured the ASA championship, which was Martin’s fourth.
In 1987, Martin joined Bruce Lawmaster full-time in the Busch Series. His success that season got the attention of team owner Jack Roush, and Martin joined the newly formed No. 6 Ford Thunderbird team in 1988 in what was known then as the Winston Cup Series with crew chief Steve Hmiel.
“The thing that always stood out about Mark was his unmatched drive to win,” said Roush. “Mark became one of the most driven and committed people I’ve ever seen. He put us on the map in NASCAR, and certainly, no one deserves this honor more. I’m very pleased with the part we played in the success that Mark was able to realize throughout his career, and I’ll always be grateful for his determination to succeed and desire to win.”
In 2005, Martin announced he would not be racing full-time in the Cup Series after the season, and 2006 was his “Salute to You” season tour as a thank-you to his fans.
But in 2008, Martin announced that he would replace Casey Mears in the No. 5 car for the 2009 season, with Hendrick Motorsports driving full-time for the first time since 2006.
He won his 40th and final career victory in NASCAR Cup Series on September 20th, 2009, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where he led 68 laps, including the final 29.
He finished the 2011 Sprint Cup season 22nd in points and parted ways with Hendrick Motorsports at the end of the season, with Kasey Kahne taking over the No. 5 Chevrolet.
Martin replaced David Reutimann in 2012 with Michael Waltrip Racing driving the No. 55 in a part-time deal for 25 races from 2012 through 2013. But Martin was released early from Michael Waltrip Racing and joined Stewart-Haas Racing to drive the No. 14 Chevrolet as a substitute driver for the injured Tony Stewart.
Martin announced that he would not race in 2014 but was not yet ready to use the word “retirement.” He remained in a consulting role at Stewart-Haas Racing but never drove again for SHR.
“I’m kind of tired. I might not make the best decisions right now,” he said. “I’ll still have an opportunity to satisfy my competitive fire and still be able to be involved in the sport at whatever level I want to be.”
“I worked really, really hard the last 10 years to continue to be a formidable opponent in the garage, and from time to time when stuff was right, I was able to do it,” Martin said. “And I’m proud of that. But it’s time for me to open a new chapter and do some other things.”
In 2014, he was named the driver development coach with Roush Fenway Racing for that season.
“I’m excited to return to Roush Fenway Racing, as it feels like I’m going home to where I belong,” said Martin.
During this time, he won 40 Cup Series races, 453 top-10s, and 56 poles in 882 races that span over 31 years. Martin dominated many race tracks but never won the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. His Xfinity series record is also impressive. He won 49 of his 236 races with 152 top-10s and 30 poles over the 23 years. He also captured seven wins in 25 races in the Craftsman Truck Series.
“I don’t think that I’m the smartest guy around, so I’m better off to keep my mouth shut as much as I can rather than opening my mouth and proving to people that I don’t know what I’m talking about. I’m more of a leader by example than I am a preacher.”
With 96 wins across NASCAR’s three national series, seventh on the all-time list, Martin was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.
In 2017, Martin was a popular inductee into the NASCAR Hall of Fame and continues to be fondly remembered by the NASCAR community.
