MARK MARTIN
DAYTONA 2ND WEEK PREVIEW
CORNELIUS, N.C.— No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota driver Mark Martin returns to Daytona International Speedway Wednesday in preparation for Thursday’s Daytona Duels that set the starting field for Sunday’s running of the 55th annual Daytona 500.
Martin will start 14th in the second Duel on Thursday. It’s been a tough Speedweeks so far for the No. 55 Michael Waltrip Racing team. The team wrecked in Friday practice and during Saturday’s Sprint Unlimited. Martin said despite the introduction of the new Gen-6 cars this season, there are no worries about having enough cars for this week.
PLANS FOR WEEK: “We’re going to race — we came here to race and we’re going to race. We may not race in practice on Wednesday, but we’re going to race on Thursday and continue to try to learn. I guess I’ve got 20 laps of drafting so far out of this whole thing and two cars down. We’re still going to try to learn Thursday for the 500. I’m not so much worried about where we start.”
CAR COUNT: “I think we don’t mind tearing one more up before the (Daytona) 500. But that’s something we certainly want to avoid. We are fortunate, MWR has worked really hard to have cars ready and that’s going to pay off this week.”
DAYTONA 500: “I’m not superstitious and I don’t believe in lucky charms or anything like that. In fact, I avoid all that stuff. But I have noticed this is the 55th Daytona 500 and the No. 55 is a pretty cool number, don’t you think?
NOTES:
· CHASSIS: Primary 753 Backup 756
· 2013 & 2014 PLANS: Martin will drive the No. 55 in 24 points races and two non-points races in 2013 for Michael Waltrip Racing. Martin said he has yet to determine his 2014 plans, but emphasizes he isn’t going away from MWR or NASCAR.
· No. 55 DRIVERS: Martin will drive the No. 55 in 24 races, Brian Vickers in nine races and Michael Waltrip in three races.
· DAYTONA: In 54 Sprint Cup starts at Daytona Martin owns nine top-five finishes. He’s led 273 laps and won the three poles including the 2010 Daytona 500. Daytona, Homestead, Indianapolis, Pocono and Kentucky are the only active Sprint Cup tracks where Martin has yet to win. Martin owns Cup victories at 20 different tracks. Martin won the 1999 Sprint Unlimited and 2006 truck race at Daytona.
· WINS: Martin owns 40 Sprint Cup, 49 Nationwide and seven Camping World Truck Series victories. He’s led 12,781 laps in Sprint Cup competition. Martin has started 854 Sprint Cup races, 236 Nationwide races and 25 truck events. He also owns 13 IROC wins in 47 starts.
· MWR IN 2012: MWR’s five Sprint Cup Series drivers scored three wins (Clint Bowyer at Sonoma, Richmond and Charlotte), 24 top-five and 58 top-10 finishes in 2012. MWR drivers led 1,198 laps. Bowyer finished second and Martin Truex Jr. 11 in NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup. Truex led 434 laps led, Bowyer 388, Martin 197, Vickers 158 and Waltrip 21.
· TELEVISION SCHEDULE:
Date: Wednesday Feb. 20
Practice 12:00 p.m. SPEED
Practice 2:30 p.m. SPEED
Date: Thursday Feb. 21
Duels 2:00 p.m. SPEED
Date Friday Feb. 22
Practice 11:00 a.m. SPEED
Practice 12:30 a.m. SPEED
Date Saturday Feb. 23
Practice 10:30 a.m. SPEED
Date Sunday Feb. 24
Race 1:00 p.m. Fox
· HOW THE FIELD QUALIFIES FOR THE DAYTONA 500:
· Sunday’s two fastest qualifiers – Danica Patrick and Jeff Gordon will start the Daytona 500 first and second.
· The highest 15 finishers in each Duel race – excluding Patrick or Gordon – will earn a spot in the Daytona 500, and fill positions 3-32.
· Based on their finishing position in the first Duel race, the top 15 will line up on the inside row (odd-number starting positions).
· Based on their finishing position in the second Duel race, the top 15 will line up on the outside row (even-number starting positions).
· Positions 33-36 will go to the four fastest cars from qualifying that have not already earned a spot.
· Position 37-42 will be provisional positions, and go to the highest six cars in 2012 owner points that have not already qualified via the Duel or Coors Light Pole qualifying.
· The 43rd starting position will be assigned to any car owner who has the most recent eligible past NASCAR Sprint Cup champion who did not make the field by any other method, providing the driver had competed in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. If the 43rd position remains unused it will be assigned to the next highest car in 2012 owner points not already locked into the field.
· FOLLOW NO. 55 ON TWITTER
@55markmartin
@brianlvickers
@mw55
@rchilders55
@mwrteam
@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
· DRIVER SCHEDULE
2/24 Daytona 500 Martin
3/3 Phoenix Martin
3/10 Las Vegas Martin
3/17 Bristol Vickers
3/24 Auto Club Martin
4/7 Martinsville Vickers
4/13 Texas Martin
4/21 Kansas Martin
4/27 Richmond Martin
5/5 Talladega Waltrip
5/11 Darlington Martin
5/18 All-Star Martin
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
