Mark Martin making case as best NASCAR driver without a title
By SCOTT WRIGHT, Staff Writer, swright@opubco.com
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Published: November 8, 2009
FORT WORTH, Texas — Mark Martin isn’t ashamed to have finished second behind some of NASCAR’s best drivers.
Driver Mark Martin, left, talks with a crew member before the start of practice for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Dickies 500 auto race at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday. Martin is enjoying this season, competing well in the Sprint Cup at age 50. AP PHOTO
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Martin has finished runner-up to
Dale Earnhardt,
Jeff Gordon and
Tony Stewart in his 27-year career, and
Jimmie Johnson could be added to the list as soon as next week.
At 50, Martin is still chasing that elusive
Sprint Cup championship, and he’ll need to gain ground on Johnson in today’s
Dickies 500 at
Texas Motor Speedway to have a legitimate shot at overtaking the three-time reigning champ.
With 40 career wins, Martin is making a case for himself as the best Cup driver to never win the championship. Only Junior Johnson has more wins without a title.
Fourteen times Martin finished in the top 10 in Cup points, but the easy-going
Batesville, Ark., native swears he doesn’t live and die with the standings anymore.
"There’s definitely no heartbreak right now,” he said. "(In 1990) I thought I could beat Earnhardt, but it turned out I was wrong. That was the one I wanted to win, probably, the most of all — when I was young and it looked like we were going to win one.
"Since then, I’ve learned a lot and come to realize I’m no Dale Earnhardt. My record doesn’t stand up against his. It just doesn’t. And when you stand me up to Jeff Gordon, it just doesn’t stand up to it. Tony Stewart, too.
"I think it’s pretty awesome to be able to hold my own against guys like that in the sport.”
Championship or no championship, younger drivers envy his career situation.
"To see him walking around the garage with his head up, his chest out, having a blast, every driver in the garage likes to see that,”
Carl Edwards said. "It makes us think, hey, maybe we could do that when we’re 50. He’s doing a lot for drivers’ careers by showing that it can be done. He’s an inspiration.”
Martin nearly retired after 2005, but returned out of loyalty to team owner
Jack Roush, who could not line up the replacement he wanted for Martin’s No. 6 car. Then Martin drove partial seasons in 2007 and 2008 for Ginn Racing before getting the full-time offer for
Hendrick Motorsports this year. He’s under contract to run the No. 5 car through next season.
Though he might never win a Cup title, Martin says satisfaction has already been attained.
"I didn’t take this job to go try to get a championship trophy,” he said. "I took this job (to race). And, doggone, it’s worked out pretty good.”
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