Mark Martin: Family Man

Last season before the Brickyard 400 I had the opportunity to walk up to Mark Martin, my childhood idol, and role model, and shake his hand. It was, as I recounted that day, one of the coolest things I had ever gotten to do.
Listening to Mark share his wisdom that day with me, even if it was only for two minutes, reaffirmed why I love the now 51-year-old driver.

He’s humble, and loves to talk about anything. And, when I say anything, I mean anything. Today, for about 20 minutes he met with assembled media members in Daytona’s media center before the first practice session for Saturday’s Coke Zero 400.

Listening to his answers for those twenty minutes made me feel like I was back in front of him at Indianapolis last season, listening to the short guy I call my hero share some wisdom about life at the track and away from it.

In 24 days will I get to do this again?

Mark Martin is an avid, business aviator. But that doesn’t mean that he “I am an avid aviator, but I am a business aviator. And I say that sort of unfortunately because I think doing aerobatic flying and lessons would make me a better business aviator,” he said. “But I’m not really into that because I don’t like getting sick to my stomach and getting scared and all those different things.”

Well said. Yet it’s tough to think that a man who has been racing at speeds approaching and even exceeding 200 m.p.h. would be scared by going upside down every once in a while. Except for the fact that he likes having all four wheels on the ground if at all possible.

At Talladega last fall he flipped over for the first time in his career. Mark and everyone in NASCAR racing would like to keep all four tires on the ground if at all possible this weekend in Daytona.

Mark's car barely kept running after it flipped last year at Talladega (Getty Photo)

One of the cool things about being his own pilot sometimes is that Mark can fly wherever he’d like, whenever his schedule allows time to do so. And after the checkered flag falls in Chicago next Saturday, NASCAR will be off for a weekend before the big race at Indianapolis.

While many drivers will take a few days off and go fishing or hunting with buddies, Martin will hop in his plane and take his wife, Arlene, and son, Matt, who just graduated from high school, over to Europe.

“I have promised Matt and Arlene I would take them to Europe and obviously I thought I was going to be retired by the time he graduated,” Martin said. “And then I made the deal to not be retired when he graduated, so I made the deal that I would buckle down and do it, man up.”

He continued, using racing terms to discuss his future travels. “They waved the green flag on signing the deal with the 5 car and I’m waving the green flag on a European vacation,” he said.

While I doubt Mark Martin will be Chevy Chase, how interesting does a movie titled “Mark Martin’s European Vacation” sound?

I’d watch it.

Mark Martin fans may remember the days when Mark was preparing Matt Martin to take over his NASCAR Cup Series ride. A few years ago Matt decided racing wasn’t the path for him, and although he loved going to races and watching his father run, a career in racing just wasn’t for him.

Matt is embarking on a career most high school graduates take—college. However, there were reports last year that Matt wanted to join the Marines after high school. “He straightened his mother out the night before last when she said, ‘I’m sure glad you’re going to college instead of the Marines.’ And he said, ‘I might still go to the Marines. I’m just going to college right now’,” Mark said.

“He still hasn’t closed the door on it right now. We’re all excited he’s going to be around instead of being shipped right off. We would miss him. He’s going to go to college right here in Daytona and get acclimated to college life because he’s been home schooled since fifth grade. It’s going to be a little different for him.”

Mark and Matt talk before a race (2006, NASCAR.com photo)

Then Mark said something that would make any parent happy: “That’s where he’s at right now. Not interested in racing and I’m very, very proud of him. He’s really turning out to be a fine young man.”

As a long-time fan of Mark Martin, I was sure glad to hear him say that. It’s almost as if we the fans are proud with him. And to Martin, family is key. They signed off on his venture with Hendrick Motorsports, and he’s standing up to his promise to take his family on vacation.

I just wish I could tag along.