Allmendinger learns from Martin during a practice session for the Daytona 500 in February (Getty Images for NASCAR)
“Mark’s always been probably the nicest guy out there to me and I respect him so much so anytime Mark Martin wants to work with me I’m down for it,” Allmendinger said.
On Wednesday, while handling questions from assorted media types at a Ford Racing promotion at Kentucky Speedway, Allmendinger got to talking about the “pairs” racing that has taken over restrictor plate tracks like Daytona and Talladega.
“It’s… insane, probably the easiest word to explain it,” he said.
When he walked outside for photo opportunities next to his No. 43 Best Buy Ford, he explained to some local Ford representatives about the way the two-car drafts work. He mentioned that it’s pretty hairy, especially since the lead car is basically the pushing car’s eyes and ears.
Allmendinger (in the black shirt) poses for photos with Cincinnati-area Ford representatives on Wednesday
“With the two-car tandem, to go out there, especially when you’re the leading guy, it’s not as bad but when you’re the guy behind, you’re literally staring like this at a spoiler,” he said, putting his hand up in front of his face to show everyone what it was like. “And you can’t see anything and they’re driving the car in front of you. They’re the ones telling you when to check up and when not to check up.”
After describing the ways drivers race at the restrictor plate tracks, I had one question for Allmendinger. Me being the Mark Martin fan that I am, I just had to ask him what it was like to work with the man I’ve grown up idolizing since I began watching NASCAR nearly 18 years ago.
“I respect Mark so much and he’s just been so kind to me since I came into the sport,” Allmendinger said. “I kind of had to laugh because my first truck race was at Loudon in ’06 and I remember I came up to him we were talking a little bit and I introduced myself and it surprised me because he’s like, ‘Yeah man, you just won the Champ Car race last week. I’ve been watching you ever since you came up through Toyota Atlantics.’ I was like, ‘What are talking about? You’re Mark Martin!’”
I just smiled when Allmendinger mentioned meeting Mark for the first time because I was reminded of the press conference at Indianapolis in 2009 after Mark put down a lap that put his No. 5 car on the pole for the Brickyard 400.
A reporter asked Mark if he had seen Tom Watson’s run at the British Open a week before the Cup Series came to Indy. Mark replied, “I did hear peripherally. It’s not on my radar screen. I did hear about it, and do watch the news and check the news. I knew a little bit about what's going on.”And he smiled when he said, “But if it doesn't have wheels on it, I don't know much [about it].”It sounds like Allmendinger was surprised that Mark Martin watched his career from the very start.
NASCAR drivers might love Aretha Franklin. Ask any NASCAR driver about their thoughts on Mark Martin and you’ll hear one word more than any other: respect.
“That to me was like so critical to go out there, and especially the veterans, try to earn their respect more than anything whether I was running fast or not,” Allmendinger said. “Even in the toughest times of ’07, when I was down and I didn’t think I could get to the next track the next week because I was…struggling, he’d show up and say, ‘Man, you’re doing a good job. We all know the situation you’re in. We know how tough this is. We know what you got put in to.’”
It’s one of the reasons I love Mark Martin. He’s always giving life advice.
And for Allmendinger, getting to work with the best NASCAR driver to have never hoisted a Sprint Cup was the thrill of a lifetime.
Allmendinger's No. 43 and Martin's No. 5 were inseparable during parts of the Daytona 500 (Getty Images/NASCAR)
“It was pretty cool at Daytona to be able to work with him the whole time,” he said.
Allmendinger’s comments about Mark Martin were nothing out of the ordinary for me. I didn’t expect the great comments he gave me, but, as a Mark Martin fan, I couldn’t help but smile and realize that I’ve been a fan of one heck of a racecar driver (and one heck of a man) for the longest time.
I didn’t need A.J. Allmendinger to validate it, but having him speak so highly of Mark Martin was pretty awesome.
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