“Impatience is a real hard thing to deal with and to work with,” Mark Martin said in October of 2007. “Impatience is waste of time. It’s a diversion. If you're impatient, you're worrying about things you can't control.”
He was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time on Saturday night, and the bashed in hood of the GoDaddy.com car signaled the early end to an otherwise forgettable evening in Texas for Mark Martin. Up to this point in the year, Martin and crew chief Lance McGrew had fought through little scrapes and minor damage to compile finishes no better than 10th but no worse than 20th.
On Saturday though, it sounded like Martin and McGrew couldn’t agree on what was best to help the car out, and they fell behind quickly. However, as I’ve noted numerous times in the past few weeks, not all is lost for fans of the No. 5 Chevy. Jeff Gordon didn’t do too well either, finishing 23rd on the evening.
When Rick Hendrick decided to make the monster move after the Homestead race last season, the main reasoning behind it was to help all four teams be more competitive. In 2009 Hendrick owned the three cars that finished 1-2-3 in the points standings. In 2010 that was far from the case.
The driver that was going to benefit the most from the move was Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was moving from his shop with Mark Martin across the campus of HMS to the shop that houses now five-time champion Jimmie Johnson. In turn, Jeff Gordon moved over to Mark Martin’s shop.
The results of that switch were very evident this weekend when the Nos. 48 and 88 were in the top ten while the Nos. 5 and 24 hung out in between 18th and 25th place. At some point someone with more credibility and access to these problems will raise a question on whether or not the move helped all four Hendrick teams.
As a fan I say heck no, and as an impartial observer, I say there’s still a lot of time for ground to be made up.
Last season, Jenna Fryer, of the Associated Press, noted that Alan Gustafson—who was then Mark Martin’s crew chief—was the most loyal Hendrick worker. He gave up some of his team that pushed Martin to the runner-up spot in points in 2009, to benefit the entire 5/88 shop in 2010.
Earnhardt Jr. told Fryer one year ago that he felt it helped both teams. “I think it helped us,” he said. “I know Mark is struggling compared to last year. But it helped us as a team. (Engineer) Chris Heroy come over was a big deal for me and Lance both. I think he’s enjoyed being part of our group.”
Gustafson agreed. In the same article from last year he said, “If I was somebody who was not involved in this everyday, that is what I would say because that is the most obvious and makes the most sense. I think it’s wrong. I do think our shop has made a net gain, even though we haven’t won any races. The 88 is significantly better than what they were. So I think the team strength is a lot better.”
I’d be interested to see where this goes if Martin and Gordon are still sitting outside the top 12 in points when we head into June or July. We know Alan Gustafson, Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin probably won’t trash the boss that has put them in their current predicament, but as fans looking from the outside in, we all sit back and wonder if the move has paid off so far.
In my opinion it hasn’t, but I’m willing to be patient. Because impatience is something that Mark Martin cannot tolerate.
Showing posts with label Alan Gustafson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alan Gustafson. Show all posts
Monday, April 11, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Dale Earnhardt Jr. finishes 2nd at Martinsville
The last time Dale Earnhardt Jr. visited victory lane George W. Bush was in the White House and the Cincinnati Bearcats, with head coach Brian Kelly, still hadn’t won a Big East title.
My how things have changed yet stayed the same.
Earnhardt Jr., who last won in June of 2008 at Michigan, was leading with four laps to go in the Goody’s 500 on Sunday when Kevin Harvick, driving a car that was reminiscent of the cars that Earnhardt’s father drove, pulled off a move that would have made The Intimidator proud (and probably a little ticked off too, since it was his son that Harvick beat).
“I could see the people just going crazy coming off of turn two when he took the lead from Kyle,” Harvick said about Jr. taking the lead with 20 to go. “And I as catching him and I'm like, ‘Man, I'm going to be the bad guy here.’ But I've got to do what I've got to do.”
Earnhardt Jr. was disappointed in finishing second, but told reporters he knew he didn’t have a car that could win.
“We really were not a top-5 car all day. We worked really hard to stay inside the top-10 all day. Made a lot of changes on the car, we made several changes trying to find that speed,” he said.
Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 88 car at Indianapolis last year
Earnhardt Jr. was close in the end, but noted the handling on his car started to go away, and Harvick caught up to him.
“We had an opportunity to win the race,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I'm disappointed that I didn't get the job done and it will probably bother me more and more as the night goes on.”
I’m sure Earnhardt’s finish didn’t bother his car owner Rick Hendrick, who made a dramatic three-car, three-team, three-crew chief swap after last season’s finale at Homestead. So far it’s paying off for two of the three teams, Earnhardt and Gordon.
Gordon and new crew chief Alan Gustafson visited victory lane in the season’s second race at Phoenix, and Gordon’s old crew chief Steve Letarte almost helped Earnhardt break a 98-race winless streak on Sunday.
So what gives for Mark Martin, who has an average finish of 13.8 this season? He’s teamed up with Earnhardt’s former pit boss Lance McGrew, and as I noted a few weeks ago, Martin and McGrew are just missing something.
Earnhardt Jr. isn’t though.
“I'm really thrilled,” he said. “I know it don't look like it, but I've got such a hell of an opportunity. This is such a great group to be around, and I'm having fun it. I'm racing cars. It's all I've ever wanted to do. I want to run like this.”
“I want to finish like this and run a little bit better than this on every weekend, and we are right on the outside of that, you know, and it's frustrating to be that close. It was frustrating to be leading the race with just a few -- inside ten laps to go and be passed,” he added.
“But there's definitely a brighter side to what's going on, too, and I won't forget to notice that.”
Sounds like he’s been taking notes from his teammate Mark Martin.
And speaking of Martins, how about the wreck that Martin Truex Jr. and Kasey Kahne were involved in on lap 222 that sparked a 25-minute red flag? That was one of the hardest hits I’ve ever seen at a place like Martinsville.
But I’m thankful that Truex and Kahne were able to walk away unscathed.
“Thanks to NASCAR and all the guys who build the SAFER barriers and these race cars, they are unbelievable,” Truex said. “Ten years ago, I wouldn’t be standing here.”
More NASCAR news, notes and opinions as the week rolls on. This week’s race is the first-ever night race at Texas. Should be an interesting one for sure.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Gordon wins Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix
Jeff Gordon may have a new paint scheme and sponsor, but he found himself in a familiar spot on Sunday in Phoenix: victory lane. Even though he hasn’t won in 66 races (Gordon last visited victory lane in 2009 at Texas) Gordon won his 83rd career race on Sunday, defeating Kyle Busch and teammate Jimmie Johnson in the Subway Fresh Fit 500.
“I don’t really care how we did it, I just want to get to victory lane,” Gordon said. “I can’t believe we beat Kyle Busch, we were the only ones to beat Kyle Busch this weekend.”
Busch, who was looking for his second weekend sweep in a year, was leading with ten laps to go, but Gordon passed the younger Busch and drove away from him, winning by a margin of 1.137 seconds.
Gordon was a part of the three-team crew and crew chief swap at Hendrick Motorsports over the offseason. Gordon’s crew chief Alan Gustafson broke a 97-race winless streak for Mark Martin at Phoenix in April of 2009, and got to snap Gordon’s 66-race streak this year.
Martin was the first driver to congratulate Gordon when the 39-year-old got out of his car.
“I just want to thank the fans,” Gordon said. He noted that fans have been tweeting him messages of motivation.
Just 66 laps into the race, a 13-car crash took out many major contenders including Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton. Right before that, Carl Edwards and Busch got together, causing Edwards to push Gordon into the wall.
“We kept battling through everything that was thrown at us,” Busch said. “Jeff just ran me down and flat out passed me.”
Gordon’s car didn’t seem to do too bad after that. Gordon led 138 laps in the 312 lap event.
Busch now leads the points by three points over brother Kurt. Tony Stewart, A.J. Allmendinger and Mark Martin round out the top five. Gordon is tied with Martin for fifth in the points.
“I don’t really care how we did it, I just want to get to victory lane,” Gordon said. “I can’t believe we beat Kyle Busch, we were the only ones to beat Kyle Busch this weekend.”
Busch, who was looking for his second weekend sweep in a year, was leading with ten laps to go, but Gordon passed the younger Busch and drove away from him, winning by a margin of 1.137 seconds.
Gordon was a part of the three-team crew and crew chief swap at Hendrick Motorsports over the offseason. Gordon’s crew chief Alan Gustafson broke a 97-race winless streak for Mark Martin at Phoenix in April of 2009, and got to snap Gordon’s 66-race streak this year.
Martin was the first driver to congratulate Gordon when the 39-year-old got out of his car.
“I just want to thank the fans,” Gordon said. He noted that fans have been tweeting him messages of motivation.
Just 66 laps into the race, a 13-car crash took out many major contenders including Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton. Right before that, Carl Edwards and Busch got together, causing Edwards to push Gordon into the wall.
“We kept battling through everything that was thrown at us,” Busch said. “Jeff just ran me down and flat out passed me.”
Gordon’s car didn’t seem to do too bad after that. Gordon led 138 laps in the 312 lap event.
Busch now leads the points by three points over brother Kurt. Tony Stewart, A.J. Allmendinger and Mark Martin round out the top five. Gordon is tied with Martin for fifth in the points.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Martin’s 2011 Goal: “Have fun and get it in done”
Mark Martin’s plan in his final year at Hendrick Motorsports is quite simple.
“My goal in 2011 is to have fun and get the job done,” Martin said last Thursday on NASCAR.com media day. “I’m going to have fun doing it. I’m determined to and so I look forward to it. It’s a great challenge.”
Martin, who came to Hendrick in 2009, has a new crew chief this year in Lance McGrew. Martin is excited for the challenge of working with a new crew chief. But, he’s worked with McGrew before, and it turned out nicely.
“Lance crew chiefed one race for me in 2007—a Nationwide race. I went in an hour early, sat in the trailer, we talked about dirt track racing, got to know each other. We went out there and won the race,” Martin said.
McGrew, who has been working with Dale Earnhardt Jr. the past season and a half, was moved to the No. 5 team as a part of the offseason’s big crew chief swap at HMS. McGrew moved to the No. 5 team with Martin. Martin’s former crew chief Alan Gustafson was paired with four-time Cup champ Jeff Gordon, and Gordon’s former crew chief Steve Letarte was paired with Earnhardt Jr.
Rick Hendrick’s goal for the swap was to make his whole organization better. Sure Jimmie Johnson’s fifth consecutive Sprint Cup title was great, but Gordon and Martin had trouble replicating their 2009 season, where Hendrick Motorsports finished 1-2-3 in the final point standings.
“In my opinion working with the same group all the time is overrated. Because you get comfortable,” the 52-year-old Martin said. “I’m on my toes, Lance is on his toes. We’ve never worked harder than we will right now for this first few weeks.
“We want this bad and one of my goals for 2011 is to help Lance get the success that he’s capable of, and this team is capable of. Same as it was when I went to the No. 5. All I wanted was for Alan [Gustafson] to get the recognition that I thought he deserved.”
Gustafson and Martin’s first season in 2009 was a career year for Martin. At 50 years old no one expected Martin to win five races, and lead the point standings as late as the Kansas race.
In 2010, Martin didn’t win one time. He’s not going to predict what his chances are to win in 2011, but knows the formula for his team’s success this season.
“I don’t put success on numbers,” he said. “I can’t say how many wins and top 5s and making the Chase and all that stuff is any particular goal for 2011. Man, let’s just go out there and reach our potential and if we do that, then we will be successful.”
No one knows how many races Martin and McGrew can win in their only season together. Martin has remained loyal to owner Rick Hendrick, and wants to do nothing more than to put another trophy on his owner’s mantle.
Martin has 40 career Cup victories, and 49 career poles. He wants to add to that this season, and knows that his team has the passion and energy to put the No. 5 car in victory lane. He can feel it.
“That race team is so excited. I feel the same energy that I felt at the 5 car when I went there in 2009,” he said. “They’re so excited and it’s so much fun to go to the racetrack and go to work with a race team that is excited. So, we just have to go out and do it.”
“My goal in 2011 is to have fun and get the job done,” Martin said last Thursday on NASCAR.com media day. “I’m going to have fun doing it. I’m determined to and so I look forward to it. It’s a great challenge.”
Martin, who came to Hendrick in 2009, has a new crew chief this year in Lance McGrew. Martin is excited for the challenge of working with a new crew chief. But, he’s worked with McGrew before, and it turned out nicely.
“Lance crew chiefed one race for me in 2007—a Nationwide race. I went in an hour early, sat in the trailer, we talked about dirt track racing, got to know each other. We went out there and won the race,” Martin said.
McGrew, who has been working with Dale Earnhardt Jr. the past season and a half, was moved to the No. 5 team as a part of the offseason’s big crew chief swap at HMS. McGrew moved to the No. 5 team with Martin. Martin’s former crew chief Alan Gustafson was paired with four-time Cup champ Jeff Gordon, and Gordon’s former crew chief Steve Letarte was paired with Earnhardt Jr.
Rick Hendrick’s goal for the swap was to make his whole organization better. Sure Jimmie Johnson’s fifth consecutive Sprint Cup title was great, but Gordon and Martin had trouble replicating their 2009 season, where Hendrick Motorsports finished 1-2-3 in the final point standings.
“In my opinion working with the same group all the time is overrated. Because you get comfortable,” the 52-year-old Martin said. “I’m on my toes, Lance is on his toes. We’ve never worked harder than we will right now for this first few weeks.
“We want this bad and one of my goals for 2011 is to help Lance get the success that he’s capable of, and this team is capable of. Same as it was when I went to the No. 5. All I wanted was for Alan [Gustafson] to get the recognition that I thought he deserved.”
Gustafson and Martin’s first season in 2009 was a career year for Martin. At 50 years old no one expected Martin to win five races, and lead the point standings as late as the Kansas race.
In 2010, Martin didn’t win one time. He’s not going to predict what his chances are to win in 2011, but knows the formula for his team’s success this season.
“I don’t put success on numbers,” he said. “I can’t say how many wins and top 5s and making the Chase and all that stuff is any particular goal for 2011. Man, let’s just go out there and reach our potential and if we do that, then we will be successful.”
No one knows how many races Martin and McGrew can win in their only season together. Martin has remained loyal to owner Rick Hendrick, and wants to do nothing more than to put another trophy on his owner’s mantle.
Martin has 40 career Cup victories, and 49 career poles. He wants to add to that this season, and knows that his team has the passion and energy to put the No. 5 car in victory lane. He can feel it.
“That race team is so excited. I feel the same energy that I felt at the 5 car when I went there in 2009,” he said. “They’re so excited and it’s so much fun to go to the racetrack and go to work with a race team that is excited. So, we just have to go out and do it.”
Monday, July 26, 2010
A weekend recap of Mark Martin in Indy
After a busy weekend in Speedway, Ind., I’ve finally mustered up enough strength and energy to put some thoughts down on paper. Since I shorted my faithful readers of a proper Brickyard 400 countdown, I promise to bring you so many recap stories and opinions from the weekend that you’ll never want to watch another race: just replays of yesterday’s Brickyard.
“I’m going to do what I want to do for now. I’m going to drive the 5 car. That’s what we’ve said all along and I felt very disrespected when the media doesn’t accept that because what that means is that you make me look like I’m about to get fired and that’s very disrespectful and that’s what you all are doing and it’s very disrespectful and I deserve better than that because I’ve always been as straight as I can be.”
“And any bit of waffling I’ve ever done has been based on being asked questions before I was ready to answer them. And I should be able to do the things I want to. I ran a limited schedule because I wanted to. I came back because I wanted to drive the 5 car. I never said I was going to retire. I said I was not going to run the full schedule and I changed my mind so I’m going to have a hard time telling you guys what I’m going to do in ’12 and beyond because you guys pick at that like I’m indecisive. I’m at the point in my career where I get to do whatever the heck I want to do.”
“Rick Hendrick and Alan Gustafson indicated to me that they wanted me to drive their car as long as I wanted to drive it. And after thinking about that I told them I’d drive it through ’11 and that would be a long enough commitment for me and then I’d do something else. They wanted me to go further than that—that’s too far out. I don’t have a road map. I just want to do what I said I was going to do. That’s what we’re going to do. That’s what they want. That’s what I want, and I don’t know why everyone makes such a big deal out of this.”
“I understand it will all be put to rest when they announce what Kasey is going to do and you should be focusing on that. What’s Kasey going to do? Because I’ve told you what I’m going to do.”
Throughout all of this Mark was very, very upset and I could tell. As I talked with Kendra Jacobs, Mark’s media relations director, in his hauler on Friday, I could tell she was upset about it too.
“It’s wearing because you have to present yourself in the right way, and that’s my job. But in the same sense, I’m getting frustrated by it all too, and there are times when I lose myself in it and I have to remind myself, ‘Get yourself in check and be professional about this.’ You get frustrated because you’re in the middle of it but you have to step out and do your job.”
“It wears on me, it wears on everyone on this team and it’s really wearing on Mark and I just really think that when we have all the information in place, we’ll say what’s going on. We’re not sitting on information because that doesn’t do us any good either.”
“It’s coming. Information is coming, I’m told all the time. I want to know just as bad as everyone else.”
I told her that I could tell Mark was upset during the media visit and being a 17-year fan of Mark Martin that I was displeased with all the questioning he faced. However, the easiest way to shut up speculators is to show them why you’re so good, and on Saturday morning Mark Martin laid down a quick lap, putting him third in the final qualifying rundown.
After watching the No. 5 car zip around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 49.504 seconds (181.803 mph) I headed down to the media room to hear Mark and Jimmie Johnson talk about their laps. Johnson started second in the race.
Even though Mark went out later in practice when track temperatures were nearly 120 degrees, his lap was blazing fast. “This year we didn’t have a great draw, but we had a great car, and I feel we capitalized on that car,” he said.
Mark also stated that it’s not too late to catch Johnson and others, and make it into the Chase, but he did note that, “it’s not too late, but it’s close.”
Listening to Mark on the team radio all weekend was once again a treat for my ears, as well as anyone else listening in. Mark thanked the team numerous times and was one heck of a motivational speaker on Saturday afternoon.
He and Alan Gustafson got the car good enough to jump out to the lead on lap 39 when Juan Pablo Montoya pitted with a tire issue. Mark led for ten laps before pitting.
From the mid-point of the race on, Mark had trouble gaining spots but he and Alan Gustafson never lost faith and kept trying to tune the GoDaddy.com car to win.
Even though my dad and I discussed the pit stops after the race, I was surprised to open my media-issued trackside report to see that the only car who spent less time on pit road than Mark Martin was race winner Jamie McMurray.
Mark came on the radio as he crossed the finish line in 11th place saying he was proud of the team and apologized for screwing it up. The car was fast and he is glad that the team has made progress, just as he had mentioned all weekend.
All in all, it was yet another awesome Brickyard 400 race weekend for Mark Martin and his team. The No. 5 crew unloaded fast, Mark qualified third and was up front most of the day. Hopefully his luck has turned around and he can continue to make a climb toward the Chase.
Even though Mark lost points on 12th place, he climbed into 13th place. Heading to Pocono, a track Mark has been strong at in the past, he sits 62 points behind Clint Bowyer.
When I showed up the bright green No. 5 car was finishing tech inspections
Friday’s media visit with Mark Martin was uncomfortable to say the least. Last year was fun and exciting. Mark talked about winning at Chicago, and having a week off to recharge his batteries before the Brickyard.
This year was painful. Questions about Mark’s future were brought up by Bob Pockrass, of SceneDaily.com and David Newton, of ESPN.com.
Pockrass told Mark about Ray Evernham’s comments earlier in the day. Evernham met with media members to discuss ESPN’s coverage, which he is a part of, but also mentioned that Mark, “will realize Rick Hendrick has been very good to him, and...the best thing for Hendrick Motorsports is for Mark to make room for Kasey to come over there.” Evernham added that he expects Mark Martin to make an announcement within two weeks that he’ll step aside for Kahne in 2011.
Mark Martin was not happy, to say the least. Here’s his tirade.
“I don’t know why, I just don’t know why. I made myself perfectly clear over the last several weeks. There’s no inclination of any change but I will tell you this. There is no road map for me and my future so don’t even start thinking about criticizing what I’m going to do in 2012 and beyond, so don’t even ask what I’m going to do.”
This year was painful. Questions about Mark’s future were brought up by Bob Pockrass, of SceneDaily.com and David Newton, of ESPN.com.
Pockrass told Mark about Ray Evernham’s comments earlier in the day. Evernham met with media members to discuss ESPN’s coverage, which he is a part of, but also mentioned that Mark, “will realize Rick Hendrick has been very good to him, and...the best thing for Hendrick Motorsports is for Mark to make room for Kasey to come over there.” Evernham added that he expects Mark Martin to make an announcement within two weeks that he’ll step aside for Kahne in 2011.
Mark Martin was not happy, to say the least. Here’s his tirade.
“I don’t know why, I just don’t know why. I made myself perfectly clear over the last several weeks. There’s no inclination of any change but I will tell you this. There is no road map for me and my future so don’t even start thinking about criticizing what I’m going to do in 2012 and beyond, so don’t even ask what I’m going to do.”
Mark Martin answers questions on media day. Check out the guy holding the camera on the right side of the photo in the green shirt. (IndianapolisMotorSpeedway photo)
“I’m going to do what I want to do for now. I’m going to drive the 5 car. That’s what we’ve said all along and I felt very disrespected when the media doesn’t accept that because what that means is that you make me look like I’m about to get fired and that’s very disrespectful and that’s what you all are doing and it’s very disrespectful and I deserve better than that because I’ve always been as straight as I can be.”
R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Find out what it means to Mark Martin
“And any bit of waffling I’ve ever done has been based on being asked questions before I was ready to answer them. And I should be able to do the things I want to. I ran a limited schedule because I wanted to. I came back because I wanted to drive the 5 car. I never said I was going to retire. I said I was not going to run the full schedule and I changed my mind so I’m going to have a hard time telling you guys what I’m going to do in ’12 and beyond because you guys pick at that like I’m indecisive. I’m at the point in my career where I get to do whatever the heck I want to do.”
“Rick Hendrick and Alan Gustafson indicated to me that they wanted me to drive their car as long as I wanted to drive it. And after thinking about that I told them I’d drive it through ’11 and that would be a long enough commitment for me and then I’d do something else. They wanted me to go further than that—that’s too far out. I don’t have a road map. I just want to do what I said I was going to do. That’s what we’re going to do. That’s what they want. That’s what I want, and I don’t know why everyone makes such a big deal out of this.”
“I understand it will all be put to rest when they announce what Kasey is going to do and you should be focusing on that. What’s Kasey going to do? Because I’ve told you what I’m going to do.”
Throughout all of this Mark was very, very upset and I could tell. As I talked with Kendra Jacobs, Mark’s media relations director, in his hauler on Friday, I could tell she was upset about it too.
“It’s wearing because you have to present yourself in the right way, and that’s my job. But in the same sense, I’m getting frustrated by it all too, and there are times when I lose myself in it and I have to remind myself, ‘Get yourself in check and be professional about this.’ You get frustrated because you’re in the middle of it but you have to step out and do your job.”
“It wears on me, it wears on everyone on this team and it’s really wearing on Mark and I just really think that when we have all the information in place, we’ll say what’s going on. We’re not sitting on information because that doesn’t do us any good either.”
“It’s coming. Information is coming, I’m told all the time. I want to know just as bad as everyone else.”
I told her that I could tell Mark was upset during the media visit and being a 17-year fan of Mark Martin that I was displeased with all the questioning he faced. However, the easiest way to shut up speculators is to show them why you’re so good, and on Saturday morning Mark Martin laid down a quick lap, putting him third in the final qualifying rundown.
Mark pulls into Gasoline Alley after qualifying third. Kyle Busch (in yellow to the right of the car) walks out onto the grid for his lap.
After watching the No. 5 car zip around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 49.504 seconds (181.803 mph) I headed down to the media room to hear Mark and Jimmie Johnson talk about their laps. Johnson started second in the race.
Even though Mark went out later in practice when track temperatures were nearly 120 degrees, his lap was blazing fast. “This year we didn’t have a great draw, but we had a great car, and I feel we capitalized on that car,” he said.
Mark also stated that it’s not too late to catch Johnson and others, and make it into the Chase, but he did note that, “it’s not too late, but it’s close.”
Listening to Mark on the team radio all weekend was once again a treat for my ears, as well as anyone else listening in. Mark thanked the team numerous times and was one heck of a motivational speaker on Saturday afternoon.
He and Alan Gustafson got the car good enough to jump out to the lead on lap 39 when Juan Pablo Montoya pitted with a tire issue. Mark led for ten laps before pitting.
From the mid-point of the race on, Mark had trouble gaining spots but he and Alan Gustafson never lost faith and kept trying to tune the GoDaddy.com car to win.
Even though my dad and I discussed the pit stops after the race, I was surprised to open my media-issued trackside report to see that the only car who spent less time on pit road than Mark Martin was race winner Jamie McMurray.
Mark came on the radio as he crossed the finish line in 11th place saying he was proud of the team and apologized for screwing it up. The car was fast and he is glad that the team has made progress, just as he had mentioned all weekend.
All in all, it was yet another awesome Brickyard 400 race weekend for Mark Martin and his team. The No. 5 crew unloaded fast, Mark qualified third and was up front most of the day. Hopefully his luck has turned around and he can continue to make a climb toward the Chase.
Even though Mark lost points on 12th place, he climbed into 13th place. Heading to Pocono, a track Mark has been strong at in the past, he sits 62 points behind Clint Bowyer.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Mark Martin needs strong Brickyard run to get into Chase contention
5 days until the Brickyard 400 There are already numerous parallels between the 2009 Brickyard 400 and the 2010 Brickyard 400 for myself on a personal level. I won two tickets to the ’09 version of the race by listening to a Cincinnati country music station, correctly identifying a song by Luke Bryan (“Do I”). In 2010, Luke Bryan is performing on Saturday at noon in the infield for fans. But will he be singing his newest hit “Rain is a Good Thing” while being drenched by rain?
The forecast calls for a 30 percent chance of precipitation on Saturday, and the temperatures will be through the roof as they normally are for NASCAR’s trip to Indianapolis.
But today’s focus, with just five days remaining until the green flag drops at Indy, is on the driver, car and team that all wear the number 5 on raceday. Mark Martin started on the pole last year, finished second, and looks to improve in 2010.
Like Luke Bryan, “Do I” wish to see Mark Martin improve on the 2009 run? Heck yes.
But this season has been a season of ups and downs for Martin. He started off well, sitting on the pole at Daytona and keeping his nose clean. However, the second half of the opening part of the season has been a downward spiral for the 51-year-old Batesville, Ark., native.
Last year after winning the pole at IMS, he commented, “I can promise you one thing: no matter what, there is nobody in NASCAR having more fun than me. I’m sure about that. Ultimately, that’s really what it’s about.”
This season has been less than fun for Martin, his crew chief Alan Gustafson and his whole team. During the offseason Hendrick Motorsports went through a shakeup of sorts that saw a lead race engineer and a key mechanic from the No. 5 team—who finished second in the points standings last season—to the struggling No. 88 team of Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s most popular driver.
The results have been devastating for Martin. Even though Gustafson blames the midseason slide on his inability to tune the racecar to Martin’s liking after NASCAR made the switch back to the rear spoiler in April, fans and media pundits everywhere have wondered exactly what is holding the No. 5 team back this season.
Jenna Fryer, the Associated Press auto racing writer, commented on this interesting issue a few weeks back. But, she was told by Gustafson that no matter how it seems to outsiders, the shop that houses the 5 and 88 teams is better than it was one year ago.
“If I was somebody who was not involved in this everyday, that is what I would say because that is the most obvious and makes the most sense,” Gustafson said. “I think it’s wrong. I do think our shop has made a net gain, even though we haven’t won any races. The 88 is significantly better than what they were. So I think the team strength is a lot better.”
But for fans of Mark Martin, it’s definitely worse. The 2009 Brickyard 400 was a miracle run for Martin who came up just car lengths short of defeating his teammate Jimmie Johnson (who Martin dubbed, “Superman” after the race). What does 2010 hold in store for the No. 5 team?
If this season is any indication it could be a painful run for the GoDaddy.com sponsored machine, but maybe somehow Rick Hendrick and his teams will pull their brainpower together and find some way to make all four teams run well at Indy this upcoming weekend.
“Crossing the finish line first is very complicated,” Martin said on the Friday before last year’s Brickyard 400. “That’s a very complicated question and I gave you a simple answer. To get there first would be what it takes. That could come in all different sets of circumstances.”
Losing team mechanics was certainly not on the list.
-------------------------------------------------------
Many more posts are on their way to you the readers today. With just five days left until the green flag flies at Indy, I’m getting as fired up as I always do about seeing what I consider the best race on the NASCAR schedule, live in-person.
Chip Ganassi made some interesting comments during yesterday’s teleconference, and I expect to listen in to Jeff Gordon’s teleconference later and get some storylines from that. Keep coming back as we near the weekend for pictures, stories, quotes, opinions and links to my stories on FOX19.com
Thanks for reading.
The forecast calls for a 30 percent chance of precipitation on Saturday, and the temperatures will be through the roof as they normally are for NASCAR’s trip to Indianapolis.
But today’s focus, with just five days remaining until the green flag drops at Indy, is on the driver, car and team that all wear the number 5 on raceday. Mark Martin started on the pole last year, finished second, and looks to improve in 2010.
Like Luke Bryan, “Do I” wish to see Mark Martin improve on the 2009 run? Heck yes.
But this season has been a season of ups and downs for Martin. He started off well, sitting on the pole at Daytona and keeping his nose clean. However, the second half of the opening part of the season has been a downward spiral for the 51-year-old Batesville, Ark., native.
Last year after winning the pole at IMS, he commented, “I can promise you one thing: no matter what, there is nobody in NASCAR having more fun than me. I’m sure about that. Ultimately, that’s really what it’s about.”
This season has been less than fun for Martin, his crew chief Alan Gustafson and his whole team. During the offseason Hendrick Motorsports went through a shakeup of sorts that saw a lead race engineer and a key mechanic from the No. 5 team—who finished second in the points standings last season—to the struggling No. 88 team of Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s most popular driver.
The results have been devastating for Martin. Even though Gustafson blames the midseason slide on his inability to tune the racecar to Martin’s liking after NASCAR made the switch back to the rear spoiler in April, fans and media pundits everywhere have wondered exactly what is holding the No. 5 team back this season.
Jenna Fryer, the Associated Press auto racing writer, commented on this interesting issue a few weeks back. But, she was told by Gustafson that no matter how it seems to outsiders, the shop that houses the 5 and 88 teams is better than it was one year ago.
“If I was somebody who was not involved in this everyday, that is what I would say because that is the most obvious and makes the most sense,” Gustafson said. “I think it’s wrong. I do think our shop has made a net gain, even though we haven’t won any races. The 88 is significantly better than what they were. So I think the team strength is a lot better.”
But for fans of Mark Martin, it’s definitely worse. The 2009 Brickyard 400 was a miracle run for Martin who came up just car lengths short of defeating his teammate Jimmie Johnson (who Martin dubbed, “Superman” after the race). What does 2010 hold in store for the No. 5 team?
If this season is any indication it could be a painful run for the GoDaddy.com sponsored machine, but maybe somehow Rick Hendrick and his teams will pull their brainpower together and find some way to make all four teams run well at Indy this upcoming weekend.
“Crossing the finish line first is very complicated,” Martin said on the Friday before last year’s Brickyard 400. “That’s a very complicated question and I gave you a simple answer. To get there first would be what it takes. That could come in all different sets of circumstances.”
Losing team mechanics was certainly not on the list.
-------------------------------------------------------
Many more posts are on their way to you the readers today. With just five days left until the green flag flies at Indy, I’m getting as fired up as I always do about seeing what I consider the best race on the NASCAR schedule, live in-person.
Chip Ganassi made some interesting comments during yesterday’s teleconference, and I expect to listen in to Jeff Gordon’s teleconference later and get some storylines from that. Keep coming back as we near the weekend for pictures, stories, quotes, opinions and links to my stories on FOX19.com
Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
What’s going on at Hendrick Motorsports?
It’s the one story that very few people have talked about in the past few weeks, and honestly, why should they? Other than the fact that it indirectly involves Dale Earnhardt Jr., many fans wouldn’t even know what’s going on at Hendrick Motorsports.
Amidst all the hoopla over Kasey Kahne’s arrival in 2012, or maybe sooner, and Jimmie Johnson’s resurgence, there has been one team that has struggled mightily. Oddly enough, it’s the team that Kahne will drive for as late as the 2012 season; the No. 5 car, currently piloted by Mark Martin.
Last year at this time the No. 5 team was fighting for a berth in the Chase, barely hanging on to a 11th place spot, four points ahead of Kahne. This season Martin and the GoDaddy team are still in 11th and the cushion to the 13th place driver is 30 points before the July 4th race in Daytona. But that 13th place driver is the guy that the No. 5 team shares a garage with at the HMS compound; the No. 88 car of NASCAR’s most popular star, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Jenna Fryer, an Associated Press NASCAR writer, finally addressed the question this week after the race in Loudon. She asked Earnhardt and Alan Gustafson, the crew chief of the No. 5 team, about the resurgence of Earnhardt and the seeming tailspin that Martin is in.
“I think it helped us,” Earnhardt Jr. told Fryer. “I know Mark is struggling compared to last year. But it helped us as a team. (Engineer) Chris Heroy come over was a big deal for me and Lance both. I think he’s enjoyed being part of our group.”
Lance McGrew and Earnhardt have been together just over a year now, and while Earnhardt still hasn’t won since the June Michigan race in 2008, it seems that it’s only a matter of time before he does finally make his way back into Victory Lane.
Gustafson was riding a wave of success last season as one of the most successful crew chiefs in the business. Martin was 34th in the standings heading out of Atlanta in the spring, perilously close to falling out of the top 35 in points. Martin and Gustafson rallied the No. 5 squad, winning in dominating fashion at Phoenix, making Jimmie Johnson cry uncle at Darlington and outsmarting the field on fuel mileage in Michigan.
Three wins later and Gustafson had his childhood hero in the Chase, right where they wanted to be. One year later though, Martin isn’t having the results he’s expected. “We’re doing a better job than last year at executing with what we have. We’ve done a really great job of racing and bringing home good finishes for where we are,” Martin told Jay Hart of Yahoo! Sports.
“The back side of that is that we’re not as fast as we were a year ago, and that’s based on chasing a moving target with rules changes and tire changes and car changes and competition being a moving target.”
And he’s right. Aside from the pole he had at Daytona, Martin hasn’t been the quickest car all year. He has lacked the speed that he had last year at so many places. But Gustafson blames the lack of speed on his failure to adjust to the new spoiler package on the Sprint Cup cars. And he won’t blame Martin’s lack of performance on the off-season changes that moved an engineer and a mechanic to Earnhardt Jr.’s team, a directive that came straight from the boss, Rick Hendrick. It was a move that was supposed to strengthen Junior’s team. Mission accomplished.
“If I was somebody who was not involved in this everyday, that is what I would say because that is the most obvious and makes the most sense,” Gustafson said. “I think it’s wrong. I do think our shop has made a net gain, even though we haven’t won any races. The 88 is significantly better than what they were. So I think the team strength is a lot better.”
As fans we aren’t involved with the day-to-day operations of the teams, but for the past few months Mark Martin fans have noticed that the No. 5 car hasn’t been everything that it was last season. Although the ’09 season was almost a dream season for fans of the now 51-year-old, the success that Martin and the Hendrick team had last season surely came with expectations this season.
And maybe they are meeting those expectations, as Gustafson pointed out. But the question that I’d love to ask Rick Hendrick (and the word is still out on the Brickyard media pass as of right now) is, “Would you sacrifice Mark Martin in the Chase for Dale Earnhardt Jr.”
I’d believe his answer would end up being something along the lines of, “Well, we’d love to get both of them in, and there’s still time to do it.”
But, as Jenna Fryer pointed out, Jr.’s success could come at the expense of Mark Martin. And there’s something that doesn’t sit well with Mark Martin fans.
However, Fryer noted in a story she did on Monday that maybe the apparent demise of the No. 5 team has to do with Martin being a lame-duck driver. Maybe moving resources and workers to the No. 88 team was Hendrick’s way of pushing Martin out the door. Even though Martin said there was a, “zero percent” chance he’d be driving something other than the No. 5 car next year, speculation runs rampant about who will be where in 2011.
“This is a tough spot for Hendrick, Martin, Gustafson and the entire No. 5 team, particularly considering that Kasey Kahne has already locked into that ride for 2012,” Fryer wrote. “It’s left Hendrick trying to find a place to stash Kahne next season, and although Martin is adamant he’s not vacating his seat a year early, I’m not convinced it won’t happen.”
She says why not put Martin in the No. 83 car next season if Brian Vickers isn’t medically cleared to race? Vickers has made the Red Bull Racing team very good over the past few years, and Martin’s friend Jay Frye (formerly at Ginn Racing when Martin was there) certainly wouldn’t disagree with having a veteran race winner on his staff.
But Mark Martin in an energy drink car? It just seems a little odd. Until Friday afternoon’s announcement of a “New Cup Team” on NASCAR.com, I’m not sure what anyone’s plans are for the 2011 or 2012 season.
And if anything is worth betting on, it’s the fact that Hendrick will do everything in his power to make sure Dale Earnhardt Jr. makes the top 12. Financially, it’s a smart maneuver. But will Mark Martin be there too? We’ve got nine races to see what happens next.
Amidst all the hoopla over Kasey Kahne’s arrival in 2012, or maybe sooner, and Jimmie Johnson’s resurgence, there has been one team that has struggled mightily. Oddly enough, it’s the team that Kahne will drive for as late as the 2012 season; the No. 5 car, currently piloted by Mark Martin.
Last year at this time the No. 5 team was fighting for a berth in the Chase, barely hanging on to a 11th place spot, four points ahead of Kahne. This season Martin and the GoDaddy team are still in 11th and the cushion to the 13th place driver is 30 points before the July 4th race in Daytona. But that 13th place driver is the guy that the No. 5 team shares a garage with at the HMS compound; the No. 88 car of NASCAR’s most popular star, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Martin and Earnhardt Jr. started 1-2 at the season's first race (Getty Images)
Jenna Fryer, an Associated Press NASCAR writer, finally addressed the question this week after the race in Loudon. She asked Earnhardt and Alan Gustafson, the crew chief of the No. 5 team, about the resurgence of Earnhardt and the seeming tailspin that Martin is in.
“I think it helped us,” Earnhardt Jr. told Fryer. “I know Mark is struggling compared to last year. But it helped us as a team. (Engineer) Chris Heroy come over was a big deal for me and Lance both. I think he’s enjoyed being part of our group.”
Earnhardt Jr. is currently 13th in the standings, just three points behind Carl Edwards for the final spot in the Chase
Lance McGrew and Earnhardt have been together just over a year now, and while Earnhardt still hasn’t won since the June Michigan race in 2008, it seems that it’s only a matter of time before he does finally make his way back into Victory Lane.
Gustafson was riding a wave of success last season as one of the most successful crew chiefs in the business. Martin was 34th in the standings heading out of Atlanta in the spring, perilously close to falling out of the top 35 in points. Martin and Gustafson rallied the No. 5 squad, winning in dominating fashion at Phoenix, making Jimmie Johnson cry uncle at Darlington and outsmarting the field on fuel mileage in Michigan.
Martin's No. 5 car sat on the pole at Indianapolis last year
Three wins later and Gustafson had his childhood hero in the Chase, right where they wanted to be. One year later though, Martin isn’t having the results he’s expected. “We’re doing a better job than last year at executing with what we have. We’ve done a really great job of racing and bringing home good finishes for where we are,” Martin told Jay Hart of Yahoo! Sports.
“The back side of that is that we’re not as fast as we were a year ago, and that’s based on chasing a moving target with rules changes and tire changes and car changes and competition being a moving target.”
And he’s right. Aside from the pole he had at Daytona, Martin hasn’t been the quickest car all year. He has lacked the speed that he had last year at so many places. But Gustafson blames the lack of speed on his failure to adjust to the new spoiler package on the Sprint Cup cars. And he won’t blame Martin’s lack of performance on the off-season changes that moved an engineer and a mechanic to Earnhardt Jr.’s team, a directive that came straight from the boss, Rick Hendrick. It was a move that was supposed to strengthen Junior’s team. Mission accomplished.
“If I was somebody who was not involved in this everyday, that is what I would say because that is the most obvious and makes the most sense,” Gustafson said. “I think it’s wrong. I do think our shop has made a net gain, even though we haven’t won any races. The 88 is significantly better than what they were. So I think the team strength is a lot better.”
As fans we aren’t involved with the day-to-day operations of the teams, but for the past few months Mark Martin fans have noticed that the No. 5 car hasn’t been everything that it was last season. Although the ’09 season was almost a dream season for fans of the now 51-year-old, the success that Martin and the Hendrick team had last season surely came with expectations this season.
And maybe they are meeting those expectations, as Gustafson pointed out. But the question that I’d love to ask Rick Hendrick (and the word is still out on the Brickyard media pass as of right now) is, “Would you sacrifice Mark Martin in the Chase for Dale Earnhardt Jr.”
I’d believe his answer would end up being something along the lines of, “Well, we’d love to get both of them in, and there’s still time to do it.”
But, as Jenna Fryer pointed out, Jr.’s success could come at the expense of Mark Martin. And there’s something that doesn’t sit well with Mark Martin fans.
However, Fryer noted in a story she did on Monday that maybe the apparent demise of the No. 5 team has to do with Martin being a lame-duck driver. Maybe moving resources and workers to the No. 88 team was Hendrick’s way of pushing Martin out the door. Even though Martin said there was a, “zero percent” chance he’d be driving something other than the No. 5 car next year, speculation runs rampant about who will be where in 2011.
Kahne will be vacating the No. 9 car at the end of the season. Where will he be in 2011?
“This is a tough spot for Hendrick, Martin, Gustafson and the entire No. 5 team, particularly considering that Kasey Kahne has already locked into that ride for 2012,” Fryer wrote. “It’s left Hendrick trying to find a place to stash Kahne next season, and although Martin is adamant he’s not vacating his seat a year early, I’m not convinced it won’t happen.”
She says why not put Martin in the No. 83 car next season if Brian Vickers isn’t medically cleared to race? Vickers has made the Red Bull Racing team very good over the past few years, and Martin’s friend Jay Frye (formerly at Ginn Racing when Martin was there) certainly wouldn’t disagree with having a veteran race winner on his staff.
Could Mark Martin be driving a Red Bull Racing car in 2011? Jenna Fryer of the AP certainly thinks so
But Mark Martin in an energy drink car? It just seems a little odd. Until Friday afternoon’s announcement of a “New Cup Team” on NASCAR.com, I’m not sure what anyone’s plans are for the 2011 or 2012 season.
And if anything is worth betting on, it’s the fact that Hendrick will do everything in his power to make sure Dale Earnhardt Jr. makes the top 12. Financially, it’s a smart maneuver. But will Mark Martin be there too? We’ve got nine races to see what happens next.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Mark Martin looks to defend 2009 Southern 500 win
Last year Mark Martin pulled away from teammate Jimmie Johnson in the final 21 laps to win the Southern 500, capping off his second win in four weeks. The then 50-year old had just inked a deal to run the entire 2010 season in the No. 5 car for Hendrick Motorsports, locking in an opportunity to win the 2010 version of the Southern 500 at Darlington on Saturday night.
Johnson, who has been the man to beat in his past four championship seasons, called to crew chief Chad Knaus with a little over 15 to go and said, “I’ve got nothing left for him.” Mark Martin left the unbeatable Jimmie Johnson crying “uncle.”
Martin, an Arkansas native, relished the win last year. This week he reflected back on that night. “The Southern 500 is a pretty big deal, and it had been so long since I won the first one that it was like I hadn’t ever won it at all,” he said. “So to get that win, and to do it with these guys on the (No.) 5 team, that was really special to me.”
It was just as special for crew chief Alan Gustafson, who remarked that it was a very tough race weekend for the No. 5 team. “It was a race that took us all weekend to win,” Gustafson said. “Mark never gave up on the track and kept fighting all night. It was really just an incredible night for us.” Gustafson said the team made four or five times the adjustments they normally do on a typical race morning.
The crew chief is in charge of setting up the car to the driver’s liking, and even with the chemistry between Martin and Gustafson, Darlington is just a track that is tough to figure out. “Darlington’s a demanding racetrack, though,” Gustafson said. “The driver is always on the edge. If you go about one inch past where you’re supposed to be, you’ll end up in the wall. It’s a crazy race.”
For as much experience as Martin has, Darlington is still as its catchphrase suggests: “Too tough to tame.” He said, “Darlington is tough because I like sliding my race car around the track, and you just can’t do that there. If you slip, you’re going to be in the wall.” The “Lady in Black” will rub paint off of numerous cars this weekend, and many drivers will earn the famed “Darlington stripe” from bouncing their cars off the wall.
Gustafson and Martin worked together last year to figure out the best set up to get their team into victory lane. “Last year, Alan was just brilliant. He set me up where I could race how I wanted to in one end and defend my position in the other,” Martin said. “It was a perfect strategy, and that’s the stuff you have to figure out for Darlington.”
Gustafson added, “That’s definitely the toughest race I’ve ever won; one of the toughest races I can remember ever running.” The race had 17 cautions, a new track record for cautions.
But maybe the storyline that was most coveted after this race had nothing to do with Mark Martin’s resurgence or Jimmie Johnson finally giving up on his 50-year old teammate, but with NASCAR’s suspension of Jeremy Mayfield before the race for failing a random drug test.
This year if Martin successfully defends his win, maybe he’ll get the sports headlines all to himself.
Johnson, who has been the man to beat in his past four championship seasons, called to crew chief Chad Knaus with a little over 15 to go and said, “I’ve got nothing left for him.” Mark Martin left the unbeatable Jimmie Johnson crying “uncle.”
Martin, an Arkansas native, relished the win last year. This week he reflected back on that night. “The Southern 500 is a pretty big deal, and it had been so long since I won the first one that it was like I hadn’t ever won it at all,” he said. “So to get that win, and to do it with these guys on the (No.) 5 team, that was really special to me.”
Mark Martin won his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race last year at Darlington (Motorsports.com photo)
It was just as special for crew chief Alan Gustafson, who remarked that it was a very tough race weekend for the No. 5 team. “It was a race that took us all weekend to win,” Gustafson said. “Mark never gave up on the track and kept fighting all night. It was really just an incredible night for us.” Gustafson said the team made four or five times the adjustments they normally do on a typical race morning.
The crew chief is in charge of setting up the car to the driver’s liking, and even with the chemistry between Martin and Gustafson, Darlington is just a track that is tough to figure out. “Darlington’s a demanding racetrack, though,” Gustafson said. “The driver is always on the edge. If you go about one inch past where you’re supposed to be, you’ll end up in the wall. It’s a crazy race.”
For as much experience as Martin has, Darlington is still as its catchphrase suggests: “Too tough to tame.” He said, “Darlington is tough because I like sliding my race car around the track, and you just can’t do that there. If you slip, you’re going to be in the wall.” The “Lady in Black” will rub paint off of numerous cars this weekend, and many drivers will earn the famed “Darlington stripe” from bouncing their cars off the wall.
Martin, carrying the Cheez-It logo on his car, held off Jimmie Johnson to win the Southern 500 (NASCAR.com photo)
Gustafson and Martin worked together last year to figure out the best set up to get their team into victory lane. “Last year, Alan was just brilliant. He set me up where I could race how I wanted to in one end and defend my position in the other,” Martin said. “It was a perfect strategy, and that’s the stuff you have to figure out for Darlington.”
Gustafson added, “That’s definitely the toughest race I’ve ever won; one of the toughest races I can remember ever running.” The race had 17 cautions, a new track record for cautions.
But maybe the storyline that was most coveted after this race had nothing to do with Mark Martin’s resurgence or Jimmie Johnson finally giving up on his 50-year old teammate, but with NASCAR’s suspension of Jeremy Mayfield before the race for failing a random drug test.
This year if Martin successfully defends his win, maybe he’ll get the sports headlines all to himself.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Flashback: Martin captures first win of 2009 at Phoenix
“It’s hard to make a car good enough to win, and it’s ten times harder to win one,” Mark Martin said after capturing his first victory in four years last April in Phoenix. “We didn’t fall into this one, we took it.”
Hendrick Motorsports has had a strangle hold on Phoenix since 2007. The only driver to win at Phoenix since the spring of 2007 not named Jimmie Johnson is his teammate Mark Martin.
Hendrick Motorsports has had a strangle hold on Phoenix since 2007. The only driver to win at Phoenix since the spring of 2007 not named Jimmie Johnson is his teammate Mark Martin.
Martin and the No. 5 team celebrate their first win of 2009 (Motorsport.com photo)
Last year Martin won the pole in Phoenix, his third of the 2009 season to that point. Unfortunately for Martin and the No. 5 team, they hadn’t been able to put together a run that matched their qualifying effort. “I remember being nervous for that race. But that's only because I knew how good our car was,” Martin said this week. “We had a winning car from the time we rolled off the truck last year. The guys knew it, too, and I was so concerned with not disappointing them.”
After Mark Martin won it was time to do a quick victory lap with the checkered flag (Motorsport.com photo)
“We had a great race. Perfect pit stops. Very few adjustments all night long.”
Martin and crew chief Alan Gustafson made the right moves all night long in the desert. In the end though, Martin and two-time champ Tony Stewart had to battle for the win. No matter who took the checkers first, sports writers would have a multitude of storylines for the next week.
It was either Martin, the 50-year-old wily vet, who had come back from part-time racing to join the “superteam” of NASCAR for a chance to win races or Stewart, who left a ride with Joe Gibbs Racing to start his own team. But in the end Martin prevailed, leaving writers and broadcasters, fans of the sport and fans of all sports to rejoice, praising the “Old Man” who dominated a group of athletes younger than him.
Stewart wasn’t too disappointed though. He said, “We’re going to win one of these soon. [But] I’m glad to see Mark get this win. He deserved it. He had the fastest car.”
Before capturing the win at Phoenix in April of '09, Martin's last win was in 2005 at Kansas (Motorsport.com photo)
Martin said post race, “This is big for me. The response from my fellow competitors means more than any trophy to me.”
This week he reflected back on that weekend, saying, “When we finally won, it was such a mix of relief and gratitude. It was an amazing night. One of those wins that I’m sure I’ll never forget. Absolutely incredible.”
It was just the beginning for Martin in 2009. He went on to win four more races, and was a player in quite a few more.
In April of 2008 he had the field covered at Phoenix in the No. 8 U.S. Army Chevy, but running low on gas late in the race, Martin pitted and yielded the lead to Jimmie Johnson. In 2009 Martin came in as a darkhorse favorite at Phoenix. FOX analyst Larry McReynolds picked Martin to win too. And he was right.
As a Mark Martin fan it certainly was a memorable night. And this weekend we look for nothing less from Martin and the No. 5 GoDaddy.com team. But, this weekend, Martin won’t be looked at as a darkhorse to win. He might be the favorite, that is, if four-time Cup champ Jimmie Johnson isn’t the favorite.
Johnson (left) and Martin have been pretty stout at Phoenix the past few years. Can anyone stop them? (Getty Images)
If anyone has the tools and the will to defeat Johnson it’s the other Hendrick teams, most notably Martin. And if this battle sounds familiar, well it is. Martin and Johnson dueled at Indianapolis last year and dueled in the points battle all the way down to the final few races of 2009.
Who will win this weekend? Tune in to FOX tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. for the start of the first night race on the 2010 schedule.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Gustafson’s dream come true
Last year heading into Bristol the new driver and crew chief combo of Alan Gustafson and Mark Martin were working through some bad luck. After two blown engines and a blown tire in three straight races, the No. 5 Kelloggs/CarQuest team headed to Bristol in 34th in points, teetering on the edge of not being locked in to the field, and having to qualify on time.
So Martin went out and put his No. 5 car on the pole, and finished sixth.
Alan Gustafson was the key in many races for Martin and the No. 5 team last season, making key decisions atop the pit box in Martin’s best season since 1998. “It was a magical year, last year, for me,” Martin said Wednesday. “And I still feel the magic each time I strap into a race car.”
One of the best story lines behind Gustafson and Martin’s fabulous run last year is the fact that as a youngster Gustafson idolized Martin.
“When I found out he was going to drive our Cup car, obviously I was very ecstatic,” Gustafson told Yahoo’s Jay Hart last week. “I don’t think you could ask for anything more than having Mark Martin drive your car.”
I gave up the idea of driving in NASCAR many, many years ago, but why not be a crew chief? Well, I have trouble adjusting my cars on video games, so maybe that’s not me either, but any chance to work with Mark Martin would be amazing. And no one has found that out better than Gustafson.
“There are a lot of things that you learn, but his passion, drive and determination for the sport is incredible. It’s something that you know is there, but when you work with him it’s really, really obvious – how much he really enjoys this sport and how dedicated he is to it,” he said.
In a book written in 2004 about his career, Martin said, “I’ve always been competitive. Anything I’ve ever done, I’ve gone at it 100 percent. I don’t know any other way.”
So when they came to “Thunder Valley” last March they knew they had to put the pedal down and go. “I didn’t doubt myself or the team or Mark,” Gustafson said. “But after we had so many successive part failures or issues or blown tires or crashes in row, you just wonder, ‘Man, what do I need to do different? We’ve got the speed; we’re just not getting the results. Are we missing something here? Are we trying too hard? Are we not trying hard enough? Are we too tense? What is it?’”
They never gave up and fought their way back into the Chase, where Martin started as the points leader. Martin won race one of the Chase in New Hampshire, partially due to a call by Gustafson to short pit late in the race.
“We fell a little bit short, but all in all we overcame a lot and I think we accomplished a lot of good things,” Gustafson said.
But falling short definitely fueled both driver and crew chief. “I hope (this year) that we’ll have the hammer when it’s time to go,” Martin said. Having the hammer in the past four years has meant getting past the guys on their own team, two of the best in the business, the No. 48 team of Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson.
So, how do you get by them? “If I had the answer I’d have a bigger trophy in my office right now,” Gustafson said. “Mine’s a little smaller than theirs. I will say that the time they have had together is very important. That is one thing that the 5 team, we’re a little behind them on.
“It took them a little while to get it exactly right, and hopefully the experience the 5 team has had together will help us be stronger in 2010.”
And Gustafson paired with his hero Martin for the past year has helped the No. 5 team reach heights that were unmatched with previous drivers Casey Mears and Kyle Busch. This season when the GoDaddy.com No. 5 team heads into Bristol they are not worried about points. Martin sits seventh, a 27-spot improvement over last year.
Gustafson doesn’t plan on letting Martin finish second again this year. He’s as driven as his driver is when it comes to being the best. He said, “I’m just a regular guy who loves racing, who loves my job and that I work real hard at it. You know, at the end of the day you just want to be remembered as a guy who was very tough to compete against and does things the right way and does a good job at it and, ultimately, a guy that the people who work for you like.
“That’s one thing that is very important to me. You may not be the nicest guy, but at the end of the day they’ll say, ‘Man, that is a hard-working guy who’s always treated me fair.’ That’s biggest thing.”
So Martin went out and put his No. 5 car on the pole, and finished sixth.
Alan Gustafson was the key in many races for Martin and the No. 5 team last season, making key decisions atop the pit box in Martin’s best season since 1998. “It was a magical year, last year, for me,” Martin said Wednesday. “And I still feel the magic each time I strap into a race car.”
Gustafson (left) chats with Greg Erwin, Greg Biffle's crew chief, at Indianapolis last year
One of the best story lines behind Gustafson and Martin’s fabulous run last year is the fact that as a youngster Gustafson idolized Martin.
“When I found out he was going to drive our Cup car, obviously I was very ecstatic,” Gustafson told Yahoo’s Jay Hart last week. “I don’t think you could ask for anything more than having Mark Martin drive your car.”
I gave up the idea of driving in NASCAR many, many years ago, but why not be a crew chief? Well, I have trouble adjusting my cars on video games, so maybe that’s not me either, but any chance to work with Mark Martin would be amazing. And no one has found that out better than Gustafson.
Martin and Gustafson paired for seven poles and five wins in 2009. Already in 2010 Martin has one pole. (Getty Images)
“There are a lot of things that you learn, but his passion, drive and determination for the sport is incredible. It’s something that you know is there, but when you work with him it’s really, really obvious – how much he really enjoys this sport and how dedicated he is to it,” he said.
In a book written in 2004 about his career, Martin said, “I’ve always been competitive. Anything I’ve ever done, I’ve gone at it 100 percent. I don’t know any other way.”
Rick Hendrick believed in Mark Martin two years ago, so much so that he persuaded him to take a full-time ride in the No. 5 car. I'd say it's paid off for both sides (Getty Images)
So when they came to “Thunder Valley” last March they knew they had to put the pedal down and go. “I didn’t doubt myself or the team or Mark,” Gustafson said. “But after we had so many successive part failures or issues or blown tires or crashes in row, you just wonder, ‘Man, what do I need to do different? We’ve got the speed; we’re just not getting the results. Are we missing something here? Are we trying too hard? Are we not trying hard enough? Are we too tense? What is it?’”
They never gave up and fought their way back into the Chase, where Martin started as the points leader. Martin won race one of the Chase in New Hampshire, partially due to a call by Gustafson to short pit late in the race.
“We fell a little bit short, but all in all we overcame a lot and I think we accomplished a lot of good things,” Gustafson said.
The four driver team of Hendrick Motorsports pose together with their boss at the preseason media meeting (Getty Images)
But falling short definitely fueled both driver and crew chief. “I hope (this year) that we’ll have the hammer when it’s time to go,” Martin said. Having the hammer in the past four years has meant getting past the guys on their own team, two of the best in the business, the No. 48 team of Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson.
So, how do you get by them? “If I had the answer I’d have a bigger trophy in my office right now,” Gustafson said. “Mine’s a little smaller than theirs. I will say that the time they have had together is very important. That is one thing that the 5 team, we’re a little behind them on.
“It took them a little while to get it exactly right, and hopefully the experience the 5 team has had together will help us be stronger in 2010.”
And Gustafson paired with his hero Martin for the past year has helped the No. 5 team reach heights that were unmatched with previous drivers Casey Mears and Kyle Busch. This season when the GoDaddy.com No. 5 team heads into Bristol they are not worried about points. Martin sits seventh, a 27-spot improvement over last year.
Martin runs a practice lap earlier today in Bristol (Getty Images)
Gustafson doesn’t plan on letting Martin finish second again this year. He’s as driven as his driver is when it comes to being the best. He said, “I’m just a regular guy who loves racing, who loves my job and that I work real hard at it. You know, at the end of the day you just want to be remembered as a guy who was very tough to compete against and does things the right way and does a good job at it and, ultimately, a guy that the people who work for you like.
“That’s one thing that is very important to me. You may not be the nicest guy, but at the end of the day they’ll say, ‘Man, that is a hard-working guy who’s always treated me fair.’ That’s biggest thing.”
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Mark Martin and No. 5 team look forward to 2010
Mark Martin had a dream season in 2009, capturing a career high in poles and winning five races, the most he’d won since 1998. In any other year, Martin probably would have won the Sprint Cup, but he couldn’t outperform his teammate Jimmie Johnson, who Martin referred to numerous times during the season as, “Superman”.
So, what does the 51-year-old, 26-year veteran do for an encore?
Well, for starters, Martin won the pole for the Daytona 500, but it’ll take more than winning poles to compete for the Sprint Cup in 2010. As he found out last season, he’s going to have to win races, plural.
He’ll probably have to deal with Johnson and Jeff Gordon, not to mention the possibility of his HMS building mate Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is looking strong at Daytona. And that’s just within his team.
In Yahoo! Sports’s preseason countdown, a panel of five NASCAR writers picked the top 20 finishers for the upcoming season. Mark Martin came in at No. 7 on the list, which doesn’t surprise me at all.
Why? Because Mark Martin is always overlooked, and flies under the radar.
“By the way, yeah, it’s nice. I’m still under the radar compared to Danica. Even though we got the pole, we’re still under the radar,” he said. “That’s cool. That’s my style.”
For a guy who was declared too old to drive by many folks, I’d say he’s off to a decent start. But how long can Martin sustain this type of performance? Apparently he doesn’t want to talk about getting old anymore.
“Don’t go there,” he said, laughing. “Don’t go there. Let’s not even talk about that. I’m just loving life right now. I’m going to be loving life every time I get a chance to strap in that 5 car.”
And every time he straps in, the fans I told you about yesterday get that much more excited. Even Martin is fired up about it. He said, “Well, 2010 will be a challenge to have as much fun as we had in 2009 because part of the time, I don't know about Alan, maybe not for Alan but for me, I was surprising myself. It was a surprise. And so we have higher expectations, or at least I do, you know, this year.”
Alan Gustafson, Martin’s crew chief, knows this season could be his shot to bring his childhood idol his first Sprint Cup title.
“I’m real excited about. The 11 years I’ve been [at Hendrick], this is the best position we’ve been in to go win a championship,” Gustafson said. “This is the best position we’ve been in to have out two teams succeed. I don’t see why that won't happen.”
Gustafson continued, praising Martin with this long comment: “Then when my hero is driving the car makes it that much sweeter. It’s really cool for me. Side note: When you can get a record with Mark, Mark has enough records to have his own record book, but when you can get a new one with him, we’ve done it a few times since he drove his car, done something he’s never done in his career, be on the pole for the Daytona 500, something he’s never done, I’m really proud to be able to do something he’s never done, because he’s done an awful lot. That’s really cool for me, too.” (An AP story by Jenna Fryer published earlier today recaps this feeling: http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news;_ylt=Au5W4dxKp34d.GvMuIGPQlDov7YF?slug=ap-nascar-daytona-gustafson&prov=ap&type=lgns)
He sounds like I would if I had his job. And Mark, well, he’s just excited about how this season will turn out, no matter how the Yahoo! Poll turned out.
“I’m so happy to be at the racetrack. There’s no place in the world that I’d rather be. I’ve said that before. There’s no place in the world I’d rather be,” he said.
And although the sports writers with some clout think Martin will finish seventh, this sports writer thinks he’ll do better. After all, he’s currently the guy everyone will be chasing come Sunday.
So, what does the 51-year-old, 26-year veteran do for an encore?
Well, for starters, Martin won the pole for the Daytona 500, but it’ll take more than winning poles to compete for the Sprint Cup in 2010. As he found out last season, he’s going to have to win races, plural.
He’ll probably have to deal with Johnson and Jeff Gordon, not to mention the possibility of his HMS building mate Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is looking strong at Daytona. And that’s just within his team.
In Yahoo! Sports’s preseason countdown, a panel of five NASCAR writers picked the top 20 finishers for the upcoming season. Mark Martin came in at No. 7 on the list, which doesn’t surprise me at all.
Why? Because Mark Martin is always overlooked, and flies under the radar.
“By the way, yeah, it’s nice. I’m still under the radar compared to Danica. Even though we got the pole, we’re still under the radar,” he said. “That’s cool. That’s my style.”
For a guy who was declared too old to drive by many folks, I’d say he’s off to a decent start. But how long can Martin sustain this type of performance? Apparently he doesn’t want to talk about getting old anymore.
“Don’t go there,” he said, laughing. “Don’t go there. Let’s not even talk about that. I’m just loving life right now. I’m going to be loving life every time I get a chance to strap in that 5 car.”
And every time he straps in, the fans I told you about yesterday get that much more excited. Even Martin is fired up about it. He said, “Well, 2010 will be a challenge to have as much fun as we had in 2009 because part of the time, I don't know about Alan, maybe not for Alan but for me, I was surprising myself. It was a surprise. And so we have higher expectations, or at least I do, you know, this year.”
Alan Gustafson, Martin’s crew chief, knows this season could be his shot to bring his childhood idol his first Sprint Cup title.
“I’m real excited about. The 11 years I’ve been [at Hendrick], this is the best position we’ve been in to go win a championship,” Gustafson said. “This is the best position we’ve been in to have out two teams succeed. I don’t see why that won't happen.”
Gustafson continued, praising Martin with this long comment: “Then when my hero is driving the car makes it that much sweeter. It’s really cool for me. Side note: When you can get a record with Mark, Mark has enough records to have his own record book, but when you can get a new one with him, we’ve done it a few times since he drove his car, done something he’s never done in his career, be on the pole for the Daytona 500, something he’s never done, I’m really proud to be able to do something he’s never done, because he’s done an awful lot. That’s really cool for me, too.” (An AP story by Jenna Fryer published earlier today recaps this feeling: http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news;_ylt=Au5W4dxKp34d.GvMuIGPQlDov7YF?slug=ap-nascar-daytona-gustafson&prov=ap&type=lgns)
He sounds like I would if I had his job. And Mark, well, he’s just excited about how this season will turn out, no matter how the Yahoo! Poll turned out.
“I’m so happy to be at the racetrack. There’s no place in the world that I’d rather be. I’ve said that before. There’s no place in the world I’d rather be,” he said.
And although the sports writers with some clout think Martin will finish seventh, this sports writer thinks he’ll do better. After all, he’s currently the guy everyone will be chasing come Sunday.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Mark Martin: The man, a role model and life teacher
I’ve often stated that I really can’t remember why I when I started watching NASCAR I began to root for Mark Martin. Now, looking back, I see that I made the right choice, not only as a fan of the sport, but I made the right choice as a fan of the man himself.
After he got out of his winning car at Chicago he said, “That was fun. That’s what life’s all about right there.” He followed that comment up with this jewel at Indy on Saturday. “I can promise you one thing: no matter what, there is nobody in NASCAR having more fun than me,” he said, laughing. “I’m sure about that. Ultimately, that’s really what it's about.”
After he got out of his winning car at Chicago he said, “That was fun. That’s what life’s all about right there.” He followed that comment up with this jewel at Indy on Saturday. “I can promise you one thing: no matter what, there is nobody in NASCAR having more fun than me,” he said, laughing. “I’m sure about that. Ultimately, that’s really what it's about.”
Mark Martin climbed from his car after running the fastest lap in qualifying on Saturday (AP)
In October of 2007, his first part-time season, he was asked about Aric Almirola, the driver with whom he shared the #01 Army car. “I appreciate the patience that he has,” Mark said, continuing with, “Impatience is a real hard thing to deal with and to work with. Impatience is waste of time. It’s a diversion. If you’re impatient, you’re worrying about things you can’t control.”
And to that point in my life, it was the best advice I had ever gotten. Don’t worry about things outside of your control. Mark winning the Brickyard a few days ago? Outside of my control. My car’s engine and transmissions woes on Friday morning, outside of my control. The rain that moved Saturday’s qualifying back? Way outside my control, but remembering Mark’s comments, I took it in stride and made the most of my situations.
And to that point in my life, it was the best advice I had ever gotten. Don’t worry about things outside of your control. Mark winning the Brickyard a few days ago? Outside of my control. My car’s engine and transmissions woes on Friday morning, outside of my control. The rain that moved Saturday’s qualifying back? Way outside my control, but remembering Mark’s comments, I took it in stride and made the most of my situations.
Qualifying started four hours late on Saturday due to weather
Mark Martin was always known for being a pessimist. He’s noted that his expectations and perfectionist attitudes made him that way. On Saturday, after claiming his fourth pole of the 2009 season he said, “My expectations were what eventually just ground me into the ground and took the fun out of racing for me. So to be able to be rejuvenated after a couple years of catching my breath, then to have some crazy surge of success that we're experiencing, is beyond my dreams.”
Martin gives his wisdom to the media after qualifying
“I happen to have the same fire and desire that I had 30 years ago. Not everyone, you know, has that. Maybe three years ago I didn't have as much either,” he said. “I had a chance to look at it and say, What I want in life, what do I want out of life, and can I still do this. I think that's a very important question that I asked myself.” There are 50 year old people in America today that ask themselves that question, that look back at their life, at their career, and wonder if they’ve made the right decisions. You could tell from Mark’s genuineness that he’s where he wants to be.
And he’s having fun. I said yesterday that his theme song should have been Hoobstank’s “So Close, Yet So Far,” and in all actuality it could also be Green Day’s, “Good Riddance” (or, as some know it, “I Hope You’ve Had the Time of Your Life”) .
He commented, “At least we are having fun and we’re having success. It’s always fun to beat the odds. I believe that we are beating the odds.”
Mark Martin smiles before getting in his car to run laps at Indy on Friday afternoon
The numerous nuggets of wisdom he provided never ceased to amaze me in that short twenty minutes he spent talking to the media after his pole run on Saturday. His best line—one that struck me as soon as he said it, and inspired me to write this piece—might be THE new quote to live by. It might replace his earlier comment about impatience. “When I look back on [living in Indiana], I can't relive those days. The only ones I can live are the ones going forward,” he said.
‘Damn. That’s a hell of a comment,’ I thought to myself. And the thing is, it’s common sense, it’s a quote that anyone could say and it might not hit me as hard. But, when Mark Martin said it, it struck me as the best advice I had heard in a long, long time.
I’ve always respected Mark Martin for being a tough, clean racecar driver. He’s been called the gentleman of the garage area. He’s also a noted fitness freak. The man is stronger than most, if not all, drivers in the garage area. “So what I do is I focus on my strengths. I’m trying to make the very most out of my career. And physical fitness, health and fitness is a part of that,” he said in a serious tone. “My quality of life from here going forward is very dependent on that. That’s something that I just don't think you can afford to let go.”
“All I can do is use my strengths. That’s all I can do. I can’t do anything about my weaknesses,” he said. That falls into the category of worrying about things outside of your control I mentioned earlier. He’s given up on chasing the ever elusive Cup title, and why? “I'll answer the questions and everything else, but I'm not going to lay in bed at night and think about what it will be like to lift that trophy,” he told reporters after winning at Michigan. He added, “You know, I’m not gonna deal with expectations that cut my legs out from under me again ever in my career. I’m gonna go out and drive the racecar as hard as I can drive every time I get in it.”
Martin got out of his car at Chicago and showed some emotion by raising his arm in the air (Getty Images)
Effort is the key to success, or so the saying goes. Mark has continually pushed that he wants to make the Chase for the sole purpose of seeing his team mentioned with the elite teams in NASCAR. “I feel like my race team deserved to be a part of that elite group but if we come up short it won’t be from lack of effort,” he told the media on Friday at Indianapolis.
Team is a big part of Mark’s comments. He realizes he can’t win races by himself. When he ran the quickest lap of Friday’s final practice at Indianapolis he knew he had a great car, but it meant more to him to see his team’s collective happiness. “You should have seen the light in all my guys' faces. I mean it, that's the most, the very most fun of the whole thing that we're doing here, is to see their faces. It's just really, really cool,” he said.
Martin's pit crew is one of the best on pit road (Getty Images)
“I love those guys. I'm a pretty tough unit. I've had a lot of disappointments,” he continued. Everything from finishing second in the Daytona 500 in 2007 to having a title basically pulled from him for an illegal part in 1990. However, he mentioned that at the track is where his ‘family’ is. “My people at the racetrack are my family and have been my family for a long time,” he commented.
His team might be more than family to him. He’s got one son, Matt, who is now 17. “But I feel toward them (his team) like you do toward your children. I don't want them to have to suffer through disappointment. So I put a lot of pressure on myself to get a good lap today so that I wouldn't let them down,” he added.
He’s even put some pressure on himself to succeed this year. After a dismal Michigan qualifying run he commented that he should have been fired. “I'm serious. If I can't do better than that in the stuff they're giving me, they're going to need to get somebody else,” he said. He won the Lifelock 400 the next day. At Chicago, after dominating the race and leading a race high 195 laps he got into the media room and stated, “I’m racing for my job.”
He then glanced at Rick Hendrick, his car owner, who countered back, “Alan and I said—and Mark you probably don’t want to hear this—we said we can win a championship with Mark Martin this year. We were confident we could win races.”
“If we were fortunate enough, God willing, to win a championship with Mark, I said it at Darlington, I’ll say it again, to me there’s nothing more professionally I could accomplish than that,” his crew chief, Alan Gustafson said. “That’s probably the biggest thing that I could do.”
Alan Gustafson (left) talks to Greg Erwin on Saturday morning at IndianapolisHe just wanted to be “in the fray” on Sunday afternoon, and he almost won the second biggest race of the season. For all the disappointment he has endured, all the times he’s come in second place and all the episodes of hurt he has endured, he’s got a new positive outlook on life.
“You can say what you want, but I've had some days this year. That's not the way to approach me. It's been my day this year, all year. I'd love to have won the race. But I'm very grateful to have had a chance at it,” he said, slightly grinning.
He thanked his team numerous times on the radio—both before and after the race—and wanted to make sure they knew how proud he was of their hard work.
He reflected on his second place finish by stating, “I got beat. I didn't get her done. But I gave it my heart. So did my race team. I'm grateful for it.”
For all Mark Martin fans this season has been like a dream come true. And even though Mark has downplayed the running for a title, some of his fans want nothing more than to see him lift the Sprint Cup in November at Homestead.
He keeps everything in perspective with one last pearl of wisdom. “I’ve been incredibly blessed with a great family, great friends, a great career,” he explained. “And now with a great team, we’ve had our share of success. It’s great.”
And it’s great to be a fan of Mark Martin. Mark Martin the man, not Mark Martin the driver.
“You can say what you want, but I've had some days this year. That's not the way to approach me. It's been my day this year, all year. I'd love to have won the race. But I'm very grateful to have had a chance at it,” he said, slightly grinning.
He thanked his team numerous times on the radio—both before and after the race—and wanted to make sure they knew how proud he was of their hard work.
He reflected on his second place finish by stating, “I got beat. I didn't get her done. But I gave it my heart. So did my race team. I'm grateful for it.”
For all Mark Martin fans this season has been like a dream come true. And even though Mark has downplayed the running for a title, some of his fans want nothing more than to see him lift the Sprint Cup in November at Homestead.
He keeps everything in perspective with one last pearl of wisdom. “I’ve been incredibly blessed with a great family, great friends, a great career,” he explained. “And now with a great team, we’ve had our share of success. It’s great.”
And it’s great to be a fan of Mark Martin. Mark Martin the man, not Mark Martin the driver.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Mark Martin shoots for first ever Brickyard 400 win
“I'm pretty competitive.” So am I. “And pretty obsessive-compulsive.” Check. “And I'm able to give these guys everything I’ve got.” Agreed. “I'm not distracted by other things in life right now.” Close. I’ll say I’m pretty driven to see the man who said all those things take home the checkered flag on Sunday. After all, he’d never won at Chicago. That was, until two weeks ago.
For years I’ve watched Mark Martin zip around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For 13 years he drove the #6 for Jack Roush, decked out in red, white and blue, sometimes with Valvoline on the car, other times with Viagra, and even once with AAA Auto Insurance on the car hood.
He’s got four wins and three poles this season, and he’s quickly becoming a fan favorite—if he wasn’t already. But, what does Mark Martin have to do to win at Indy on Sunday?
The smart alecks out there answer, “Well, he’s gotta finish first.” Ok, but what are his chances of being the first car to the checkered flag on Sunday?
In fifteen Indianapolis races Mark Martin has averaged a 13th place start and finished—on average—in 14th place. However, many times I have told you about his misfortune in 2000 where he wrecked early in the race. Three other times he has finished outside the top 20, and in 2004 he was in the top ten before he cut a tire on the final lap coming off of turn two and limped home to a 25th place finish.
In what I consider one of the coolest shots I ever took with my old camera, Mark Martin zips down the front stretch at Indy, clipping by his crew chief Pat Tryson
In the 1998 Brickyard, a race I have chronicled a few times over the past two years, Mark Martin finished second to Jeff Gordon. This was Martin’s best finish at Indy. Last year he had the second fastest car on qualifying day, but we all know about the tire issues and what complexion that gave the race (more on tires tomorrow).
In 1996, my first trip to Indy, Mark Martin sat on the outside pole. He did so again in 1999, my second visit to the Brickyard 400. In my last visit, just last year, Mark Martin put his #8 U.S. Army Chevy on the outside of row one. But, can he do it this year?
Mark Martin hadn’t won a pole in nearly eight years before he won one in March at Atlanta. He has two other poles—at Bristol, one week after Atlanta, and at Phoenix, the race where he snapped a 98 race winless streak. Can Mark snap a 15 race winless streak at Indy on Sunday?
Well, he’s one of four drivers to have competed in every race at Indy. Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte and Jeff Burton are the others. Gordon has won four times at Indy—a NASCAR best—and Labonte kissed the bricks in 2000. Burton and Martin are still seeking their first wins at the 2.5 mile rectangle.
However, Burton has been less than stellar this season and Mark Martin hasn’t performed well coming off of his other three victories. After winning at Phoenix he lasted seven laps at Talladega before he got caught up in someone else’s mess. He finished last. At Lowe’s he placed 17th in the rain shortened Coke 600, but had a fast car. He finished 35th at Sears Point one week after winning at Michigan. Bad luck at Sonoma put Mark in a bad spot there as well.
So, can Mark Martin, Alan Gustafson and the rest of the #5 Kellogg’s/Carquest team put the post win bad luck streak behind them and win at Indy this weekend? I sure hope so, and I know that most of you reading this hope so too.
Could this be the year that Mark Martin takes it home? Could this finally be the year that all the pieces fall together for the 50-year old from Arkansas? He said at Phoenix (his first win of the 2009 campaign), “It’s hard to make a car good enough to win, and it’s ten times harder to win one.”
If Mark Martin unloads fast on Friday afternoon it signals trouble for the rest of the field. And if he doesn’t, well, just read the first comments I posted above. No one will work harder than Mark Martin and Alan Gustafson to make this #5 car fast.
If I may borrow some lines from one of my favorite musical groups, Lifehouse, I’ll say that the Hendrick Motorsports #5 team will do, “Whatever It Takes,” to see Mark win for the, “First Time.” Until then, I’m “Hanging By a Moment,” to see what will unfold.
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I’m tired of hearing about tires. Are you? Join me tomorrow as I look back at the woeful 2008 Brickyard 400 and look at the quotes and comments from drivers who have tested at Indy since then. Oh, and some foreshadowing by yours truly.
Mark Martin said they were, “Obscenely fast,” at Indy in the October Goodyear sponsored test. That might bode well for what I have posted above. Have a great Tuesday evening, I’ll check back tomorrow.
For years I’ve watched Mark Martin zip around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For 13 years he drove the #6 for Jack Roush, decked out in red, white and blue, sometimes with Valvoline on the car, other times with Viagra, and even once with AAA Auto Insurance on the car hood.
He’s got four wins and three poles this season, and he’s quickly becoming a fan favorite—if he wasn’t already. But, what does Mark Martin have to do to win at Indy on Sunday?
Mark Martin has won four races this season. Here he celebrates his thrid victory--at Michigan in June
The smart alecks out there answer, “Well, he’s gotta finish first.” Ok, but what are his chances of being the first car to the checkered flag on Sunday?
In fifteen Indianapolis races Mark Martin has averaged a 13th place start and finished—on average—in 14th place. However, many times I have told you about his misfortune in 2000 where he wrecked early in the race. Three other times he has finished outside the top 20, and in 2004 he was in the top ten before he cut a tire on the final lap coming off of turn two and limped home to a 25th place finish.
In what I consider one of the coolest shots I ever took with my old camera, Mark Martin zips down the front stretch at Indy, clipping by his crew chief Pat Tryson In the 1998 Brickyard, a race I have chronicled a few times over the past two years, Mark Martin finished second to Jeff Gordon. This was Martin’s best finish at Indy. Last year he had the second fastest car on qualifying day, but we all know about the tire issues and what complexion that gave the race (more on tires tomorrow).
In 1996, my first trip to Indy, Mark Martin sat on the outside pole. He did so again in 1999, my second visit to the Brickyard 400. In my last visit, just last year, Mark Martin put his #8 U.S. Army Chevy on the outside of row one. But, can he do it this year?
Mark Martin hadn’t won a pole in nearly eight years before he won one in March at Atlanta. He has two other poles—at Bristol, one week after Atlanta, and at Phoenix, the race where he snapped a 98 race winless streak. Can Mark snap a 15 race winless streak at Indy on Sunday?
Mark Martin qualified second at Indy in 2008, but was relegated to an 11th place finish. Why? Read tomorrow to find out the issues from the 2008 race.
Well, he’s one of four drivers to have competed in every race at Indy. Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte and Jeff Burton are the others. Gordon has won four times at Indy—a NASCAR best—and Labonte kissed the bricks in 2000. Burton and Martin are still seeking their first wins at the 2.5 mile rectangle.
However, Burton has been less than stellar this season and Mark Martin hasn’t performed well coming off of his other three victories. After winning at Phoenix he lasted seven laps at Talladega before he got caught up in someone else’s mess. He finished last. At Lowe’s he placed 17th in the rain shortened Coke 600, but had a fast car. He finished 35th at Sears Point one week after winning at Michigan. Bad luck at Sonoma put Mark in a bad spot there as well.
So, can Mark Martin, Alan Gustafson and the rest of the #5 Kellogg’s/Carquest team put the post win bad luck streak behind them and win at Indy this weekend? I sure hope so, and I know that most of you reading this hope so too.
Could this be the year that Mark Martin takes it home? Could this finally be the year that all the pieces fall together for the 50-year old from Arkansas? He said at Phoenix (his first win of the 2009 campaign), “It’s hard to make a car good enough to win, and it’s ten times harder to win one.”
If Mark Martin unloads fast on Friday afternoon it signals trouble for the rest of the field. And if he doesn’t, well, just read the first comments I posted above. No one will work harder than Mark Martin and Alan Gustafson to make this #5 car fast.
If I may borrow some lines from one of my favorite musical groups, Lifehouse, I’ll say that the Hendrick Motorsports #5 team will do, “Whatever It Takes,” to see Mark win for the, “First Time.” Until then, I’m “Hanging By a Moment,” to see what will unfold.
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I’m tired of hearing about tires. Are you? Join me tomorrow as I look back at the woeful 2008 Brickyard 400 and look at the quotes and comments from drivers who have tested at Indy since then. Oh, and some foreshadowing by yours truly.
Mark Martin said they were, “Obscenely fast,” at Indy in the October Goodyear sponsored test. That might bode well for what I have posted above. Have a great Tuesday evening, I’ll check back tomorrow.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Martin dominates Lifelock.com 400
Mark Martin must be a fan of The Carpenters, because it seems like he’s only just begun. The 50-year old Arkansan won his fourth race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season and did it in dominating fashion by leading 195 of the races 267 laps.
Martin had a bad qualifying draw, the driver of the five car went out first, in the heat of the day, and still managed to turn in a performance good enough for fourteenth place. From the green the Carquest/Kelloggs car was quick. Really quick. Before the first caution flew on lap 39, Martin found himself in third place and closing quickly on second place Clint Bowyer.
His pit crew did the rest, getting the Old Man off of pit road first, and he set sail from there. “This is easy bud,” he radioed to crw chief Alan Gustafson. He even pedaled back a little on the runs in order to save his stuff.
Who said being old was a bad thing?
Even as the double file restarts bunched the field up late Mark tried to hold off teammate Jimmie Johnson. And, even though Johnson pulled by the “Old Man” on lap 224, Martin never gave up. After a particularly dangerous restart on 251, Mark Martin still sat in third.
Some guys have all the luck it seems. And tonight, even though Martin had the best car all night, he needed some racing luck to pull off a win. After his first win of the season at Phoenix Mark said, “It’s hard to make a car good enough to win, and it’s ten times harder to win one. We didn’t fall into this one, we took it.”
And he could say the same thing this evening.
After a hairy restart on lap 250, Martin ended up zooming by Denny Hamlin and Brian Vickers to take the lead and he once again set sail. “The double file restarts are made to mess up the best car so he doesn’t win for the fans” he said in Victory Lane. More on double file restarts tomorrow, but the only fact that remains is the #5 car in Victory Lane at the end of the day.
Martin had a bad qualifying draw, the driver of the five car went out first, in the heat of the day, and still managed to turn in a performance good enough for fourteenth place. From the green the Carquest/Kelloggs car was quick. Really quick. Before the first caution flew on lap 39, Martin found himself in third place and closing quickly on second place Clint Bowyer.
His pit crew did the rest, getting the Old Man off of pit road first, and he set sail from there. “This is easy bud,” he radioed to crw chief Alan Gustafson. He even pedaled back a little on the runs in order to save his stuff.
Who said being old was a bad thing?
Even as the double file restarts bunched the field up late Mark tried to hold off teammate Jimmie Johnson. And, even though Johnson pulled by the “Old Man” on lap 224, Martin never gave up. After a particularly dangerous restart on 251, Mark Martin still sat in third.
Some guys have all the luck it seems. And tonight, even though Martin had the best car all night, he needed some racing luck to pull off a win. After his first win of the season at Phoenix Mark said, “It’s hard to make a car good enough to win, and it’s ten times harder to win one. We didn’t fall into this one, we took it.”
And he could say the same thing this evening.
After a hairy restart on lap 250, Martin ended up zooming by Denny Hamlin and Brian Vickers to take the lead and he once again set sail. “The double file restarts are made to mess up the best car so he doesn’t win for the fans” he said in Victory Lane. More on double file restarts tomorrow, but the only fact that remains is the #5 car in Victory Lane at the end of the day.
Even though he won, in almost true Mark Martin fashion, he doubted his abilities and told the media he wasn’t ready to claim himself the favorite to run for the title. “Let me tell you about points. I leave the track 13th in my mind and that’s fine with me,” he said. “It’s weird. I’m not going to let myself get sucked into that. No matter what happens going forward I’m leaving the track the same points position I was coming in.”
Mark Martin has been called a pessimist, and tonight, even in victory he showed that negative side once again. “I’m racing for my job,” he said, gazing at Rick Hendrick, his car owner. Hendrick countered back, “Alan and I said—and Mark you probably don’t want to hear this—we said we can win a championship with Mark Martin this year. We were confident we could win races.”
“Mark drove his tail off,” Gustafson said.
It was an exciting night, and now we look forward to Indy with a very particualr excitement. Mark will be riding a wave of momentum into Indianapolis, and he knows the #5 team’s M.O. must be this; “We need to lead the most laps and win the race. That’s what we need to do at indy as well.”
------------------------------------------------
Check back tomorrow for more thoughts on the Lifelock.com 400. It’s been an awesome night, and it could only get better with a win at Indy. I’ve said it more times than I can count, I don’t know what I’d do, but I might just be the happiest guy on earth if I saw Mark Martin win one at the Brickyard. Pinch me because this just can’t be real.
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