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It didn't take
Mark Martin long to feel
what it's like to win a stock car race. At the age of 15, in
just his third attempt, Martin won a feature race at a local
Arkansas dirt track. He
capped off his first season of racing with the 1974 Arkansas
state championship. After the early
success, he moved up to V-8 racing in 1976 and moved up again,
to asphalt racing, later that season. By 1977, Martin had
ascended to the ASA series, where he battled men like Rusty
Wallace, Bobby Allison and Dick
Trickle. Martin was named ASA Rookie of the Year in '77 and
followed that up with three consecutive ASA titles from
1978-1980. Martin began funding his Cup career out of his own pocket,
running five races in 1981 before running a full schedule in
1982. Martin finished 14th in the standings that season with six
top-10 finishes. Unable to keep his team afloat much longer,
Martin auctioned off everything in his shop in April 1983 and
ran a limited schedule with several owners, including J.D.
Stacy, D.K. Ulrich and Morgan-McClure. He tallied a pair of
top-10 finishes in 16 starts that season. In 1984, Martin
returned to the ASA. He would be teamed with crew chief Jimmy
Fennig in 1985 and would win another title in 1986.
Martin's fortunes began to look up in 1987, when he ran a full
Busch Series schedule for Bruce Lawmaster. His win at Dover that
year grabbed the attention of another car owner, Jack Roush.
Roush was starting his own Cup team and pegged Martin as his
driver. The relationship has proved fruitful: Martin had a
string of 10 consecutive top-10 points finishes that ended in
2001, when he finished 12th.
Off the track, Martin owns Mark Martin Performance, a company
that sells quarter-midget racing chassis like the one his son,
Matt, races in. He also helped build a quarter-midget track in
New Smyrna, Fla. Mark Martin has compiled one of the most successful careers in
NASCAR history. His 33 wins are the fourth most among active
drivers. He is currently fourth in Nextel Cup's all-time
standings and his name appears in the top 10 of several of
NASCAR's all-time lists. He has currently started 508 straight
Cup races, dating back to Feb 18, 1988. In September of 2003
Martin started his 500th consecutive Cup race ? the seventh
longest streak in Nextel Cup history and the third longest
current streak. Martin is set to start his 600th career Cup race
this season at Phoenix in November.
During the 2002 season, Martin stared his 500th Cup career race
and tallied his 300th career Cup top-10 finish. His fourth-place
finish in the season finale of 2002 marked the 200th time the
veteran driver has finished inside the top five in NASCAR's
premier racing series. Martin's second-place finish in 2002
marked the fourth time he has finished second in the final
Winston Cup point standings. Martin has finished in the top
eight in 13 of the last 15 seasons. Martin has finished in the
top-five in the Cup standings on 10 occasions in the past 15
seasons. In addition Martin owns a record 45 victories in the
Busch Series and his 11 victories in the International Race of
Champions series ties for the most ever. In addition, he has won
four championships in the IROC series, including a record three
straight from 1996-98. Quick Facts and Career Highlights about Mark Martin:
Finished second in the
point standings for the fourth time in his career in 2002,
taking home a career high $5,279,400 in prize money. Winner
of the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in May 2002,
collecting the no Bull Five Million dollar bonus.
Finished tied for the most
top-10 finishes in Winston Cup in 2002 with 22. Posted 12
top-five finishes, including three in the last three races
of the season. Mark's fourth place finish in the season
finale at Homestead marked Martin's 220th career top-five
Winston Cup finish and the 315th time the veteran driver has
finished inside the top-10.
Started his 500th
consecutive Nextel Cup race in September at Loudon, the
seventh longest streak in Nextel Cup history. Martin posted
five top-five and 10 top-ten finishes and earned 4,048,850
in prize money. Martin?s top 10 finish at Phoenix was the
325th of his career.
Captured two poles in 2001,
his 40th career pole at Bristol in March and his 41st at
Richmond in May. Martin posted 15 top-10 finishes and three
top-five finishes in 2001. He finished 12th in the final
points standings and earned $3,797,006. His ninth place
finish in the last race of the season at Loudon, marked the
293rd top-10 career finish.
Winner of one race at
Martinsville in April, 2000. He finished eighth in the
Winston Cup point standings and earned $3,098,874.
Winner of two races in
1999, including North Carolina Speedway in February and his
third in a row at Dover Downs in September. He also won the
Bud Shootout at Daytona International Speedway in February.
The win was Martin's first in a stock car at Daytona. He
claimed one pole at North Carolina Speedway in October to
secure his spot in the 2000 Bud Shootout.
Martin finished third in
the 1999 Winston Cup point standings for the fourth time in
his career, and won $3,509,744, second only to his earnings
in 1998.
Winner of seven point races
in 1998, the most he has ever achieved in one season, and
The Winston. Martin earned victories at Las Vegas, Texas,
California, Michigan in June, Bristol in August, Dover in
September and Charlotte in October. He won three poles in
1998, including Darlington in March, Dover in September and
Rockingham in October. Martin finished second in the 1998
Winston Cup standings for the third time in his career, and
won $4,309,006, the most he has ever earned in one season.
Winner of the 1998 Gatorade
Front Runner Award and $50,000.
Winner of four races in
1997, including two-in-a-row at Sears Point and Talladega in
May. Also won Michigan in August and Dover in September. He
received the Busch Pole Award and $50,000 after winning
three poles throughout the season. Martin finished third in
the Winston Cup standings, 29 points behind Jeff Gordon, and
earned $2,532,484.
Winner of the 1998, 1997,
1996 & 1994 International Race of Champions (IROC) title,
making him the only driver to win four IROC championships.
Broke the Busch Series
all-time wins record in 1997 with his 32nd win at Rockingham
in October. Jack Ingram previously held the record.
Winner of four poles in
1996, including both Bristol races, Pocono in July and
Richmond in September. He finished fifth in the 1996 Winston
Cup standings, and won $1,887,396.
Winner of four races in 1995. The four victories came at
four different track venues including a restricted
superspeedway (Talladega), a road course (Watkins Glen), a
short track (North Wilkesboro) and an unrestricted
superspeedway (Charlotte). He went on to finish fourth in
the Winston Cup standings, and earned $1,893,519.
Won three consecutive races
(1993-95) at the 2.45-mile Watkins Glen road course and
became the first NASCAR driver in the track's history to
accomplish that feat.
Finished second in 1994
Winston Cup points to Dale Earnhardt for the second time in
his career. Also finished second in points to Earnhardt in
1990 by only 26 points. He won $1,628,906 for the season,
and won two races.
Winner of five races in
1993, including a record four-in-a-row. Became the sixth
modern era driver (1972-present) to win four consecutive
Winston Cup races. Posted wins at Watkins Glen, Michigan,
Bristol and Darlington during the streak. He finished third
in the Winston Cup standings, and won $1.65 million.
Voted top professional
athlete for the month of August 1993 by the S. Rae Hickik
Pro Athlete of the Year board.
Won third quarter balloting
for 1993 Driver of the Year, voted on by a national panel of
motorsports media.
Received Busch Pole Award
and $30,000 in 1991 after winning five poles throughout the
season, more than any other driver.
Selected to the American
Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association (AARWBA)
All-American Team in 1990.
Finished third in 1989
NASCAR Winston Cup standings,123 points behind Rusty Wallace
and Dale Earnhardt. Won one race and six pole positions
during the season.
Won first career NASCAR
Winston Cup race at North Carolina Motor Speedway (Oct. 22,
1989) in 113th career start.
Selected as Driver of the
Year by the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) in
1989.
Returned to NASCAR Winston Cup series full-time in 1988 with
Jack Roush. Won one pole position and registered 10 top-10
finishes.
Earned first career NASCAR
Winston Cup pole position at Nashville International Raceway
(July 11, 1981) in third career start.
Won four American Stock
Association (ASA) championships in 1978-80 and 1986
Martin began funding his Cup career out of his own pocket,
running five races in 1981 before running a full schedule in
1982. Martin finished 14th in the standings that season with six
top-10 finishes. Unable to keep his team afloat much longer,
Martin auctioned off everything in his shop in April 1983 and
ran a limited schedule with several owners, including J.D.
Stacy, D.K. Ulrich and Morgan-McClure. He tallied a pair of
top-10 finishes in 16 starts that season. In 1984, Martin
returned to the ASA. He would be teamed with crew chief Jimmy
Fennig in 1985 and would win another title in 1986. 
