Mark Martin participated in every Cup Series race that was held from 1988 to 2006, and his appearances during this stretch came behind the wheel of the No. 6 Roush Racing Ford. In 2007, he decided to part ways with the team, which brought on a period of fluctuation between being a part-time and full-time driver. That stretch ultimately ended with him representing Hendrick Motorsports.
In 2007 and 2008, he drove for Ginn Racing and Dale Earnhardt Inc., limiting himself to part-time schedules. But in 2009, he returned as a full-time driver following a call from the owner of Hendrick Motorsports, Rick Hendrick. He explained these choices in an interview on Kenny Wallace’s YouTube channel recently and provided a clear insight into his career path for fans.
Advertisement
Martin said, “I intended to stay at 24 races. Which I did in 2007 and in 2008. Rick Hendrick called me to come drive the No. 5 car, and I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll come drive it for 24 races.’ He said, ‘No, it’s got to be a full season.’ I said, ‘Well, I’ll do it for 24 races.’
“And a couple of months later, he called again, said the same thing. I said the same thing, and he went away,” Martin added.
By the time Hendrickcame around for the third time, Martin’s mindset had changed. He had come very close to winning races in 2008 but somehow fell short. This created an itch to win at least one more race before calling it quits. As a result, he made a deal with Hendrick to race full-time for one year and follow it up with two more part-time seasons.
He piloted the No. 5 Chevrolet in 2009 and ended up winning five races at 50 years old. That historic performance placed him second in the points standings when the dust settled. He went on to race two more full-time seasons in the car before moving back to part-time schedules with other teams.
Advertisement
Martinrecalled with pride, “I couldn’t be more proud to have had that kind of success. But even more, working with Alan Gustafson and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports. My team was just enthusiastic, and we had so much fun, and I got to be teammates with Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and Dale Jr. I mean, what a super team.”
Even without that late burst, Martin was one of the most iconic drivers in NASCAR history. The three seasons he spent with Hendrick Motorsports elevated his status further and substantially increased his victory count to 40.
The post “Rick Hendrick Called Me”: Mark Martin Reveals Getting A New Lease of Life Late in His Career appeared first on The SportsRush.
