MARTIN, VIAGRA RACING TO CONCLUDE SEASON AT HOMESTEAD
Martin and the Viagra Racing Team will head south to Homestead-Miami
Speedway for the final race of the 2003 season. Martin and the No. 6
team will look to end the season on a strong note at a track where
Martin has finished in the top five in 80 percent of his races there.
THE CAR
The Viagra Racing Team will take two cars to Homestead. With the
changes being made to the track, the teams will be able to test two cars
on Wednesday before making their final decision on a car for the
weekend. The team will test and most likely go with RRC-106
(Martinsville and Phoenix). The team will also look at a car brought
over with Pat Tryson from the Wood Brothers (Car 66) that was ran by
Ricky Rudd at Darlington.
CHANGES AT HOMESTEAD
Homestead-Miami Speedway will have a different look and feel this
weekend. During the off-season the track was reconfigured with with
20-degree, variable banking in the turns as well as the SAFER (Steel and
Foam Energy Reduction) Barrier. With the variable banking system, the
degree of banking increases progressively from the bottom to the top of
each turn. At the midpoint of each turn, there is 18 degrees banking at
the bottom, 19 degrees in the middle and 20 degrees at the top. The
variable banking system is designed to create three competitive racing
grooves around the track.
IN THE POINTS
Martin is currently 17th in the Winston Cup point standings.
AT HOMESTEAD
Homestead has traditionally been a strong track for Martin and the No.
6 team. Although he has never won there, Martin has finished fourth or
better in three of his four races there. In addition in six Busch Series
races at Homestead, Martin finished in the top five on five occasions.
DID YOU KNOW?
Martin has finished in the top four in three of four races at
Homestead.
FAST FACTS
Martin has finished in the top four in three of his four WC
races at Homestead (75 percent), making him and teammate Jeff Burton the
only two drivers to post three top-five finishes at the track.
Martin finished fourth in the inaugural race at Homestead in '99
and fourth there last year.
Martin ran six races at Homestead in the Busch series, finishing
inside the top five on five occasions (83 percent).
Combined, Martin has run 10 NASCAR races at Homestead, finishing
inside the top five eight times, inside the top four six times and
inside the top three four times.
Martin finished second at Homestead in his last Busch race in
2000 for his highest finish at the track.
Martin's 8.25 average finish at Homestead is the second best at
the track.
QUOTING MARK MARTIN
MARK MARTIN ON HOMESTEAD
"Well, we've run really well there in the past, but they made a lot of
changes to the track over the last few months. They've went in an added
banking, so I guess it could go either way for us. I am excited about
where this race team is headed and I'm excited about how we ran last
weekend. I like the things that we are doing and I think that we will
see the rewards for the things that we are doing now, sometime down the
road. Hopefully it won't be too long. Nothing would be better than to go
out with a strong run or a win this weekend at Homestead."
Crew Chief Pat Tryson on racing at Homestead:
"We had a pretty good run last week, before we fell out of the race.
We are taking a couple of cars down to Homestead for Mark to test and
he'll be able to pick the one he likes the most. Hopefully we'll be able
to come up with another fast car and end the season on a strong note and
give us a little momentum to carry over as we get ready for next
season."
LAST SEASON AT HOMESTEAD
NOVEMBER 17, 2002 - Homestead-Miami Speedway
Ford 400 - Started 34th, Finished 4th
Martin and the Viagra Racing team concluded their 2002 season with
their third straight top-10 run and their fifth top-10 finish in as many
weeks. The fourth place finish marked Martin's 12th top five run of the
season and the 22nd time the Viagrab Racing team finished inside the
field's top-10. The team struggled with the car on Friday and qualified
a disappointing 34th. With second place locked up coming into the race,
Martin wasted little time moving up through the field. By lap 12 the
veteran driver had the No. 6 Ford Taurus running 25th. Martin broke into
the field's top-20 by lap 49. Martin broke into the field's top-10 by
lap 180. Caution was again called for the sixth and final time of the
day on lap 236, but the Viagrab Racing team opted to stay out running in
sixth when the field went green with only 24 laps remaining. Martin
struggled with the car, dropping back to eighth place by lap 257, but
the veteran mounted a late run, gaining three spots to fourth place when
the checkered flag dropped on the race and the 2002 season. The strong
run moved Martin to within 38 points of the championship
and marked the
third straight week he finished better than eventual champion Tony
Stewart.
ONE OF NASCAR'S ALL-TIME ELITE, MARK MARTIN
Martin's 33 Winston Cup wins put him fourth on the win list
among active drivers.
Martin has currently started 508 straight Winston Cup races, the
third-longest current streak and the seventh-longest streak in Winston
Cup history.
Martin's 41 Winston Cup poles are the fifth most in Winston Cup
history.
Martin ranks fifth all-time in the Winston Cup point standings.
Martin has started 564 Winston Cup races, finishing inside the
top 10 on 325 occasions, inside the top five 205 times and visiting
winner's circle 33 times.
Martin's 45 career wins in the Busch Series are a NASCAR
record.
Martin's 11 victories in IROC competition ties Dale Earnhardt
for the most ever.
Martin has won four championships in the IROC series, including
a record three straight.
