MARK MARTIN FAST FACTS – Samsung/Radio Shack 500, April 17, 2005
RACE 7
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
(1.5 - MILE) – 334 LAPS
MARTIN, NO. 6 VIAGRA TEAM GO WITH RETRO LOOK AT TEXAS
Mark Martin and the team posted their strongest performance of the early season with a third-place run at Martinsville last weekend. The team will look to maintain that momentum as they take to Texas where Martin has one win and four top-10 finishes in eight career runs.
Chassis Number: (RK-247) - The team will run RK-247 this weekend at Texas. RK-247 is a new car that will be making its first run.
AT TEXAS
Starts: 8
Wins: 1
Top 5's: 3
Top 10's: 4
Poles: -
Highest finish: 1st ('98)
First time: 4/6/97 (38th)
Last time: 4/4/04 (17th)
Worthy Note: Martin won the second Cup race at Texas in 1998.
IN THE POINTS
The strong finish at Martinsville Martin moved moved up six places to fourth in the Nextel Cup point standings. Martin is currently 198 points behind first place and only 16 points out of third.
A LOOK BACK - MARTIN TO RUN FIRST OF FOUR RETRO PAINT SCHEMES AT TEXAS
The No. 6 Viagra Ford will boast an old but familiar look this weekend at Texas. As part of his "Salute to You" Tour, Martin will run at Retro-89 paint scheme that will have the same look as his first Roush Racing Cup car. Martin ran the 'dark' blue scheme in each of his first two years at Roush (1988 and '89). It is the scheme that Martin ran in his first Cup victory at Rockingham in 1989. Martin will also run retro schemes at the Nextel All-Star, the Brickyard 400 and the season finale at Homestead.
MARTIN AT TEXAS
Martin has posted four top-10 finishes in eight starts at Texas. In addition he has one victory and three top fives. Martin finished 38th at the inaugural race at Texas in 1997 after mechanical issues, but returned the next year to post a victory there. He won the inaugural Busch race there in 1997.
TRIPLE THREAT
Martin will be looking for the triple crown this weekend at Texas, running in the IROC, Busch and Nextel Cup races. Martin won in the IROC series in the first race of the season at Daytona and he'll be looking for his record extending 13th win in an IROC car. In addtion, Martin wil run Saturday's Busch race where he'll be looking for his third straight victory and record extending 48th series win. All in all Martin has boasted four wins at Texas, winning once in the Cup car and three in the Busch Series.
MARKMARTINSALUTE.COM
Mark Martin will make his final run at the Nextel Cup title in 2005. Martin has dubbed 2005 as his "Salute to You" tour, a year in which he hopes to take the time to thank each and everyone that he feels played a role in his success, including team members, fans, NASCAR and the media.
QUOTING MARK AND PAT …ON TEXAS
"Texas is a great race track. It's the type of place that suits my driving style. I've always done pretty well on the 1.5-mile tracks and Texas has been pretty good for us in that mix. We won the second race there and we've been pretty good there ever since. Hopefully we can go back there and get us another win this weekend. We'll be racing in the IROC, Busch and Cup races, maybe we can get us a couple of wins in there.
"The team did a great job last week at Martinsville. That's not my favorite track by any means and to get out of there with a third-place finish and a chance to win, well that's almost even more than we can ask for. Pat and the team have really been on their game this year and I just can't wait to get back out on the track at Texas."
PAT TRYSON
"We are looking forward to this weekend. After two weeks of short track racing, it will be great to get back to a 1.5-mile track where Mark really excels at racing. We had a good week last week in Martinsville and a chance to win late in the race. Hopefully we can do that again this weekend and seal the deal for our first cup win of the season."
Mark Martin Fast Facts – TEXAS
Martin posted a Cup win at Texas in the second race there in 1998.
Martin has four top fives and three top 10's in eight Cup starts at Texas.
Martin will be looking for three wins at Texas in the IROC, Busch and Cup races.
Martin has won three times in the Busch Series at Texas in only four races.
LAST YEAR AT TEXAS...
APRIL 4, 2004 – Texas Motor Speedway
SAMSUNG/RADIO SHACK 500 – Started 28th, Finished 17th
The Viagra Racing Team had the fastest car on the racetrack as the laps were winding down at Texas Motor Speedway, but their hands were tied. The team had overcome a slow start, working their way up the field, only to be setback by an untimely caution mid-way through the race. The caution caused three-fourths of the field to go a lap down, and saw Martin’s shot at a fourth straight top-10 finish at Texas come to halt. After a slow start, crew chief Pat Tryson opted for right side tires only for the team’s first pit stop of the day. The gamble paid off and Martin returned to the track in 18th position when the field resumed green-flag racing. The car would remain loose and eventually Martin would drop a lap down to the leader. The team eventually got a handle on the car. The car began to run its best time of the day and Martin moved through the field to the front of his lap.The No. 6 Viagra Ford had adjusted into one of the fastest cars in the race, and for the next 30 laps Martin would run at the front of his lap, just one caution away from the ‘free pass’ that would put the team back on the lead lap, in good position and ready to make a run at the top 10. That break would never come, and instead the team was hit with a dose of horrible luck. Running in 14th place the team came into the pits for a green-flag stop on lap 261. Only about half of the field had pitted when the No. 0 car of Ward Burton smacked the wall on lap 261, causing the day’s fourth caution and killing the team’s chances of a top-place finish. As a result of the caution, Martin was caught two-laps down, as only 10 cars remained on the lead lap. He would have to spend the rest of the day fighting lapped traffic for all he could get, as Martin battled to the end, taking over 17th position on the final lap.
ALL-TIME ELITE, MARTIN
Martin’s 34 Nextel Cup wins put him fourth on the win list among active drivers and 17th on the all-time list.
Martin has currently started 551 straight Nextel Cup races, the third-longest current streak and the sixth-longest streak in Cup history.
Martin’s 41 Nextel Cup poles are the fifth most in Cup history.
Martin ranks fifth all-time in the Nextel Cup point standings.
Martin has started 608 Cup races, finishing inside the top 10 on 344 occasions, inside the top five 217 times and visiting winner’s circle 34 times.
Martin’s 47 career wins in the Busch Series are a NASCAR record.
Martin’s 12 victories in IROC competition are the most over. Martin has won four championships in the IROC series, including a record three straight.
