MARK MARTIN FAST FACTS
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
(2.66 - MILE) - 188 LAPS
UAW-FORD 400, Oct. 2, 2005
RACE: 29, 3 OF 10 IN CHASE
UP TO FOURTH IN THE POINTS, MARTIN MOVES ON TO TALLADEGA
NASCAR's Chase for the title moves to Sweet Home Alabama and Talladega Superspeedwday this weekend. Due to its unpredictable nature Talladega is considered by many the wildcard of the Chase, where drivers will hope to mount a strong run, while at the same time avoiding the 'big one.'
Chassis Number: (RK-286) - The team will run RK-286 at Talladega. RK-286 is the same car Mark Martin was running in the top five with in the spring before getting caught up in an accident. The car also finished eighth in this year's Budweiser Shootout.
AT TALLADEGA
Starts: 39 (19)
Wins: 2 (-)
Top 5's: 10 (4)
Top 10's: 21 (11)
Poles: 4 (3)
Highest finish: 1st (4 times)
First time: 5/16/82 (5th)
Last time: 6/5/05 (3rd)
9/26/04 (2nd)
Worthy Note: Martin is the only Chase contender with a win at Talladega.
IN THE POINTS
With the fourth-place run, Martin moved to fourth in the points; his highest position since April of this season. Martin is currently only 21 points behind points leader Jimmie Johnson.
BREAKING DOWN THE CHASE
Martin has started a total of 195 races at the remaining eight tracks that will make up the Chase for the Nextel Cup. He has posted 12 wins, 61 top-five and 101 top-10 finishes at those tracks. Martin has finished inside the top 10 in 52 percent of his starts at the remaining 'Chase' tracks. He has an average finish of 14.4 and he has led a total of 3,277 laps, including 312 at Talladega.
THE LONE RANGER
Martin is the only driver of the 10 in the Chase that has won on the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway.
MARTIN AT TALLADEGA
This will be Martin's 40th race at Talladega Superspeedway, where he has won twice and finished inside the top 10 twenty-one times. Martin finished 12th in his first race at Talladega in 1982. He's finished inside the top 10 in six of the last 13 there, but last fall's sixth place finish is Martin's only top-10 in his last seven races there.
UNRESTRICTED
Martin is one of just six drivers to have competed in all 71 restrictor-plate races. Martin's 34 top-10 finishes are the most of any driver at restricted races. He has finished in the top 10 in 49 percent of the restrictor-plate races.
HALL OF FAMER
For his accomplishments at Talladega, which include two wins and 21 top-10 finishes, Martin was inducted into the Talladega Hall of Fame in 2002.
RECORD 12th IROC CHAMPIONSHIP ALL BUT LOCKED UP
Martin's dramatic win over Kurt Busch in last Thursday's IROC race was not only Martin's record extending 13th of the series, but it all but locked up what will be his record setting fifth championship in the International Race of Champions.
MARKMARTINSALUTE.COM
Mark Martin has dubbed 2005 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 TALLADEGA
MARK MARTIN
"Everybody knows that I'm not the world's biggest fan of restrictor-plate racing. I know that it's really exciting for the fans and I know that if I were at home you couldn't pry me away from the TV, but for the drivers it can be pretty frustrating, because nothing is really in your control. If you make a move, whether or not it's a good or bad move, completely depends on what happens with the other people around you. You might go to the front or you might go to the back, but it depends more on what they do than what you do. On top of that you ride around hoping to avoid the big wreck and it can just make for a frustrating day.
"We had a good run last weekend at Dover and we are up to fourth. Talladega may really be a wild card here, because you just can't predict what's going to happen. I know that we'll have a good car and hopefully we can just stay out of trouble, get a decent finish and move on to Kansas where we also hope to run well."
PAT TRYSON
"We were pretty good a Talladega in the spring and I think we were running second or third when we got caught up in the 'big one.' We should be good this weekend as well, the key will just be staying out of trouble. I don't think there is really any trick to it, we just need to run well and hope that we don't find ourselves in the wrong place at the wrong time."
MARK MARTIN FAST FACTS – TALLADEGA
Martin's pace in the 1997 Winston 500 at Talladega set an all-time NASCAR Cup record for the fastest race ever run, as Martin won the caution-free event with an average speed a 188.354 mph. He covered the 500-mile distance in two hours, 38 minutes and 18 seconds.
Martin has two victories at Talladega, with both coming in the spring race (1995 and 1997).
Martin has scored top-10 finishes in six of his last 13 races at Talladega.
Martin has finished in the top 10 in 49 percent of his 71 restrictor -plate races.
Martin's 34 top-10 finishes in restrictor plate races are the most ever.
Martin is one of six drivers to have completed in all 71 restrictor-plate races.
LAST YEAR AT TALLADEGA...
OCTOBER 3, 2005
Talladega Superspeedway
EA SPORTS 500
Started 17th, Finished 15th
Martin survived 500 miles of ferocious restrictor-plate racing to escape the “World’s Fastest Speedway” with his championship hopes intact and a solid hold on fourth place in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Martin started seventh and ran much of the day moving up and down the field, running as high as fourth and as low as 28th. Martin spent the majority of the day jockeying for position in the draft, running between 10th and 15th positions. The veteran had teamed up with a trio of cars running the low line, moving his Taurus solidly into the top 10. He was running in ninth place when the day’s fifth and final caution was issued with just 10 laps to go, while several drivers - including Martin - were attempting to pit for just enough fuel to finish the race. Martin and two other cars were unable to make it onto pit road in time for the stop. The pause caused a chain reaction that ultimately saw the No. 40 car get into the No. 18. Martin went on to pit for fuel under caution and returned to the field back in 19th when the race went green with only five laps to go. Martin was quickly shuffled out of the draft, and dropped to as low as 25th on lap 186 with just two to go. Martin was back in 21st with only one lap to go, but made a push on the final lap. Two separate accidents went on to occur on the final lap, but Martin was able to avoid the carnage common to Talladega and move up to the 15th - place finish.
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 573 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 630 Cup races, finishing inside the top 10 on 354 occasions, inside the top five 222 times and visiting winner’s circle 34 times.
Martin’s 47 career wins in the Busch Series are a NASCAR record.
Martin’s 13 victories in IROC competition are the most ever. Martin has won four championships in the IROC series, including a record three straight.
