Allen Bestwick

It sounds like something a Hollywood script writer would come up with: A popular veteran stock-car driver winning his first Cup championship in his last season of racing. The NASCAR world could have such a movie-like ending this season if the chips fall right for Mark Martin.

A classy
competitor
Martin, an Arkansas native, has become one of the sport’s most popular figures, adored by fans and supremely respected by the drivers he competes against.

He has earned the fans' adoration by winning a lot of races. With 34 victories, Martin is 17th on NASCAR’s all-time win list and jumps up to 10th when you consider just the modern era, the period from 1972 to the present when the schedule was 30 or so races per year instead of the 50 or more run annually prior to that time.

The respect from his fellow racers has come from the way Martin determinedly pursues his craft. Martin pours his heart and soul into each lap of every race in pursuit of victory, yet never steps over the line between good sportsmanship and foul play.

He offers advice to those younger drivers who seek his counsel, and seems to genuinely appreciate all of the hard work and exhausting hours put in by his crew to prepare competitive cars for races.

For all of the success and admiration Martin has achieved there is one major hole in his resume: He’s never won a Cup championship, but he just may this year.

Giving up the grind
Last October Martin announced that 2005 would be his final season of racing on the Nextel Cup circuit.

Though 46 years old, age and competitive performance have nothing to do with Martin’s decision to step away. The decision is rooted in the demanding grind of travel that today’s corporately-sponsored race drivers face.

After spending over 20 years barnstorming from town to town, track to track, and appearance to appearance, Martin will answer his heart’s call to spend more time with his family, more time with his son Matt as he embarks on a racing career of his own.

Martin won’t quit racing. He plans on competing in NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series in 2006, but that series features a much less demanding schedule of races and a comparable reduction in sponsor-related appearances, allowing more time for other things in life that have been secondary for many years for Martin.

So with the end of a fabulous career in sight can one of the sport’s most popular drivers claim what would be his only top-level championship in his final season?

Absolutely.