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Mark Martin Setting Himself Up For More Heartbreak

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by Matt Mercer, Special To Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

I'm the writer of The Catfish Show NASCAR Blog, which you can access through the links on the right. Follow me on Twitter: @mattmercer

June 21, 2008 8:12 am CDT 8 Comments

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Mark Martin Setting Himself Up For More HeartbreakAn item came across NASCAR.com and it made me shake my head. Mark Martin one of my 3 favorite drivers in NASCAR history, seems to have made another guarantee. In the story last week at Pocono, he said that he plans on winning at the Brickyard in July. I have no doubt Mark can win the race. I remember 10 years ago at Indy when he had a better car than Jeff Gordon throughout the day, yet couldn’t get around him at the end. I remember when Mark left the 6 for the 01 last year, he said he would have his best chance ever to win the Daytona 500 – and he did, but came up inches short. It saddens me to see someone that’s a traditional pessimist, like Mark, get exciting for something just to be heartbroken again. I felt the heartbreak of the 2002 season because he was so close. Two years later, in the inaugural Chase, Mark arguably had the best team but accidents and bad luck struck again. At that Daytona race 16 months ago, I watched him lead those last several laps as I had a kung-fu grip on a pillow in my room, thinking that maybe, just maybe, this could be the race of his life. It was the race of his life… he finished second again, and I fell to the floor with the air knocked out of my lungs. To be a Mark Martin fan, it’s similar to what being a Red Sox fan must have been like until the 2004 playoffs. In the back of your mind, you know something will happen. I don’t know how many fans understand how much Mark means to his fans, and the heartbreak his fans have gone through with him. Many times, it takes the man himself to keep us fans from going crazy.

Fast forward to this season’s race at Phoenix, which saw Mark lead a bunch of laps and appeared to be on his way to victory. What did Mark have to lose by staying out and gambling? He pitted from the lead, had the best car, so fuel mileage should have been on Tony Gibson’s mind. Yet, it didn’t happen, and surprise, Mark lost. The guarantee at Indianapolis is interesting. He qualified well at Pocono, yet seemed to fall back more and more during the race. DEI seems to be focusing on Truex and Menard at the moment, which is perfectly understandable. The prospect of Truex leaving would put one foot in the ground, I don’t see anyone tearing down the door to get into DEI the way guys would at Gibbs right now. In a certain sense, I think Mark may have to win at Indy to keep DEI relevant. Rumors swirl about the future of the Army sponsorship, given that the 01 has had limited sponsorship, and Bass Pro Shops could be leaving for Tony Stewart’s revamped Haas Racing.

I didn’t like the movie Groundhog Day. I hate recurring dreams. Most of all, I know deep down that Mark Martin won’t win the Brickyard this year. He’ll have a flat tire with 3 to go, he’ll get crashed out by a car 9 laps down, he’ll blow his engine on the white flag lap. The worst part? I’ll still be making him my pick to win. Some habits won’t go away.

Photo credit: BethAnne Heisler - ON PIT ROW 

Filed under: Chase for the Cup, Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Daytona 500, Haas CNC Racing, Mark Martin, Martin Truex Jr., NASCAR, Sprint Cup Series 

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Comments

8 Responses to “Mark Martin Setting Himself Up For More Heartbreak”

  1. NASCAR Astro Prediction ~ Sonoma Part 2 « The Church of the Great Oval on June 21st, 2008 11:34 am

    [...] Mark Martin, born 9 January 1959 Sun Opposition Saturn Today you may become very conscious of the limitations imposed on you by circumstances and other people. Your task today is to not let yourself be overwhelmed by them. One effect of this influence is a sense of loneliness or inability to communicate with others. You feel that there is a gulf between you and others that you can’t possibly cross. What you are experiencing is the real gulf that always exists between people. But there is no need to let that truth drag you down. You may not feel this effect psychologically, as described above. Instead you may find that you are actually unable to communicate with people, or that others constantly get in your way and hold you back. But you have to make compromises. If you are honest in expressing your needs to others, you should be able to work it out. [...]

  2. User Avatar Steve Wronkowicz on June 21st, 2008 9:51 pm

    Mark Martin reminds me of a cartoon character that was popular in the 40’s and 50’s known as Sad Sack. Anything that could go wrong for the sad sack could. Even when things looked to all line up–somehow absurdity and ridiculousness would ensue. That seems to sum up Martins career. As you point out Matt, every time he seems to be on the cusp of something truly heroic, Sad Sack shows up.

  3. User Avatar Charlie Turner on June 21st, 2008 11:11 pm

    It’s a shame that Mark had to leave Roush. I never felt that he was moving to a better - or even comparable - team at DEI. His best chance for success was with Jack and Ford. His prediction of a win at Indy smacks of cheerleading to me - an effort to push his team to an effort beyond its real capability. I hope I’m wrong. Unlike you and Steve, Matt, I don’t have any real rooting favorites in NACAR. I cheer, more often, for the good story , the under-dog or a team that needs and deserves a good result. Martin fits all three.

  4. User Avatar Steve Wronkowicz on June 22nd, 2008 9:52 pm

    And so now the rumor mill is all over Martin running for “one” more championship in the #5, with Casey Mears getting the boot. Sheeesh. How’s that for a story? Its getting to be like reading the same story over and over and over again to my 2 year old grandson.

  5. User Avatar Bram on June 23rd, 2008 2:50 pm

    I lost total interest in Mark Martin after the second ‘for the fans’ (or whatever it was called) retirement tour.

    Like Stevarino says: it’s old news. Even the Mears angle is a constant.

  6. Deborah on June 24th, 2008 3:41 pm

    At least he isn’t doing what Terry Labonte, Bill Elliot and Dale Jarrett have been doing. Using their precious Champion’s Provisional to “Guarantee” that their car will be in the race - and then getting out on the track and running 2 or 3 laps down because they don’t belong out on the track any more. There should not be a Champion’s Provisional - if you want to race then qualify your way in or go home.

  7. User Avatar Charlie Turner on June 24th, 2008 11:05 pm

    Deborah, thanks for the comment and welcome. The cynical, smart ass in me wants to say that at least Texas Terry, Awesome Bill and DJ have champion’s provisionals to use, where Mark doesn’t. Look, all of these guys have been great. Their long-time fans want that greatness to continue. But at some point, it’s over. I don’t think Martin’s necessarily done. But he has to show that he isn’t. Skipping a third of the races tells me he may have packed it in.

  8. Kyle Busch is a Five Tool Driver | Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie on August 5th, 2008 8:31 pm

    [...] Cup wins, 15 Nationwide and 8 Truck Series victories - points to a yes answer to the question. Mark Martin fans would tell you not to count your chickens too [...]

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