Mark Martin

Mark Martin
Born	Mark Anthony Martin (1959-01-09) January 9, 1959 (age 58) Batesville, Arkansas, U.S.
Achievements	1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005 IROC Champion 1978, 1979, 1980, 1986 ASA National Tour Champion 1993, 2009 Southern 500 Winner 2002 Coca-Cola 600 Winner 1995, 1997 Winston 500 Winner 1998, 2005 NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge winner 1999 Bud Shootout Winner
Awards	1977 ASA National Tour Rookie of the Year Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998) Motorsports Hall of Fame of America Inductee (2015) NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductee (2017)
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career
882 races run over 31 years
2013 position	25th
Best finish	2nd (1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2009)
First race	1981 Northwestern Bank 400 (North Wilkesboro)
Last race	2013 Ford EcoBoost 400 (Homestead)
First win	1989 AC Delco 500 (Rockingham)
Last win	2009 Sylvania 300 (New Hampshire)
Wins Top tens Poles 40 453 56
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
236 races run over 23 years
Best finish	8th (1987)
First race	1982 Kroger 200 (IRP)
Last race	2012 Sam's Town 300 (Las Vegas)
First win	1987 Budweiser 200 (Dover)
Last win	2011 Sam's Town 300 (Las Vegas)
Wins Top tens Poles 49 152 30
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career
25 races run over 5 years
Best finish	19th (2006)
First race	1996 Fas Mart SuperTruck Shootout (Richmond)
Last race	2011 VFW 200 (Michigan)
First win	1996 Lowe's 250 (North Wilkesboro)
Last win	2006 Ford 200 (Homestead)
Wins Top tens Poles 7 20 3

Mark Anthony Martin (born January 9, 1959) is a former American driver. He last drove the No. 14 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series on an interim basis until car owner Tony Stewart was cleared following a sprint car-related injury from August 2013. As of 2014^[update], he had the second most wins in the Nationwide Series with 49. He finished second in the Sprint Cup Series standings five times, and has been described by ESPN as "The best driver to never win a championship." Martin, with five IROC Championships, has more than any other driver. Also, during the 2005 season, Martin took over the all-time record for IROC wins, with 13.

Martin was born in Batesville, Arkansas. He began his racing career as a young man on the dirt tracks of Arkansas. He moved on to asphalt racing and joined the ASA racing series. During his ASA career, Martin raced against Dick Trickle, Jim Sauter, Joe Shear, and Bobby Allison. He won Rookie of the Year in 1977. Martin won twenty-two ASA races and four championships, in 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1986.

Martin had a tumultuous beginning in NASCAR, driving for six different teams from 1981 to 1987. He made five starts in 1981 driving for a team owned by Bud Reeder, earning two pole positions at Nashville and Richmond and finishing third in his final race at Martinsville.

Martin competed full-time in 1982 with the team, competing for Rookie of the Year. The team struggled for consistency, posting just eight top tens compared to 12 DNFs in 30 starts, including a string of five DNFs in six races. Completing just 73.7 percent of the laps and leading only four laps all season led to Martin finishing 14th in the final standings and finishing second to Geoff Bodine for Rookie of the Year. Despite finishing strongly, with two top tens in the final two races, including a fifth-place finish at Riverside, Martin and Reeder parted ways after the season. He remains the only driver to run more than six races for a team owned or co-owned by Reeder. At the end of the season Martin sold off the team, having signed with Jim Stacy to race in 1983.

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