BROOKLYN, Mich – Mark Martin meticulously moved his way through the field during Sunday’s 3M Performance 400 to score a sixth-place finish.
The race was Martin’s record-extending 72nd career start at Michigan International Speedway. His experience at the 2-mile oval showed as he patiently drove the No. 8 U. S. Army/DEI Chevrolet to his eighth top-10 result of the season.
“That was just an awesome effort by this Army team, ” said Martin moments after the race. “We had a great car today and the team really did a great job on pit road. Tony (Gibson, crew chief) made a great call to take four tires there at the end and the car really liked fresh tires today.”
Martin was running in 10th position when the race’s fourth caution was issued on Lap 178 of 200. Gibson and the team opted to put four tires on the car, while the majority of the field elected for two tires. The move paid off, with Martin restarting in 12th on Lap 187, but needing only five laps to advance all the way to seventh.
The team stayed out under the next caution, and Martin drove his Chevy Impala SS into the top five on Lap 194. Seconds later another caution was issued on Lap 195. Martin again stayed out and looked to be headed to a top-five finish before getting passed just at the finish line by the No. 17 car of Matt Kenseth.
Martin started the race 15th based on Friday’s qualifying session. He struggled for much of the race with the grip in the right rear tire over the long run. The car started to get faster after the team made a track bar adjustment on Lap 85. Martin broke into the top 10 for the first time on Lap 178, and kept his car there for the majority of the race.
The finish was Martin’s eighth top-10 result in 17 starts in 2008. It is his 28th top-10 Sprint Cup finish in 46 Cup starts at MIS and his 49th overall top-10 finish at the two-mile track.
The team remained 15th in the Sprint Cup owner points, only 146 points outside of 12th, the final position for the Chase.
The No. 8 team will return to action next week (Saturday) for the under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway, with rookie Aric Almirola behind the wheel of the U. S. Army Chevy. Martin will return to the No. 8 car on Sept. 6 at Richmond International Raceway.
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