News & Notes
MILESTONE START: On Sunday, Mark Martin, driver of the No. 5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, will make his 830th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start. This gives the 52-year-old driver sole possession of fifth on the all-time starts list. Only Richard Petty, Ricky Rudd, Dave Marcis and Terry Labonte recorded more starts during their Cup careers.
MARTIN AT HENDRICK: Sunday’s race also will be Martin’s final event in a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Since 2009, Martin has competed in 107 points-paying events for the team. He posted five wins in 2009 and earned his fifth runner-up finish in the Sprint Cup Series final point standings. In 107 Cup events, he’s scored 23 top-five finishes, 42 top-10s and 10 pole positions in the No. 5 Chevrolet.
MILESTONES AT HENDRICK: Martin earned several career milestones while at Hendrick Motorsports. With his April 2009 win at Phoenix International Raceway, Martin became just the fourth driver older than age 50 to win a race in Sprint Cup history. When he won again at Darlington (S.C.) one month later, he became just the second driver over the age of 50 to win multiple races. At Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in August 2009, Martin made his 1,000th career NASCAR-sanctioned start. In the April event this year at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, Martin recorded his 800th career NASCAR Sprint Cup start. And with his pole position at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway last month, he took over eighth on the all-time Sprint Cup pole list.
MARTIN AT HOMESTEAD: Homestead-Miami Speedway is one of just five active tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit where Martin has not yet earned a win. In 11 Cup starts at the 1.5-mile oval, Martin has posted four top-five finishes, including the runner-up spot in the 2005 Sprint Cup finale.
ONE OF HIS BEST: Martin’s average finish of 12.4 at Homestead ranks tied with Dover (Del.) International Speedway for fifth-best for the NASCAR veteran among active tracks. Homestead is the only track where Martin averages a 12.4 finish or better and hasn’t reached Victory Lane. He has won at each of the other tracks: Phoenix (ninth-place average finish), Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International (ninth), Pocono Raceway (11.2), Infineon Raceway (11.9), Richmond (Va.) International Raceway (12.2) and Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (12.2).
LOOP DATA: According to NASCAR’s loop statistics, Martin holds sixth-best average running position—11.4 in the last six races at Homestead, and the eighth-best average finish—12.745. His 89.6 driver rating is the ninth-best of all competitors and his 973 laps inside the top 15 rank him ninth as well.
POLE SITTER: Martin earned his 51st career Sprint Cup pole at Talladega Superspeedway last month, placing him eighth on the all-time pole-winners list. Homestead-Miami Speedway is one of only six active tracks where Martin has not yet started from the pole.
CHASSIS CHOICE: Crew chief Lance McGrew has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 685 for Sunday’s finale. Martin most recently drove this car at Atlanta Motor Speedway in September.
HENDRICK AT HOMESTEAD: In 12 races (47 starts) at Homestead, Hendrick Motorsports has 10 top-five finishes and 19 top-10s. The organization has three runner-up finishes, including two by Jimmie Johnson, who finished second in the 2010 event. Homestead is one of just two active Cup tracks where Hendrick Motorsports has yet to reach Victory Lane.
APPROACHING 200: With Johnson’s win on Oct. 9 at Kansas Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 199 Cup victories. The organization ranks first in NASCAR’s modern era for wins and second all-time behind Petty Enterprises, which has 268 victories.
Quotes
MARK MARTIN, DRIVER, NO. 5 GODADDY.COM CHEVROLET (ON HIS TIME AT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS.):
“Hendrick Motorsports is just an amazing, amazing race team. And what makes it that way are the people who are there. These last three years of my career have been incredible. It was so flattering to me when Rick (Hendrick, team owner) hired me and made me a part of this group of drivers. Jeff (Gordon), Jimmie (Johnson) and Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) have been great teammates and friends of mine. Working with Rick – I’ve gotten the chance to know him on a more personal side. His people skills are incredible and what he’s built with this race team is something he should be very proud of. The fact that, when I look back on the wins in my career, that I had the opportunity to earn five of them with Hendrick Motorsports, is something I’ll always treasure.”
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