The NASCAR pre-season media tour (actually it's more like a media circus) is underway. This is a couple of stories from ESPN.com about one of my favorite drivers, Mark Martin. I don't think he'll ever retire!
Martin's swan song?
Mark Martin said Tuesday he doesn't plan to drive the No. 55 Toyota after this season.
"My goal is to make this car one of the most wanted rides in NASCAR for 2014," Martin said Tuesday. "I want to help [crew chief] Rodney Childers get there and see him race for a championship."
Martin still can race for a championship this year at age 54 -- an owner's championship. He is driving 25 of 36 Cup events this year, sharing the ride again this season with Brian Vickers and team owner Michael Waltrip.
But Martin wouldn't say if his driving career would end after this season.
"It's way too early to speculate on that," Martin said. "I really enjoy working at Michael Waltrip Racing. I'll be around no matter what. But I want to do everything I can to get this team in position to race for a [driver's] championship in 2014."
NASCAR's iron man
The Mark Martin Training Facility. That has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?
The title isn't official, but it's possible Michael Waltrip Racing will name its new state-of-the-art gym after the man who designs it.
Martin is taking the lead role in helping his boss build a gym and workout facility that will rival any in NASCAR.
"We just got final approval on the project six days ago," Martin said Tuesday. "This has been an eight-month crusade to get the green light on the building.
Martin is one of the most physically fit 54-year-old men on the planet. Fitness training and a proper diet have been a big part of his life for more than 25 years. So who better to design a gym and a program to help everyone at MWR stay as fit as possible?
As for the naming rights, Martin said: "We're discussing it. We'll see what happens."
And the quote: Asked for a Super Bowl pick, Mark Martin had to ask who was playing. "If it doesn't have wheels, I don't pay attention," he said.
