NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, who was consistently a top contender in the Monster Energy Cup Series from 1981 until 2013, was the featured guest at the annual Speedway Children’s Charities Legends of NASCAR Dinner presented by Tele-Optics Thursday evening at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Martin and emcee Brad Gillie of PRN entertained the attendees at the sold-out event, which is one of the main fundraisers each year for the Bristol chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities. The Bristol chapter of SCC, which set a record last year by breaking the $1 million mark, raises money to help nearly 100 rural-area child focused agencies throughout the Tri-Cities region.
“It is an important part of the sport and I really salute the SMI racetracks for all the efforts they put into helping out their local communities with Speedway Children’s Charities,” Martin said. “It’s something that is very important to Arlene, my wife, and I; we certainly have a soft spot in our hearts for young people. It means a lot to have the opportunity to be a part of this tonight. It’s the first time I’ve been back to Bristol since I raced in here in 2013. It’s an amazing race track and it’s amazing to be here.”
Claudia Byrd, executive director of the Bristol Chapter of SCC, had a huge smile on her face when she introduced Martin.
“We’re thrilled and so fortunate to have a driver of the caliber of Mark Martin join us for the annual Speedway Children’s Charities Legends of NASCAR Dinner,” Byrd said. “Mark was an amazing driver and extremely dedicated to his craft. His stories tonight were very inspiring and our guests at the dinner enjoyed spending some time with him. We appreciate him taking time out of his schedule to come here and help raise money for the needy children of the Appalachian region.”
Martin, who noted Bristol was always one of his favorite places to race, scored two victories here, both during the August Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race. He also co-owns the record for most pole positions at Bristol, with 9 (tied with Cale Yarborough).
“I am a fan and if I was going to pick a race that I wanted to go and watch, it’s Bristol,” Martin said. “It’s No. 1, absolutely, without question. Not only the history, but it seems to be a racetrack that puts on a great show and always has put on an exciting show with the colosseum-like atmosphere. The way the facility has grown and the way the SMI folks have invested and reinvested in the facility has helped make NASCAR as great as it is today.”
Martin says the major thing that separates Bristol from other Cup Series venues is the excitement created by the combination of the high-banks and the all-concrete surface. The unique configuration leads to powerful performances around the .533-mile oval.
“To start with it’s the track itself, the layout,” Martin said. “It makes for some incredible racing. The speeds have got to where there are 15 second laps, and that’s pretty quick. That’s part of it. The other part is that it’s such a treat for the fans. The facility is something that everybody in NASCAR racing can be proud of. It brings something for everyone, for the racers on the competition side, and for the fans, it’s just a great facility.”
The legendary driver, who scored 40 victories, 61 runner-up finishes and 56 pole positions, drove for several of the top teams in the sport, but had his best success at the controls of the No. 6 Valvoline Ford for Roush Racing. In International Race of Champions (IROC) competition, which pitted the top drivers from all of American motorsports against each other in similarly prepared race cars, no one was better than Martin. He won five IROC championships and a record 13 victories in the elite series.
Martin, who was named one of NASCAR’s top 50 drivers in 1998, enjoyed success at every level of NASCAR competition, including capturing 49 wins in the XFINITY Series. Martin finished second in the Cup Series championship five times, his narrowest miss a 26-point deficit to Dale Earnhardt Sr. in 2010. In 1998 he also made a strong run at the crown, setting personal season-bests for wins (7), top-fives (22) and laps led (1,730), but ultimately lost the title to Jeff Gordon.
In addition to being inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame earlier this year, Martin was also inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Hall of Fame in January and into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2015. Since retiring from racing, Martin keeps busy near his home in Batesville, Arkansas running his Mark Martin Automotive family of auto dealerships and Mark Martin Powersports, which sells boats, motorcycles and ATVs.
Tickets are available for the Food City 500 weekend by visiting BristolTix.com or calling (855) 580-5525. Tickets for the Food City 500 start at just $59 for adults and $10 for youth (12 and under). A two-day package, which includes admission to the XFINITY Series Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300/K&N Series Zombie Auto 150 doubleheader and the Food City 500 begins at $89 for adults and $10 for youth (12 and under).
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