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CUP: Martin Still The Man For DEI
Written by:
Tom Jensen
04/13/2008 - 12:30 AM
Phoenix, Az.
Mark Martin finished in the fifth position after leading 68 laps in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images Photo) ยป More Photos
Reports of the demise of Dale Earnhardt Inc. appear to be greatly exaggerated.
All through the garage at Phoenix International Raceway this week there have been whispers of trouble at DEI. They’ve included everything from the stability of its fourth car, which lacks full-time sponsorship and lost several crew members in recent weeks, to the status of free-agent driver Martin Truex Jr., who likely will be gone after his contract expires at the end of 2008, at least if the rumors are to be believed.
But the veteran on the team, crafty and sure Mark Martin, gave the guys back at the shop and the soldiers from his sponsor, the U.S. Army, something to cheer about under the lights at PIR Saturday night in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
Martin, driver of the DEI No. 8, led 68 of 312 laps at PIR before having to make a late-race fuel stop that dropped him out of the lead to fifth place in the final rundown. It was Martin’s first top-five finish of the season and his second consecutive top 10, after finishing eighth a week earlier at Fort Worth.
All in all, it was big news and good news, for a team that needed some. “I’m just really, really proud to drive for the U.S. Army and give out soldiers something to cheer about said Martin, the oldest driver in the race at age 49. “We just about pulled this one off tonight. We had a great, great car tonight.”
Martin, who raced like a driver half his age on this warm spring night, hinted that he may have had enough fuel to go the distance, which would have put him in victory lane instead
“We changed our strategy right there at the end and I saved a lot of fuel,” he said. “Probably a lot more than they knew. We had such a spectacular car there at the end of the race that I didn’t have to run it hard. I didn’t keep the throttle wide open on the straightaways.”
Still, Martin didn’t dwell on woulda, coulda, shoulda. Instead, he kept his focus ahead of him. “It’s a privilege to drive for these guys,” he said. “I want them to keep their chins up, because we can win some of these races.”
Especially if he keeps driving like this.
SUBWAY FRESH FIT 500 RESULTS
Tom Jensen is the Senior NASCAR Editor for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED,” and has appeared on numerous television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the President of the National Motorsports Press Association. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com. Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to
SUBWAY FRESH FIT 500 RESULTS
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