Forget “Salute to You! I’m retiring in 2005 before I get too old to race good.”
The old man alllllllmost won the 2007 Daytona 500 in a car built by Ginn Racing — an organization some pundits said was a “second-rate” organization.
The diminutive Batesville native last year said, “Ummmmmm, I’ve changed my mind.” I wanna keep running some Cup races, but Geoff Smith, who runs Roush Racing said, “No! You’ll run Ford trucks or nuthin.”
Mark said, “Ummmm, I’m Mark Martin. I’ll race what I want and when I want. And I want Ginn Racing. Chevys. He splits seat time with a rookie driver and gets to cherry-pick the races he wants to run.
Critics said Mark should retire at the top of his game. Take the part-time races Roush dictated he could run. And be happy.
Mark held off his former Roush teammates today — a familiar sight with Bowties leading Blue Ovals at Daytona. But another Bowtie found some momentum. Richard Childress Racing’s Kevin Harvick powered his way to the outside off turn 4 and beat Mark to the line by two one hundreths of a second.
Sooooooooo close…he says, “I think they’ll give me a ride next year (for the Daytona 500).” Uhhhhh, yeah. Maybe so, buddy. 🙂
Believe it or not, I didn’t see much of the race. I was, er, preoccupied with an unexpected issue. S’alright — my guy is happy.
Crazy old man…
The ERs were SO proud of Mark and were pulling for him — EVEN when my man Harvick came outta nowhere, evoking memories of Earnhardt’s win at Talladega in 2000! — to steal the victory! Even then, parta me wisht ol’ Mark hadda pulled it off. What. A. Race.