Mark Martin becomes the winningest driver in IROC history

[Ming]

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?id=1994791
Friday, February 18, 2005
Associated Press



DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Mark Martin became the winningest driver in IROC history, moving past the late Dale Earnhardt and Al Unser Jr. by taking the season-opening race Friday night at Daytona International Speedway.

Martin earned his 12th International Race of Champions victory by passing fellow NASCAR Nextel Cup star Matt Kenseth on a restart with four laps remaining. Then Martin held off Martin Truex Jr. over the final laps and beat him to the finish line by a half-car length.

"The king of IROC won the race, and I'll finish second to him anytime,'' said Truex, the NASCAR Busch series champion making his IROC debut.

Bobby Hamilton, NASCAR's truck series champion, was third. Kenseth ended up fourth after leading 31 of the first 36 laps in the 40-lap event.

Kenseth was in front when the race was halted for about 10 minutes after a multi-car accident that included IndyCar star Helio Castroneves, 19-time World of Outlaws champion Steve Kinser, Grand American Road Racing driver Scott Pruett and Champ Car's Sebastien Bourdais.

Martin started the melee when he ran into the back of Kenseth, causing the 2003 Cup champion to slow up and sparking a series of crashes.

Kinser ran into Pruett, who then spun into the wall and took Bourdais with him. Castroneves, second to Kenseth for much of the race, also was caught up in the mess.

Kenseth, the defending IROC champion, looked primed to win his third consecutive race. But World of Outlaws driver Danny Lasoski bumped him on the restart, forced him to wiggle and allowed Martin to drive by on the outside.

Martin held on from there to get the record.

"I thought about that on that restart. That's pretty special,'' Martin said. "If you race enough and you run good enough and you try hard enough, your day will come. It seems like I have bad luck all the time, but we didn't tonight.''

Now, one of NASCAR's most notable figures has a chance to make more history. He is tied with Earnhardt as the series' only four-time champion. He's in a perfect position to make it five after winning the opener.

There are three races remaining: at Texas on April 15, Richmond on Sept. 8 and Atlanta on Oct. 29.

It would be a perfect send-off for Martin, retiring from full-time competition after this season.

"I had a sad, sinking feeling before the race started that this might soon be coming to an end for me,'' he said. "Time is limited in getting invited back to the series. ... This experience probably means as much or more to me than anything I have ever done.''

Martin finished first or second eight times in the IROC series and strongly considering not accepting an invitation this season because he thought he might tarnish his record.

[doh]

Go Mark! Good luck in your last full season of Cup.