When it comes to flat-out, pedal-to-the-metal driving, a style personified by four barrels guzzling air and gas as fast as physics will allow, few can match Sterling Marlin.

They don't call the son of former great Coo Coo Marlin the "King of the Restrictor Plate" for nothing.

And while reputations are often harder to live up to than create, Marlin ran all doubters off the road with his big-track performance this past year.

Marlin won the Winston Select 500 at Talladega Superspeedway and added to his trophy collection with a win in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Raceway.

But everyone knows it is not what's under the hood that makes Marlin's No. 4 Kodak Chevrolet go so fast, but what's behind the wheel. The two wins, five top-5s, 10 top-10s and more than $1.3 million in winnings this year were evidence of that.

But there might have been no better example of his special talent than the UAW/GM Quality 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October. Marlin struggled in qualifying, starting 33rd. But Marlin weaved his way through the field to finish fourth.

He weaved his way through the NASCAR Winston Cup Series standings all year too. Fittingly, a second consecutive trip to New York served as the checkered flag to a standout 1996 season.

Marlin is perhaps best known as only the third driver in NASCAR Winston Cup Series history to win back-to-back Daytona 500s, joining Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough.

The background of former NASCAR Winston Cup standout Coo Coo Marlin is as a Tennessee short track driver. He was the Nashville Raceway champion 1980-82.

He made his NASCAR Winston Cup Series debut in 1976, replacing Coo Coo after a crash broke his father's shoulder. In 1983 he was the series' Rookie of the Year. He also won the Winston Open in 1988, '89 and '93.

Marlin was a football standout at Columbia High. He played in four bowl games and was team captain as a senior, playing quarterback and linebacker. He also played basketball in high school.

Info Provided By www.nascar.com

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