Marlin Aims for Prestigious Record

02/16/96

NASCAR Public Relations has published a feature article focusing on the rare opportunity that Sterling Marlin faces in this year's 38th Daytona 500, and the pressures that accompany it. At the race (Sunday, February 18) Marlin could become the only driver in NASCAR history to win three consecutive Daytona 500s.

Marlin's driving has put him in the company of NASCAR giants Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough, both of whom also faced the possibility of winning three straight Daytona 500s; neither Petty nor Yarborough succeeded in claiming the third victory. Marlin Hopes that his luck will be different.

The article explains that one difference between the race that Marlin faces this weekend and the races that Petty and Yarborough faced in the past is the pressure involved in winning. Petty, perennial fan favorite and effective corporate spokesman, probably inaugurated the era of pressure that bears down on today's best drivers, who try to juggle the task of driving with media committments and public appearances. Racing's corporate face greatly increases the pressure on a star driver like Marlin. As ever increasing amounts of corporate money get invested in racing, the stakes for winning the Daytona 500, NASCAR's most prestigious event, continue to rise.

Check out NASCAR Public Relation's Feature on Sterling Marlin

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel