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NASCAR WCUP: Aching Martin Shows True Grit at Brickyard Test

14 July 1999

INDIANAPOLIS-- It was only testing, but Mark Martin didn't take a holiday.

His wrist, leg and rib injuries suffered two weeks ago in a practice crash at Daytona International Speedway would have put most people in the hospital, according to Jimmy Fennig, chief mechanic on Martin's Valvoline Ford.

Instead, Martin has driven in two straight races though he's aching up and down his body. And Tuesday he was at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway testing his Jack Roush-owned machine for the sixth Brickyard 400 on Aug. 7. "He's remarkable," Fennig said. "He's that tough."

Martin is in the thick of the NASCAR Winston Cup points race. His gutsy run from 37th to sixth Sunday at New Hampshire kept him in third place in the standings. He lost only 15 points to leader Dale Jarrett, who placed fourth. Jarrett has a commanding 2,839-2,599 advantage over second place Jeff Burton, who won at New Hampshire. Martin is just nine points behind Burton.

"We needed that run," Martin said as he rested his injuries between practice runs.

"I was very discouraged with the finish that we had at Daytona and extremely discouraged with the way we started at New Hampshire. The result was OK, but the effort was A-plus by this team as a whole, as a group."

During "Happy Hour" practice at Daytona, his car suddenly darted straight into the wall. He suffered a broken wrist, knee and rib. Despite these injuries, he climbed gingerly into his car on race night, started third but then faded to 17th in the final standings though he completed all 160 laps. Driving hurt is nothing new for Martin, who won the first IROC at Indy race last July 31 to clinch the championship. Back in 1980 when he was 21, driving in ASA and living in Indiana, he crashed and broke his left foot and ankle in four places as well as fracturing his right ankle.

"I was only out 30 days," he said. "Came back and set on the pole in Canada and finished second. Then we came up to Milwaukee and won the race the next week.

"I was younger and not as beat up as this. I'm beat up all over right now."

Martin said he doesn't make any compensation to drive with injuries. He said the pain has been excruciating.

"At Daytona, it was enough to make you cry," he said. "It didn't hurt too bad at New Hampshire. We just do the best that we can. "It hurts today, though. I'd really like to go home and lie down ... but I haven't had a chance to yet."

Martin has driven in all five Brickyard 400s, with finishes of 35th, fifth, fourth, sixth and second. He is fifth in money winnings with $748,720.

Last year was his best chance to win. He was poised behind Jeff Gordon set for a three-lap shootout following a yellow. But a four-car accident on the restart brought the race back under caution, and all Martin could do was cruise home in second place as Gordon won for the second time in five Brickyard races.

Afterward, Martin said he didn't have enough car to pass Gordon, but he probably could have caught him before the finish.

But Martin doesn't classify the Brickyard as a special race that he prefers to win.

"I particularly would like to win everyone of them, every race I run," he said. "And that's how I feel about them. I know that's a big disappointment to a lot of people to hear me say, but I don't pick one particular race and say that's it and if I don't win that I'm going to die, and I win all of the rest of them I'm not happy.

"I'm just not that way. I try my hardest in every race I run. It doesn't matter where it is or what's at stake."

Martin says the key to winning the Brickyard is no different than any other non-restrictor plate race - have a fast car through the corners, good straightaway speed and good track position. Still, he considers the Brickyard as one of the bigger races of the season.

"It is," he said. "It pays the most money. And that's one way of measuring the importance of things."

When questioned about catching Jarrett for that ever-elusive championship, twice he said, "I don't know." Then he added, "It might be easy. I don't know. It might be impossible. I don't know."

One thing is certain. He won't be lost it for lack of trying. He has finished in the top six each of the last 10 years, finishing second last year.

"This is what I do," he said. "If giving up was something that I did, I wouldn't be here today."

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