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NASCAR: For Martin, There's No Place Like Homestead

9 November 1999

Mark Martin finished second last Sunday at Phoenix -- his fifth runner-up result in his last eight starts at the desert track -- and now looks ahead to the first Winston Cup race at Homestead this weekend. The Valvoline Ford Taurus driver says the inaugural event in the Miami area is yet another milestone for NASCAR.

"It's great for the series," said Martin, who has two wins this season and is third in points. "It's a great new racetrack for us in a new market area that includes one of the greatest cities in the world. That can't help but be good for everybody involved in Winston Cup racing."

What will the race be like? Martin says veteran drivers rely on history. "Your experience helps you a lot," Mark explained. "Your experience lets you make educated determinations prior to the race. People like myself and Rusty Wallace and Dale Jarrett and Dale Earnhardt have been in a lot of first-time races at new tracks and that helps."

BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF AMERICA UPDATE:

Mark Martin's on-track performance in the Valvoline Ford, combined with contributions from Valvoline and NASCAR fans, has brought the current total raised for Big Brothers Big Sisters to $172,630. Valvoline is donating $5,000 for every Winston Cup race Martin wins this season, $2,500 for each pole, and $20 for every lap he leads in this "Caring Hands" program. The 14th of 15 planned trackside fund-raisers, where fans can put their handprints on a canvas wall, receive a commemorative button, and make donations, will be Saturday at Homestead.

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.