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NASCAR: Martin's Back Surgery the Day After Atlanta

16 November 1999

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
No matter where his No. 6 Valvoline Ford Taurus finishes in Sunday's (Nov. 21) NAPA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Mark Martin will finish in the top six in the NASCAR Winston Cup point standings for an amazing 11th consecutive season. He's third in points after a fourth-place result last Sunday at Homestead.

Even though the grueling 34-race NASCAR season ends at Atlanta, there is no vacation on the horizon for the 40-year-old Martin. He's scheduled for back surgery Monday, Nov. 22, in the Daytona Beach area to fuse two lower vertebrae. Mark had considered surgery following the 1998 campaign but pursued alternative treatments. He's still feeling the effects of injuries (including left knee damage that required arthroscopic surgery) sustained when a cut tire forced the Valvoline Ford into the wall at Daytona July 2. With the surgical decision now made, Martin says he can't be assured the problems will be over.

"I can't look at it that way because I can't guarantee myself that I'll be much better," explained Martin. "There's no guarantees when you're dealing with something like this. I don't look forward to being crippled again. I've been crippled this year. I'm semi-crippled now because of that (back) and because my knee isn't anything like it was before.

"I dread it. I really dread being crippled again and having to rehab again and fight my way back from being helpless. It takes a lot of your manhood away when you're handicapped like that. With what I do, and because I can't ever lay down, I can't ever be sick, that makes it hard on you. I've got to go, I've got to do this, I've got to do that, the TV commercial still has to be shot, everything still has to go. It doesn't matter if you're broken up or not. That makes it really hard on you. So, now I'm having to knowingly set myself back for an undetermined period of time with the hopes that I may be better after the recovery. I have to be ready to drive the Valvoline Ford in the Daytona 500 next February. I can't go on like I am, knowing there's a chance that I could get better.

"I have to get the surgery done in order to face the rest of my life, going forward, and deal with the rest of it from there. It's just not worth going on like I am right now if there's a chance I could get better. I'm taking a step back, with the hopes of making an improvement, goingforward."

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 $198,100. 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 season's 15th planned trackside fund-raiser, where fans can put their handprints on a canvas wall, receive a commemorative button, and make donations, will be Saturday at Atlanta.

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