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NASCAR WCUP: Daytona 500, post race notes and quotes, Mark Martin

21 February 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

MARK MARTIN --6-- Valvoline Taurus -- "All I ever asked for was a chance, we had a chance, I tried and we lost. I'm proud of this Valvoline team. We had a really great car, but things just didn't work out there for us."

YOU NEEDED A FRIEND WITH 30 TO GO. WHAT HAPPENED? "I got lied to."

IS THIS A HEARTBREAKER FOR YOU? "No, all I ever wanted to do was be a contender down here. I just asked to have a chance and today we had a chance. I'd rather have tried to win and lost than not tried. I could have sat there. I did get lied to, but it was a good run. I'm proud of this race team, we did have a shot at it and that's all I ever ask for."

CAN YOU TAKE SOME SOLACE IN A TOP-FIVE FINISH? "It's better than 38th the last two years, but better than that we led a lot of laps. We showed that we had a car that could contend. I haven't had much of that here. If I could run like that and never won at Daytona, that would be OK. If I come down here and never even have a chance, that kind of makes me sad."

WHO BROKE THE DEAL WITH YOU? "Never mind."

Text provided by Ford

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