Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images |
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| 2005 Season |
| Final Points Standing | 4th
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| After First 26 Races | 6th
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| Earnings | $7,731,468
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| Starts | 36
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| Poles | 0
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| Wins | 1
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| Top 5 | 12
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| 6-10 | 7
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| Laps Led | 324
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| Lead Lap Finishes | 29
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| Bonus Points | 75
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| Races Led | 14 |
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| 2005 Performance |
| Below is the ranking of the team on each type of track along with the driver's best finish. |
| Track Type | Ranking |
| Flat Tracks | 6th
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| Best Finish | 3rd, Pocono
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| Intermediate Tracks | 2nd
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| Best Finish | 1st, Kansas
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| Plate Tracks | 32nd
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| Best Finish | 6th, Daytona
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| Road Courses | 8th
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| Best Finish | 7th, Watkins Glen
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| Short Tracks | 17th
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| Best Finish | 3rd, Martinsville |
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2006 Spin
Mark Martin has the team, resources and talent to win the 2006 Nextel Cup Championship. The question surrounds his desire. After announcing that 2005 would be his final season, Martin was talked back into the car not because he wanted another 38 weekends of work, but because car owner Jack Roush pleaded. So Jack got his wish, and Martin will return for a “Re-Salute to You” Tour in hopes he can win his first Cup in his 20th attempt.
And make no mistake — Martin has as good a shot as he's had in his career. The large majority of his team returns, and Pat Tryson, with whom Martin has enjoyed much success since 2003, will once again sit atop the pit box.
The Roush aero magic should earn Martin a trip or two to Victory Lane on the intermediate tracks this season. Martin tied Roush teammates Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards for the series lead with 10 top 5s on the intermediates last season. The AAA team should also register some respectable finishes on the flat and road courses. What is keeping this team from a title is its inability to put it all together on each type of track. The consistency that was a hallmark of this bunch just two seasons ago has faded. If Martin can find it and record top 5s at tracks like Talladega and Bristol the way he does at Dover and Kansas, he will stage a serious title run. Until then, the most respected and determined driver on the circuit will have to settle for another near miss.
2006 Recap
Mark Martin made a valiant run and finished a strong sixth in what he believed to be his final Daytona 500. His performance was a mixed bag over the next 11 races. A solid top 5 would be tempered by a 30th-place showing. The team showed no consistency.
A third of the way into the season, Martin was on the outside looking in. Sitting 12th in the point standings, he needed a strong summer run if he hoped to place himself solidly within the top 10. And a strong summer he got. From the June Dover event to Watkins Glen in August, the Viagra team's average finish was 10.9, moving it up to fifth in the standings and giving it the points required to secure a Chase spot.
Once in the Chase, Martin's hopes were dashed at the two places considered the true wild cards of the Chase: Martinsville and Talladega. Throw out the 34th- and 41st-place runs, and Martin's average finish was 4.8. That's good enough to win a title.
• The Good: The win at Kansas during the Chase was the highlight of his season. After starting 19th, Martin put on a clinic, leading 139 laps for his only win of the season.
• The Bad: He started the Martinsville weekend way off the pace, wrecking his primary car in practice. The backup car was nowhere near a contender, as brake problems finally resulted in a 34th-place finish.
• The Ugly: After an ugly wreck at Talladega, Martin's frustration with the restrictor plate track boiled over. He said that thanks to that style of racing, his Chase hopes were over after only the third race of the playoffs.
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