Mark Martin has compiled one of the most successful careers in NASCAR history. His 33 wins are the fourth most among active drivers. He is currently fourth in Nextel Cup’s all-time standings and his name appears in the top 10 of several of NASCAR’s all-time lists. He has currently started 508 straight Cup races, dating back to Feb 18, 1988.

In September of 2003 Martin started his 500th consecutive Cup race – the seventh longest streak in Nextel Cup history and the third longest current streak. Martin is set to start his 600th career Cup race this season at Phoenix in November.

During the 2002 season, Martin stared his 500th Cup career race and tallied his 300th career Cup top-10 finish. His fourth-place finish in the season finale of 2002 marked the 200th time the veteran driver has finished inside the top five in NASCAR’s premier racing series.

Martin’s second-place finish in 2002 marked the fourth time he has finished second in the final Winston Cup point standings. Martin has finished in the top eight in 13 of the last 15 seasons. Martin has finished in the top-five in the Cup standings on 10 occasions in the past 15 seasons.

In addition Martin owns a record 45 victories in the Busch Series and his 11 victories in the International Race of Champions series ties for the most ever. In addition, he has won four championships in the IROC series, including a record three straight from 1996-98.

Martin began his stock car racing career at the age of 15 on the local Arkansas dirt tracks. He won his first race in only his third start, and the Arkansas state championship in his first year of racing in 1974. He moved up to the V-8 division in 1976 and began racing on asphalt later that year.

His success continued, and by 1977 he began competing in the ASA series against drivers such as Rusty Wallace, Bobby Allison and Dick Trickle. He became the ASA Rookie of the Year in 1977, and then went on to win three consecutive championships from 1978-80.

Martin ran five NASCAR Cup races in 1981, which began laying the groundwork for his first full season in 1982. He had an impressive rookie year with eight top-10 finishes, although he never received payment from his sponsor. Unable to fund the team himself, Martin auctioned off everything in his shop in April 1983. He ran a limited Cup schedule for different owners that year before returning to the ASA series from 1984-86, where he claimed another championship in 1986.

Martin decided to take one more shot at NASCAR racing in 1987 when he drove a full-season Busch Grand National schedule for Bruce Lawmaster. It was Mark’s victory at Dover that year that sparked the attention of Jack Roush. Roush was preparing to begin his own Cup team for 1988 and selected Martin to be his driver.

Since then, Martin and Roush have achieved everything just short of a Cup title. Together they have earned 33 Nextel Cup victories and finished second in the point standings four times (1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002).

Mark Martin
NASCAR Winston Cup Career Highlights

* Started his 500th consecutive Nextel Cup race in September at Loudon, the seventh longest streak in Nextel Cup history. Martin posted five top-five and 10 top-ten finishes and earned 4,048,850 in prize money. Martin’s top 10 finish at Phoenix was the 325th of his career.

* Finished second in the point standings for the fourth time in his career in 2002, taking home a career high $5,279,400 in prize money. Winner of the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in May 2002, collecting the no Bull Five Million dollar bonus. Finished tied for the most top-10 finishes in Winston Cup in 2002 with 22. Posted 12 top-five finishes, including three in the last three races of the season. Mark's fourth place finish in the season finale at Homestead marked Martin's 220th career top-five Winston Cup finish and the 315th time the veteran driver has finished inside the top-10.

* Captured two poles in 2001, his 40th career pole at Bristol in March and his 41st at Richmond in May. Martin posted 15 top-10 finishes and three top-five finishes in 2001. He finished 12th in the final points standings and earned $3,797,006. His ninth place finish in the last race of the season at Loudon, marked the 293rd top-10 career finish.

* Winner of one race at Martinsville in April, 2000. He finished eighth in the Winston Cup point standings and earned $3,098,874.

* Winner of two races in 1999, including North Carolina Speedway in February and his third in a row at Dover Downs in September. He also won the Bud Shootout at Daytona International Speedway in February. The win was Martin's first in a stock car at Daytona. He claimed one pole at North Carolina Speedway in October to secure his spot in the 2000 Bud Shootout. Martin finished third in the 1999 Winston Cup point standings for the fourth time in his career, and won $3,509,744, second only to his earnings in 1998.

* Winner of seven point races in 1998, the most he has ever achieved in one season, and The Winston. Martin earned victories at Las Vegas, Texas, California, Michigan in June, Bristol in August, Dover in September and Charlotte in October. He won three poles in 1998, including Darlington in March, Dover in September and Rockingham in October. Martin finished second in the 1998 Winston Cup standings for the third time in his career, and won $4,309,006, the most he has ever earned in one season.

* Winner of the 1998 Gatorade Front Runner Award and $50,000.

* Winner of four races in 1997, including two-in-a-row at Sears Point and Talladega in May. Also won Michigan in August and Dover in September. He received the Busch Pole Award and $50,000 after winning three poles throughout the season. Martin finished third in the Winston Cup standings, 29 points behind Jeff Gordon, and earned $2,532,484.

* Winner of the 1998, 1997, 1996 & 1994 International Race of Champions (IROC) title, making him the only driver to win four IROC championships.

* Broke the Busch Series all-time wins record in 1997 with his 32nd win at Rockingham in October. Jack Ingram previously held the record.

* Winner of four poles in 1996, including both Bristol races, Pocono in July and Richmond in September. He finished fifth in the 1996 Winston Cup standings, and won $1,887,396.

* Winner of four races in 1995. The four victories came at four different track venues including a restricted superspeedway (Talladega), a road course (Watkins Glen), a short track (North Wilkesboro) and an unrestricted superspeedway (Charlotte). He went on to finish fourth in the Winston Cup standings, and earned $1,893,519.

* Won three consecutive races (1993-95) at the 2.45-mile Watkins Glen road course and became the first NASCAR driver in the track's history to accomplish that feat.

* Finished second in 1994 Winston Cup points to Dale Earnhardt for the second time in his career. Also finished second in points to Earnhardt in 1990 by only 26 points. He won $1,628,906 for the season, and won two races.

* Winner of five races in 1993, including a record four-in-a-row. Became the sixth modern era driver (1972-present) to win four consecutive Winston Cup races. Posted wins at Watkins Glen, Michigan, Bristol and Darlington during the streak. He finished third in the Winston Cup standings, and won $1.65 million.

* Voted top professional athlete for the month of August 1993 by the S. Rae Hickik Pro Athlete of the Year board.

* Won third quarter balloting for 1993 Driver of the Year, voted on by a national panel of motorsports media.

* Received Busch Pole Award and $30,000 in 1991 after winning five poles throughout the season, more than any other driver.

* Selected to the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association (AARWBA) All-American Team in 1990.

* Finished third in 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup standings,123 points behind Rusty Wallace and Dale Earnhardt. Won one race and six pole positions during the season.

* Won first career NASCAR Winston Cup race at North Carolina Motor Speedway (Oct. 22, 1989) in 113th career start.

* Selected as Driver of the Year by the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) in 1989.

* Returned to NASCAR Winston Cup series full-time in 1988 with Jack Roush. Won one pole position and registered 10 top-10 finishes.

* Earned first career NASCAR Winston Cup pole position at Nashville International Raceway (July 11, 1981) in third career start.

* Won four American Stock Association (ASA) championships in 1978-80 and 1986.