NASCAR Legend Fires Back at a Fan for Disrespecting His Legacy

Mark Martin has had a long and fairly successful career in NASCAR. Right from 1981 until 2013, when he hung up his boots at the age of 54, Martin competed at the highest level. After the end of his career, he can boast of 40 Cup, 49 Xfinity and 7 Truck wins. The only missing piece in his decorated collection is the Cup Series title.

Recently on Twitter, some fans remarked on his lack of titles. The conversation stemmed from an observation of how he is respected in the community. However, some fans brought up the age-old saying of ‘nice guys’ often finishing 2nd. Suffice to say, the 62-year-old took notice and jumped into the conversation. He pretty much declared that a grand total of 96 NASCAR wins is nothing to scoff at.

Mark Martin deserves to be regarded as a NASCAR legend

Despite the lack of championship trophies, his statistics speak for themselves. He has racked up an astounding 882 Cup Series entries, 236 Xfinity, and 25 Truck races under his belt. He has finished as the season runner-up on five occasions; finishing second in 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2009. In the Xfinity arena, he had a best finish of 8th in the 1987 championship. He also finished 19th in the 2006 Truck Series.

Martin will always be remembered for still giving it all out on the track long after most of his contemporaries retired. His last Cup win came in 2009 at New Hampshire, and he recorded four subsequent Top 5s until the season ended. That final competitive season in 2009 saw Mark Martin step into the #5 Hendrick Motorsports car, a car that Kyle Larson recently piloted to the 2021 Cup Series championship.

Most of his glory days came during his stint with Roush Racing in the #6 Ford car. After that, he raced for various teams including Hendrick Motorsports. Finally, he would end his NASCAR career for good in 2013, after stints with Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing.

Many regard Martin as the ‘Best driver to never win a Championship’, which is all there is to know about the respect he commands in the community.

READ MORE: WATCH: Mark Martin Has a Scary Accident at Michigan in 2012