Following a career spanning over three decades in the Cup Series, Mark Martin is widely considered the best driver to have never won the championship. Nevertheless, he gave the fans plenty to cheer about, and any merchandise involving him will surely sell like hotcakes. Well, Lionel Racing has recently released some vintage Martin die-casts signed by the legend himself. This holiday season, it is the perfect gift to give yourself or a fellow die-hard fan.
Despite never winning the Cup Series, Mark Martin is a popular man in NASCAR. Between 1989 and 2009, the 64-year-old finished in the top four a whopping 12 times, being the runner-up on five occasions—four times with Roush Racing and once with Hendrick Motorsports. He is also a 5-time IROC champion and a 4-time ASA National Tour champion. His exploits in motorsports go beyond the Cup Series which is why he is a favorite of a lot of people across a lot of kinds of motorsports.
Lionel Racing explains the story behind commemorative Mark Martin merchandise
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Mark Martin had his work cut out as it took him a while to get to the Cup Series. However, his struggles paid off when he won his first race in the competition in his second full-time season with Roush Racing in 1989. Lionel Racing has chosen to honor that achievement and release commemorative die-casts as a tribute.
“Lionel Racing is excited to offer Martin’s fans the first-ever Raced Win die-cast of his No. 6 Stroh’s Light 1989 Rockingham, NC Win Ford. Available in 1:24 scale, this officially licensed die-cast is produced with an opening hood and trunk, rolling tires, hand-placed decals, and a host of authentic details. Plus, all the scuffs and damage seen on Martin’s winning car in 1989 have been re-created by Lionel’s artist to produce a collectible that captures this special moment in time,” a description of the product on Mark Martin’s website said.
They also released another die-cast of the #6 Ford Thunderbird which Martin drove in the 1992 Cup Series. That year, he won 2 races and finished in sixth place in the championship. The primary sponsor on the die-cast’s bonnet was Valvoline. All die-casts are in the 1:24 scale and are available for $139.99 on the driver’s website.
A long career and numerous race wins are something most people remember about Mark Martin. A lesser-known fact is that he and his mother gave a veteran crew chief his big break.
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How former Cup Series driver helped launch Larry McReynolds’s career
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The crew chief in question is none other than Larry McReynolds. Before getting to work with Martin, he used to jump around from one team to another. However, after a conversation with Mark’s mother Jackie Martin, he got a job to work with her son and things turned out pretty well in the end for him.
“So got through the auction, next week, their shop was right there on the corner of 29, where the speedway is and the road and that’s exactly where their little shop was. So I went up there and again, Mark’s mom kind of ran the team, and we talked for a little bit, and Kenny, 15 minutes into the conversation, they wanted me to be the crew chief,” McReynolds said during an episode of the Kenny Conversation.
“We just need you to go and make sure what Mark wants done gets executed. I said okay! If y’all are game, I’m game, and lo and behold, the first race we went to was Pocono and we finished tenth,” he added.
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It is no wonder Mark Martin is such a loved and respected man in motorsports today. Will you be purchasing his commemorative die-cast? Let us know your thoughts.
