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Great All-Star Moment No. 7: Mark Martin, 2005
Written by: Tom Jensen   
04/25/2008
Harrisburg, N.C.
 
Mark Martin, in a special 1983 style paint scheme, drives a victory lap after winning the Sprint All-Star Race on May 21, 2005. (Craig Jones/Getty Images Photo) ยป More Photos

When Mark Martin won his first NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race in 1998, he’d be the first to tell you it was because he got lucky. When he won his second in 2005, it was because he kicked everyone’s butt.

Martin captured the ’98 All-Star race when Jeff Gordon ran out of gas on the last lap, and in succeeding years what he encountered mostly was frustration and a series of crashes. In the five All-Star races following his ’98 victory, Martin didn’t manage a single top-10 finish.

When he arrived at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in 2005, it was for what was supposed to be his swan song, part of his “Salute To You” retirement tour. Although it’s long since been forgotten, Martin indeed had intended to make 2005 his final season.

And he had big plans for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Challenge, running his Roush Racing Ford in a Valvoline throwback paint scheme from 1993, while still carrying sponsor Viagra’s logos on the quarter panels of his No. 6.

The race belonged to Martin all night long, but there were
plenty of fireworks spread through the field. Martin easily captured the first segment of the race, which was marred by a huge crash that took out Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Terry Labonte, Michael Waltrip, Joe Nemechek and Martin Truex Jr. Dale Earnhardt Jr. suffered minor damage, too, and was never a factor in the race.

The accident began when Stewart got into Nemechek, who in turn wrecked Harvick. The Richard Childress Racing driver got out of his wrecked car and threw his HANS device at Nemechek’s windshield. The two men later squared off in the garage and traded some angry words before cooling off.

Ryan Newman won the second segment, but on the restart for the third and final segment, he got loose and slid backwards into the wall, taking out his Penske Racing teammate Rusty Wallace with him.

That cleared the way for Martin, who took the lead on Lap 72 and held on for the final 19 circuits to score an emotional victory in what he thought was going to be his final All-Star race. He also collected a $1,101,325 paycheck for his efforts.
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