"I'm not closing the door," he said. "I can do this truck thing, and I get a chance to catch my breath. I would say that there is a good chance that I'd come back full time in '08. I don't know what I want to do, and I'll never know until I get a break. I haven't had a day off, I don't feel like, in 19 years. Yes I've had a day off, but I haven't missed a test, I haven't missed a practice day or a qualifying day or a race day in 19 years, and every year I do more and more and more to stay competitive."
So he said he might be back full time in 08 - he missed it by a year.
If this guy were driving like a field filler and showed that he doesn't have the chops anymore, I'd be joining in the chorus calling for him to retire. He's not. He's still competitive and I think it's great that he's going to be 50 next year and going for a championship. Wish they'd come out with "Salute to Mark" t-shirts, because I'd buy one.
"I'm not closing the door," he said. "I can do this truck thing, and I get a chance to catch my breath. I would say that there is a good chance that I'd come back full time in '08. I don't know what I want to do, and I'll never know until I get a break. I haven't had a day off, I don't feel like, in 19 years. Yes I've had a day off, but I haven't missed a test, I haven't missed a practice day or a qualifying day or a race day in 19 years, and every year I do more and more and more to stay competitive."
So he said he might be back full time in 08 - he missed it by a year.
If this guy were driving like a field filler and showed that he doesn't have the chops anymore, I'd be joining in the chorus calling for him to retire. He's not. He's still competitive and I think it's great that he's going to be 50 next year and going for a championship. Wish they'd come out with "Salute to Mark" t-shirts, because I'd buy one.
for once I'm 100% with you, J.
all the sour grapes die-hard Ford fans need to blame Geoff Smith for Martin's departure from Roush, IMO. He couldn't.. strike that.. WOULDN'T make it work out for Mark to stay on and effectively forced Mark out of Fords.
I've been saying for the past couple weeks that Mark never said he wanted to retire yet, nobody listens though.
"I'm not closing the door," he said. "I can do this truck thing, and I get a chance to catch my breath. I would say that there is a good chance that I'd come back full time in '08. I don't know what I want to do, and I'll never know until I get a break. I haven't had a day off, I don't feel like, in 19 years. Yes I've had a day off, but I haven't missed a test, I haven't missed a practice day or a qualifying day or a race day in 19 years, and every year I do more and more and more to stay competitive."
So he said he might be back full time in 08 - he missed it by a year.
If this guy were driving like a field filler and showed that he doesn't have the chops anymore, I'd be joining in the chorus calling for him to retire. He's not. He's still competitive and I think it's great that he's going to be 50 next year and going for a championship. Wish they'd come out with "Salute to Mark" t-shirts, because I'd buy one.
for once I'm 100% with you, J.
all the sour grapes die-hard Ford fans need to blame Geoff Smith for Martin's departure from Roush, IMO. He couldn't.. strike that.. WOULDN'T make it work out for Mark to stay on and effectively forced Mark out of Fords.
I've been saying for the past couple weeks that Mark never said he wanted to retire yet, nobody listens though.
I'm a Ford fan and I'm still routing for Mark... though driving for Hendrick will take some getting used to.
I'm a Ford fan and I'm still routing for Mark... though driving for Hendrick will take some getting used to.
that's good. I just want the people who think Mark is a "turn-coat" for driving for Hendrick to understand that Smith pushed Martin out of Fords- he didn't just quit.
I'm a Ford fan and I'm still routing for Mark... though driving for Hendrick will take some getting used to.
that's good. I just want the people who think Mark is a "turn-coat" for driving for Hendrick to understand that Smith pushed Martin out of Fords- he didn't just quit.
I'm not doubting you, but can you elaborate? IMO Mark would fall at worst 3rd as a driver in the Roush camp. As far as marketability? Maybe that was the issue?
I'm a Ford fan and I'm still routing for Mark... though driving for Hendrick will take some getting used to.
that's good. I just want the people who think Mark is a "turn-coat" for driving for Hendrick to understand that Smith pushed Martin out of Fords- he didn't just quit.
I'm not doubting you, but can you elaborate? IMO Mark would fall at worst 3rd as a driver in the Roush camp. As far as marketability? Maybe that was the issue?
read the article above. At the time Mark was trying to get Smith to let him drive Trucks full time for a little while to get a break. Smith supposedly couldn't make it work. You tell me how someone of Mark's calliber can't get a full time truck ride at Roush? There's no frigging way to explain that other than they were trying to force Mark's hand into staying full time in their Cup program and it backfired because Mark was serious about taking a break from a full time Cup schedule.
Mark doesn't need to retire he is still one of the best driver's out there. Guy's like Bill Elliot, Kyle Petty, Kenny Wallace and other's are the ones that need to retire and quit embarrassing themselves.
Terrible take. Bill chose to drive for #21 and as history has shown he has turned down better rides. Bill decided on his terms to semi-retire and left an extension on the table after 2003. Kasey Kahne wouldnt of had a ride if Bill signed them papers. Remember he was an initial choice for RBR as well. To say that Mark has more talent then him is plain wrong. Bill grew up idolizing David Pearson, and even though the equipment isnt near where it was in the #21's past he's having fun. And theres 2 T's in Elliott!!!
I'm tired of Mark Martin. And I understand it's taboo to not like Mark Martin, Kyle Petty, etc. but these guys just don't know when to quit.
BTW, are all of the tracks going to take back those awards they gave him back when he was retiring with Rusty? And what about the rocking chair from Fox, I'm sure it's full of cobwebs.
Mark should give back all the money he shafted from his fans during his phony retirement tour
Dont be ridiculous.
He was dragged out of retirement by numerous offers to keep going because he is talented.
The comparisons to Kyle Petty are not fair. As a driver, Kyle Petty is frikken useless and has been since....always.
Mark Martin is talented, he deserves the ride based on results
After some development driver failures of varying degrees, Boston Reid, Kyle Krisloff, Scott Lagasse Jr, and to a lesser extent Brian Vickers, perhaps Hendrick just decided to go the opposite direction and get the ultimate conservative veteran in the 5 car. From my other posts, y'all know I am not much of a Mark fan, I have my reasons, but I have to admit it does make some sense. For one thing, with his Wave By mentality, the repair costs should be low, and he isn't about to wreck a teammate very often.
Look at the bright side. If Mark plays his cards right, we can have at least two more farewell tours! Think of all of the stupid tv segments the networks could do, the really bad interviews the pit reporters could have, and the stupid merchandise they could sell!
Some of the people on here drive me nuts!! I would like for someone to find one qoute where Mark said he was retiring, he did say he was cuttin back and was out of cup...but that seems to have all went south when the truck thing fell apart...and to compare him with Kyle?? Are you serious!! Mark still runs top 10 every race just about, if want someone to retire already, lets start with Bill Elliot, Joie Nemechek, and the one driver who has retired like 200 times now, and even had a fairwell race and car..Texas Terry Labonte!!
Mark and the rest of the drivers have to do what's best for them not what fans want them to do. I think Mark is entitled to change his mind, particularly when his circumstances changed which is what happened when his son opted not to continue racing. I also can't blame him for jumping at the opportunity to race for an organization that has been among the most successful recently. Even part-time Mark has raced competitively so that's all the more reason for him to keep racing but even if he was struggling to finish well the decision as to when to retire for good is his to make, not the fan's.
"I'm not closing the door," he said. "I can do this truck thing, and I get a chance to catch my breath. I would say that there is a good chance that I'd come back full time in '08. I don't know what I want to do, and I'll never know until I get a break. I haven't had a day off, I don't feel like, in 19 years. Yes I've had a day off, but I haven't missed a test, I haven't missed a practice day or a qualifying day or a race day in 19 years, and every year I do more and more and more to stay competitive."
So he said he might be back full time in 08 - he missed it by a year.
If this guy were driving like a field filler and showed that he doesn't have the chops anymore, I'd be joining in the chorus calling for him to retire. He's not. He's still competitive and I think it's great that he's going to be 50 next year and going for a championship. Wish they'd come out with "Salute to Mark" t-shirts, because I'd buy one.
one more time for the folks who missed this at the top of the page. Mark didn't "change his mind" or anything else. He's doing pretty much EXACTLY what he said he wanted to do.
I've been saying for the past couple weeks that Mark never said he wanted to retire yet, nobody listens though.
I know what you mean, I have asked quite a few people on here to show me where he said that he was going to retire and NOONE would do it. Actually could do it. All I want to see is where he actually said it and NOT where the media said it for him but noone every comes up with anything.
