Mark Martin is winding down his full-time Cup career -- and eyeing another berth in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Credit: Autostock

Martin won't run full time Roush Cup car in 2007

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- If Mark Martin returns to the Nextel Cup Series full time in 2007 it won't be in a Roush Racing Ford, team president Geoff Smith said Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway.

"You won't see Mark Martin in a Roush Racing owned [Cup] program," Smith said. "All our programs are sold out with the drivers we currently have. It was great of Mark to run this year.

Mark Martin

"We're expecting Mark to be the lead guy in the Truck Series. That sponsorship is in place. We've got a couple of details to work out with Ford Motor Company, but that's where we expect to be. If he does more than that, it'll be supplemental."

Martin's projected replacement, Busch Series driver Todd Kluever, hasn't lived up to expectations, causing a buzz in the garage about his immediate future in the Nextel Cup Series. AAA is signed as sponsor of the No. 6, and per that contract Kluever is the driver.

"We're not satisfied with the aggregate performance level of that Busch team Todd's been with," Smith said. "When Jack does evaluations, he evaluates everything -- including the driver.

"That program right now is under intense scrutiny by Jack. And Todd, of course, feels that pressure. But it's our obligation to our sponsor to come forward and say where we think the program is with that driver."

So if not Martin or Kluever, who?

Todd Kluever

"[Kluever] is ready for it, but it's up to Jack to evaluate, of all the choices we have in our organization and outside the organization, is he the best candidate at this time for that program?" Smith said. "We owe it to AAA to make a formal evaluation.

"Certainly we can't leave things to rest when the performance level of the team generates this buzz. We have a lot of confidence in Todd over the long haul, but we also have to deliver over the short haul."

So might the veteran and the rookie split a season?

"Mark has not been a consideration for the 6, except only in the certain marketing scenarios early in the year that ended up not being in the equation. Even then it wasn't a full-time program," Smith said.

"It was a question of him running some races as part of a marketing transition. But in the end, the marketing plan involves a new driver in the series, and right now that's Todd Kluever. The only question is whether he's the one."

Roush was asked after Saturday night's Sharpie 500 about the prospects of Martin running the No. 6 in 2007.

"I have not been informed by Geoff that he's given up on Mark being in the 6 car next year," Roush said. "Certainly I haven't given up on that and it's pretty ironic that I had a meeting with Geoff [Saturday] morning when I rededicated ourselves to make sure that we give Mark as many options as we could have.

"I know one of the possibilities is [Martin] racing over with Boris Said and that group -- the Simo group. There has been some discussion about Mark driving that car for a number of races next year."