Martin looking forward to time away, Smith's debut (cont'd)

I have tremendous respect for Mark Martin. If reporters were allowed to have a favorite driver....well, never mind. A number of years ago his Busch Series team challenged me to put down the microphone and work with them Friday and Saturday at Michigan. Mark even said it was OK. I did it, it was fabulous. The guys, and Mark, made me feel like part of the team. They even let me keep the crew shirt and I still have it.

Wow. Mark Martin will not be in the starting lineup Sunday.

Smith takes over

Regan Smith will make his Cup Series debut in the Car of Tomorrow. It's also the car leading the owner points.

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"I've done it for 621 races. People that are saying they can't believe it, they haven't lived it. I have done it 19 years straight, and been doing it successfully for 19 years straight. With that comes great responsibility to the media, sponsors and the fans to continue to meet those expectations and fight for a championship. I don't want to do that now. It's not about the championship, now it's about racing in general. I don't have that pressure on my shoulders anymore."

I'm happy for Mark. I'm sad for us. Can you believe it?

"Listen, some of [the people] that can't believe it are 35 years old. Thirteen years from now they might understand. Some are my age and have not been as blessed as I have been.

"In my racing career, we've always been close [to winning the championship]. I have always felt if I could work a little harder, find a little bit more inside me, that would put us over the top. Now I'm ready to enjoy my racing rather than make it such a task. Life has been passing me by, now I'm having a ball driving."

At age 48, Mark Martin has led the points three consecutive weeks, a position he relinquishes this weekend. But maybe the fact that Martin is sticking with his plan to run a limited scheduled should not be the big story. Maybe what he is doing on the track is the story.

"The partial schedule is news, but it is cool to know we have been leading the points. I have not been as successful as the greats, but I have been successful in my career. I have never won the Daytona 500 or the Nextel Cup championship, but nobody has ever worked harder at that than I have, I think. I have given everything I can to it. Now, it's like having my cake and eating it, too.

"I'm not ready to quit racing or even give up Nextel Cup racing. But I had to find a part-time ride with a good team that would put me in a competitive car. That is difficult to find. So I owe a lot to [Ginn Racing CEO and GM] Jay Frye, team owner Bobby Ginn, and [crew chief] Ryan Pemberton. Really, the greatest sense of pride of all for me right now is that they are getting the recognition they deserve."

But Martin never thought all that recognition would arrive this quickly. He didn't think he would be leading the points heading to Bristol.

"No. I did not. I knew that Ryan was incredible and the team had suffered horrible setbacks with Ernie [Irvan] and Jerry [Nadeau] when they were so hot. They had to battle through a lot of drivers and setbacks. The organization had a lot of work to do and still does but I'm surprised the results have been what they are for all three teams.

"We just want to get on the same level as the competition. And the cool part is that they want me to hang around and help them with it. I'm proud of what Sterling [Marlin] did at Vegas and what Joe [Nemechek] did at California. We are working together and working well together. We have great crew chiefs and great crews and they have shown great promise."

Now Mark Martin is trying help find the promise of the future. This weekend he is going to the track, only the track is in Lake City, Fla., and he will be coaching, not driving. He will be working with his son, Matt, and motocross superstar Ricky Carmichael, who is making the move from two wheels to four.

"We're going to have a blast up there on Saturday."

Then on Sunday?

"I have a nice 42-inch plasma screen and TiVo so I'll be replaying the wrecks, moving them back and going forward and watching them in slow motion. I will be sorely disappointed if there isn't lots of wrecks, because it seems like there sure is I'm in the race there. (Continued)