Martin still remembers inaugural Vegas win

LAS VEGAS -- Mark Martin will never forget his first showgirl.

Actually, it was more than one. Martin was flanked by a pair of leggy showgirls, complete with sequined outfits and feathered headdresses, in Victory Lane after he won the inaugural NASCAR race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 1998. The memories of that triumph 10 years ago are still clear today, even for a driver who has accomplished so much throughout the course of his illustrious career.

"We won that first race, and those big ol' tall showgirls were up there. I remember that vividly," said Martin, who will start third in Sunday's UAW-Dodge 400. "I'm not saying they were pretty. But they were something else, for sure. They're all in the pictures from that, I'll tell you."

Although showgirls in Victory Lane remain a staple at Las Vegas, much has changed for both the driver and the racetrack since that day a decade ago. Back then Martin was at the peak of his career, and at the very beginning of a season that would see him win seven races -- his most ever in a single season -- and finish second behind Jeff Gordon in final championship points. He was driving his signature No. 6 Ford for Jack Roush, his car owner for nearly two decades.

Mark Martin

• Community
• Superstore

Now he's piloting the No. 8 of Dale Earnhardt Inc., splitting the ride with youngster Aric Almirola, and closer to the end of his career than the beginning. And a racetrack that was relatively flat and owned by a pair of casino executives -- Ralph Englestead of the Imperial Palace and Bill Bennett of the Sahara -- has been expanded and reconstructed under the watchful eye of Speedway Motorsports Inc. chairman Bruton Smith, who bought the facility nine months after Martin won on it.

Martin has weathered the all changes well. He's recorded eight top-10 finishes in 10 career appearances on the 1.5-mile facility, among them a fifth-place result last year. Sunday he'll roll off the starting grid as the lead Chevrolet, besting even his Hendrick Motorsports manufacturer-mates in qualifying on Friday. Martin's top speed in final practice Saturday was only 27th-fastest, but his crew was content enough with the car that they parked it after just 10 laps.

"I'm with new guys in my Cup car, and to be real honest with you, I can't even tell it," said Martin, who has finished 31st and 16th in the first two Sprint Cup events this season. "I know all their names now, believe it or not, and I'm very comfortable working with them. I've been working with a lot of people, and as long as they give me great racecars and they give me good communication and feedback, it seems to be working well."

While another Las Vegas victory may not be in the cards for Martin -- he's a 30-to-1 long shot, according to the sports book at Caesar's Palace -- he'll never forget his first one. He wishes now he had enjoyed it more; he was too focused at the time on how he'd duplicate the feat the next week at Atlanta. He remembers staying late to finish up all the interviews required of the winner of the track's first Cup event. And he remembers the moment when it finally all came into perspective.

"The place was cleared out quite a bit by the time I left by helicopter," he said. "I remember when the helicopter lifted up and I could see down. That's when I realized what I had accomplished. That's burned into my mind, that look down. Because from behind the wheel, it's the same thing as winning at the local short track. It is just a race, when you're doing it. It might be a big race, but it's still a race. I guess that's the memory that I have. Just for one second I realized what we accomplished. And it was a big accomplishment."