RELATED: Martin relishes Hall of Fame nod
Mark Martin’s return to the NASCAR spotlight as a 2017 inductee to the NASCAR Hall of Fame will be followed by his return to the race track this summer.
Martin has entered the July 15 IWK 250 presented by Steve Lewis Auto Body super late model race at Riverside International Speedway in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada.
“I’ve heard nothing but good things from my NASCAR buddies about the race, the competition and the fans,” Martin said in a press release from the track. “It’s always fun to get back to your roots. My career began at local short tracks and I got the opportunity to go to so many great speedways. I can’t wait to check this one out, along with the competition and the fans.”
The IWK 250 is a three-day event starting Thursday, July 13, with the IWK 250 Tailgate Party. On July 14, it’s the NAPA Sportsman Series with a 100-lap championship points event, along with the Maritime League of Legends. The super late model race is the main event on July 15.
Fellow NASCAR driver Regan Smith won the IWK 250 in 2008. Other NASCAR drivers who have competed in the event are Aric Almirola, Marcos Ambrose, Matt Crafton, Ricky Craven, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, David Reutimann and Austin Theriault.
Martin will drive for Nova Racing, alongside teammates Donald Chisholm, the defending IWK 250 champion, and George Koszkulics, who has three top-10 finishes in four attempts in the race.
Martin retired from NASCAR racing in 2013 with 40 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins in 882 starts over 31 years with 56 poles.