Mark Martin shifts gears this weekend, focusing more on his role as mentor to young drivers.
When he opts to step out of the No. 01 Ginn Racing car this weekend, he'll be busy in Lake City, Fla., at the Columbia Motorsports Park. There he'll watch Ginn development driver Ricky Carmichael and Martin's son, Matt, compete in the Late Model race.
Martin says that he'll be on radio with Carmichael throughout the race and not spotting for his son.
He has learned not to do that already.
"The last time I spotted for Matt, I stood there and watched a wreck happen in front of him and watched him drive, drive, drive right into it, and I never said a word," Martin said. "So I quit spotting because I kept thinking about what I would do, what would I do, what would I do."
As to missing the Nextel Cup race, Martin says that so far his week has felt normal. He left Atlanta Motor Speedway Sunday night as the series points leader but knowing that would change this weekend.
"I really don't feel any different," he said. "... I didn't have any idea we were still leading the points when I got out of the car Sunday. I was really pretty proud of that. But not as proud as my son, Matt, is. Sometimes he's hard to impress. But he seems to be very proud of that fact."
Martin says that his Monday and Tuesday have been the same. He's been busy trying to get caught up with his business and getting organized so that "I can possibly cruise somewhere along the way, but I don't know when that's going to be."
Still, he expects Sunday to be "eye-opening" for both him and Regan Smith, the rookie driving the car this weekend.
"I expect to enjoy watching the race, and there might be a twinge in there along the way that I wish I was there," he said. "But I doubt it."
When he opts to step out of the No. 01 Ginn Racing car this weekend, he'll be busy in Lake City, Fla., at the Columbia Motorsports Park. There he'll watch Ginn development driver Ricky Carmichael and Martin's son, Matt, compete in the Late Model race.
Martin says that he'll be on radio with Carmichael throughout the race and not spotting for his son.
He has learned not to do that already.
"The last time I spotted for Matt, I stood there and watched a wreck happen in front of him and watched him drive, drive, drive right into it, and I never said a word," Martin said. "So I quit spotting because I kept thinking about what I would do, what would I do, what would I do."
As to missing the Nextel Cup race, Martin says that so far his week has felt normal. He left Atlanta Motor Speedway Sunday night as the series points leader but knowing that would change this weekend.
"I really don't feel any different," he said. "... I didn't have any idea we were still leading the points when I got out of the car Sunday. I was really pretty proud of that. But not as proud as my son, Matt, is. Sometimes he's hard to impress. But he seems to be very proud of that fact."
Martin says that his Monday and Tuesday have been the same. He's been busy trying to get caught up with his business and getting organized so that "I can possibly cruise somewhere along the way, but I don't know when that's going to be."
Still, he expects Sunday to be "eye-opening" for both him and Regan Smith, the rookie driving the car this weekend.
"I expect to enjoy watching the race, and there might be a twinge in there along the way that I wish I was there," he said. "But I doubt it."