Car open should Martin opt for full-time ride
Driver hasn't mentioned possibility, but Ginn prepared
By David Caraviello, NASCAR.COM
If Mark Martin decides he wants to run a full Nextel Cup season, he'll have a car waiting for him at Ginn Racing.
Martin is scheduled to compete in about 22 events this season in a No. 01 car he'll share with teammate Regan Smith, along with a variety of Busch and Craftsman Truck starts for other teams. But if results like his dramatic runner-up finish to Kevin Harvick in Sunday's Daytona 500 whet his appetite for another championship run, Martin has the option of driving the U.S Army car full time.
"If he came to us and that's what he wanted to do," Jay Frye, Ginn Racing's CEO and general manager said Tuesday, "then we would do that."
Frye stressed that the subject hasn't even come up. But should Martin make that decision, Smith would move to the team's No. 39 car, which failed to qualify at Daytona.
"That's a good Cup team that's actually a Busch team," Frye said. "We could run that fourth team in numerous races also. I don't think it would be that big of an issue if that's what happens."
As it stands now, Martin is scheduled to run the first four weeks of the season in the No. 01 car. He's slated to turn it over to Smith on March 25 at Bristol and end his streak of 617 consecutive Nextel Cup starts. But Matt Kenseth wonders if his old Roush Racing teammate will be able to give up the seat should he follow his Daytona finish with a few more solid results.
"I think that if he's up there in points, and with the way they're doing the Chase and all that stuff, if his team is competitive, I wouldn't be shocked if he ended up running the whole season trying to run for the championship," Kenseth said. "That's just me, though. He hasn't said anything like that. I just know him pretty well, and when he sat there two or three years ago and said he was going to retire, I didn't buy that, either."
Frye said the team is still working under Martin's part-time schedule, which includes another shot at Daytona in July. But even he wonders if that will change should Martin enjoy more success in the coming weeks.
"We're not putting any pressure on him to [go full time]," Frye said. "Right now, our schedule is the same as it was, and I don't see that changing. But three or four weeks from now? You never know. Right now, I don't anticipate that."
Ginn Racing placed all three of its cars in the top 20 at Daytona, with Joe Nemechek ninth and Sterling Marlin 17th. Frye said there was never any thought of protesting NASCAR's decision to delay the final-lap caution, which didn't come out until after the leaders had crossed the finish line.
"In their defense, if they had to call it one way or the other, it would have been difficult either way. We were racing Harvick at the end, regardless of what happened behind. We came up a couple of feet short," Frye said.
"If you had said before the race you'd finish second, ninth, and 17th, you'd probably be pretty happy with that. But it was so close. Everybody was just crushed afterward. But as the days go on, and I'm sure when we get to Fontana, we're very proud of what we've accomplished."
Driver hasn't mentioned possibility, but Ginn prepared
By David Caraviello, NASCAR.COM
If Mark Martin decides he wants to run a full Nextel Cup season, he'll have a car waiting for him at Ginn Racing.
Martin is scheduled to compete in about 22 events this season in a No. 01 car he'll share with teammate Regan Smith, along with a variety of Busch and Craftsman Truck starts for other teams. But if results like his dramatic runner-up finish to Kevin Harvick in Sunday's Daytona 500 whet his appetite for another championship run, Martin has the option of driving the U.S Army car full time.
"If he came to us and that's what he wanted to do," Jay Frye, Ginn Racing's CEO and general manager said Tuesday, "then we would do that."
Frye stressed that the subject hasn't even come up. But should Martin make that decision, Smith would move to the team's No. 39 car, which failed to qualify at Daytona.
"That's a good Cup team that's actually a Busch team," Frye said. "We could run that fourth team in numerous races also. I don't think it would be that big of an issue if that's what happens."
As it stands now, Martin is scheduled to run the first four weeks of the season in the No. 01 car. He's slated to turn it over to Smith on March 25 at Bristol and end his streak of 617 consecutive Nextel Cup starts. But Matt Kenseth wonders if his old Roush Racing teammate will be able to give up the seat should he follow his Daytona finish with a few more solid results.
"I think that if he's up there in points, and with the way they're doing the Chase and all that stuff, if his team is competitive, I wouldn't be shocked if he ended up running the whole season trying to run for the championship," Kenseth said. "That's just me, though. He hasn't said anything like that. I just know him pretty well, and when he sat there two or three years ago and said he was going to retire, I didn't buy that, either."
Frye said the team is still working under Martin's part-time schedule, which includes another shot at Daytona in July. But even he wonders if that will change should Martin enjoy more success in the coming weeks.
"We're not putting any pressure on him to [go full time]," Frye said. "Right now, our schedule is the same as it was, and I don't see that changing. But three or four weeks from now? You never know. Right now, I don't anticipate that."
Ginn Racing placed all three of its cars in the top 20 at Daytona, with Joe Nemechek ninth and Sterling Marlin 17th. Frye said there was never any thought of protesting NASCAR's decision to delay the final-lap caution, which didn't come out until after the leaders had crossed the finish line.
"In their defense, if they had to call it one way or the other, it would have been difficult either way. We were racing Harvick at the end, regardless of what happened behind. We came up a couple of feet short," Frye said.
"If you had said before the race you'd finish second, ninth, and 17th, you'd probably be pretty happy with that. But it was so close. Everybody was just crushed afterward. But as the days go on, and I'm sure when we get to Fontana, we're very proud of what we've accomplished."
