Martin to seek 2009 championship in Hendrick Motorsports' No. 5
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Hendrick Motorsports made it official today, announcing Mark Martin as the full-time driver of the organization's No. 5 NASCAR Sprint Cup entry in 2009.
"This is a real special day for me," team owner Rick Hendrick said at Daytona International Speedway. " It's real exciting for me to be able to announce Mark Martin coming on board to run for the championship next year in the [No.] 5 car. That car means a lot to me
because that was my first number … We're honored to have a guy of his caliber."
Martin, 49, is currently driving a limited schedule in the Dale Earnhardt Inc. No. 8. This marks his fourth team move in the last three seasons. Martin drove 19 Cup seasons for Roush Racing before deciding to scale back and compete on a part-time basis. In 2007, he debuted with Ginn Racing, sharing a car with Regan Smith. Midway through that season, DEI merged with Ginn, putting Martin in the team founded by his former competitor, Dale Earnhardt.
This season, Martin took over the No. 8 made famous by Dale Earnhardt Jr. He plans to drive in 24 Cup points races in the car this season with Aric Almirola driving the rest. Almirola has been named the full-time driver for that team beginning next season.
"It's just, when I think about being a part of the status organization in NASCAR and being a member of the team with Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr., working with [crew chief] Alan Gustafson and all the folks there and the relationship that I've had, … it was just an opportunity that I absolutely could not, I just couldn't let it pass by," Martin said. "At this point in my life I was very concerned about regretting that decision for the rest of my life."
Martin will drive a partial schedule in 2010, sharing the ride with a to-be-named driver. Martin has 35 career Cup wins and has finished as runnerup for the championship four times in his career.
He will replace Casey Mears, who has driven for Hendrick Motorsports the last two years.
Martin also isn't ruling out competing in some Nationwide races next season. He says that he has talked with JR Motorsports and would consider driving a maximum of five races with that team next year, though it is too early to be discussing that yet.
