Martin: Limited Cup schedule possible
Mark Martin, who was expected to retire from racing full-time in Nextel Cup after this year, says that he hasn't determined his schedule for next season yet and could be interested in running more Nextel Cup races.
Martin originally planned to retire from full-time Cup competition in 2005, but after Kurt Busch announced plans to leave Roush Racing at the end of 2006, team owner Jack Roush asked Martin to forego his plans and return for a 19th year with the Ford Cup team. Busch eventually left Roush at the end of the 2005 season.
This season, the 47-year-old driver from Batesville, Ark., has been quiet about his 2007 plans, saying that he's learned to never rule out anything after announcing and then changing his plans in 2005. Martin, who is currently sixth in the Cup point standings, has plans to race full time in the Craftsman Truck Series next year.
Asked about his goals for his final season during a teleconference from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Martin offered a surprising answer Monday.
"I haven't made the final determination on what [the] 2007 race schedule is going to look like for me," he said. "Roush Racing hasn't presented me with the truck contract yet, although if they would have I would have signed it and that would be done. I know what they're doing and so I would consider doing a limited Cup schedule if it was with the right team and if I did so, to answer your question, the Brickyard would be on that, the Daytona 500 would be on that, races like Michigan and Dover and some of those races that might be in conjunction with the truck racing or whatever.
"That's why, last year I said I learned never to say never, so I'm not saying this is my last year on Cup, I'm not even saying this is my last - I'm not saying anything, if you get my drift. I'm waiting. Right now I'm focused on trying to make the Chase so that if we do that maybe we can have another chance to contend for a championship and somewhere along that line things will really fall into place.
"Silly season in 2006 is going to be the craziest in NASCAR history. I think we already see that. We've got Juan Montoya coming. That's just the start. It is going to be the craziest silly season I think you've ever seen. Experienced drivers are really hot commodities right now, guys that can get it done, and it's going to be a really interesting fall."
