Mark Martin initially felt “a bit embarrassed,” by his Hall of Fame induction

Mark Martin initially felt “a bit embarrassed,” by his Hall of Fame induction

Mark Martin Hall of Fame speech

If someone asks a NASCAR fan, who is the greatest driver who has never won the cup championship, the most likely answer will be Mark Martin. He made his premier stock car racing debut as a 21-year-old Midwestern short-track star and left 32 years later as one of the greatest ever. Martin’s legacy is something not even some cup champions could match.   

He was also one of the most respected and loved cup drivers in the sport’s history. His positive aura and calm attitude made him a crowd favorite, something he still is. Martin hung his driving gloves after four years of running part-time in the premier series in  2013. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame three years after retiring.

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Mark Martin was on his way to watch the 2016 Indy 500 when he learned about his HOF induction. He was overwhelmed by the amount of appreciation he got after the selection. During the HOF Induction weekend, Martin said, “It just blew up (with calls from informed well-wishers). My phone had never blown up like that. It was crazy, something not really expected; it was weird,”.

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Mark Martin revealed that he felt a bit awkward and embarrassed as he got inducted into a group that built the spot. He never considered himself to be one of them. Martin said, “I felt awkward, especially during the induction. I looked up at the flags along the wall — my heroes, the people that built the sport. I wasn’t one of them, so I was almost a little bit embarrassed,”.

He then pointed out that the HOF is the highlight of his career but believes it defines him as an athlete. Martin added that an athlete is defined by his accomplishments over the years. The former HMS driver said, “The Hall is the crown jewel of my career, but I don’t think one trophy or one championship defines an athlete. He’s defined by his actions over a period of time, by what he accomplished over years,”.

Related: “A memorable branding play,” Brad Keselowski claims ‘Jimmie Johnson worked hard’ narrative was a clever cover-up for the HMS crew’s expertise

Mark Martin’s NASCAR legacy

Mark Martin
Mark Martin

Mark Martin has  40 Cup victories, 49 Xfinity Series victories, and seven Camping World Truck Series victories in his illustrious career. He finished top-5 in points 13 times and had a 12-year run (1989-2000) of top-10 seasons with Jack Roush. Martin scored 17 top-10 seasons in 24 years for Hendrick Motorsports.

Mark Martin came close to a championship win five times in his career but failed to make it there at the end. He finished runner-up twice behind the record seven times champion Dale Earnhardt. He also fell short against Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordan, and Tony Stewart, three multiple championship-winning drivers.

Mark Martin didn’t even win the Daytona 500, the premier cup race win of all time. This gives Denny Hamlin, the JGR veteran, who, just like Martin, has never won the championship despite being one of the best though out his career. Hamlin has three Daytona 500 wins. But none of these matters to him as he looks back on his career without any regrets.

“I never hit the super home run and didn’t win the Daytona 500. And I didn’t win a championship. But I put a lot of emphasis on winning. Let me tell you: I’ve done more in racing than I ever expected. And I mean EVER expected! I’ll never look back and regret what DIDN’T happen. Instead, I’ll look back and remember what DID happen,” said Mark Martin.

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