Daytona Beach, Fla. – Mark Martin looked up at the mammoth replay screen, shook his head in disgust and then walked into his hauler.
His final Nextel Cup race at Daytona International Speedway was over – much earlier than he expected.
It was hardly the way he wanted it to end Saturday night in the Pepsi 400, even at one of his least favorite tracks.
“I’m glad this is the last time I ever have to race here,” said Martin, winless in 41 Cup starts at Daytona and retiring at the end of the season.
“I just didn’t want to wreck,” he added. “I wasn’t worried about winning. I just wanted to race. I had a good car, and my guys are awesome. Now we’ve just got to worry about making the Chase.”
Martin entered the race fifth in the series points standings.
Although he has run well here over the years, he hasn’t had much to celebrate at NASCAR’s most famous track.
He is 0-for-21 in the Daytona 500 and now 0-for-20 in the Pepsi 400. Throw in various other races at Daytona, and Martin isn’t much better.
He has three wins at the track – two in the International Race of Champions series (2003, 2005) and one in the Bud Shootout (1999) – in a combined 108 starts.
“I don’t particularly love this place,” he said earlier this year. “It never has been that kind to me.”
It didn’t get any better Saturday night. The accident started when Jeff Gordon slowed down to turn onto pit road, and Scott Riggs, who was two cars back, missed the signal.
Riggs ran into the back of Jamie McMurray and then turned up the track and into Martin, who bounced off the wall and collected several other cars with him.
“There’s not room for all those cars,” Martin said. “That kind of accident can happen on a smaller racetrack, too. I’m just bitter right now because that’s a stupid way to wreck. Somebody wasn’t communicating. I wish Scott would have chose to stay in line instead of hang a right.”
Riggs said he had no idea Gordon or McMurray were slowing down. He also said he hated it, for his team and for Martin.
“I’ve heard Mark several times complain about speedway races, so I know he knows what this is all about,” Riggs said. “So much depends on everyone else around you, not just you and your car and your team. You have to depend on other people around to work with or be in the right place at the right time or bow down and give you room.
“That’s just typical speedway racing.”
