Daytona 500 Not Part Of Mark Martin’s 2014 Plans

AVONDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 08: Mark Martin, driver of the #14 Bass Pro Shops / Mobil 1 Chevrolet, talks with Kurt Busch, driver of the #78 Furniture Row Chevrolet, during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Advocare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 8, 2013 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)
AVONDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 08:  Mark Martin, driver of the #14 Bass Pro Shops / Mobil 1 Chevrolet, talks with Kurt Busch, driver of the #78 Furniture Row Chevrolet, during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Advocare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 8, 2013 in Avondale, Arizona.  (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)
AVONDALE, AZ – NOVEMBER 08: Mark Martin, driver of the #14 Bass Pro Shops / Mobil 1 Chevrolet, talks with Kurt Busch, driver of the #78 Furniture Row Chevrolet, during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Advocare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 8, 2013 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)

AVONDALE, Ariz.– For the first time since 1987, Mark Martin won’t be in the Daytona 500 when the green flag waves on Feb. 23, 2014.

During Friday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying session at Phoenix International Raceway, Martin talked to reporters about his 2014 plans, which don’t include the “Great American Race” but do include testing for Stewart-Haas Racing.

Martin has subbed for Tony Stewart, who broke his leg in a sprint car accident Aug. 5 in Iowa, and he’ll continue that role during the Preseason Thunder testing sessions at Daytona.

“I don’t have any racing scheduled for 2014,” said Martin, who has appeared in 26 consecutive Daytona 500s, 29 overall. “I do, however, have an undefined role at Stewart-Haas. The major definition is I’ll do the preseason testing. The cool thing about that is I get to do it on my terms. We haven’t gone solid with the level of commitments or duties I will have. I’ve told them I want to get this year behind me.

“I’m going to be around. I’m going to be involved in racing. Most people close to me have known this all year, so really it’s nothing new. I won’t be in the Daytona 500. I ran third in the Daytona 500 in 2013, and that felt good.  I knew that was my last Daytona 500. And then we came out here (Phoenix) and sat on the pole (for the March 3 race).”

Martin will drive the No. 14 SHR Chevrolet in Stewart’s stead Nov. 17 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but the 54-year-old driver isn’t ready to say that will be his last NASCAR Sprint Cup race.

“I don’t want to discuss that right now,” Martin said. “I’ve really enjoyed this year, not dealing with all that. And I don’t think that is of any major consequence. Let’s just don’t talk about it.”

Nor does Martin feel he needs to fill a role as a driver coach for SHR’s Danica Patrick.

“I say Danica does not need a driving coach,” Martin said. “She’s driving an amazing job, in my opinion. But if we can feed her faster race cars, she will reach her full potential. So I don’t want you guys to write that I’m going to be coaching Danica, because I don’t think she needs one ounce of coaching.

“She’s driving fantastic. We’ve got to get her cars faster. So if I was able to aid in any way, shape or form the amount of information that was given to her to utilize or maybe (crew chief) Tony Gibson getting the right stuff under her, then that would be a success. But as far as coaching her driving, I don’t think she needs it.”

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.