Mark “The Kid” Martin joins to discuss his long career as a stock car race car driver.
Rising from the small-town tracks of Arkansas to the roaring speedways of NASCAR, he carved out a career defined not by flash, but by consistency and precision. Martin began making a name for himself as one of the youngest in the sport, winning three American Speed Association national championships before turning 22.
Martin’s inspiration throughout his career and the name of his new book, “Never Lift”, came from his father, Julian Martin. His father saved a clipping with the joke definition of the phrase, meaning “to keep one’s foot firmly planted on the accelerator pedal with complete disregard to the possible outcome; can often end with catastrophic results, but with proper execution has been known to create legends.”
In the book, Martin delves into the difficult years of his career, where by the end of 1982, he had auctioned off everything he owned just to climb out of debt. He ultimately relaunched his Cup career and became a respected competitor well into his fifties.
We sit down for the hour to step on the gas with Mark Martin. We'll discuss his career highs, his time living in Charlotte and his passion for the sport.
GUESTS:
Mark Martin, NASCAR Hall of Famer and author of “Never Lift”
