Mark Martin to run 25 events for Michael Waltrip Racing in 2012

Mark Martin to run 25 events for Michael Waltrip Racing in 2012

 

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

 

(November 4, 2011)

 

FORT WORTH, Texas—A two-year deal between Mark Martin, Michael Waltrip Racing and sponsor Aaron’s will keep the seemingly ageless Martin behind the wheel of a Sprint Cup car until he’s almost 55.

 

Martin is scheduled to compete in 25 Sprint Cup races next year, starting with the Daytona 500 and including the non-points Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Waltrip will drive the No. 00 Aaron’s Toyota in five events, as well as the non-points Budweiser Shootout (dependent of eligibility).

 

The organization continues to look for a sponsor and another driver to complete the 36-race Cup schedule in the car to be vacated at the end of the season by David Reutimann, whose release from the ride was confirmed Thursday.

 

Both Martin and team owner Michael Waltrip acknowledge the deal took approximately three weeks to complete, from initial overtures to signed contracts. To a great extent, the hiring of Martin was sponsor-driven, with Aaron’s looking for improved performance on the racetrack.

 

Though Reutimann has accounted for both of MWR’s victories in the Cup series, he is 28th in the Cup standings this season with a total of eight laps led in 33 races.

 

“It hasn't been in the works very long,” Martin said Friday at Texas Motor Speedway. “Contracts got signed Wednesday afternoon--not Tuesday when the story broke. It moved pretty quickly. I did have some other options, but most of the options were wait-and-see-if-it-materializes.”

 

With 40 career victories in the Cup series, Martin will have valuable input on the competition side of the operation. Known for his unselfishness in helping younger drivers, Martin will make his expertise available to Martin Truex Jr., who drives the No. 56 Toyota for MWR, and Clint Bowyer, who will join the team next year.

 

Waltrip and Aaron’s owner Ken Butler have agreed on an option year in 2014 for extension of their sponsorship agreement.

 

“We have an agreement with Mr. Butler that, if we can find ‘the guy’ for his car in 2014, then we’ll extend the contract out past that,” Waltrip said. “Who is the guy? We don’t know. We’ll see where he comes from. Clint Bowyer was the guy that we wanted to up our whole program this year, and we got him. So we look forward to seeing who the guy is then.

 

“I know Bowyer coming to the team and Mark Martin coming to the team and (new vice president of competition) Scott Miller coming to the team and the new engine relationship we have with Toyota and Gibbs—all the things we’re pushing together with (Joe Gibbs Racing) on simulation and wind tunnel—I think Mark and Clint both are coming at an opportune time. We feel like we’ve done a lot of good things back at the shop that are going relate into performance on the track.”

 

Waltrip said he wants to keep Martin at 25 races and to limit himself to five, hence the need for a third driver.

 

“It’s the three other plate races (after the Daytona 500), Kentucky, and I’ll have to figure out one more—and I get to pick,” Waltrip said of his schedule next year. “I think I’m going to pick Bristol Night Race.”