Final scheduled NASCAR race for Martin:

Final scheduled NASCAR race for Martin: The Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead will be #14-Mark Martin s last scheduled Sprint Cup race. The first of what will be 882 career Sprint Cup starts came on April 5, 1981 at North Wilkesboro Speedway. He started fifth and finished 27th in a Bud Reeder-owned Pontiac. In that race were such legends as Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip, Richard Childress, Tim Richmond, Benny Parsons and Harry Gant. James Hylton, also in that race, was a young 46. Hylton retired earlier this year at age 79. Homestead will be Martin s 1,144th start across all NASCAR series. For Mark Martin, this year s edition of the series finale means the last scheduled Sprint Cup race of his storied career. In 31 years of competing at NASCAR s highest level, Martin has earned 40 wins, 56 poles, 271 top-fives, 453 top-10s and led a total of 12,879 laps in 881 career Sprint Cup starts. Although Martin never experienced the glory of a Sprint Cup title, he certainly put forth his share of championship-worthy seasons. Seventeen times Martin finished among the top-10 in points, and in five of those seasons, Martin was runner-up to the champion, finishing second in 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2009.(SHR)(11-15-2013)