Freshrubber Blog

Saturday night was definitely a happy birthday for car owner Rick Hendrick. After his cars led for a combined 253 laps of the 267-lap LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway, two of his drivers, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon, gave the boss a one-two finish.

Martin claimed the win to take his fourth win of the year, the most wins for any driver so far in 2009. Gordon took the checkers right behind Martin to make it a one-two finish for Hendrick Motorsports.

“We had our struggles,” Gordon said, referring to the difficulty of making his way back toward the front after contact with Carl Edwards early on and also to spinning his tires on the last restart, allowing Martin to pull away for the win. Examiner

Martin cashes in, gamblers fail at Michigan

Mark Martin’s 37 victories and more than $70 million in earnings make him one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. But only recently has he found a better balance. Hendrick provides him with some of the best cars in the sport, and Martin brings 29 years of experience and a youthful exuberance. A pessimistic approach has been replaced by a big smile. He remains guarded, but he often drops his guard long enough to enjoy the ride. “I am a different person,” he said. “I still think that I’m cautious about what I set myself up for. But I know I’m going to have some fun. You know, I mean, if everything turns into a disaster, maybe not. But then the next week we will [have fun]. “I’m having a blast.” And still winning. He’s 11th in points, above the cut line to qualify for the Chase for the Championship. “You are supposed to mellow [at 50],” Martin said. “I feel very, very fortunate. … And you know what: I am more excited than I was in 1981 to be here right now.” — Florida Times-Union

Mark Martin doesn’t want to drive race cars forever. But as long as he can compete at the highest level, he can’t bring himself to walk away from NASCAR. Martin said Wednesday he’ll run a full season next year, his 22nd in NASCAR. He’s in the first year of a two-year deal with Hendrick Motorsports, but 2010 was fluid and Martin had initially thought he’d run just a partial schedule next season. But he’s proven this season to still be at the top of his profession, ending a 97-race winless streak with last month’s victory at Phoenix. At 50 years old, he became the third-oldest winner in NASCAR history.  Foxsports

Mark Martin wins first NASCAR Sprint Cup series race since 2005