Martin May Finally End Title Drought

Mark Martin's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory last weekend at Phoenix very well may have been the most popular and sentimental win in years.

Not only did the fans in the grandstands voice their thundering approval but numerous drivers and car owners ducked into Victory Lane to congratulate Mark on his accomplishment. Greg Biffle articulated it best when he said, in summary, that he couldn't think of anyone else, besides himself, he'd rather see in Victory Lane. The feeling of virtually every driver in the garage is that if they can't pull their car into Victory Lane, they're happy to see Mark do so. He has that much respect because he races everyone clean and is as intense as they come.
And while it appears Mark has his best shot ever at winning the elusive NASCAR Sprint Cup championship, he will be the first to tell you the trophy wasn't his true motivation for returning to full-time competition.

As soon as word leaked out last year he would be joining Hendrick, tongues began wagging about Mark's long-awaited, overdue championship finally coming to fruition at the powerhouse organization. I had the privilege of sitting down with Mark during the off-season both on and off-camera and was struck by his revelation that he didn't join Hendrick Motorsports for the opportunity to finally hoist that Sprint Cup trophy, but rather because it was the right situation for him at this point in his life.

Mark chose Hendrick Motorsports for one reason and one reason only - to race for Rick Hendrick. After running a partial schedule in 2007 and 2008, he was not ready to walk away from the sport. Although the reduced schedule allowed him to do the things he wanted, such as spending time with his wife and son, and to unwind a bit from the rigors of the crazy NASCAR life, Mark also recognized his desire to race for a championship still abounded.

But he's a very obsessive individual, by his own admission, and he wasn't going to commit to racing just halfway. If you've ever heard anything about his rigorous fitness routine, you'd know Mark is all-out in every aspect of his life, and the overwhelming desire to compete and be a true contender lured him back.

Jeff Gordon also helped draw him into the fold. Mark had been talking to Hendrick about a partial schedule but Gordon is the one who twisted his arm into accepting a fulltime ride. The fact that a four-time champion wanted Mark with his organization is a huge testament to what a respected racer Mark is.

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Mark also has the utmost admiration of his crew chief, Alan Gustafson, who told me Mark is the most open-minded racer he has ever worked with. You'd think that as a 50-year-old driver with more than 700 starts and 36 Cup wins, Mark would be fairly set in his ways. But Gustafson said he accepts feedback from the team like no one else and encourages them to challenge him with different setups and ideas - whatever it takes to be better. Furthermore, Mark understands the car from front to rear and can pinpoint specifically what he needs it to do.

The guy obviously hasn't forgotten anything during his weekends off the past two seasons. It was amazing how strong he and the No. 5 team were right out of the gate this year, although they had some horrendous luck with motor and tire problems that killed them in the points. But the most important thing is they ran very well before those problems struck. If anyone can rebound, Mark can because he is strong at virtually every track the Sprint Cup Series races on, doesn't make mistakes and his work ethic is second to none.

Sure, Mark is by far the sentimental favorite for the championship after finishing runner-up four separate times, but he's got more than sentiment on his side. He has at his disposal every resource necessary to win a championship. Plus, he has afforded himself every chance to win races and championships by virtue of his dedication to physical fitness. Mark is lacking nothing in his first bid for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship and don't be surprised if the 50-year-old finally pulls it off.

Steve Byrnes is the host of Trackside Live, NASCAR Live and This Week in NASCAR on SPEED, in addition to his duties as a pit reporter for FOX Sports. A NASCAR broadcaster for nearly 25 years, Byrnes also hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice and qualifying broadcasts, as well as the NASCAR Nationwide Series sessions. He broke into NASCAR broadcasting in 1985 as the host of Inside NASCAR on TNN and went on to host Darrell Waltrip's Racers on TNN, among numerous other programs. Byrnes also has served as a play-by-play announcer in the NFL. For more information about Byrnes or to access the NASCAR on SPEED programming schedule, please visit www.speedtv.com.