Before He Beefed Up

Today we know driver Mark Martin at age 54 as one of the fittest drivers in the garage. It has been that way with Mark for many, many years. His regimines on the rowing machine have been well documented.

When Mark first came to Cup at age 22 in 1981, he was fast from the get-go, winning poles at both Nashville and Richmond in just 5 starts. However, the heavy Cup cars with no power steering were a handful. That's why Mark became such a fitness guru. It sure paid off.

The Bob Brown photo below of 22 year old Mark taking oxygen after completing 398 of 400 laps in the 1981 Wrangler SanforSet 400 at the demanding old Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway half-mile bears little resemblance to how a fit and beefed up Mark always looks fresh as a daisy when he climbs out of his cars today.

First time I met Mark, when he was driving the Stroh's car for Rousch, I thought he was a teenager hanging around the pits. Someone said recently, and I have to agree, he has a 75 year old face on a 21 year old body. He really believes in that physical regiment. I need that type of dedication to my training routine. Of course, my right arm is quite muscular from lifting my coffee cup repetitively every morning.

Try driving a 3400 lb. Late Model on a 1/4 flat or 1/2 mile high banked asphalt track for 200-300 laps with no power steering. Then you will know what Dave is talking about and why Mark worked out like he did. There were many times that I wished that I had. Power steering?? On a race car??? Never heard of using it back then in the "good old days."

I dont think anyone had power steering back in the day i remember joe lee johnson driving some ones car and he had them cut the belt off so he could feel the track--think about that,you get a lot of feedback through your steering wheel--power steering just dampens the feel to the popint of what to do in a case like you have under you

He is indeed very fit....Mark Martin will replace Denny Hamlin while he recovers from a L1 fracture.
http://nascar.speedtv.com/ article/ cup-mark-martin-replaces-injure d-denny-hamlin-for-joe-gibbs-r acing/

Here's a David Allio shot of rookie pole winner Mark holding off Dale Earnhardt in 1981 at Nashville in the Busch Nashville 420. He'd eventually complete 415 of 420 laps. Winner Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Allison and Benny Parsons were the only cars that went the distance.