The Auto Channel
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
Official Website of the New Car Buyer

NASCAR WCUP: Mark Martin Qualifying Notes, Talladega

25 April 1999

MARK MARTIN -6- Valvoline Taurus -- "I'm just proud of this team. The Valvoline/Cummins bunch is doing a great job. It's such a pleasure to get in a race car that will run, I just can't tell you because I've been in a lot of them that won't run on restrictor-plate races. I'm just relieved to be in something that will." DID YOU IMPROVE FROM PRACTICE? "We picked up a second from our test and almost a half-second from our practice. Jimmy Fennig and the whole Valvoline crew, they grabbed their bag of tricks and drew up on it for qualifying I guess. They surprised me an awful lot. I wasn't that impressed with our testing. I thought we were gonna come down here and run like usual and, sure enough, they surprised me. They've got a fast car here." AS FAR AS THE BUSCH CAR GOES, WHAT HAPPENED? "The car's too slow and that's what happens when you don't run fast enough. There's been a lot of controversy about Busch regulars not making the race and if they don't go fast enough they don't make it. That was the case on us this weekend." ARE YOU DISAPPOINTED? "Yeah. A lot of work goes into that. You work just as hard to miss the show as you do to make the show and we just didn't run fast enough."

Editors Note: For hundreds of hot racing photos and racing art, be sure to visit The Racing ImageGalleries and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.