Martin enters 'the grandest victory lane of all'

Tonight for me is about recognizing the VIPs who made this happen, but the MVP MVP is Arlene Martin, we met on Christmas in 1983 and Arlene since that day, that day and every day since then you have made me better . It's amazing what we've done to get here and I have to give an honorable mention to your sweet girls here we moved seven times in the first five years and I never heard a word of complaint from them it was a huge sacrifice for them. Girls, that was really very special. I can't tell you how it feels to be here in front of you tonight.

It's a feeling that my words could never do justice to. It is an honor. You know, or to say that it is an honor would be. It's an understatement to say it's the culmination of a lifelong dream. As a matter of fact, it's an honor beyond the wildest imagination of a kid from Arkansas who loved driving fast cars and winning races. Most importantly, a recognition of hard work, determination, driving, I don't focus on myself. but of those who gave their blood, sweat and tears to put me here tonight, I want to thank all the members of the Hall, all those who came before me, if not for the groundwork they laid with their tireless passion, effort and sacrifice for this sport.

There may be no NASCAR at all and there certainly wouldn't be any Hall of Fame when I was informed I would be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I felt very honored and speechless to even be mentioned in the same breath as my racing models. I was overwhelmed with appreciation and gratitude for all those who helped put me in a position to even compete in NASCAR races. I think about my mom and dad, they were the most amazing parents anyone could have had. Can-do spirit, hard workers and I achieved everything they set out to do and they told me my dad always told me that, mark, you can do anything you set your mind to.

I don't remember being told much what to do, but they never told me what he could do. I don't think about Larry Shaw, who was driving by the truck company shop when he saw that '55 Chevy running for my first race car and he stopped and started working and never quit for four and a half years and then went on to be a Legendary dirt car builder I think about Larry Phillips, the future hall of famer, he gave me my first job right out of high school. I went to Springfield and worked for him in the shop and learned manufacturing and then he raced. me on Friday and Saturday nights every Friday and Saturday night and he gave me driving lessons.

I connected with Grimm banjo at age 18 and fed off of his work ethic and then he fed off of mine. It was absolutely impossible to outdo each other at work and they were incredible times. and I think about rex robbins and everyone at ASAE who gave me the opportunity to run 3 on 3 and 400 lap races that were pit stop races, but not only that, but he took the time to teach me how to promote races, talk with the fans, represent the sponsors. and dealing with the multimedia tools I would have to have years later in NASCAR, I connected with Ray Dillon in '79 and we designed the Mark 2 chassis that revolutionized short track asphalt racing.

Every who in short track racing had to have one. of those cars it was an amazing time and he supplied me with the cars that I really needed at the time and then I got connected with Ron Neil Wheeling Illinois racing engine prototypes and he supplied me with the horsepower of all types of racing cars racists that I had to race in 1981 and without him there is no way I could be here tonight because I couldn't have done what I did in 1981. Budd Reader also came and wrote the chip for that first Winston Cup car for 1981 in which we did five races.

I was just a kid like Jeff Gordon was when he came along. 22 years. Never. He had never failed at anything. It seemed like it was going to be pretty easy. I said in two pole positions out of five races. The worst finish in my history was six. When I finished they led two races decisively and I finished third, seventh and eleventh, in those two races it looked like it was going to be pretty easy, so I started in 1982 and left Daytona, broke a sponsor that never paid and started struggling throughout year. I lost it all, but you know you can never give up, so in 1984 I was standing outside the fence looking at the garage area at Daytona and I was watching the mechanics changing the engine tuners Springs working on the carburetors, the crew chiefs going over the notes. and the drivers were walking back and forth from the cars to the transporters and I said I could beat those guys, now I understand and I wasn't waiting to get in and get in my car, now I wasn't worried about sitting on a pole or winning. one race i didn't even have a credential i was on the outside looking in sometimes you just need a second chance and i needed that second chance for myself that chance came through a highly motivated and engineer minded dragon road racer from far north he You wore this full-brimmed hat and you'd use more words than most of us know;

Most importantly, he was as hell-bent and determined as I was to make a name for himself by winning races and competing for championships at NASCAR's highest level. Jack Roush gave me that. Second chance, Jack, we fought side by side for almost 20 years and I never questioned your will to win or your determination to succeed. Not only do we want many careers, but you also helped me become the man I am today. I can't thank you. enough for what you have done for me, for everything you know, for the opportunity to be here tonight on this stage or, more importantly, for the fight you caused for me to become the person I am today.

I think of Steve Mill, Robin Pemberton and a small group of guys who built Roush Racing brick by brick. What an honor it was to be by his side. I was very fortunate to work with Jimmy Fennec. Jimmy and I, Jimmy was the crew chief for me for 40% of my ESA wins and one of my championships and probably about 30 or 40 percent of my Cup wins. I never realized that he was part of such an important part of my career because we were really only together for a short period of time and my good friend Ben tells Ben that I could have had the hardest job in the last 30 years of anyone but one and that , but that would be our burden, keeping me straight, calming me down, getting me off the ledge, and until tonight, making sure I got to where I was supposed to when I was.

I'm supposed to be fine, I'm fine, buddy, once again. I also have to thank the monetary sponsors who support us over the years, there were quite a few and we promoted some pretty cool products and everyone at NASCAR and the fans, friends and family. To every official, I commend the work you do each week, work that continues to allow us to go out and compete against the best in the world in front of the best fans in the world and to the fans, I appreciate the passion of each of you. and the inspiration you have given me.

I always try to live up to that inspiration and represent you on and off the court in a dignified way, worthy of your respect, thanks and the media. I didn't always agree with you, but I have always admired your dedication to the sport that I love so much. This is truly an honor for me and my family, but for me it is about recognition, recognition not only to those who I had time to talk about tonight, but to literally hundreds and hundreds of people who worked so hard. for the last 40 years to make this happen, from every crew chief to every person who ever owned a pit.

Sun from the guys who slaved their time working on our dirt cars in the early years to the engineers, tire changers, over the wall crews, engine tuners. In all the teams it went from one or two guys to 15 or 16 or more, but the passion remained the same and that passion and their effort or what I am most grateful for tonight, so I salute every person who has ever worked in any of our teams. You, this is your moment, our moment, the road was long and at times the mountains seemed insurmountable, but in the end, here we are in the greatest

victory

lane

of all, we made it to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.