Mark it down: Martin to return to glory

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - We all want our sports heroes to return, whether it is Michael Jordan or Sugar Ray Leonard. Whenever athletes announce they will compete again, we instantly conjure images of them returning to glory.

But more often than not, our hopes are dashed when we quickly realize age and injuries have taken their tolls, and our once-vaunted hero ends up being nothing more than a shell of his former self.

So when Mark Martin announced he would return to full-time racing next season by driving the No. 5 car for Hendrick Motorsports, it would be easy to write it off as another failed attempt by an athlete past his prime.

This time, though, we just might get the fairy tale ending.

To be fair, it is not truly a comeback for Martin, because he never really left the sport. After announcing his retirement from full-time racing in 2006, Martin continued racing part-time for Ginn Racing and Dale Earnhardt Inc. the past two seasons.

There is a big difference between running part-time for a struggling organization and competing throughout a 10-month season to win a championship. But for Martin, 49, the adjustment is the same as if he had been out of the sport.

“I didn’t initially jump on top of this,” Martin said. “That stretch [through the summer] is tough on everybody … I’m going to have to dig deep.”

Martin’s main advantage — even if he continues to downplay it —  over the past drivers attempting comebacks is Martin still is really good.

“I think [my performance] has dropped off a little bit, maybe not as much as most,” Martin said. “Tony Gibson and the DEI team gave me the confidence to do something like this by giving me such great race cars this year.”

It takes more than a good racecar, though, and Martin has continued to be outstanding despite his limited time behind the wheel. In his first part-time season, Martin was leading the point standings when he sat out his first race, and he has continued to perform this year at DEI.

At Hendrick Motorsports, Martin finally will have the best equipment and a race-winning crew chief in Alan Gustafson, and that, combined with his continuing success behind the wheel, made the opportunity to come back full-time one he had to take.

“It’s a legitimate shot at a championship,” owner Rick Hendrick said. “He’s finished second [in the points] four times, and I’d love to see him have the opportunity to win one.”

Martin is recognized throughout the garage as one of the sport’s best drivers who has never won a championship. Martin still has a ways to go to win NASCAR’s most coveted trophy, but his decision to return to the track may lead him to the storybook ending.

Get up to speed on the latest in NASCAR — listen to Wilson’s Race Report every weeknight at 8:20 on 93.1 WPOC.

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