AUTO RACING

Martin wins the accolades of racing elite

Top stars applaud victory in Phoenix

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AVONDALE, Ariz. — One by one the visitors filed into Victory Lane, eager to pay their respects to Mark Martin.

Jimmie Johnson pushed past a throng of fans to get there, while NASCAR President Mike Helton weaved through the grandstands and across the track. Tony Stewart set aside his disappointment from finishing second to make his visit, and Jack Roush stopped by with heartfelt happiness.

Race fans annually vote Dale Earnhardt Jr. as NASCAR’s most popular driver, but after Martin’s win Saturday night at Phoenix International Raceway, it was obvious the honor truly belongs to the beloved veteran.

“There’s nobody that dislikes Mark,” said second-place finisher Stewart. “Mark has taught us all a lot about what it takes to be not only a good driver in this series, but a good competitor and somebody that everybody respects.”

In 27 years of NASCAR racing, Martin has touched too many competitors to count.

He never viewed a raw young driver as potential competition, and instead offered his counsel about on-track etiquette, finishing races, handling a race car and balancing the job demands. Time and time again, drivers admit that when in a precarious position, they often attack it with a “what would Mark Martin do?”

“He taught you a lot while you were running those races,” Stewart said. “And when you had a good day against Mark, and when you did things right and you watched him and learned from him, that just accelerated the learning curve.”

Martin’s reach stretches well beyond the race track. A fitness fanatic who obsessively monitors his diet, he’s managed to coax almost everyone around him to take better care of their bodies.

When he joined Hendrick Motorsports this season, he talked team owner Rick Hendrick into a fitness routine that helped him shed 20 pounds. Even Dale Earnhardt Jr. has traded in Tostitos for tuna salad on crackers, and has added a workout routine to his weekly schedule.

“My dad bought me a book called “Strength Training” by Mark Martin when I was a kid, and I was like ‘Man, this guy is built like a brick,’” said third-place finisher Kurt Busch, a former teammate of Martin when they both drove for Roush.

“The guy has been at the top of his game for 30 years in this sport, it’s unbelievable to watch. If I’m halfway as competitive as he is when I’m in my 50s, that would be an accomplishment.”

•••

Around the tracks

• In Long Beach, Calif., Dario Franchitti won the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. He finished far ahead of runner-up Will Power, the pole-winner. It was his ninth IndyCar win.

Helio Castroneves, who got back in his Team Penske car Saturday after being acquitted of federal tax evasion charges, started eighth and finished seventh.

• In Shanghai, Sebastian Vettel gave Red Bull its first Formula One victory on Sunday, leading throughout a soggy Chinese Grand Prix to end the team’s drought in its fifth season and 74th race.

Having finally broken through, Red Bull also celebrated a 1-2 finish with Mark Webber notching his best-ever finish.

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