Are Martin’s Cup days over?
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| Mark Martin |
Could Mark Martin be driving for Tony Stewart next year? Stewart would like it.
Martin has stated that he's looking for a part-time ride in Cup next year after he moves on from his Hendrick Motorsports ride after this season (Kasey Kahne takes over that ride next year).
Danica Patrick is scheduled to run eight to 10 races in a third entry for Stewart's team, Stewart-Haas Racing. Pairing Patrick and Martin could give Patrick an additional mentor, besides Stewart, and also give the team a driver to run the remaining races Patrick doesn't.
"I would love to have him," Stewart said of Martin. "The biggest thing is us getting the financial backing to run the remainder of those races. I would love nothing more than Mark in all the races that Danica doesn't run next year. I've been a Mark Martin fan for a long time and trust me I would love nothing more than to have Mark in one of our cars." Roanoke.com
08/20/11 Mark Martin is emphatic when talking about his lack of 2012 plans and he isn't looking for a full-time ride anyway. "I have nothing, and it don't matter," Martin said Friday at Michigan International Speedway. "I'll have nothing until I have something. You guys don't even need to ask because there is absolutely goose egg going on. There ain't no hiding [information], no nothing. I think there will be shuffle, but it will be late. There's going to be something for me. I'm not in a running for a full-time Cup ride; I never have even really wanted one."
He knows he won't be back at Hendrick Motorsports, and he said he has always raced in the moment, not thinking about building for years to come. Obviously one of the possible scenarios is Martin sharing a third Stewart-Haas Racing car with Danica Patrick, who is expected to run at least seven or eight Cup races for the team in 2012. Martin and SHR would need to find sponsorship for him to run the races Patrick doesn't. SceneDaily