iNSIDE SCOOP: So Long, Old Friends

With the coming Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead on the agenda, we’ve already analyzed the championship battle. Hint: it’s Jimmie Johnson’s to lose, and he doesn’t do that very often.

We’ve talked about the new cars, the new drivers, the highs, the lows and whatever else lies in between.

Let’s talk about three drivers who have given us some thrills, chills and spills who likely won’t be around all that much anymore after this weekend, at least as far as driving on Sundays.

Mark Martin, age 54, will likely drive his final race as a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competitor on Sunday. Of course, we’ve heard that before (Salute to You Tours 1, 2, 3 and 4 ring a bell?), but this time I think it sticks.

The first time I saw Martin race was in 1977 (I think), in a big pink Camaro at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway. That’s right, it was pink. So was one of Dale Earnhardt’s early rides, not that there’s anything wrong with that.

He was wicked-fast, slicing and dicing around the World’s Fastest Half-Mile (Bristol claims it, but Winchester is it…trust me) with guys like Bob Senneker, Mike Eddy and Bruce VanderLaan. He won a lot in those days, barnstorming around the Midwest with ASA, ARTGO and other sanctioning bodies.

In 1982, he tried NASCAR for the first time and won the pole first time out. It didn’t go well after that, however, and he was back in ASA in 1986. He won the title that year, his record fourth, and was off to NASCAR again two years later.

Racing without Mark Martin around is going to be different, I’ll say that. Never flashy, he just drove his guts out every day, all day long. He won a lot, in both Cup and Nationwide, and before Kyle Busch passed him, he was the all-time victory leader in the NNS. 

Ken Schrader first burst upon the scene in 1985 driving for Junie Donlavey, and that started a series of rides and successes that led him to Hendrick Motorsports, BAM Racing, the Wood Brothers, Andy Petree Racing and MB2 Motorsports. He never won much, but always got everything he could out of what he had.

Ironically, the first time I ever saw Schrader race was at Winchester, in a USAC Midget race. He had this cool orange No. 36 midget powered by a Cosworth Vega engine…you had to be there, but he flat whooped the field that day.

You can still catch the Ken Schrader show at a dirt track near you, as he runs modifieds and late models all over the country. His shop is close to my house, and his son Sheldon attended school with my daughters. Gonna miss ya, Schrader.

And last, but not least, is Bobby Labonte. The 2000 series champ for Joe Gibbs Racing, he was a guy who would get you everything he could and won his share. He lost a few too that he could have won. Still young for a driver at 49, he is left with a choice of a lesser ride or a seat in the NNS or Truck Series. 

I’ll miss him too. When they do Driver Intros this week, give a little special yell for Martin and Schrader…Labonte’s final race of 2013 was last week at Phoenix.