1. Home
  2. Mark Martin Reportedly Set to Replace Injured Tony Stewart

Mark Martin Reportedly Set to Replace Injured Tony Stewart

Aug 18 2013 - 6:07pm

Veteran NASCAR driver Mark Martin is reportedly set to take over the cockpit inside Tony Stewart's No. 14 Sprint Cup Series car, according to The Charlotte Observer's Jim Utter via Twitter:

According to Utter via ThatsRacin.com, Martin could potentially be behind the wheel of Stewart's No. 14 car as soon as Saturday night's race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Martin hasn't appeared in a Sprint Cup race at Bristol since 2011. 

Martin, 54, has been racing the No. 55 car this season for Michael Waltrip Racing. He has zero wins and only one top-five finish in 2013 but has 40 career Sprint Cup victories and over 450 top-10 finishes. He's also won 49 career races in NASCAR's Nationwide Series.

Stewart suffered a broken right leg in an incident at Southern Iowa Speedway on Aug. 5. He had surgery a day later and underwent a second surgery on Aug. 8. As a result of the injury, Stewart, who has won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship three times, is out indefinitely and will be forced to miss weeks of action while he recovers. 

Stewart earned one Sprint Cup victory and five top-five finishes in 21 starts this season before suffering the injury. He's currently sitting in 18th place in the Cup Series points standings.

Martin, who's made 16 Cup Series starts in 2013, is currently 29th in the standings and well out of contention for the Chase for the Cup this fall. 

There are three races remaining until the Chase for the Cup begins on Sunday, Sept. 15 at Chicagoland Speedway.

Read more NASCAR news on BleacherReport.com