Catchfence

ROUND TWO: This Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway marks the first return race of the season. The last time Mark Martin raced at the superspeedway, he was making his first Cup start with Hendrick Motorsports, crew chief Alan Gustafson and the No. 5 Chevrolet. Since then, the team has run 17 races together, earning three victories, three pole positions, four top-five finishes and eight top-10s.

LAST TIME AT DAYTONA: In February, Martin scored the outside pole position for the Daytona 500 and finished second in his Gatorade Duel qualifying race after leading 36 laps. In the Daytona 500, Martin led one lap, ran inside the top 15 for the majority of the race and finished 16th in the rain-shortened event.

LOOP STATISTICS: In his last nine races at Daytona, Martin has an average running position of 15.768, which ranks him 10th amongst all competitors. Martin also has the 10th-highest driver rating of 85.7.

MORE LOOP DATA: Martin has spent 62.6 percent of laps run in the past nine Daytona races inside the top 15, ranking him ninth. He has led 46 of those laps, which is the eighth-most of any competitor.

ONE OF SIX: Daytona International Speedway is one of just six remaining active tracks where Martin has yet to reach Victory Lane. In 48 starts, the NASCAR veteran has scored one pole position (July 1, 1989), nine top-five finishes and 17 top-10s at the historic track.

THE NO. 5 TEAM: Crew chief Alan Gustafson and the No. 5 team earned the runner-up finish in both the 2006 and 2007 July events. The team has led a total of 29 laps in eight races at the superspeedway.

HENDRICK AT DAYTONA: Hendrick Motorsports, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, has tallied 10 wins, 39 top-five finishes, 72 top-10s and led 1,315 laps in 50 Cup events (158 starts) at Daytona International Speedway.

HOMETOWN CREW CHIEF: Gustafson grew up in Ormond Beach, Fla., just seven miles north of Daytona International Speedway. After graduating from Seabreeze High School, he enrolled at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which is located less than one mile east of the track. Gustafson has earned one victory at Daytona: the Nationwide Series event in July 2007.

NOTHING BUT A NUMBER: Four drivers have earned Sprint Cup victories over the age of 50, however, only two have earned multiples. Martin’s three wins rank second only to Harry Gant, who earned eight victories after his 50th birthday.

IN THE TOP 12: Martin and the No. 5 team remain 11th in the Sprint Cup Series championship standings, trailing 10th place by just two points.

CHASSIS CHOICE: Gustafson has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-548 for Saturday’s race at Daytona. It is a brand new chassis that never has been raced or tested.

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AUTOGRAPHS: Mark Martin, driver of the No. 5 CARQUEST/Kellogg’s Chevrolet, will sign autographs at the Port Orange, Fla., Wal-Mart Supercenter on Dunlawton Avenue on Wednesday at 5 p.m. local time.

SPRINT STAGE: On Friday, Martin will be a guest at the Sprint Experience outside of Turn 4 at Daytona International Speedway. Martin’s question-and-answer session will begin at 3 p.m. local time.

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MARK MARTIN, DRIVER, NO. 5 CARQUEST/KELLOGG’S CHEVROLET (ON HOW THE TEAM HAS CHANGED FROM THE SEASON OPENER AT DAYTONA UNTIL NOW.): “This race team is a lot more confident in itself than it was last time we were at Daytona. I feel like we all know each other a lot better now, having had half of a race season together. Those 17 races or so have really helped us to jell as a team. We are better prepared for situations now than we were in February. Alan (Gustafson) and I know what each other are thinking a lot better now. The way we respond to conditions and situations with the car and on track is better now having had races together. We’re just an overall better prepared and more confident race team. We know what we are capable of now, and that’s a good thing.”

MARTIN (ON HOW HE FEELS ABOUT TRACKS WHERE HE HASN’T WON.): “I don’t get frustrated with any of the tracks that I haven’t won at. I look at it more on the other hand. I’m grateful for the tracks I have managed to win at. Rather than expecting to win, like I’m owed that, I feel more fortunate to have the success I have had in my career.”

MARTIN (ON IF DAYTONA IS AS UNPREDICTABLE AS TALLEDEGA (ALA.) SUPERSPEEDWAY.): “Not this race. The July race at Daytona is so much different than the 500. Unlike Talladega, and more so than the 500, this race is really dependent on the car’s handling. A team’s ability to get its car handling well for this race can really set it apart from the competition. In this race, you’re not as reliant on drafting. You have the ability to put yourself in the right place at the right time if your car is handling well. The 400, in my opinion, is better than the 500, although the 500 is the one you want to win so badly. This race really comes down to the actual racing. There’s not as much pressure, and you can actually have fun and enjoy it.”

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 CARQUEST/KELLOGG’S CHEVROLET (ON IF HIS APPROACH TO DAYTONA IS DIFFERENT IN JULY.): “In July, the speedway never has as much grip as it does when we first go there in February. It’s hotter outside, which makes the track slicker. Handling will be at even more of a premium for this race. We’re not as concerned with speed for the July race as we are for the 500. In February, we get concerned with how to maintain speed and not sacrifice that for a better-handling car. In July we’re way more concerned with the handling itself.”

GUSTAFSON (ON HOW HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH MARK MARTIN HAS CHANGED SINCE THE LAST DAYTONA RACE.): “There’s no replacement for on-track time when you’re trying to get to know your driver. Mark and I have had that now, and we’ve had the chance to add more depth to our relationship. This team has gone through both successes and failures since February and I think that makes you stronger. This team, as a whole, is much stronger than it was in February.”

GUSTAFSON (ON WHY THE TEAM PERFORMS BETTER IN JULY.): “The car’s handling and the driver’s racing ability tends to shine a little more in the July race. We have used both of those to our advantage in the past few years. Kyle (Busch) did a great job racing for this team and scored runner-up finishes twice for us. Mark is an extremely talented driver, and I don’t doubt that will show Saturday night.”

GUSTAFSON (ON FINISHING SECOND TWICE AT DAYTONA.): “Of course it’s frustrating. This is a racetrack that I really want to win on. In 2007, we won the Nationwide race Saturday morning. We had the opportunity to be the first team to win two NASCAR races on the same day. And on the white-flag lap, we were leading. We lost that race by about four inches, if that. It was so disappointing.”

- Hendrick Motorsports, Press Release