PRESS RELEASE
Martinsville Speedway “Grandfather Clock” Makes List of Most Wanted
Drivers Discuss What Trophies Really Mean
Breaking Limits Marketing, Press Release
Archdale, N.C. (March 26, 2008) – This weekend, the Sprint Cup Series heads to the .526-mile Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Martinsville Speedway is the presenter of one of the most unique trophies in NASCAR. The Martinsville Grandfather Clock is a storied tradition at the speedway and is given to the winner of each race at the track. Drivers talk about the trophy and what a trophy really means in the sport of auto racing.
Marc Mitchell, Driver #15 Ergon Chevrolet (NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series):
“It’s always going to be about the trophy. The purse will be spent, but you’re never going to trade a trophy. If you want to prove you won a race, you can do one of two things. You can check the record books or I can show you the trophy.
“You just don’t do away with trophies. I’ve won races in Legends and in late models and those trophies are always going to be special to me. The first trophy I win in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will be special too. Thinking about one day winning a Grandfather Clock is a dream, but it’s a dream I’m going to reach one day at a time right now. It would be a great goal to reach.”
Bobby Labonte, NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Cup Series veteran:
**Labonte is a Two-Time Winner of the Martinsville Grandfather Clocks- Cup in 2002 and Trucks in 2005.
“Yea, and I can tell you right where they are at, and they are very special. Winning any race is cool. I’ve been fortunate enough to win races in NASCAR, and there are some special trophies out there, but nothing may be more unique or full of history than the Martinsville Grandfather Clock.
“You think about how long Martinsville has been a part of our sport, and the drivers who own one or two, and, wow, that’s pretty impressive. Richard Petty, think about how many clocks he has. He’s not going to forget what time it is. But, really it’s a trophy that stands out for sure.”
John Andretti, NASCAR, Sports Car, and Open Wheel veteran:
**Andretti won a Martinsville Grandfather Clock in the Cup Series in 1999.
“Trophies are special, and I’ve got a few trophies that are pretty special to me. The Martinsville Grandfather Clock is obviously one of them. The win for Petty Enterprises and for Richard (Petty), the clock is a great way to remember that win.
“I look around I have a Gold Cup trophy from the Australian Grand Prix from Surfer’s Paradise. I won that race, and it was the first time that CART had raced outside the United States. It was my first CART win, and this trophy is like something you get for winning the Masters or something like that. It’s special.
“I think trophies are always going to be special. Sometimes they are the ones that you get as gifts. I was given the steering wheel off the car that I won the 24 Hours of Daytona with. There is only of those. It’s like the Grandfather Clock at Martinsville. Only at Martinsville, a tough race to win, can you get that clock.”
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