GFS Market Place 400
Michigan International Speedway
August 20, 2006
Started 14^th   – Finished 5^th                     

MARTIN, AAA TEAM RUN TO TOP-FIVE FINISH AT MICHIGAN

Martin advances to fourth in Nextel Cup point standing with three races remaining until cutoff

“I love racing at this place…We had a very strong car there at the end.”
- Mark Martin after Sunday’s top-five finish at Michigan

BROOKLYN, MICH. – Mark Martin held off a charging Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the final laps at Michigan International Speedway to run to a fifth place finish in the GFS 400. The finish was Martin’s second top-five in the last three races and it moved Martin up two places to fourth in the Nextel Cup point standings with only three races remaining before the 26-race cutoff point for the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

This is a good run for us,” said Martin after the race. “We had a very strong car there at the end. It took us all day to get running, but once we did we were really strong. I’m proud of the AAA team, they gave me a good car and we were pretty strong at the end.”

Martin struggled with a loose race car early on and for much of the race, falling back to as far as 22^nd early. However, after several adjustments in the pits, the car eventually came around, developing into one of the fastest cars in the race as Martin made his charge to the front late in the race. Martin broke into the top 10 on lap 144 and never looked back. By lap 151 he was turning the fastest times on the race track, breaking into the top five on lap 169 and holding on for his fifth top-five finish of the season. Martin battled Earnhardt Jr. down to the final lap to hang on to the finish.

“That was one more off the list,” said Martin. “If we can get through Bristol without wrecking, we’ll be in pretty good shape. The AAA team did a great job today, and I’m really proud of the effort.”

Martin started the race 14^th and moved into 11^th position by just the second lap of the race. However, the car’s handling eventually became extremely loose in the hot sun, and the team came down pit road after the day’s second caution on lap 11 to take two tires and make a track bar adjustment to help tighten up the car’s handling. Martin returned in 22^nd position when the field returned to green on lap 14.

Martin soon reported that the car was still ‘way too loose’, and he returned to the pits on lap 23 after the race’s third caution to make an additional wedge adjustment and take four fresh tires. The car remained ‘loose’, but Martin was still able to work his way up to 15^th position by lap 39. The team adjusted the car under caution on lap 43 and stayed out under caution on lap 53. The car’s handling finally began coming around allowing Martin to work his way to 13^th by lap 59.

Crew chief Pat Tryson brought Martin into the pits four laps later after caution number six was waved. The call was to take two tires and Martin went back out in 19^th position. He again patiently mounted a march forward reaching 13^th place by lap 76, before the car’s handling tightened up too much and began to push in the corner. Martin again fell back to 17^th position by lap 92 before the leaders on different pit cycles began to pit on lap 96. Martin moved up to third place as the leaders pitted, before eventually coming into the pits on lap 108 to take four tires, fuel and wedge out.

Martin was back in 15^th when caution number seven was called on lap 113. This time the team was able to stay out and Martin started in ninth position when green-flag racing resumed on lap 119. By lap 122 Martin was running the fastest times on the race track, as he moved into sixth place on lap 129. Caution was issued moments later, and the team decided to come down pit road once again for four tires. The gamble worked with Martin coming back out in 10^th as the field went green on lap 134. By lap 151, Martin was again the fastest car on the track, as he again powered his way to sixth position. Nine laps later the race’s 10^th and final caution was called and the team came down pit road for the seventh and final time of the day, putting on four tires and taking fuel in its fastest stop of the say with a time of 13.3-seconds.

Martin went back out in eighth, as a few cars opted for two tires and fuel only. Martin was able to drive back to sixth by lap 165, before breaking into the top five on lap 172 with 28 laps to go in the race. Martin surrendered fifth place to Jeff Gordon two laps later, but he moved back into fifth with a handful of laps remaining. He was forced to battle hard for the position down the stretch, but was able to hold on to the finish.

With the run, Martin is now 138 points ahead of 11^th and 89 points in front of 10^th. He trails third by 78 and leads fifth by 11. The finish was Martin’s 16^th top-five Cup finish at Michigan International Speedway. The team returns to action next Saturday night at Bristol, where Martin finished seventh in the spring.