Mark doesn't mince words when he talks of this season, his last running in NASCAR's Grand National series.
The enormous responsibilities and commitments associated with
his Winston Cup career pushed Mark into making a decision at
the end of last season that it was time to focus solely on
his Roush Racing-owned No. 6 Fords in NASCAR's biggest series.So when Mark planned his limited Grand National schedule for this season, what goal did he have in mind? The one that has guided him every year he has competed in the series, dating back to his first race in 1982.
"I want to win every race I enter," he said.
He's come awfully close.
Saturday's All Pro 300 at Lowe's Motor Speedway will be Mark's 11th start of the 2000 season. In his first 10 starts, he's already accumulated five wins, one pole and 10 top-five finishes. And Mark is once again a favorite to win this weekend, as six of the series record 45 wins have come at Charlotte.
"It has to do with demands," Mark said of his decision to end his participation in the Grand National series. "It used to be no big deal for me to run back and forth and drive both cars. But with all of the other things you have to do today, it's too much for me.
"We have to look at streamlining our schedules and activities so that we can manage and take care of the things at hand."
Those would be continuing his successful Winston Cup career as well as spend time with his family, which includes his son, Matt, a budding racing star in his own right.
"I won't say that I will never go back to the (Grand National)
series," Mark said. "But I won't go back to a schedule like
I have now with a full-time Winston Cup schedule because it's
more than I feel like I have time to handle properly."Mark's success in the Grand National series won't be forgotten any time soon. His statistics are impressive.
In 197 career starts, the native of Batesville, Ark., has 45 victories, 25 poles, 91 top-five and 123 top-10 finishes. He has led more than 7,500 laps.
His Grand National career virtually exploded when he joined Roush Racing in 1993. Prior to 1993, Mark had seven wins.
"The numbers don't mean that much to me," he said. "I've had a lot of success in a lot of different divisions of racing."
But perhaps not nearly the amount of success as he's had in NASCAR's Grand National series.
Mark's dominating performances, coupled with a general increase in the number of Winston Cup drivers who are competing at least part-time in the Grand National series, have prompted a fair share of complaints from Grand National regulars.
But even those series regulars who don't like the growing number of Winston Cup drivers in their series generally make an exception when it comes to Mark.
"Mark has done a lot for the sport. You ask Jeff Green and Jason Keller (first and second in this season's points race respectively) what some of their series highlights are and they'll tell you it was being able to beat Mark Mark in a heads up race. They were both able to do it this year," said series rookie Jimmie Johnson.
"I would like to say that before the year is over. As much as it takes away from the (Grand National) drivers when the Cup drivers are involved, it also does help. It's a hard situation to understand sometimes, but we like those guys helping us."
Mike Dillon, a series regular since 1995, agrees.
"Mark is one of my favorite drivers simply because of his work ethic and his approach to being a driver. He's the one who got me into training and working out and getting physically fit for the job that we do," Dillon said. "I think the addition of the all the Cup guys in our series is what has made our series grow over the past three or four years.
"Mark is a great guy. He's always business, but at the same time if you want to talk to him about a contract or something, he's always willing to talk to you. I'd like the chance to beat him before he gets done here, but I need to pick it up a little bit."
Added veteran Elton Sawyer: "We know when he shows up, whether it's Michigan or Charlotte or Atlanta, that he's the man to beat. I think it makes me better and I know I work a lot harder."
