The weekend at Darlington was a memorable one for lots of reasons, but for fans of old-school racing, it must have been nice to see Mark Martin behind the wheel once again, albeit in the pace car.

The racing veteran, known for voicing his opinions on various NASCAR issues, was named the honorary pace car driver at Darlington, an experience that has given him a newfound respect for the current crop of NASCAR drivers.

Speaking to his son, Matt Martin, on the Kenny Wallace show, Mark spoke about driving the pace car at 45mph. He mentioned how he felt unsettled just before Turn 1, how it gave him a new perspective after being away from the track for so many years.

“We're heading down to set the cruise control at 45, because that's pit-road speed, and our pace car speed," said Martin. "We're practicing, and I look down there at Turn 1, and it scared me, it just did. I mean, I don't know how we did that, and it gave me a new perspective on the guys, the drivers out there today."

Martin decided to retire from racing in 2014. The NASCAR Next Gen Car has evolved since, and it was tough for Martin to adapt to it.

"When we did it, it was another day at the office; it was nothing, but now I can appreciate it, and after yesterday, I appreciate all those drivers, all those teams more than I have since 2022," said Martin.

Mark drove the pace car on a track considered one of the toughest. Yet, he holds an impressive record at Darlington. With 12 wins, he is tied with Dale Earnhardt Sr. for the most wins on the track.

Mark Martin's advice to Carson Hocevar

Carson Hocevar’s performance at Darlington was attention-grabbing for all the right reasons. Having started from the rear, he was unnoticeable for the first two stages. However, he completely flipped the script in the final stage, making calculated passes and climbing his way to the fourth spot, which is also his best finish of the season.

In a livestream on Twitch, Hocevar credited Mark Martin for his performance. The No.77 Spire driver revealed Martin gave him a plan that focused on preserving tires and avoiding any risky moves.

“He told me to drive like Mark Martin until 25 to go. At 25 to go, drive like The Hurricane”, the driver said.

Hocevar has been among Martin’s favourite drivers, with the veteran labelling him as ‘the villain NASCAR needs.’ He will be hoping to continue his momentum from the performance in Darlington and secure his first Cup Series win in Martinsville.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Aaradhya Singh