"I'm not a carbon copy of my dad, thank goodness, or we would have lots of problems in my career and personal life," says Mark. "He was my hero and is the ultimate example of what the word 'man' means. But I'm a lot more calculated. I think things out a little more and have a lot more self-control than he had. There are things that don't measure up to him, either. Like everybody else, I have qualities that are positive qualities over where he was. Then there's qualities that, even though I want to, I can't measure up to him."
Stock car racing is a sport built on wild, reckless men, free spirits and individualists with more color and more personality than a Hollywood casting director could ever capture. Men like Julian Martin, in fact. So where does Mark Martin fit into the picture?
He's like Gregory Peck in "To Kill a Mockingbird:" an upright man of duty and moral fiber. He possesses the complexity and intrigue of a Jimmy Stewart character. The regular guy appeal of a Harrison Ford. Consistent. Unflappable. Well grounded.
Martin is to blue collar, lunch bucket, show-up-on-time America what Dale Earnhardt was to beer-drinking, hell-raisin' good old boys. Martin represents the part in all of us that doesn't worry about the things we can't change, nor hide behind the things that are. He shows up, punches the time card, does his job, and goes back home at the end of the day-day after day-without pretense, excess emotion, sentimentality or regret.
There is a directness about Martin's manner, a take-it-or-leave-it persona that comes across as a shield blocking the public's view. There are, on the other hand, several clues that lend themselves to creating a portrait-albeit a pencil sketch-of Martin.
He'll tell you that Jack Roush is someone he looks up to. Roush gave Martin his second chance in Winston Cup, in '88. The pairing had a classic story line: Driver on the comeback trail; team owner and automotive genius looking to conquer new territory. The mix proved effective, with Martin finally making it at the sport's highest level and Roush, with Martin as his flagship driver for several years, finding success in a new venue.
"All through my life I've had people who were influential in my life," Martin says. "Today, it happens to be Jack Roush, because he's the one I come in contact with the most. My dad's gone, and I don't come into contact every day with a lot of people I had been in closer contact with. Jack is just so driven and dedicated and so brilliant, so smart. He has an ability to analyze situations and problems and really understand them and understand how to address them."
Martin's own ability to handle adversity might be his most distinguishable trait. He's faced his share of personal and professional problems but has the ability to deal with each crisis. He credits his Christian faith with giving him that ability. Although he became a Christian in the early '80s, Martin says it was a decade later when he really began to seek spiritual growth. He now participates in weekly Bible study and is a regular at infield chapel services during race season.
"Being a Christian, there's so much in the Bible, so many teachings in there about how you should live your life and how you should handle situations," Martin says. "The cool thing about the Bible is that even though it's a very old book, it's still very up to date and teaches you how to handle things today. That does have something to do with (handling adversity). Another thing is that I can't change 2001, but I can change 2002, so I don't waste any time on 2001. That's not where it's at for me. 2002 is where I can make a difference, and I try to focus on things that I hope will make a difference in 2002.