As I told you a few weeks ago, Mark Martin was looking to go to Hendrick Motorsports next season. No, I didn't have the inside scoop on some major story, it was all over the NASCAR garage. Now, Rick Hendrick is making it public and was in good spirits about the lack of secrecy of his and Martin's future plans. Here are a couple of comments from the press conference announcing what most of us already knew would happen. What I find even more hilarious is that these two old guys did most of the negotiating via TEXT MESSAGE.
RICK HENDRICK (RH): “Well since this has been a well kept secret (laughter) we appreciate the opportunity to see you folks. This is a real special day for me. It’s been 15 years that I’ve tried to do this; that we’ve tried to do this. It’s a pleasure to be able to announce Mark Martin coming on board to run for the championship next year in the No. 5 car. That car means a lot to me because that was my first number. And when Harry Hyde and I got started, Mark and I reminisce a lot about meeting Mark early on and then watching him and then watching him flog us in the Busch (now Nationwide) Series and then racing against him in the Cup Series and seeing him come so close to championships, I think four times he finished second, and just to have him come on board with our organization and our drivers and our crew chiefs and everybody is really exciting. Everybody is excited. We’re honored to have a guy of his caliber and again, we’ve talked from time to time, but now to be able to go out in the ’09 season and go for the championship (is special). I want to thank (Martin’s wife) Arlene. I think she is here. Where is she? Thank you for letting him run all the races. We appreciate that. But this is a very special day for me.”
MARK MARTIN (MM): “Well first of all, I don’t know why it was such a bad kept secret unless people are snooping on our text messages because I’d say 50 percent of this deal was done by text between Rick and I. I think that’s pretty cool because I just learned how to text myself.”
RH: “I did too (laughter). Junior and Jimmie Johnson, they’re both here, now they are the ones that taught me how to text. I had to learn how to do that Mark, because they won’t return your phone call (laughter).”
MM: “Yeah, so golly. When I think about being a part of the status organization in NASCAR and being a member of the team with Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. and working with Alan Gustafson and all the folks there and the relationship that I’ve had and the opportunity I had to go there a year ago and pour an insert for the seat of the No. 24 car, was really the first time that opened my eyes. We did that in case Jeff needed me to fill in at Sears Point (now Infineon Raceway) last year when they were having their baby. I really saw and got a taste of Hendrick Motorsports from the inside. It’s just an opportunity that I absolutely could not let pass by at this point in my life. I was very concerned about regretting that decision for the rest of my life. And so I got my arms wrapped around the scheduling situation and here we go. I’m incredibly excited and honored and I know that most people can’t comprehend what an honor it is for me to be invited to be a part of this organization, especially at this stage of my career. After two years of catching my breath, I’ve enjoyed it, it has been very meaningful to my family and to myself. But I’ve also learned; and rekindled my passion for racing and what it means to me and also given me a taste of what it would be like to not have that in my life. And so all those things played in this decision.”
MM: “Yeah, so golly. When I think about being a part of the status organization in NASCAR and being a member of the team with Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. and working with Alan Gustafson and all the folks there and the relationship that I’ve had and the opportunity I had to go there a year ago and pour an insert for the seat of the No. 24 car, was really the first time that opened my eyes. We did that in case Jeff needed me to fill in at Sears Point (now Infineon Raceway) last year when they were having their baby. I really saw and got a taste of Hendrick Motorsports from the inside. It’s just an opportunity that I absolutely could not let pass by at this point in my life. I was very concerned about regretting that decision for the rest of my life. And so I got my arms wrapped around the scheduling situation and here we go. I’m incredibly excited and honored and I know that most people can’t comprehend what an honor it is for me to be invited to be a part of this organization, especially at this stage of my career. After two years of catching my breath, I’ve enjoyed it, it has been very meaningful to my family and to myself. But I’ve also learned; and rekindled my passion for racing and what it means to me and also given me a taste of what it would be like to not have that in my life. And so all those things played in this decision.”
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