Martin To Continue In Cup, But Without Jack

 

NEW ERA
Martin leaving Roush for MB2 in '07
By Greg Engle
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- After months of indecision concerning his future, long-time Roush Racing driver Mark Martin announced Friday he'll be running a partial Nextel Cup schedule for MB2 Motorsports next season.

The 47-year-old Martin will run 20 points-paying races in the No. 01 Chevy, splitting time with rookie David Ragan. Martin also will compete in the Budweiser Shootout and the Nextel All-Star Challenge.

"I think that everybody knows that I'm not interested in just riding around," Martin said. "I've got a chance to keep going on a limited basis with great flexibility in Nextel Cup competition. It's hard to walk away when you have an opportunity to still have an opportunity to win races."

Last year was supposed to be Martin's final year as a full-time Nextel Cup competitor. Team owner Jack Roush, however, convinced Martin to stay one more season, and now Martin finds himself third in points and a contender for the Nextel Cup championship.

Martin, who has 35 wins in 667 starts, wants to run the limited schedule so he can spend more time with his family and have a chance to choose where he wants to compete. That wasn't an option Roush Racing was able to provide.

"We have five teams at Roush Racing that are all competitive and championship-challenging race teams," Martin said. "With NASCAR's limitation on the number of teams that you can have, and with all of the programs being set up to be championship-contending teams, there wasn't an opportunity there to split a season with a driver."

Joe Nemechek, current driver of the No. 01 U.S. Army-sponsored Chevy, will become part of a third MB2 team, the No. 13, in 2007. The Army sponsorship will stay on the 01 with Martin.

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