By Paul Kelly
allstate400atthebrickyard.com
Friday, June 13, 2008
Mark Martin talked with reporters after qualifying June 6 for the Pocono 500. There was nothing extraordinary about that.
But what came out of the usually understated Martin's mouth caused media members to almost stop in their tracks.
"I'm planning on winning the Brickyard in the No. 8 car," NASCAR Sprint Cup Series veteran Martin said. "I have never planned on anything more than my plan for the Brickyard. That's the crown jewel."
Martin has called his shot, and his target is the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on July 27 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He will drive the No. 8 U.S. Army Chevrolet fielded by Dale Earnhardt Inc.
"Sometimes it all works out, and it almost did at Daytona last year for us," Martin said. "And Daytona and the Brickyard are the two that would be crown jewels of my career, and this team can do it. So that's the place that I have targeted."
A victory at Indianapolis would end a career of near-misses in the championship and marquee races for Martin, 49, who made his top-flight NASCAR debut in 1981. He has finished second in the season standings four times and has never won either the Daytona 500 or the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.
Still, there is good reason for Martin to be confident about his chances at Indy. He has finished in the top 10 in nine of his 14 starts in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, including second in 1998. He also won the first three International Race of Champions races at IMS, from 1998-2000.
So Martin, armed with plenty of experience and a strong track record at Indy, already is talking and thinking Brickyard with his crew chief, Tony Gibson, even though five races remain until the Sprint Cup Series makes its annual trip to the Racing Capital of the World.
"I had a long talk today about setup stuff - bump-stops, shocks and springs setup for Indy," he said. "And I talked last week to them about Indy, and I talked the week before about Indy. So it's on my mind."
***
2008 IMS tickets: Tickets for the two remaining world-class events in 2008 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway -the 15th Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP - are on sale.
Fans have three easy methods to buy tickets: Online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com at any time; on the phone by calling (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area or (317) 492-6700 locally between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday; or visiting the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Ticket Office on the first floor of the IMS Administration Building at 4790 W. 16th St. in Indianapolis from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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