Oh no, according to Sporting News writer Lee Spencer, Mark Martin is considering pulling another George Foreman (Michael Jordan).

For those who thought Mark Martin was cutting back, think again. He was expected to run a limited schedule in 2007, but that could change if he is in points contention entering the Bristol race in March. Martin expects his Chevrolet to be competitive when his team arrives at Daytona. He says Ginn Racing G.M. Jay Frye will give him the flexibility to race as much as he wants. -- Lee Spencer

Sterling Marlin fans are a little upset about this, maybe because they don't want to play second fiddle to a lot of hype about whether or not Martin will run another full season.  Martin left Rousch Racing at the end of last season and will drive the 01 Army Chevrolet Monte Carlo for Ginn Racing next season.  It was originally announced that Mark would drive 20 races with David Regan driving the other 16.  Joe Nemechek will drive the number 13 next year for Ginn Racing.  Sterling Marlin drives the 14 for Ginn.

KYSterlingfan is not too happy.

KYSterlingFan



Age: 29

Location: Jackson,KY
Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 11:05 pm  

Oh for the love of pete...

How many more years are we going to have to put up with him retiring...then deciding not to retire...

This is getting old...

If you are going to retire...retire like Rusty did..Don't drag it out...
 

rhendryx


Age: 52

Location: Cigar City
Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 8:04 am   Here is your local resident contrarian, again!

I hope Mark Martin races the entire year. If he is doing well, I believe that will translate into better performance for a certain other driver that a lot of us around here like. And a certain other driver who all of us respect who qualified well. It may help with sponsorship dollars, too.

I can understand why some people may take issue with the way he is resisting retirement, but Ginn Racing may be better off with him on the track. And whats good for Ginn racing, is good for me as a fan of Sterling Marlin.

Not to mention, the word retirement is going to be creeping into Sterling's vocabularly more and more in the next year or two and I'm wishing for anything possible that might help him have something decent to drive.

Being from Tennessee it was natural to pull for Bobby after becoming aware of him during the filming of Days of Thunder.  He had to actually qualify the Mountain Dew car for the movie before NASCAR would let the producers put the car on the track to get film footage.  Things have changed a lot since then with NASCAR now tripping all over itself to accommodate the movie industry to get a cut of the (all of a sudden Hollywood wakes up and realizes family movies can deliver a) profit. 

On the other hand I lived in Valley Park, Missouri, in a subdivision right above Schrader's Uncle Dennis's automotive shop.  I caught smallmouth bass while wading the creek right behind the shop (while on their property probably).   I used to walk around the old Lake Hills Speedway just across the creek where Kenny ran many a race against the Wallaces back in the day.  The people that ran Schrader's modified operation went to school where my kids went and my wife taught.  (I was talking racing in a line at the school one night with this dude with Federated Auto Parts Kenny Schrader apparel on when all of a sudden the dude says "I was talking to Kenny last night.") So, while I hate to hear (between the lines apparently) that Bobby will not be racing this year, I am thrilled for Kenny who may need to fall back on this if his Nextel Cup opportunities come to an end.

And oh, by the way, if the Nashville based Little Debbies sponsorship eventually followed Kenny over to the Nashville (Lebanon) based Bobby Hamilton Racing (BHR), that would be "one sweet ride".

From: That'sRacin.com,

Schrader to Drive a Hamilton Dodge in Some Truck Races

By DAVID POOLE

The Charlotte Observer

Ken Schrader will drive the No. 18 Dodge trucks for Bobby Hamilton racing in 2007. A driver to be named will take over when Schrader’s Nextel Cup responsibilities with the Wood Brothers prevent him from competing in Truck events.

From: bobbyhamiltonracing.com

Schrader Set to Pilot the No. 18 Fastenal Dodge
Orlando, FL | 12-07-2006
Four-Time Cup Winner Partners with BHR and Fastenal for Majority of 2007 NCTS Campagin - NASCAR fan favorite Ken Schrader has been tabbed to drive the No. 18 Fastenal Dodge for Bobby Hamilton Racing during the 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season. Schrader and 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Bobby Hamilton have been both friends and competitors throughout their NASCAR careers and now they have joined forces to help re-establish BHR as a championship caliber NCTS team. “I am thrilled to get the opportunity to drive the Fastenal Dodge,” Schrader said. “Bobby Hamilton and I have been friends for a long time so to get the chance to work with him is just an ideal situation for me."

BHR has always had some of the most competitive equipment in the series and I look forward to climbing into the seat and racing hard. Fastenal is a great company, I don't think there is a race team out there that doesn't use most of their products in some form or fashion and I can't wait to represent them proudly next year."

From: truckseries.com

 12-07-2006

Schrader Set to Pilot the No. 18 Fastenal Dodge

Four-Time Cup Winner Partners with BHR and Fastenal for Majority of 2007 NCTS Campagin

The Fastenal Company, is a Minnesota based industrial and construction supply company with more than 1,800 stores in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Singapore and the Netherlands.

Schrader has four NASCAR Nextel Cup wins, two NASCAR Busch Series wins and one NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win to his credit. He has logged an amazing 283,398 miles in NASCAR Cup, Busch and Truck series events, that is equal to racing around the world 12 times or from New York to Los Angeles 94 times. In other words, Schrader has raced enough miles to go the moon and is now almost a fourth of the way back.

In 2007 the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will run 25 races on 22 separate racetracks across the United States. All of the NCTS events will be broadcast live nationally on the Speed Channel.