Woody: Martin-Hendrick Mess May Get Ugly
Mark Martin will be in the No. 5 Hendrick car next year, he said, whether a certain TV analyst wants him there or not. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)
By Larry Woody | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Mark Martin is a proud old warrior who has no intention of accepting a bum’s rush out the back door at Hendrick Motorsports.
He made that clear last week in a rare flare of temper after ESPN commentator Ray Evernham said Martin should gracefully – even gratefully – surrender his ride next season to Kasey Kahne.
The audacity of the suggestion struck a nerve. An irate Martin made it clear that he won’t give up his ride without a fight. He has a contract to drive for Rick Hendrick next season and, by golly, he expects Hendrick to stick to it.
Anything less – mothballing Mark in a third-rate car fielded by a third-rate team or letting him hang around and sweep out the shop – is unacceptable.
Hendrick created this mess earlier this year when he announced he had signed Kahne to drive for him, even though he already has a full limit of four drivers.
No problem, said Hendrick – Kahne won’t join the operation until the following season, 2012, after Martin has moved on.
That was a disaster in the making. If Kahne can’t join Hendrick until 2012, why make the announcement early in 2010, leaving him hanging for 2011?
It doesn’t send a very encouraging message to Kasey’s current employer, Richard Petty Motorsports, to have a driver who’s leaving even before he knows where he’s going.
Now we’re seeing growing dissension as speculation swirls around Mark’s muddled future.
Martin has struggled this season compared to last year’s dazzling run, adding to his chaffed emotions. Evernham’s suggestion that he should willingly give up his ride to Kahne sloshed more fuel on the fire.
The normally mild-mannered Martin boiled over and he took the media to task for dwelling on the matter.
Such unrest was predictable from the outset. It will continue to fester until Kahne’s 2011 situation is resolved. Here’s the deal:
Hendrick has signed five drivers but can field only four cars.
No other team is yet willing/able to adopt Kahne next year and keep him on ice for Hendrick.
A hot young talent like Kasey won’t willingly sit out a season.
For Kahne to join Hendrick next year the boss will have to shed one of his four current drivers: Martin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon or Jimmie Johnson. The latter trio of superstars is not likely to go anywhere, leaving Martin as the most expendable.
That puts Hendrick in a pickle because Martin has made it clear he doesn’t consider himself “expendable,” and is not going to be pushed out.
It’s a mess in the making and there’s no solution in sight.
It’s hard to fault Hendrick for grabbing Kahne when he could, but in his haste he has created a tumultuous situation that appears destined for a very unhappy ending.
– Larry Woody can be reached at lwoody@racintoday.com
27 Comments
Is it any wonder that Hendrick is pulling engineers and other key 5 team members from MM and assigning them to help Jr. (lost cause, if there ever was)? They are trying to make MM look like he is a has been. He could still be winning races if he was treated along the lines of JG and JJ. Of course MM still was the highest finishing Hendrick driver at the Brickyard, even with one hand tied befind his back.
I can’t see a guy like KK going into an agreement like this without knowing what he will be doing in 2011. I also can’t see from a souvenir point of view have KK in a different car in 2011 waiting for his ride in the 5.He is still one of Na$car’s cash cows. I really think this is a done deal(whatever ‘it’ is) & this is more ‘drama’ to keep the fans hanging on. Na$car is getting worse than a bad soap opera.
Uh did you forget that it was Mark Martin’s idea to recruit Kasey to HMS to take over the 5 after 2011? Sounds like another attempt by the media to make trouble – and insult Mark.
Not to throw gas on the fire…but Martin was the one that suggested Hendrick go after Kahne to drive the car when MArk steps aside after 2011. Martin has been around the sport long enough to understand what happens to drivers who have suddenly become a lame duck for part of a season, let alone a season and a half. Surely, he didn’t expect Hendrick to not put Kahne in a ride somewhere–even if it means booting one of the current drivers.
As much as I would LOVE to see Jr. leave Hendrick, that doesn’t make sense for the long-term (since Martin would be gone after the 2011 season, anyway) or from a business perspective. I am by no means a Jr. fan, but Hendrick would be crazy to let NASCAR’s own cash cow out of the stable.
I THINK THIS WHOLE THING HAS AGED MARTIN !!!!!!!!!!!!! GRANNY HAS GOT TO GO!!!!!!!!
Take a look at KK’s stats. He is good, but not yet a superstar. Whether or not he becomes a superstar or not is still up for debate
I still think Mr Rick will cut a deal with JR to sell JR his share of JRM and Kasey ends up there in 11 and Mark ends up at JRM in 12..
What is that ole business slogan… you have to be willing to role over on your best friend? or something like that…
This is a business deal, Hendrick and Martin being friends really has nothing to do with it. If putting Kasey in the 5 next year is the best thing for the company it will definitely happen regardless of what Martin has to say on the subject.
I doubt Martin will be driving the 5 next year.
Personally, I hope Mark sticks to his guns, and Rick is forced to let Jr. go. :) Sounds like heaven to me.
Either Kahne or Martin will be paid to sit on the bench next year. Kahne is the future, Martin is not. My money is on Martin to not have a ride next year.
Hendrick will need a star to replace Jeff Gordon relatively soon as well. The “nicest guy in NASCAR” is getting angry way too late in his career and at the wrong thing. He’s done.
First, Thank You Larry for writing this.
It is very clear to me that Rick Hendrick doesn’t have any sponsors banging down the door to sponsor Mark in the 5 Car! Seems that is the issue nobody will talk about, or doesn’t recognize out of all this. Mark has been running HendickCars.com on his ride several races. If godaddy were commited to Mark, I am sure things would be different. If Mark is smart, he will vacate the ride, and go where he is wanted, rather than be emotiona angry about being asked about Kasey waiting for him to move over.
Did anyone notice that about the time Khane was inked, the 5 car began lacking in performance? The writing is on the wall, Mark can land another ride.. I think he should move on just to save face.
wish dale jr would just leave hendrick motor sports,an let mark stay there ,because jr doent belong there ,just look at what jammie mc is doin,an its not a team like hendrick,an maybe jr will get all of his fans back again,
moron
Liz,
I believe you are correct in that Martin will be there through 2011, which is where the problem is, it is now the 2010 season, so Kahne has no ride for the 2011 season, for which Martin is already signed.
As far as the Almirola situation, he and Mark shared the car. When Martin left, Aric was supposed to take over the ride full-time, but then Army went to Stewart-Haas, leaving DEI/EGR with no sponsorship for that car. No sponsor equals no money which means Almirola was left with out a ride, and left ECR to explore more options as a driver, which unfortunately have been few and far between in the Cup series.
As an old guy whose been around racing for way too many years, i submit the following. Mark Martin is a class act and should and will be in the 5 next year, Rick Hendrick is a class act and although he is in a bit of a pickle to find a place for Kasey next year it will happen ( i liked the idea of a previous post , Tommy Baldwin R&D Hendrick equipment could be awesome)I especially like Mr Hendrick because he is a self made man , doing so through the pre Obama days of American free enterprise and hard work, hire good people, give them what they need and let them have at it.
steve-o (nice name), which satellite operation would that be? There are no rides available and Tony has said they will not field a 3rd car at Stewart-Haas, unless Hendrick fields the car and calls it a Stewart Haas car.
Liz, I understand your frustration, but I think Mark signed until 2011 long ago when he first signed the contract with Hendrick, so I don’t think that was an issue in the whole thing. If I’m wrong I apologize but I think that is the case.
Will be interesting to see what Hendrick does. Its obvious Mark is not getting the same equipment he was last year. Could be another way of getting him out by not giving him enough to be competitive. Does anyone think a possible scenerio exists that Kahne sits out a year or drives for someone like Nemechek because there are no seats for him?
Why is anyone upset with Mark Martin over this mess created by the greed of Rick Hendrick? HMS offered Mark a solid contract through 2011 and Mark accepted it. Now HMS finds that people he thought would be pushovers are looking for whats best with their own organizations instead of bowing to Hendricks.
HMS has no contract with Kahne until 2012. Whatever he promised Kahne for 2011 is on him to deliver but that has nothing to do with Mark. For all the great things people say about Hendrick and HMS, I guess now we’ll see over this deal just what the man is made of. There are signed contracts and evidently promises that were made and both need to be lived up to if Hendricks is to live up to who he is supposed to be. Martin nor Kahne has done anything to be faulted for, only Hendricks.
Personally I’d like to see Tommy Baldwin find a deal with HMS to run Kahne with HMS cars and engines and funding so Kahne would have a capable owner/crew chief and Baldwin be able to upgrade his equipment and performance at Hendricks expense.
Martin is being slammed for no reason, Kahne is running out of opportunities and can’t be happy, all because of Rick Hendricks and greed and control.
Thanks this mess is just what you posted. this is old rick {THINGS} I SAT ON MINE…. HAVE A GREAT WEEK.
Mark Martin really upset me. When he announced he was going to Hendrick, I believed it was just for a year – to retire at the end of the season, 2011.
Now he’s changing or has changed his mind to stay with Hendrick till 2012–this is just like he did when he was racing for DEI. He was supposed to have retired at the end of season, 2008 or 2009, so that Eric Amirola could have his seat, but no, Mark didn’t, so that left Eric without a ride.
The funniest thing now, Mark is doing the same thing again. He should retired at 2011 and let or allow Kahne to have his seat.
Well, I tell you, Mark Martin, I hope your 2011 will be a bumpy season!!!
Liz… you’re partially correct unlike Steve that is leading you down the primrose path.
From NASCAR dot com on July 2008: “On Friday at Daytona International Speedway, team owner Rick Hendrick and veteran NASCAR driver Mark Martin announced a multi-year deal that places Martin in Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 5 Chevrolet”
The arcticle continues with…. “Martin, 49, who has 35 career Cup Series victories including four runner-up finishes in the championship — as well as holding what is now the Nationwide Series’ record for career victories with 48 — will compete full time in 2009 and in a 26-race part-time schedule in 2010.”
So ya see he was to only run part-time this year and not at all in 2011.
What follows are the stories of last year when he extended his contract thru 2011.
Here’s ESPN’s first para from late last year: “NASCAR championship contender Mark Martin will drive for Hendrick Motorsports through 2011, an easy commitment for a driver at the top of his game.”
Autoweek Sept last year: “Mark Martin has extended his contract through 2011 with Hendrick Motorsports and picked up GoDaddy.com as primary sponsor for 20 races next year.”
Whats wrong with you? did you get out of bed on the wrong side? you need to learn more about my one and only driver.Try to read more on Mark before you post comments like you posted. GEE.
I think the Dale Jr may be expendable. It appears to be way too quiet & Dale Jr dosen’t appear to happy. Sponsor dollars & his popularity make it difficult, but the pressure of not winning is probably way to much for the Hendrick organization. There is no way you can have an oraginzation with that many stars & be successful.
This is all Ray Evernham trying to be part of HMS and feeling guilty for abandoning KK just like he did Casey Atwood. Evernham can’t get out of his noncompete contract so he is trying to be part of HMS from his ESPN analyst chair.
Mark! RETIRE ALREADY! You’ve had a good run.
Seems to me that Kahne will go to a Hendrick satelite operation for a year. Whats the big deal?
If I were Martin or Earnhardt, I would take the first train out of Hendrickland. Why not create Martin-Earnhardt Inc? Seems to me that both have gotten shafted this season — neither is given the resources to be successful, relying on obviously second-class equipment in favor of the Gordon-Johnson camp. I didn’t want to believe Hendrick would do such a thing to Martin or Earnhardt.
It is ridiculous …. Childress is Earnhardt’s natural home. He needs to stop fighting fate and go home. Martin needs to return to Roush, which in turn needs to dump Carl Edwards onto his whiney butt.
That’s my take …