While NASCAR fans might be well-versed in Mark Martin’s love for rap music and his affinity for Gucci Mane, an unknown fact about the stock car racing luminary that showcases his grit and determination to succeed in life came before his days in the sport. The former Cup Series driver and winner revealed how he got to NASCAR in the first place, looking back at his days in the grassroots racing scene.
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Opening up on the 12 Questions segment by notable journalist Jeff Gluck back in 2013, he delved into how a lack of a permanent home at the time meant he could not save any silverware from that stretch of his career.
“I got married, and we moved seven times in the first five years,” he revealed, touching on how he pratically moved every year during his time before NASCAR.
“I threw my trophies in the dumpster. All of them. I’m going to guess by the third or fourth move, I threw them all in the dumpster because they were already broken and beat up — and where was I supposed to put them? We were living in apartments, you know? And the trophies were cheap anyway, and so they didn’t travel well (laughs),” he added.
While it did seem like the correct thing to do at the time, Martin’s wife Arlene did suggest the former driver to rethink his decisions. “My wife told me: ‘You’re going to wish you didn’t do that.’ She was right,” admitted Martin.
Mark Martin reveals his favorite racing-themed movie
During the same interview from 2003, Martin also touched on what his favorite racing-related movie was. The Akansas native, who we all know has an appetite for being in touch with the latest in pop culture and media, gave an eloquent answer.
“Most racing movies have been pretty cheesy except for maybe the ones that go way, way back. Maybe I think Rush is so great because I didn’t race Formula One, but I was aware of the epic battle of ’76, and I really liked that movie. I really thought Ron Howard did a good job of doing it justice,” he said.
The movie Rush is based around the 1976 Formula One World Championship and the battle between open-wheeled legends Niki Lauda and James Hunt. It showcased the raw grit of the drivers despite the circumstances at play. Perhaps that was the reason Martin liked the movie. After all, the emotion behind the wheel remains the same regardless of the car.
