by Tina Akouris, The Chicago Sun-Times , Chicago Sun Times

Win one for the ages. He has stood the test of time. The best driver to never win a NASCAR Sprint Cup championship. You're never too old to (fill in the blank).

Even his crew chief, Alan Gustafson, isn't at a loss for tired phrases when talking about the oldest driver in NASCAR .

''You hear the clich?, 'It was a dream come true,' and it has been,'' Gustafson said. ''To work for Mark, who is a Hall of Fame driver, that's the biggest thing that went through my mind.

''I watched him race as I grew up,'' said Gustafson, 33. ''He was my favorite driver and a guy I liked to watch.''

When Gustafson and Martin roll into Chicagoland Motor Speedway in Joliet for the LifeLock.com 400 on Saturday night, they will be trying for victory No. 4 and to prove again that age holds no bounds.

Martin is 13th in the Sprint Cup point standings. Hendrick Motorsports has re-signed Martin through the 2010 season.

The Chicago race marks eight to go until the Chase for the Cup begins at Loudon, N.H., on Sept. 20.

Martin, 50, joined Hendrick Motorsports this season on a full-time basis, driving the No. 5 Kellogg's/CarQuest Chevrolet previously driven by Casey Mears. Martin ran a limited schedule for Dale Earnhardt Inc. in 2008, driving in 24 races and earning four top-five finishes.

So the addition of Martin to the Hendrick stable -- Dale Earnhardt Jr., the sport's most popular driver; Jeff Gordon, a four-time Cup champion, and Jimmie Johnson, the three-time defending Cup champion -- makes Hendrick Motorsports a dream team of sorts.

''I was really happy in 2008, and have been even more happy in 2009, and I didn't think that was possible,'' Martin said. ''I am in a different league stress-level-wise compared to last year. But working with these guys puts so much more fun in it that it overcomes the stress level of measuring up.''

They haven't disappointed, with Martin winning three races this season (Phoenix, Darlington and Michigan), Johnson two (Martinsville and Dover) and Gordon one (Texas). Earnhardt is the only Hendrick driver without a victory.

''To many, there's never been a driver lineup that impressive with that kind of quality of drivers, and I don't know if there ever will be again,'' Gustafson said. ''Mark is really a positive person, and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports is excited about getting him over here. We knew that it would pay a lot of dividends, and it has exceeded his expectations.''

After a nearly four-year drought, Martin went back to victory lane April 18 in Phoenix. He became the third-oldest driver to win a Cup race, joining Morgan Shepherd, who was 51 when he won at Atlanta in 1993, and Harry Gant, who was 52 when he won at Michigan in 1992. Martin hadn't won since Oct. 9, 2005, at Kansas, a 97-race winless streak.

''I feel fine right now,'' Martin said after the Phoenix win. ''[In victory lane] I said I don't have any problem keeping up with a 25-year-old, at least not for the next 15 minutes, because I have got the biggest shot of adrenaline that you've ever seen.''

But then it got better for Martin, winning at Darlington on May 9 and at Michigan on June 14. The Michigan win may have been the most exciting because Martin won after race leaders Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle ran out of gas with only a couple laps to go. Martin has 38 career Sprint Cup victories.

''We started 32nd [at Michigan] and had to drive our way through the pack, mostly through the green because there were not many cautions,'' Gustafson said. ''The biggest thing at the end is Mark had to have the patience to run our race and let Jimmie and Greg go ahead. Mark had the self-control to run our race.''

Off the track, Martin adheres to a strict diet and workout regimen. Gustafson thinks that is why the 50-year-old is in such great shape and inspires race fans and fellow employees at Hendrick Motorsports.

Martin even has a fan in Chicagoland Speedway president Craig Rust.

''People talk about his age, but he is one of the most fit drivers that the sport has,'' Rust said. ''When you look on the sports landscape and so much attention is paid to the bad eggs, it's good when you see someone like Mark Martin doing well and be recognized for it. He absolutely inspires me to continue doing the right things and working hard.''

2009 NASCAR WEEKEND

What: LifeLock.com 400 (Sprint Cup) at 7 p.m. Saturday, preceded by Dollar General 300 (Nationwide) at 7 p.m. Friday and Sprint Cup qualifying at 7:40 p.m. Thursday.

Where: Chicagoland Speedway, 3200 S. Chicago, Joliet.

TV: LifeLock.com 400 on TNT; Dollar General 300 on ESPN.

Tickets: For information, call (888) 629-RACE or go to www.chicagolandspeedway.com.

Mark Martin's Cup finishes at Chicagoland

Year Start Finish

2001 18 6

2002 13 9

2003 13 14

2004 18 24

2005 20 10

2006 9 18

2007 4 14

2008 16 17

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