Martin ends season as a winner

The most compelling component in the title match between three-time champion Jimmie Johnson and his newest Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin is the level of determination they share. Although 108 points separate points leader Johnson from Martin, their personalities aren't that different. Team owner Rick Hendrick described the drivers' characteristics best. "The thing that is almost identical with these two is the devotion to excellence, not only in what they need to do in the car with the race team, but the way they take care of themselves outside of the car as far as the way they train, the way they eat, and the way they think," Hendrick said on Thursday. "They're as close to being identical as any two I've ever been around. They are both students of what it takes both in the car and outside of the car. And their dedication to excellence, it's remarkable. Their talent speaks for itself. I think that's the reason that they're sitting where they are today. They just are never satisfied without everything around them being as perfect as it can be. They put all of the load on their shoulders." But the "load" Martin has endured throughout his career is dramatically different from what Johnson experienced in a comparatively shorter time. As one of the original six employees that started at Roush Racing in Liberty, N.C., in 1988, Martin felt compelled to participate in every aspect of the organization. Martin insists it was all part of the growth process. "My responsibilities before I got to Roush always were high — like driver, owner, crew chief," Martin said. "When the race started, I had someone that was in charge of the crew. When I got started with Jack, obviously we had Robin Pemberton and Steve Hmiel who had great people to work with, and they ran the pits and that kind of thing. "But Jack always had me involved with much more than just driving the car — with set-ups, with engineering direction, with personnel. There was a lot that we never changed through the years. I still felt that any time we had to make a crew chief change, I was heavily involved in that in both directions, meaning the heartbreak of having to move the one that you had over and also recruiting a new one." Carl Edwards was in awe of Martin's contribution when he arrived at Roush Racing in 2003. "For a long time, he carried that company," Edwards said. "He always performed at such a high level that it set the standard for everyone to follow. He brings out the best in people. "I remember the first meeting we were in together and Mark was like, 'We need this and we need that,' and he would lay down the law. He didn't have an agenda. He just has such a strong passion for racing, he wanted all of us to be better. I have tremendous respect for Mark." Martin considered the multi-tasking he performed at Roush as "a privilege and an honor but also a responsibility." He said Roush thought enough of him to include him in the major decisions surrounding the organization in its formative years. "Jack and I, we had a lot invested in that place together," Martin said. "We were kind of involved in that together. I would have been disappointed if I wasn't involved in some of those decisions, because he and I — we fought together, shoulder to shoulder, day in and day out. "Right up until the very end, I was involved in more than I was at Hendrick. If they have personnel problems, I don't even know about it. At Roush's if there was, I might be the first to know, in fact, I might be the one telling Jack, because I would hear it at the racetrack from the guys. When I look back now, I think, 'Wow, that was a lot more; no wonder that was wearing on me,' where this doesn't as much." Martin freed himself from the day-to-day concerns of Roush Racing in 2006 when he opted for a part-time schedule. After two seasons running 24 races a year, Martin's focus shifted from points racing to simply racing. After he moved on to Hendrick Motorsports, Martin's main concern is strapping into the No. 5 Chevrolet on Sunday. "Who you are is a sum of your total life experiences," Martin said. "Everyone digs and digs and digs, and they don't quite get it. I was haunted by chasing those points for so hard and so long. Not only did I pay attention as hard as I could pay attention and drive as hard as I could drive and try to help everyone and inspire everyone to be the best that they could be, then when I laid down at night I was like 'UUURRRGHHHH'... I'm not going to do it anymore. I'm not going to do it anymore. I'm going to live. "When I stepped out of the 6 car, I was done racing for a championship in Cup," he said. "So I put that completely to rest. The fact that I came back and did it again had nothing to do with chasing a championship. It had to do with Rick being a pretty persuasive guy and me fantasizing about winning another race. Those were the keys." With the support of Hendrick Motorsports and his developing relationship with Alan Gustafson and the No. 5 team, Martin is content knowing his opportunities to compete will continue beyond Sunday. Martin is locked in with HMS through 2011. And with the first year soon to be behind the team, Martin knows the team will only be stronger in the future. One thing is for certain, if Martin loses the championship on Sunday, he won't let it bring him down. "My life, my career and my season has been a tremendous success no matter if we go out, fall out on the first lap and finish fourth in points," Martin said. "I can't measure what I've done as a person, as a driver and the contribution I've made to Hendrick Motorsports in points, I can't measure that in points — it shouldn't be. "I'm not going to let the point tally ever tell me I'm better than I am or not as good as I am — either one."

We are the champions

Kyle Busch capped off his first NASCAR championship in the Nationwide Series on Saturday by winning the Ford 300 and extending his lead over Carl Edwards by 210 points. "I don't mean to be selfish, but that's the way for these guys to go out," Busch said."They deserve it." For Busch, it was his 30th NNS win in just 173 starts. He led 73 laps and topped Edwards at the finish line by 0.482 second. Jeff Burton, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top five. Hamlin's performance was not without controversy. He punted his nemesis Brad Keselowski on Lap 34 on the front stretch. NASCAR placed the No. 11 in the penalty box one lap for aggressive driving, but he earned the lucky dog after the fifth and final caution and returned to the lead pack on Lap 95. When Hamlin was asked what happened when he got into the back of Keselowski, he said: "The sun was really bad at that point, and I really couldn't see a whole lot. I think the fans right there, they got their money's worth today. "I feel great right now. It was well worth it. The fact is I wasn't going to give him an inch. I thought after I went down pit road I had won the race. I've never seen so many crews applauding and giving the thumbs up on the way by. It just shows you all of the cars that he's torn up in the past — all the teams. They feel a little redemption anyway." Keselowski finished 12th and ended up third in the point standings.

Rookie honors

Justin Allgaier locked down the NASCAR Nationwide Series Raybestos Rookie title with a 20th-place finish in the Ford 300. He also finished sixth in the NNS point standings. Allgaier was the top finishing freshman in 11 races during the 2009 season. His best finish of the season was fifth at Bristol in the spring.

Say what?

When Joe Gibbs Racing president J.D. Gibbs was asked about Denny Hamlin punting Brad Keselowski, he replied, "I think it was an aero issue."