ESPN Sprint Cup

ESPN.com preseason rank: No. 8

2009 Outlook

After two years of semi-retirement and partial schedules, Mark Martin is back full time in the Sprint Cup Series and just might have his best shot ever at a championship.

Team owner Rick Hendrick spent six months trying to convince Martin to drive the No. 5 Chevrolet in 2009, and he couldn't have landed a more respected star.

Said teammate Jeff Gordon: "He's the most talented race car driver that there is. I mean, the guy is just a natural and he works hard at it, and he keeps himself in great shape. You know, he's just very disciplined and dedicated and driven, a very competitive guy, and you put him in top-notch equipment and there's just no telling what he's capable of doing."

Said No. 5 crew chief Alan Gustafson: "Mark is as good as anybody on the racetrack. When you compare drivers, he's as complete of a driver as anybody on the track and as good as anybody else on the track, so you're getting one of the best. One of the elite. There's six or seven guys that can put themselves in that category, so right away you've got one of the best on the racetrack, which is obviously a big deal.

"Beyond that he's such a good, positive person. He's a great role model, he's a great leader. He's really good to his guys, he's one of the most down-to-earth, appreciative people I've been around."

For Martin, expectation admittedly is high, yet tempered. One step at a time.

When a man has had his heart broken before, he's apt to remain cautiously optimistic.

"Results we can't guarantee. We can guarantee the effort," Martin said. "That's what I really like to focus on rather than focusing on some kind of expected results, because I can't completely control those results.

"But I'm excited about the effort and I'm excited about being part of the thing, and I think there's potential for us to [succeed] -- especially after having such a great year last year, which has a lot to do with it. I had the time of my life last year, and I hope to have the time of my life again in 2009."

Martin is paired with Gustafson, who endured a tough season in 2008 with driver Casey Mears. Prior to that, he led Kyle Busch's up-and-down stint at HMS. He's excited for veteran leadership from one of the all-time greats.

The time off helped Martin reestablish his adoration for the sport.

"I have to say that, you know, for me taking two years of a limited schedule has given me a chance to completely recharge my battery and completely having a different mindset on ... what's important to me and what I really want to do," Martin said.

2008 Review

Short and sweet: In the 24 races Martin ran for Dale Earnhardt Inc. during the 2008 season, he was among NASCAR's most consistent drivers. He posted four top-5 finishes and averaged a 13th-place finish. But the relationship with DEI soured in the summer as the organization deteriorated, and Rick Hendrick came calling. Meanwhile, Martin's crew chief at DEI, Tony Gibson, and most of his No. 8 team jumped ship, too -- to Stewart-Haas Racing and Ryan Newman's No. 39 team.

Has a shot at the title if: Martin manages to make the Chase. It'll be difficult to make the playoffs in 2009, given all the great teams in play. But put Martin in a 10-race shootout (five of which are his specialty, high-speed downforce tracks) in competitive equipment, and he can run with anybody.

Won't win the title because: Martin's superhuman powers won't be enough to overcome HMS' fourth-car hex.

-- Marty Smith