Martin's Fade

Sounds like nothing more than sour grapes by Montoya after being schooled by one of the all time great drivers in NASCAR...arguably by the greatest driver in NASCAR history who has yet to win a Sprint Cup championship.

 

I'd do the exact same thing.

Nonsense.

If Montoya expects Mark Martin won't employ a "bump and run" to win, he's well within his rights to expect that Mark won't employ a "brake check" either. Mark has a long-established reputation as a clean driver who doesn't employ the same kind of tactics that other drivers do, and he took advantage of that reputation to do something that's kinda sneaky and underhanded. This will likely be the only time that Mark will be able to get away with a tactic like that. The next time he brake checks somebody, he's probably going to get knocked out of the way.

Unless you applaud other drivers for the "bump and run", Mark Martin didn't do something that's worthy of applause on Sunday.

 

Mark Martin's explanation:

' Oh, well … this controversy was fun while it lasted -- until Martin came into the media center for the winner's news conference.

Wouldn't you know it was just too juicy to be true? Or at least, realistic?

Told of Montoya's complaints, Martin's eyes twinkled a bit, and he smiled a little.

"Yeah, I stopped, compared to how fast his car was going," Martin said with some ironic merriment. "I don't think I stop-stopped. It just maybe looked to him like I stopped based on how fast he was …"

He paused and considered.

"I fought for that race," he said. "But I wouldn't do anything -- and probably still wouldn't -- do what some of you wish I would." The media corps had been razzing him for years about when or if he would ever play as rough on the track as many of his peers do.

Then he grew more analytical, straight-faced.

"I fought for that race. But I wouldn't do anything -- and probably still wouldn't -- do what some of you wish I would."

"Stopping is a strong word," he said. "I did make sure that I didn't go in there and lose it once I got in front of him. His car was really strong there [entering the corner]. My car was not fast into the corner. … We made all our time through the center and off the corner, and kind of had to get into the corners easy.

"Once you get the lead you need to make sure you don't drive it in there and turn it sideways and slide up to the top of the racetrack.

"I mean, how stupid would I have looked then?"

To run into the corner with the same velocity Montoya had in chasing him, "I would have slid to the top, lost the race, and had to admit to the world that I blew it.

"So that's what happened there." '


Also, Montoya said, "I would have done the same thing," Montoya conceded upon finishing his vent. "You gotta learn from it. I haven't fought for enough wins [in NASCAR]."


- http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/columns/story?columnist=hinton_ed&id=4489647

 

Yes, I saw Mark's explanation and it doesn't change what I think about that move.

 

I'm with you on this one.