[WVGrandma4Kasey]

Martin says he will NOT drive the #6 in 2007 UPDATE 2 to the #88?: Mark Martin on Friday said that he will not drive the #6 Roush Racing Ford in 2007. "I'm not worried about next year, but I will tell you this: there never has been -- ever -- a consideration for me to drive the 6 car in 2007," Martin said. "Everybody's in this frenzy about what I'm going to do in 2007 -- it's just not important right now," Martin said. "What's here in front of me is what's important to me. I've tried to help these guys and keep the ship on track, and if we don't produce then so be it. I've never once this year thought or considered driving it again in '07. I've driven it 19 years. That's enough for the 6 car and me."(see full report at NASCAR.com)(9-1-2006)
UPDATE: #6-Mark Martin's farewell tour will be extended yet another year when he drives the #88 Ford next year for Robert Yates Racing. Martin originally said last year would be his final as a full-time driver in the Nextel Cup Series, but he changed his mind to return to his familiar #6 Ford at Roush Racing this season. Now it appears he will keep going, but for a new team. Three different sources close to Ford Racing said Martin will take over for Dale Jarrett at Yates after Jarrett moves into a new Toyota Camry at Michael Waltrip Racing in 2007, Morris News Service has learned. Martin said Friday he won't drive the #6 Ford at Roush next year - a ride he's had since the 1988 season - and most people believed that meant he finally planned to start his planned retirement. Robby Gordon confirmed this week he attempted to buy half of Robert Yates Racing recently, but the deal apparently fell through in the last couple weeks. Sources close to Yates confirmed Sunday that Martin - apparently with support of Jack Roush - also tried to buy Yates during the summer. Negotiations went so far that Yates had an inventory completed to show the exact worth of his racing operation. Robert Yates Racing said they would make an announcement on a new driver in about a week. They've already hinted it would be a veteran racer.(Athens Banner-Herald)(9-5-2006)
UPDATE 2 - sponsors: hearing McDonald's and Citi-Financial will be the sponsors for Martin and the #88 Ford in 2007, not sure if as co-primaries or some other arrangement.(9-6-2006)

[vinceadams9]

If he goes to the 88 team his fans will follow and I would like to see him race another year cause he don't need a rockin chair , and if anybody deserves a championship he does cause he is one class act.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by WVGrandma4Kasey

Martin says he will NOT drive the #6 in 2007 UPDATE 2 to the #88?: Mark Martin on Friday said that he will not drive the #6 Roush Racing Ford in 2007. "I'm not worried about next year, but I will tell you this: there never has been -- ever -- a consideration for me to drive the 6 car in 2007," Martin said. "Everybody's in this frenzy about what I'm going to do in 2007 -- it's just not important right now," Martin said. "What's here in front of me is what's important to me. I've tried to help these guys and keep the ship on track, and if we don't produce then so be it. I've never once this year thought or considered driving it again in '07. I've driven it 19 years. That's enough for the 6 car and me."(see full report at NASCAR.com)(9-1-2006)
UPDATE: #6-Mark Martin's farewell tour will be extended yet another year when he drives the #88 Ford next year for Robert Yates Racing. Martin originally said last year would be his final as a full-time driver in the Nextel Cup Series, but he changed his mind to return to his familiar #6 Ford at Roush Racing this season. Now it appears he will keep going, but for a new team. Three different sources close to Ford Racing said Martin will take over for Dale Jarrett at Yates after Jarrett moves into a new Toyota Camry at Michael Waltrip Racing in 2007, Morris News Service has learned. Martin said Friday he won't drive the #6 Ford at Roush next year - a ride he's had since the 1988 season - and most people believed that meant he finally planned to start his planned retirement. Robby Gordon confirmed this week he attempted to buy half of Robert Yates Racing recently, but the deal apparently fell through in the last couple weeks. Sources close to Yates confirmed Sunday that Martin - apparently with support of Jack Roush - also tried to buy Yates during the summer. Negotiations went so far that Yates had an inventory completed to show the exact worth of his racing operation. Robert Yates Racing said they would make an announcement on a new driver in about a week. They've already hinted it would be a veteran racer.(Athens Banner-Herald)(9-5-2006)
UPDATE 2 - sponsors: hearing McDonald's and Citi-Financial will be the sponsors for Martin and the #88 Ford in 2007, not sure if as co-primaries or some other arrangement.(9-6-2006)

As reported on Jayski.com yesterday, Benny Ertal, Mark's business manager (Business manager??? What's next, the drivers'll go public and offer shares of stock in themselves on the NYSE? I can see it now: "WalMart is down a half a point, but Shane Hmiel is high!") said all the above is strictly rumors. Mark, Jack and RYR haven't talked as of yet. Maybe after Richmond they will, but not until then. I believe the term, "wishful thinking" was used within the report.

My personal feeling: Go help your boy become a race driver, Mark. You've done yourself proud and a championship just ain't gonna happen, no matter how deserving you are or how unjust NASCAR was to you in the past (you truly got screwed in 1990). Go out with class, not like DW, a pitiful shell of what once was.