"Don't let anyone justify the costs of owning a plane": When Mark Martin acknowledged the trade-off of cost and comfort of flying private

Back in 2013, Mark Martin justified that owning an airplane was more about convenience for him than it was about the cost. Citing this, he called the criticisms surrounding the ownership of the airplane "stupid," as he did not pay heed to critics.

Besides being a racing driver, Mark Martin is also a talented pilot. As much as he is known for his racing prowess, Martin is equally renowned for his skills in the sky. The former Cup Series driver owned a Citation CJ4, and as of 2013, it was a two-year-old jet.

An aviation enthusiast, Martin parked his jet adjacent to the kitchen, as the CJ4 found itself near the cars owned by Martin. While it was cool for the former NASCAR driver, a few of them found owning the airplane cost-effective. Replying to the critics, Martin said,

"It's stupid," Martin told USA Today. "It's absolutely stupid. Don't let anyone ever try to justify the costs of owning a plane. But it sure is convenient."

Mark Martin owned a Cessna Citation CJ4, which can range from $5.3 million to $12.5 million depending on the model, year, and its condition. It can seat up to 10 passengers and has a maximum cruise speed of 451 knots (835 kilometers an hour).

The aircraft was announced in 2006 and took its first flight two years later in 2008. After two more years, the aircraft received the FAA certification in 2010. While the aircraft can be a good addition to an aviation enthusiast's garage just like Martin, it no longer exists in his garage.

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When Mark Martin recalled watching a UFO while flying

Mark Martin recently recalled how he once encountered a UFO while flying his airplane. The former Cup Series driver was unsure if he was coming back from a race at Loudon or Dover, but this was when he saw the Unidentified Flying Object in the sky.

Martin during the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway - Source: Imagn

"We fly at 45,000 feet, but going over Jacksonville, going home to Daytona where I lived, you know, they would bring you down to 18,000 feet or so," Martin said. "So, it's black. Everything except the lights in Daytona, Orlando, and you know, Miami."

"You can see the lights down at Miami even. And I see a light that is solid white light, looks like solid light that's not flashing, and that could only be like a landing light; the only thing that would make sense would be a spotlight-looking light like that, and it would have to be far away because I couldn't see the green and red wingtip lights," he further added.

Mark Martin has 882 races under his belt in over 31 years, where he racked up 40 wins, 56 pole positions, and 453 Top 10s. Despite racing for over three decades, he did not win a title as he finished as a runner-up five times.