“I was real ashamed of myself”: When Mark Martin expressed his unfiltered regret about his overpowering ‘temper’ issues

Mark Martin once expressed immense regret for letting temper issues get the better of him when he wrecked a rival's car on the track. During his penultimate NASCAR Cup Series season in 2013, the legendary driver said he felt "ashamed" for crashing into his rivals, articulating he respected the people who built the high-octane machines.

The Arkansas native is among the few NASCAR drivers who had an incredible career but couldn't claim a Cup Series title. Martin was a top contender in his prime and claimed the runner-up spot five times in his 31-year-long career, along with 40 Cup wins.

NASCAR is renowned for brutal wrecks, several of which are purposely done, as a form of payback or to take the lead. However, such instances result in heavy damage to the car's body, something Mark Martin said he regretted doing.

During a conversation with Jeff Gluck in October 2013, Martin was asked about the driver he intentionally crashed into. The latter chose not to dive deeper into the subject, saying he'd rather "move on." Mark Martin said (via USA Today),

"I'd rather just move on. I moved on and a lot of people didn't notice, so I'm just going to let it ride (laughs). Because I'm not proud of it. I did later apologize for it. I let my temper get the best of me and it was something I was real ashamed of myself for doing."

While Martin was clear about not having a big brawl with any driver, he mentioned not admiring Ernie Irwan's early-career driving style. However, Martin praised the improvement Irwan made in his racing style and said the two were good friends.

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Mark Martin rose to riches from his "extremely little" beginnings

Mark Martin wasn't rich when he entered NASCAR. He was married to his wife Arlene and often moved apartments. Moreover, the scarcity of living space left the NASCAR Hall of Famer with no choice but to take the tough call and "throw his trophies in the dumpster," as he couldn't carry them everywhere. However, he boasts a net worth of $70 million (via Celebrity Net Worth) today.

He went from humble origins to being pretty rich after his partnership with Jack Roush for a Cup Series effort began in 1988. After a lackluster debut season at Roush Racing, Martin's performance surged in the following seasons. The duo raked in 35 wins, which also became a major factor in attracting big sponsorships and keeping the driver on the roster.

Martin said (via USA Today),

"I've got extremely little prior to NASCAR – I didn't have any place to put the stuff, and I needed every dollar to reinvest toward moving up through the ranks and all. So I don't have a lot of that, but I do have a lot since I started NASCAR racing. I've got quite a few cars and lots of uniforms."

Mark Martin registered his final start at the 882nd Cup Series race at the 2013 Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami.