Mark Martin responds to a fan’s message about the Rockingham race

NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin recently responded to a fan’s message about the return of racing at Rockingham Speedway. The historic North Carolina track was brought back to life by NASCAR after nearly 12 years of inactivity, hosting both the Truck and Xfinity Series events last weekend.

Widely regarded as one of NASCAR’s most consistent and skilled drivers, Mark Martin enjoyed a remarkable 31-year career, collecting 96 wins across the sport’s top three series, with 40 of them in the Cup Series. Rockingham Speedway was a standout track in his journey, where he notched two Cup wins and 11 Xfinity Series victories.

Recently, a fan mentioned the veteran driver in a post he shared on X, where the former had shared a picture he took of the Education Lottery 250 Xfinity race. The post was captioned:

"Hey @markmartin ...this is from the turn 4 grandstands seats @Rockingham1965 ..i was there Saturday.. section 40 row 22. It was awesome..@NASCAR @XfinityRacing .👏👏👏👏👍👊"

Admiring the picture, Martin reshared it on X and wrote:

"Awesome photo 🙌🏼"

NASCAR's return to The Rock delivered a weekend full of drama and excitement. With a sold-out crowd packing Rockingham Speedway, fans got their money's worth. In the Truck Series race, late-race chaos unfolded as both leader Tyler Ankrum and second-place Chandler Smith ran out of fuel.

Smith dropped over 10 spots, while Ankrum held on to take the win—his first since 2019 and second overall in the series. The Xfinity Series race at Rockingham was a caution-filled affair, with the yellow flag waving 15 times.

But the drama didn’t end there—Jesse Love initially took the win, only for his #2 Chevrolet to be disqualified during post-race inspection. As a result, the victory was awarded to JR Motorsports driver Sammy Smith.

Since retiring, Mark Martin has taken a different path from many of his former competitors. While others have occasionally returned to the driver’s seat, Martin has stayed away from racing entirely, fully embracing life beyond the track.

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“We need personality in NASCAR”- Mark Martin explains why Katherine Legge won him over

Katherine Legge made history at Phoenix Raceway on March 9, becoming the first woman since Danica Patrick in 2018 to compete in a NASCAR Cup Series race. NASCAR legend Mark Martin reacted to Legge’s milestone, expressing admiration for the 44-year-old Brit, especially after hearing her drop a swear word during a pre-race interview.

"I’ve always respected her ability but when she said shi* in this interview @katherinelegge (Katherine Legge) made me a fan for life. We need personality in @NASCAR," he wrote on X

Katherine Legge returned to action in the Xfinity Series race at Rockingham Speedway under controversial circumstances, replacing J.J. Yeley. Initially failing to qualify in the #32 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet, Legge was later added to the field following a reported agreement between JAR and Joey Gase Motorsports to substitute Yeley with the British driver.