NASCAR legend Mark Martin shares his thoughts on tragic Philadelphia jet crash

Ex-NASCAR driver Mark Martin reacted to the nerve-chilling explosion caused by a Learjet 55 crashing in a northeast Philadelphia neighborhood on Friday night (January 31). He took to X and expressed his feelings through a four-word statement.

As per CNN, the jet had six people onboard and was headed toward Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri. No survivors have been confirmed as of yet. However, several injuries have been reported by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Reflecting on the situation, Martin tweeted:

“Man tragic in Philadelphia.”

Mark Martin is regarded as a living legend in NASCAR. These days, he is involved in a group of car dealerships based in Arkansas, where he was born. However, there was a time when he used to be one of the most competitive race car drivers in NASCAR’s national series.

Throughout his career spanning over three decades, the 66-year-old ran 881 races just in the NASCAR Cup Series, winning 40. He sits 17th in the all-time wins list.

Besides his achievements in NASCAR, Martin also won 13 IROC races (most of any driver), and five IROC Championships. His accolades at the IROC front include 27 podiums, 11 fastest laps, and two poles.

Mark Martin was named one of NASCAR’s Greatest 50 Drivers in 1998, the same year he delivered not one, not two, but three career highs - wins (seven), top-five finishes (22), and laps led (1,730). In 2017, he was inducted into the prestigious NASCAR Hall of Fame.

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Back when Mark Martin shed light on the one thing he missed about racing full-time

Mark Martin speaks to fans in the Neon Garage before the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff South Point 400 on October 15, 2022, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway - Source: Getty

Mark Martin raced in NASCAR from 1981 to 2013. He retired from full-time racing following the 2013 Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

While several drivers fail to shake off the itch to race even post-retirement, Martin isn’t one of them. In an interview with NASCAR about four years ago, the veteran driver said he was not interested in running competitive races.

But there’s just one thing that he always missed - the relationships he had built while competing for teams like Roush Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Dale Earnhardt Inc., Ginn Racing, and Michael Waltrip Racing.

“Working with a team was like a family, the energy of the fans and whatnot,” Mark Martin said. “So I kind of miss that. But 40 years of competing at the highest level, and digging as hard as I could possibly dig with every ounce of focus I had, I’m done with that.”

However, the latest reports have confirmed that Martin will race alongside Jeff Gordon, Ken Schrader, Bobby Labonte, and Bill Elliott in the IROC group at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion scheduled for August 13-16 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in California.