NASCAR veteran Mark Martin rules current state of tires amid 1994 nostalgia

There has been a lot of talk among the racing aficionados about how NASCAR could improve its NextGen package. Arguably, the most discussed topic is how the tires of today do not provide the same amount of falloff as they used to do back in the 1990s.

Mark Martin, one of the legendary drivers in NASCAR history, recently shared a throwback moment of himself winning the Hooters 500 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway back in 1994. Martin, who still holds the record of the second most wins in what is known as the Xfinity Series today, pointed out the tire falloff visible on the hood of his car.

“Look at the hood,” Martin wrote. “Tires were gummy back then. They just make black powder now days.”

Back in the day, the competitors could choose between Hoosier Tire Co. and Goodyear Tires. The rivalry between these two tire manufacturers dates back to 1988. However, in April 1997, Goodyear became the official tire provider for NASCAR.

That same year, Martin won the Winston 500, setting a record speed of 188.354 miles per hour. That was his second consecutive win and also the second win of the season. The veteran racer amassed 20 more victories at the Cup level before announcing his retirement in 2013.

Martin was inducted into the prestigious NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2017. As of today, he lives in Batesville, Arkansas with his wife, Irlene. The 65-year-old man spends his time away from racing and often touring the country in his RV.

Mark Martin hails Martin Truex Jr. as “one of the great ones”

Recently, a fan asked what Mark Martin thought about Martin Truex Jr., who recently retired from full-time racing following the championship race at Phoenix Raceway last Sunday. The fan hailed the driving styles of these two drivers as similar, given that they were both known as fair competitors on the track.

“With Truex Jr retiring yesterday from NASCAR, do you feel like he is the most similar to your driving style?” the fan asked. “I feel like you guys were both very smooth and always fair to the other drivers on the track.”

Martin agreed. He replied to the fan, saying,

“Yes I do. @MartinTruex_Jr was one of the great ones.”

Through 23 years of full-time racing in NASCAR, Truex Jr. has been an extraordinary driver in his own right. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver amassed victories in crown jewel races like the Southern 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. He also clinched the regular season championship in 2017, the same year he won the series championship, and then again in 2023.

Truex Jr. was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023, whereas Mark Martin was conferred the honor back in 1998. However, unlike Martin, Truex Jr. has kept the door to racing in the future open. He will be seen making a one-off appearance in the 2025 Daytona 500, another crown jewel race that Mark Martin came close to winning in 2007 but fell 0.02 seconds behind race winner Kevin Harvick.