Episode 216 -- NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin on Las Vegas, Career Struggles

In our conversation with NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Mark talks about his memories of the construction of his beloved JR51 chassis, preparations for the first Winston Cup race at Las Vegas and his laser-focused intensity that … in all honesty … took away from his enjoyment of winning races. He also remembers Ford’s dominance that day and the reaction of both General Motors AND NASCAR, as well as some of the rocky moments from early in his racing career. Hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid then take a deep dive into the March 5, 1998 issue of Winston Cup Scene. Mark Martin wins the inaugural Winston Cup race at Las Vegas and appears on the cover of this issue with Wayne Newton and … much to his chagrin, apparently ... a couple of Las Vegas showgirls. Fords DOMINATE the race … much to Dale Earnhardt and General Motors’ CHAGRIN. News items detail an autograph session that nearly got out of hand, Kyle Petty’s motorcycle accident on the way to the race, NASCAR’s banning of burnouts and Kevin Harvick’s first Winston WEST win. There’s also a feature on the THEN-unheralded Matt Kenseth. NOTE: This podcast is not associated in any way with American City Business Journals, owner of the Scene brand. Interested in The Scene Vault Podcast T-shirts? Check out www.thescenevault.com and click on SHOP to see what we have available! Please consider supporting the show via: www.patreon.com/thescenevaultpodcast www.paypal.me/thescenevaultpodcast www.venmo.com/thescenevaultpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices