Mark Martin at an American Speed Association race at the Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway in 1977. He won the ASA Rookie of the Year title that year at age 18. He went on to win the next three ASA championships in row, in 1978, 1979, and 1980. He didn't go into NASCAR until 1981 where his first start was in Winston Cup at North Wilkesboro Speedway in April. Paul Sawyer had promoted the 1977 ASA race at Richmond and in addition to the ASA regular drivers they had David Pearson, Butch Lindley and Kyle Petty in the race. His first NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series race was August 13, 1982, at Indianapolis Raceway Park, driving for Ed Whitaker.
Busch Series cars line up for the start of the 1987 Tri-City Pontiac 200 on an August night at Bristol. The 32-car field would have six future NASCAR Hall of Fame members and was won by Larry Pearson by two car lengths over Jimmy Hensley. This photo was run on two full pages "double truck" in the book "Second To None: The History of the NASCAR Busch Series," by Rick Houston.
This is the way it was in 1984 in the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series. Here at the Roses Stores 300 lap race at South Boston Speedway on June 23 the drivers meeting is being conducted by the NASCAR Busch Series Director Robert Black. Dickie Boswell has just made a comment that has Busch Series Chief Scorer Tim Hudson and others laughing. This group of drivers include two that are in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Jack Ingram and Dale Jarrett. Other drivers of note include Sam Ard, Geoff Bodine, Tommy Ellis, Tommy Houston, Rick Mast, Glenn Jarrett and Joe Thurman. Ard in the prime of his career would start on the pole and lead 276 of the races 300 laps that night. This photo appeared in the books "Second To None: The History of the NASCAR Busch Series," by Rick Houston and "AutoRacing/USA - 1984/The Year in Review."
