The Vault
MARK MARTIN TOOK AN IMMEDIATE LIKING TO WIR IN KAUKAUNA
Posted on: Sunday January 16, 2022
(Mark Martin took the short track pavement late model scene by storm when he arrived in the mid-to-late 1970s. One of his favorite tracks was the D-shaped half-mile at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna, Wisconsin.
Below is an excerpt from the 2016 release “Wisconsin International Raceway – Where The Big Ones Run.” Enjoy!)
Former Winston Cup standout Mark Martin never met a race track he didn’t like.
Mark Martin was always a force to be reckoned with whenever he pulled through the pit gate at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. (Pete Vercauteren photo)
The Batesville, Arkansas native was a two time Red, White and Blue state champion at WIR, driving for Jerry Gunderman of Milwaukee. Martin had come back to the Midwest and raced short track specials and ASA and ARTGO series events after attempting to run Winston Cup down south on his own dime from 1981 to 1983.
“I think the first time I ran WIR was likely one of those ARTGO shows probably around 1978,” recalled Martin. “I loved that place. I remember going into turn one it was sort of uphill. Then when you go around three and four I remember that inside guardrail and the front straightaway had a unique shape to it. It was a cool place and it was real unique as how you had to drive that track. I went to a lot of short tracks around the country but WIR was one of a kind.”
Martin honed his craft running many Wisconsin tracks, which included WIR. “I ran all the ARTGO shows I could and for a while I’d pick and choose the bigger races,” said Martin. “Wisconsin racing was very, very instrumental in my racing career in general. It prepared me to have the type of driver etiquette that those guys helped mold me into in the late ‘70’s and early to mid ‘80’s.”
Martin took full advantage during an era where a driver could run four or sometimes five nights a week. “There were times you could race six nights a week and even twice on Sundays,” quipped Martin. “That seat time made everybody better back then.”
Mark Martin shown here at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna, Wisconsin in the early 1980’s. (Pete Vercauteren photo)
Of all the drivers Martin went wheel-to-wheel with at WIR he thoroughly enjoyed running with the pride if Wisconsin Rapids, Dick Trickle. “Dick was a true sportsman, he raced hard and wanted to win,” said Martin. “But he was very fair and he was helpful even though I was competition to him. He took pride in his operation and ultimately he helped mold and shape the way I raced and the code I lived by both on and off the track. I have all the respect in the world for Wisconsin short track drivers. Running up at WIR was a great experience for me and I learned a lot along the way.”
(You can purchase this book at this website by clicking on the “books” tab on the upper left corner.)