With the grandiose plans of businessman Steve Turner and his Turner Motorsports organization in 2011, it was increasingly evident that the team needed some veteran leadership for their team. They had the young, up-and-coming talent in place, they just needed to add a veteran driver to the mix. Who fits that bill better than Mark Martin? Martin, who started his NASCAR career in 1982, has gained a reputation over the years as one of the most competitive, consistent, and even well-respected drivers on the circuit. With the rumor mills saying that Martin has agreed to a limited Nationwide and Truck Series schedule, this can only help a team which doesn’t completely have full sponsorship for all their cars in 2011.
Martin is a very marketable driver that has proven to be great with sponsors and interviews over the years and he can only help the younger drivers of the organization such as Brad Sweet, James Buescher, Justin Allgaier, and he’ll be back mentoring Ricky Carmichael again as an oft-forgotten note on Carmichael’s NASCAR career is that none other than Mark Martin helped him make the transition from the world of motocross to NASCAR. He brings leadership to an organization that truly needed it to go to the next level.
Now, I’m sure all the Nationwide and Truck Series fans who decry the presence of Cup drivers in their series will cry foul, but the bottom line is guys like Martin do sell tickets for events and can only help the team as a whole. But those fans need to look on the bright side. At least Mark is not running a full Nationwide schedule like Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski are doing, so those fans should be thankful for that. And can you really blame a guy like Steve Turner for turning to a driver like Mark Martin to get his team to the next level? The bottom line is Steve Turner is a business-man and does things in the best interests of not only his race team, but what is best for him financially as well.
When you add in the Hendrick power and tech support, it becomes clear to even the most lay observer that Steve Turner is serious about making this team a consistent competitor not just for wins, but for championships as well. So to anyone that wants to complain about Martin being added to the driver line-up, think of the bottom line in terms of dollars and sense. Martin is sure to bring much-needed dollars in the sponsorship department and it makes good business sense for Steve Turner to hire a veteran such as Martin to his fledgling operation.
The bottom line is that Steve Turner so far has been making all the right moves to make his team a consistent force to be reckoned with in NASCAR and if he can keep making such shrewd moves and continue to show good judgment like he has to date, there is no telling what kind of heights the Turner Motorsports organization could reach in 2011 and beyond. Fans may as well recognize the fact that Turner Motorsports is here to stay in NASCAR, much like manufactured debris cautions, Jimmie Johnson’s Chase dominance, and Cup drivers in the Nationwide Series.
