Martin content with final lap

Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2005 | 9:53 a.m.

Mark Martin has enjoyed one of the most successful careers in NASCAR history. Among the many high-water marks include:

Mark Martin has an added bounce in his step this week as he moves around the NASCAR garage at Daytona International Speedway, but it has nothing to do with his confidence level going into Sunday's Daytona 500.

Martin, 46, is beginning his 19th and final full season in NASCAR's premier series and that, he said, explains the constant grin he has been wearing since arriving for Speedweeks.

"I think the smiles are because I can see ... the end of the tunnel," Martin said, referring to the end of the grueling 8-month seasons. "For so long, I knew I was buried and could never see the end of the tunnel and now I see it.

"I really need to be out from under the pressures and the grind and I need to reclaim a piece of my life back for my family. These are things that are incredibly important to me! ! ! k off his farewell tour, Martin said he would like to end his Nextel Cup career the way open-wheel star Gil de Ferran did: winning his final race.

"Gil de Ferran literally brought tears to my eyes," Martin said. "That is the ultimate. It would be a terrible mistake for me to hope to do that, to go out like that, but obviously I want to go out with a season as good or better than 2004.

"I think that the 6 team will be better prepared than they were a year ago and I think that we stand a chance of really messing this whole deal up and that would be if we could win the championship. That would be pretty strange to not have the champion come back and do the tour. It's my hope right now that I can screw it up royally."