Earlier today, 50-year-old Mark Martin was announced as the winner of the 2009 NASCAR Illustrated Person of the Year Presented by Old Spice.
Martin was given the honor for what was said to be his “exceptional talent and extraordinary class.” Martin will officially receive the award during a pre-race ceremony at next weekend’s Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Martin currently sits second in points behind teammate and points leader Jimmie Johnson with just two races remaining in the season.
He’s won five times this year, has seven poles, 13 Top-Five finishes, and 20 Top-10s. Certainly a great season and great numbers to accompany his off-track personality that won him the award.
Martin has always been a fan and driver favorite; it’s hard to find anyone that wouldn’t like him. After announcing in 2005 that he would hang up his helmet and retire as a Jack Roush driver, he returned for another year in 2006, when Roush couldn’t find his replacement.
Then, he came back for a partial season in each of 2007 and 2008 with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, before saying that he would return full-time in 2009 with Hendrick Motorsports.
It was like watching the Brett Favre saga all over again, just in NASCAR.
The race in Phoenix this weekend and the finale in Homestead-Miami on November 22 will be Martin’s last opportunities in 2009 to capture his first career Sprint Cup Series championship.
He could place the championship trophy next to the NASCAR Illustrated award, which is the third he's won.
So, NASCAR Illustrated has chosen its man, but does everyone agree?
Besides Martin, arguments could be made for the man that he’s chasing in the points: Jimmie Johnson.
It’s well documented that Johnson has the chance to make NASCAR history by becoming the first driver to win four consecutive championships. Johnson’s won six times this year, including for the second time at the Brickyard.
Besides his incredible numbers on the track, he’s put up incredible dollar numbers off it.
Every year Johnson hosts a celebrity golf tournament in his home state of California when the series heads west for the race at the Auto Club Speedway. The money is donated to a charity.
He’s also been involved with building homes for those in need thanks to his sponsor, Lowe’s, and the Jimmie Johnson Foundation.
He’s a champion on and off the track.
So are his team owners, Jeff Gordon and Rick Hendrick.
Both are involved with various charities and donate whenever and wherever they can. Gordon created the "Jeff Gordon Children's Hospital," and is a four-time Sprint Cup Champion, trying to win his fifth this year.
Numerous stories can be found on all the wonderful things that Rick Hendrick does to go along with the many championships and checkered flags he's collected as a team owner.
Another candidate could be Tony Stewart.
Stewart not only took the risk of leaving a championship team and organization in Joe Gibbs Racing to start his own company, but he’s more than succeeded in doing so.
Stewart and Newman took Stewart-Haas Racing to the Top 10 in points this year, and Stewart took the team to victory lane four times, including at the Sprint All-Star race.
He also led the points for the majority of the year.
Off the speedway, Stewart does his share of representing NASCAR well by doing, well, more racing.
He’s made a tradition of hosting the “Prelude to the Dream” event at his dirt track, Eldora, in Ohio. He and fellow NASCAR stars race each other, and all proceeds from the TV event are donated; this year they went to support members of the military who had been injured or families of those who had lost their lives.
Stewart also has his own foundation, and this year, with the help of sponsor Old Spice, he donated 5,000 backpacks to children in the Charlotte area.
Rough and tumble Tony Stewart has a big heart.
Another rough and tumble driver, Juan Pablo Montoya, could have easily won the award with his team owners, Teresa Earnhardt, Chip Ganassi, and Felix Sabates.
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