Sad News: The Father of NASCAR driver Mark Martin died in a plane crash near the Great Basin National Park, authorities said. TV stations in Little Rock, Ark. reported that Julian Martin, his wife(not Mark’s Mother) and a daughter were confirmed dead yesterday by authorities in Nevada.(AP/many sources), my thoughts and prayers go out to Martin and his family. UPDATE from GoRacing – Tragedy struck Mark Martin and his family when his father’s life was taken in a small aircraft crash this past weekend. Julian Martin, along with Martin’s step mother Shelly and step sister Sara were all claimed in the crash that occurred near the Great Basin National Park in Nevada. The incident appears to have happened sometime on Saturday night but authorities unsure of the identities of the parties did not get word to the Arkansas native until after yesterday’s Bud at the Glen Winston Cup race. Martin considered his father Julian one of his personal heroes. No details on funeral arrangements are known at this time.( GoRacing ) From That’s Racin’ – Julian Martin ran his own trucking business in Arkansas and began teaching his son Mark how to drive even before the boy’s legs were long enough to reach the gas and brake pedals. Mark would sit on his father’s lap to steer while Julian operated the pedals. When Mark began his racing career as a youngster, Julian and some of his friends from around their hometown of Batesville, Ark., prepared the cars that Mark drove. In lieu of flowers, the Martin family has requested that contributions be made to Motor Racing Outreach, Smith Tower, Suite 405, 5555 Concord Parkway South, Harrisburg, N.C. 28075. The contributions should be marked to the attention of Gwen Howard. Cards can be sent to Mark Martin at: Mark Martin c/o Roush Racing, 122 Knob Hill Road, Mooresville, NC 28115 (08-10-1998)
