By Steve Waid
With Steve Hmiel as crew chief, Mark Martin and Roush Racing had a string of successful years.
From 1992-95 Martin won 13 races, including four straight Winston Cup victories and five consecutive wins on the Busch Series in 1993. But Roush Racing went winless in 1996 and that led to a demotion for Steve and, subsequently, his dismissal.
Steve moved over to Dale Earnhardt Incorporated and was quickly impressed with Dale’s leadership ability, which served the organization so well.
But it came to an end at the 2001 Daytona 500, where Dale lost his life. Steve has his own emotional perspective of that tragic race, including its aftermath.
It was in that aftermath that the loss of Dale Earnhardt’s leadership was so greatly missed.
For more than 32 years, Grand National/Winston Cup/NASCAR Scene writers and photographers were there to record NASCAR history as it was being made. Join hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid each week on The Scene Vault Podcast Presented by Q Ware as they take a look back at the extraordinary people, places and events woven into the rich tapestry that is our sport.
To hear the entire podcast, visit The Scene Vault on iTunes.
To watch the complete interview, visit The Scene Vault YouTube channel.
Fore more on the Scene Vault, check them out on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
You can further support their efforts at Patreon.