DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 25, 2010)--Hal "The Ragin' Cajun" Martin will make his Daytona debut in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 ARCA Racing Series Presented by RE/MAX and Menards race on Saturday, February 6, 2010. The Galliano, Louisiana, native has teamed up with veteran ARCA Racing Series car owner and driver Mark Gibson to drive the No. 17 Dodge Charger in ARCA's season-opening race.
"Being able to run at Daytona International Speedway in front of a crowd like that is a dream come true," said Martin, who competed in several ARCA Racing Series events in 2009 but has not previously competitively raced on Daytona's high banks.
Martin and Gibson have a strong history that began with three ARCA Racing Series starts in 2009. The partnership--which included race events at Mansfield, Chicagoland and Kansas--produced all top-11 finishes with the pinnacle of Martin's 2009 season occurring at Chicagoland Speedway in August. Martin started 33rd in the race after experiencing problems during qualifying but was able to charge through the field to finish third, turning many heads in the racing world.
"We all feel like this is a really good fit," said Gibson. "We think Hal has a lot of talent. When that kind of talent is combined with his background as a mechanical engineer, the combination spells success."
The Mechanical Engineering background Gibson is referring to is Martin's degree from the University of New Orleans, where he graduated in December of 2009.
As a veteran car owner and driver Gibson is no stranger to the ARCA Racing Series. He first made his debut in the series in 1982 and trails just two other drivers for most career starts. Gibson also has starts in the three other major stock car series: NASCAR's Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Camping World Truck series.
"I am thrilled to be able to work with Mark again," said Martin. "We were a great team in 2009. We communicated well and he understands my style of driving. Being able to test at Daytona in December allowed me to get a good feel for the track and will be a crucial part in preparing for the race in February."
Martin was among the top-15 competitors during Daytona Testing and participated in a private test for the team at Talladega Superspeedway on January 23 in preparation for the February 6 Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona. The race is live on SPEED beginning at 4:30 p.m.
For more information contact:
Carrie Pacifico
MediaFit
336.945.0206
