The Old Man is Back in 09

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Let the show begin.

On Friday at Daytona International Speedway, team owner Rick Hendrick and veteran NASCAR driver Mark Martin announced a multi-year deal that places Martin in Hendrick Motorsports' No. 5 Chevrolet (watch video).

Martin, 49, who has 35 career Cup Series victories including four runner-up finishes in the championship -- as well as holding what is now the Nationwide Series' record for career victories with 48 -- will compete full time in 2009 and in a 26-race part-time schedule in 2010.

"Martin signs two-year deal with Hendrick for the No. 5
49-year-old hasn't raced full time since 2006 Cup season
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
July 5, 2008
02:26 AM EDT" NASCAR.COM - Martin signs two-year deal with Hendrick for the No. 5 - Jul 4, 2008

Martin has never won a championship at NASCAR's highest level, but reiterated on Friday that that fact in no way defines, or leaves a void in his career.

And he said his teenage son Matt's decision not to pursue a career in racing, which Mark Martin said he was "proud of and relieved by," helped him focus on his own passion for racing. He also said it made his decision to step back into the Cup Series full time, easier.

"It's an honor to get the consideration to do this -- to join this team," Martin said. "Any driver with a pulse would want to drive the 5 car.I did not see this coming and wasn't interested in talking about it, really, with any other teams. I don't know for sure if you guys [the media] comprehend what this really means to me -- the opportunity to work with these guys at this stage of [my] career.

Martin joins a team that contains two-time defending Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, four-time champion Jeff Gordon and two-time [Nationwide] Series champion Dale Earnhardt Jr., who's currently the lead Hendrick driver in the championship, in third.

Only draw back is that he is team mates with Gordon and Johnson, Junior is O K., but those other two, no comment.