Nothing
he’s encountered has ever unnerved the 53-year-old Batesville, Ark. native who’s
made 40 trips to Victory Lane in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series. But,
there’s still one thing in racing that makes his skin crawl.
"It's
good luck charms,” Martin says. “I don’t like them at
all.”
To
this day, Martin immediately hands off anything that most consider “lucky.”
“I
try not to insult fans when they give me something,” he said. “I try to be nice
and say thank you, but I can’t get rid of them fast
enough.”
That’s
unusual in a sport where some drivers carry a rabbit’s foot in the car, tape
verses to the dashboard or put lucky coins in their uniform pockets. Martin said he has good reason to shun the supposed bringers of good fortune.
His dim view of good luck charms dates back to one Sunday afternoon in 1993 at North Wilkesboro Speedway. A well-meaning fan gave Martin a four-leaf clover he taped to the dash of his car.
“I got hit in the back right after the green flag came out,” Martin recalled. “I got hit so hard it destroyed my car and ruined our race. We got all tore up.”
That was the end of good luck charms for Martin. “I have been anti-lucky charm ever since," he said.
