CONCORD, N.C. — Tempting their fate with time, Chris Martin and his team pulled into Salina Highbanks Speedway on April 11 with minutes to spare before hot laps for the American Sprint Car Series.
It was a last-minute decision to make the haul from Iowa to Oklahoma to compete at a track the 28-year-old had never seen before.
But he’d already had several good weeks behind the wheel of a 360 sprint car – a top-10 with ASCS at Volusia Speedway Park and a win with the United Sprint Car Series. Why stop now?
Martin came out of the box strong, setting the fastest lap in hot laps and his qualifying group. Then, in the feature, he passed Sean McClelland for the lead on Lap 4 and never looked back to score his second career victory with the national tour and first since 2018.
“We were doing some planning around the weekend of Salina,” Martin recalled. “We were kind of looking at going to Pevely (I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park), looking at Burlington (34 Raceway), and Salina was like our Plan B. It looked like rain in Pevely. They canceled Burlington at 11 a.m. So, when we went to Salina, that was real last minute. We didn’t get there until 5:30 p.m., and it was mine and my brother’s first time there.
“To be quick time in our group was super cool, and Cam won the heat race, so that put us both in the dash. I knew we were in a position to be able to win. Salina is really slick, and my brother and I’s cars and driving styles with the speed and banking did us pretty good with that. It’s been a huge momentum-builder for our team.”
The proof came only eight days later. Martin picked up another ASCS victory, but this time with the Midwest Region at Iowa’s quarter-mile Stuart Speedway during the Series’ season opener.
“I think it goes back to having the confidence when you unload,” Martin said. “We’re prepared and have a fast race car that will make every turn, and that it makes the nervousness and mental part a whole lot easier on myself as a driver. So, when you go to the track, you know that you have a prepared hot rod, and your boys have the rest of the parts and components prepared to go.
“No matter what the scenario happens, you got a crew chief that’s on your side that wants to work with you and address what you need to win. Adjusting to these different tracks, they’ve all been super fun for me, they all come in different shapes and sizes, and when we’ve got confidence heading in there, it’s huge.”
Another contribution to Chris and his brother Cameron’s growth in sprint car racing is having a World of Outlaws champion in their corner – “The Dude” Danny Lasoski. Through the last three years, Lasoski has brought invaluable insight to the program, helping the Martin brothers step up their sprint car efforts through advising their preparations and race-day adjustments.
“Honestly, Danny came in and put a new light and aspect on all of our program,” Martin admitted. “So, this is the start of our third season together. From where it started to now, I would say he’s boosted our program a lot. From different cars, getting better components on the cars, helping our engines running better, being a driving coach, and getting me in a better racing state.
“Not only has he helped us with the lifestyle coaching, he’s brought a full team morale. He’s definitely one of the boys, and he’s a cheerleader for both my brother and I. Even though we have our own crew chiefs, I can’t thank him enough. He’s helped me in life, in driving, organizing things, and getting us faster. He’s never got a lack of words, and you know he always has a good idea cooking.”
The Martin brothers are committed to building up their 360 sprint car and 410 sprint car program by racing with ASCS and the World of Outlaws, respectively, along with chasing a title at nearby Knoxville Raceway.
“Me and my brother are both going to run Knoxville full-time, with it only being an hour down the road,” Martin said. “We’ve got quite a few 360 races on our agenda while trying to hit up more Outlaw races than ever this year, so we’re pretty stoked about that.
“The biggest thing I think that’s helped the start of the year is that we’re just having more fun with it. We’re laughing and joking, and I feel more focused when it’s not like a business. That’s really the biggest change that I can think of. I don’t think a single part or component is what’s made a difference, but we’ve just improved on the little things for myself to drive it a little better. I tell my brother, ‘We’re gonna give it 110%, wherever that ends up. We’re gonna walk away with a smile on our face because we know that we gave it our all, no matter what.’”
