ARE WE THERE YET?

Mark Martin Museum drives success home

Mark Martin poses with his 1989 Stroh’s Thunderbird at the Mark Martin Museum in Batesville.
Mark Martin poses with his 1989 Stroh’s Thunderbird at the Mark Martin Museum in Batesville.

BATESVILLE -- The sleekest, speediest vehicles at Mark Martin's dealership in Batesville are not for sale.

But you can imagine yourself strapped into the customized driver's seat and ready to roll in one of the dozen souped-up stock cars on display at the attached museum devoted to the Arkansas racing legend.

The Mark Martin Museum, which opened in 2006, blends into the sales and service areas of the Batesville native's auto emporium. There's no charge to visit and there's no pestering by salesmen to buy a new Ford or Kia while you're here.

A NASCAR enthusiast could spend a full day savoring the museum's snazzy autos and cavalcade of Martin memorabilia. A stock-car cynic could chuckle at the advertising logos plastered from stem to stern on the high-performance machines -- or salute the audacity of the sport's blatant commercialism.

Now 59, Martin began racing at age 15 on dirt tracks in Independence County. Going into this year, he boasted the second most career wins in NASCAR's Nationwide Series, with 49. Five times the runner-up in the Sprint Cup Series, he has been described by ESPN as "the best driver never to win a championship." Although not officially retired, he is off the circuit this year.

When Martin opened his museum he called it "just an awesome thing to be able to bring back all of these cars and trophies to the place where it all started and the place that I consider home."

He added, "Growing up, I couldn't wait to get out of Batesville and go out and see what I could do. I went off seeking my fame and fortune, and I was fortunate enough to work with a lot of great people and have a lot of success. Now it's time to bring all of that back home where it belongs."

The museum's prime eye-catchers are the array of Martin's past cars. They include the 1989 Stroh's Thunderbird, the No. 6 Viagra Coca-Cola 600 win car, the No. 5 Kellogg's car, the No. 60 Winn-Dixie Busch car and the 2005 vehicle that he drove to his record fifth International Race of Champions title. A half-dozen autos are displayed with video touchscreens showing action on the track and interviews.

The stature and longevity of Martin's career are further emphasized by his numerous helmets and fire suits, the latter framed behind glass like works of art. Giving the collection a more personal feel is an assortment of scrapbooks and race diaries dating back to his teens. They testify to the depth of his roots in Batesville.

And, yes, there is a Mark Martin gift shop. It's an amply stocked emporium purveying coffee cups, model stock cars, racing jackets and a potpourri of other products on which his name or face can be printed, stamped, engraved or embossed.

A few vintage vehicles, along with lots of other period pieces, are on display as well at Batesville's more traditional Old Independence Regional Museum. Focused on the 12 present counties carved from the vast original Independence County, the museum is housed in a sturdy sandstone structure built by the WPA (Works Progress Administration) in 1936 as a National Guard armory.

The mix includes a 1966 Mustang coupe that would be the envy of any classic-car collector. There's also a frontier-era Springfield wagon, a 1904 brougham carriage that served as a horse-drawn taxi, and a high-wheel bicycle that sold for $45.95 in 1895. A gasoline pump from a 1930s service station is set at 17 and 6/10 cents per gallon -- a flashback to the good old days of cheap fossil fuel.

The Mark Martin Museum, 1601 Batesville Road, Batesville, is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free. Call (870) 793-4461 or visit markmartinmuseum.com.

Old Independence Regional Museum, 380 S. Ninth St., Batesville, is open 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1:30-4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for senior citizens, $1 for children. Call (870) 793-2121 or visit oirm.org.

Weekend on 09/25/2014

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