John Martin (American racing driver) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Martin
John Martin at the 2014 Indianapolis 500.
Born	(1939-03-20)20 March 1939 Cushing, Oklahoma, United States
Died	20 November 2019(2019-11-20) (aged 80) Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Nationality	American
Relatives	John Martin, Jr. (son)

John Martin (born March 20, 1939 – died November 20, 2019) was an American race car driver. He competed in exciting races like the USAC and CART Championship Car series.

John Martin's Racing Career

John Martin began his racing journey in the 1960s with the Sports Car Club of America. He even turned a 1963 Corvette Stingray into a race car! With this car, he won a national championship in 1965. From 1966 to 1969, John raced in USAC stock car events. In 1970, he finished 11th in the SCCA Continental Championship points.

A Mechanic Who Became a Driver

John Martin also worked as a chief mechanic for the AMC Javelin Racing Team in 1968. One time, at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the team owner needed someone to qualify a car. The main driver, George Follmer, was busy racing somewhere else. John Martin agreed, but only if he could drive in the actual race if he won the pole position (the best starting spot).

The owner didn't think he would do it, but John surprised everyone! He won the pole position and even led the race. Sadly, his engine broke down with only nine laps left. Because of this impressive drive, he got a chance to race in 1969.

Racing in the Indianapolis 500

John became good friends with another driver, Peter Revson. This friendship helped him buy a McLaren M16 race car for the 1973 Indianapolis 500. In that famous race, John had his best finish ever, coming in 8th place!

He raced in USAC Championship Car seasons from 1970 to 1977 and again in 1979-1980. He started in 52 races, including the Indianapolis 500 five times (from 1972 to 1976). John finished in the top ten 17 times. His best finish was 5th place at Ontario Motor Speedway in both 1973 and 1975. In 1975, he finished 11th in the overall points standings.

John also competed in seven NASCAR Cup Series races between 1967 and 1975. His best NASCAR finish was 18th at Riverside International Raceway in 1967. Later, he raced in a few IMSA events in 1983 and 1984. He finished 5th in the GTU class at Portland International Raceway in 1983.

After Racing: Engineer and Spotter

Even after he stopped driving, John Martin stayed involved in motorsport. He worked as an engineer, someone who builds race car parts, and a spotter. A spotter helps drivers by telling them where other cars are on the track. He even helped restore old racing engines until he passed away.

John also took part in the Indy Legends Charity Pro–Am race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway every year from 2014 until 2019. This was a special race where former drivers could compete for charity.

John Martin Racing Team

From 1991 to 1994, John Martin ran his own Indy Lights team called John Martin Racing. His son, John Martin, Jr., worked as a mechanic for the team. They had some famous drivers on their team, like Adrián Fernández, Franck Fréon, and Jeff Ward.

The Martin family became very close with Adrián Fernández. They played a big part in his IRL team, Super Aguri Fernández Racing. John Jr. joined the team as a mechanic and helped with fueling the cars during pit stops. John Sr. worked as a spotter for drivers like Roger Yasukawa and Kosuke Matsuura.

Sadly, John Martin, Jr. passed away on October 29, 2004, at the age of 30. He was on a cruise celebrating the end of the 2004 IndyCar Series season when a tragic accident occurred.

John Martin lived in several different states during his life, including Missouri, Wisconsin, California, and Indiana.

Racing Results

Indianapolis 500 Results

Complete 24 Hours of Daytona Results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1983	Avanti	Herb Adams Joe Ruttman Leonard Emanuelson	Avanti II	GTO	410	27th	13th