Throughout his NASCAR career, Mark Martin has made numerous right calls, such as racing for Roush Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, and Hendrick Motorsports, among many others. Thanks to this and a bunch of successful business ventures, Martin amassed a fortune of $70 million. However, one might be surprised to learn that Martin was once left bankrupt simply because he did not listen to Darrell Waltrip.

Martin recalled his dark days

In a recent interview with Mansfield Speedway, Mark Martin took a trip down memory lane, where he opened up about how he went rogue despite having Waltrip at his disposal for mentorship. Although he named several drivers from whom he took guidance, not listening to Waltrip became an enormous regret.

“Wayne Brooks, Larry Phillips, Dick Trickle, and Dave Watson,” Mark Martin said when asked to share the names of those who guided him in the initial days.

Right after this, he owned up to his mistake from 1982, the time when Martin’s NASCAR career was about to get serious. Speaking about this and how he paid no heed to Waltrip, a fellow NASCAR driver, he added:

“And then Darrell Waltrip tried to do that with me in 1982, and I didn’t listen enough. I thought I knew. And so that was about it. Should have listened more to Darrell in 82 and maybe I wouldn’t have wound up broke.”

Apparently, Mark Martin experienced a major financial collapse in 1982, after his team, Bud Reeder Motorsports, closed and filed for bankruptcy. Reeder, unable to secure sponsors, could not pay him, leaving Martin with no money as he competed for Rookie of the Year.

As a result, Martin had to sell off most of his racing equipment to survive and sleep on friends’ couches while he scrambled for work. Turning up as a savior, Waltrip came up with an idea to save Martin from it.

He advised the young Martin to keep a limited schedule and save money, since he had few sponsors and his father’s trucking business was not enough. However, Mark Martin did not listen and ended up with “pennies to dollars” by the end of 1982.

Mark Martin reflects on 1982 firing after Dale Earnhardt incident

After Mark Martin went on to race in the 1982 season, his first year in the O’Reilly Auto Parts and the second season in the Cup Series, he was fired mid-season. Recalling how he was competing in the seventh race of the season at Martinsville and got wrecked by Dale Earnhardt, and then he got a call the next morning, which changed his fate.

“Both of us spun, and I got hit, and the car was wounded, and we rode around the rest of the day,” Mark Martin said. “I got called in Monday morning, ‘You’re fired!’ So if ’82 wasn’t humiliating enough, that was incredibly devastating.”

Mark Martin, however, did not give up, as he returned to NASCAR in full swing under full-time obligation with Roush Racing in 1988. Over the years, he raced for several teams and racked up 40 Cup and 49 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series wins.

As things stand, Martin has a net worth of $70 million, is a NASCAR Hall of Famer, and is one of NASCAR’s 50 and 75 Greatest Drivers.