We gave that one away”: When Mark Martin opened up about the lost race that still bothered him

Mark Martin once looked back on the NASCAR race that bothered him the most during an interview back in 2011. The discussion was centered around 1997's Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The 1997 Brickyard 400 was on August 2 and ran 160 laps at the 2.5-mile track in Speedway, Indiana. The event drew a huge crowd, and the flat, rectangular oval made keeping track of position vital throughout the afternoon. Ricky Rudd would go on to win the race after stretching his fuel to the end.

Martin shared which race he still thought about and pointed straight to the 1997 Brickyard 400. In his interview with SB Nation, Mark Martin said,

‘97, I think it was, at Indy – the year Ricky Rudd won the Brickyard. We had had such poor luck with fuel mileage (early in his career). We’d run out of gas so many times. Jack (Roush) said we could make it, and the caution came out and he said “stay out.” "But we decided to pit – because we were racing for points – and Ricky stayed out and won the race. If we would have had enough gas, I feel that we gave that one away."

The closing laps of the race were tense. Dale Jarrett, Jeff Gordon, and Martin held the top three spots, but all were expected to pit again. A caution on lap 145 changed the order when Jeff Burton had to pit under green and was then penalized for speeding. Rudd stayed out, drove the final 46 laps without stopping, and held on for the win.

The 1997 Brickyard 400 was also memorable for being Tim Steele’s final attempt to start a Cup Series race. It marked Ron Barfield Jr.’s only NASCAR Winston Cup start as well.

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Mark Martin welcomes Josh Williams back to DGM Racing

NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Josh Williams (45) during the Xfinity Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway- Source: Imagn

Josh Williams’ returned to DGM Racing on a multi-year deal and Mark Martin was quick to support it. Williams, who spent most of his O’Reilly Auto Parts Series career with DGM Racing, will drive the number 92 Chevrolet full-time in 2026 with Steve Addington as his crew chief.

The Journal Sentinel reported on the announcement and shared reactions from across the sport. Mark Martin shared his own message on X. As credited by the source, the post from Mark Martin read,

“This makes me happy for @Josh6williams 🙌🏼.”

Williams’ return to DGM Racing also brings him back to a familiar setting. He ran four full seasons with the team from 2017 to 2023. In 2025, he made three starts in the number 91 car but finished outside the top 20. The reunion gives him another chance to rebuild with a team that knows him well.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua