Up to old tricks

So when his team was arguably at its lowest, unable to overcome a wreck in Atlanta during the year’s fourth race and limping along in the points standings in 34th place, Mark Martin sensed the urgency emanating from his crew, and from inside the No. 5 Chevrolet spoke seven simple words that ended up serving as a season-long rallying cry.

“Don’t get down. We can do this.’’

Maybe it was the kind of pick-me-up athletes prefer whenever the situation demands it, not knowing if fortunes really will turn around. But Martin has been part of the NASCAR scene for nearly 30 years, and an opportunity to drive for this organization, in the Sprint Cup series, wasn’t going to be wasted. With his experience, Martin is the circuit’s resident sage. At 50, he’s also one of auto racing’s most sentimental stories this year, returning to a full schedule, winning four races, and improbably positioning his team as the top seed in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship, the 10-race playoff bonanza that begins today with the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Martin might be a wise old man, but he’s also equal parts competitive and philosophical. This season confirms that.

“I didn’t take this job with dreams of winning the championship. I took it because I knew it was going to be a fast racecar and I wanted to drive a fast racecar and have a chance to win another race,’’ Martin said. “We’ve exceeded my expectations and we certainly will race with every ounce that we have.’’

Ask him about his decision to retire and then unretire, and Martin cuts off the question. “I never retired,’’ he said. When pressed, he’ll say, “The simple version is I changed my mind.’’

Roush convinced Martin to return for the 2006 season, but the next two years were spent as a part-time driver, first for Ginn Racing, then Dale Earnhardt Inc. While it satisfied Martin’s competitive urges, it didn’t produce any victories.

Those finally would come when Hendrick Motorsports came calling. Given a chance to join one of NASCAR’s power teams, Martin enthusiastically signed on. But he wasn’t the one who was most excited.

“When you saw raw talent, you know if you put him in the right equipment, he can get the job done. I’m not surprised,’’ said team owner Rick Hendrick. “[Crew chief] Alan [Gustafson] and I said we can win a championship with Mark Martin this year. We said that before we started. We were confident we could win races. He’s so smart and takes care of his stuff.’’

Gustafson knew what he was getting in a driver.

“He’s probably as complete of a driver as anybody in the series. As far as his ability in the car, his experience, his knowledge, his understanding of the car, his knowledge of how to race, when to race, the feedback he gives,’’ Gustafson said. “I’ve had the ability to work with some of the best drivers ever, some Hall of Fame drivers, you go back to Terry Labonte, you go back to Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson. Mark is as good as any of those guys, and better in some places. He’s just the complete package.’’

With a new owner, new crew chief, and new teammates - Hendrick also owns the cars driven by Gordon, Johnson, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. - Martin was now part of a unit that spared no expense and produced eye-popping results. The transition for Martin has been seamless, and the production so impressive that Hendrick announced this week that Martin had signed a two-year contract extension, keeping him in the car through at least 2011.

“That shouldn’t come as any surprise,’’ Martin said. “Who would want to quit?’’

“When you’re 34th in points and feel like you’ve got a championship driver and a championship team, lights are flashing. There was a sense of urgency,’’ Gustafson said. “For Mark standing up like that [in Atlanta] was one of the big things. We all felt that way, but to know he was right there with us probably picked everybody up a little bit more. From that point on it was business as usual, and we just dug our way out of it.’’

Winning the season’s eighth race turned out to be the necessary breakthrough. It was Martin’s first win since 2005, and started a 12-race stretch that featured four victories (Phoenix, Darlington, Michigan, and Chicago), and put the team in position to make the Chase field.

Other drivers noticed.

“It would be hard to hang your hat up driving and winning races and performing at the level he is,’’ said Greg Biffle.

Despite the season-best four wins, this year’s tough days - none of the other 11 Chase drivers match Martin’s seven finishes of 30th or worse - meant Martin had to race his way into the playoff field. He came to Richmond last week firmly on the bubble for the one of the final spots, but earned the pole (his sixth of the year) and finished fourth. Because of the resetting of the points and his four victories, Martin jumped from 10th in the points to first, and starts today’s race as the man to catch.

“Mentally, he’s in great shape. Physically, he’s in great shape. He knows what he needs to do,’’ said Juan Pablo Montoya, who is 11th in points and will start from the pole in today’s race. “He’s been here long enough that he understands how the cars are run. Right now he’s got a chance at winning the championship. It’s one of his last few chances and I don’t think he’s going to give it away too easy.’’

Said Martin, “This has certainly been the best year of my career, the most fun.’’

As for becoming NASCAR champion, Martin said, “Would it be the crown jewel of my career? Of course it would. At the end of 10 races, if I do everything that I can to score every point I can, to get the most out of myself, my car, and my race team, then it will be a success, no matter what.’’

First things first, though. Just like it takes 26 races to finalize the 12 drivers who will compete for the Chase, it takes 10 races to determine a winner. Martin came into this season not knowing how long he’d drive, and three years removed from his last victory. Now he’s earned four wins, committed to at least two more seasons, with his sights set firmly on that elusive title. It might be a dream season, but the dream has the potential to get a whole lot better.

“Like I said before,’’ Martin said, “to make this thing is the icing, and now we get to race for the cake.’’

Michael Whitmer can be reached at mwhitmer@globe.com.