"I had some issues with Dale Earnhardt": When Mark Martin shared how the Intimidator tested his patience

About seven years ago, NASCAR legend Mark Martin recalled facing off against the sport’s Intimidator in the mid-1990s, when Dale Earnhardt Sr. tested his limits.

Martin, who won 40 NASCAR Cup races over 30 years (1981 to 2013), competed for the title with Earnhardt Sr. and came close to winning the championship multiple times. In 1994, he finished second in points after Sr. collected his seventh and final Cup title.

During his "The Mark Martin Podcast" debut episode in March 2018, Martin replied to a fan question about what made him the maddest at the track and shared Earnhardt Sr.'s games during practice sessions. He revealed that the seven-time NASCAR Cup champion treated him with respect but starting in the mid‑1990s, Earnhardt decided to mess with him.

"I had some issues with Earnhardt... He treated me with great respect until one day in the mid-90s he wakes up and thinks, boy I’ll just mess with Mark. See how much he’ll take. And then he started pushing my buttons for the fun of it," Mark Martin said (via NASCAR).

He also shared that during practice sessions, Earnhardt would shadow Martin, pull beside him and push him aero loose from the outside.

"I would go out for practice. Try to run by myself and he would come out and he’d wait for me. He’d come out right beside me and he’d get on the outside of me. That’s when cars were just starting to get aero loose with a car on the outside. And he’d mess with me and mess with me and mess with me," he added.

After repeated plays, Earnhardt Sr. finally forced a collision and wrecked Martin's car at Michigan and during the following weekend at New Hampshire, Martin retaliated during practice. That was the end of Sr.'s games.

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"Not good friends" - Mark Martin on relationship with Dale Earnhardt Sr.

Mark Martin also reflected on his competitive relationship with Dale Earnhardt Sr. in 2008 when he drove for his team, Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI), in the NASCAR Cup Series.

During the media day at the Daytona International Speedway in 2008, Martin pointed out that they shared mutual respect but rarely socialized off-track.

"Dale Sr. and I were not good friends. ... We didn't go out to dinner together, but we had great respect," Mark Martin said.

Martin had joined DEI after he left full-time racing in Roush Racing and started working with Ginn Racing. When the team was acquired by DEI in July 2007, he raced part-time for late Dale Sr.'s Cup team till 2008.

The Batesville, Arkansas native later returned for three more seasons with Hendrick Motorsports after semi-retiring from full-time competition.