Far from winding down his NASCAR career, Mark Martin has confirmed that he has added a further three Busch Series events to his campaign following a tie-up with Hendrick Motorsports.

Team owner Rick Hendrick announced the deal as Daytona Speedweeks edged ever closer to the start of the 2007 season, confirming that 48-year old Martin will pilot the #5 Autoguard Chevrolet at Darlington, Brooklyn and in the November season finale at Homestead.

"This is an exciting day for me," Hendrick admitted, "Mark Martin and I have been friends for 25 years. Henry Hyde got us together when I first got started and we almost put a deal together. Several times in the past, we've come close. Mark and I started talking about this when he moved over to Ginn Racing this year, because we do the engines for that team and offer some other support. We just thought this would be something that would be pretty neat before we quit. I can't wait to walk out on pit-road and see Mark Martin's name on the roof of one of our cars."

Martin will drive the car usually piloted by Hendrick regular Kyle Busch, and Hendrick is happy to have the veteran sharing with a star of the future.

"When you look at your career and what you've tried to accomplish and the people you've been around, there are some legends who are still racing and I think I've got both ends of it here, a young guy and a guy who has been around for a few years," he reasoned, "We're bringing one of our companies, Hendrick Autoguard, on board in the Busch Series with Mark and Kyle, and it's a privilege to have a guy like Mark Martin drive one of our Busch cars. Hopefully, part of our resume will be that we've been able to win a Busch race with Mark. We've got 6000 employees in the dealerships that are really excited about this - they are big Kyle Busch fans, but everybody is a Mark Martin fan!"

Hendrick also admitted that it would be good to have Martin on his side this season, albeit rarely, rather than racing against him.

"When Kyle and I used to get to the racetrack, I'd wonder if Mark was running the race," he smiled, "Hopefully, we didn't see his car there because, for many years in the Busch Series, if you saw the #66 car there, that meant we were racing for second."

Martin, who will contest the majority of the Nextel Cup series with Ginn Racing, admitted that it was also something of an ambition fulfilled for him to run with Hendrick.

"Rick and I have been friends for 25 years, and we've talked several different times about working together," he confirmed, "As this thing started to materialise with Ginn Racing, it just sort of made sense. It's an opportunity for him, but it's really an opportunity for me. It means every bit as much - or more - to me than it does to Rick. You only go around once in life and I drove for Jack Roush an awfully long time, so to have an opportunity to race with the incredible people at Hendrick Motorsports and have their support is a real special opportunity for me.