Fast Facts

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Fast Facts

NASCAR Winston Cup Series

16th full season

2nd generation racer: dad was Cliffton "Coo Coo" Marlin (Sterling's son Steadman Marlin is now racing in the Busch series. He's had 8 starts.)

Races for: Coors Light (Chip Ganassi Racing)

First Race: Nashville in 1976 - subbing for his dad

First full ride: 1983

Rookie of the Year: 1983

1983 season (rookie year): 19th in points

Highest Points Finish Ever: 3rd (1995 and 2001)

Total wins: 8

Top fives: 71

Top tens: 178

Total poles: 11

First pole: 1991 Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway

Winston Open Victories: 3

Dubbed "King of the Restrictor Plate," because he won his initial pole position and scored his first NASCAR Winston Cup victory in the Daytona 500 in 1994, after finishing runner-up in nine races. He won again at the Daytona 500 the following season, becoming the first driver in history to record Daytona 500 wins as his first two career NASCAR Winston Cup victories. Additionally, Marlin earned the distinction of being only the third driver to claim back-to-back victories in the "Super Bowl" of stock car racing.

First ever non-restrictor plate victory: TranSouth 400 at Darlington Raceway.

1995 Season: led the NASCAR Winston Cup points race midway through the 1995 season, but finished in third place. Along the way, he posted an enviable nine top-five and 13 top-10 finishes.

The University of Tennessee fan continued that streak well into the 1996 season, again posting back-to-back restrictor-plate victories.

2001 Season: led the NASCAR Winston Cup points race after the third week of the 2001 season, but finished in third place. That year, he posted 12 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes.

Won his 10th-career NASCAR Winston Cup pole position in the Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway, turning a lap speed that broke the track-qualifying record (Tony Stewart now holds that record).

He enjoys watching University of Tennessee football, Civil War history and searching for artifacts.

First win in 170 starts: Pepsi 400 at Michigan International Speedway. It was his first victory, ironically, since the Pepsi 400 in July 1996 at Daytona International Speedway. It was also Dodge's first victory in 24 years.

He was the only driver to go 32 races before recording a DNF.

NASCAR Busch Series

Drives: No. 14 University of Tennessee Chevrolet

First Pole: Nashville (1996)

First Win: Charlotte Motor Speedway (1990)