By TC Media
Pics courtesy of Darryl Smith, Andy Stott & Mick Rynn.
Craig Martin needs little introduction; the principal and founder of Martin Motorsport has been revelling in the off road world since competing at club level in Gippsland, Victoria as a seventeen year-old back in 1976.
Remarkably, just two years later in 1978, Martin won his first Australian Off Road championship round at Goondiwindi in his national debut; a result which laid a platform for years of domination and an induction into the Australian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2018.
Just last year, Martin Motorsport who have been stalwarts of the ARB Australian Off Road Racing Championship since its inception in 2013, introduced a sportsmanship prize to the person at each ARB round that displays the true spirit of off road racing. Awarded to a competitor who would put assisting a fellow rival before their own result, or a volunteer who has dedicated their time to the event. The Martins have created a channel of acknowledging those who are dedicated to the sports future and the true spirit of the sport.
Established amongst the all-time elite in Australian off road racing, Martin played a crucial role in the advancement of competition during the 1980s, an era where he claimed four Australian Championships in the locally designed and built Rivmasta buggies.
After putting his career on hold in 1990, shortly after claiming his fourth national title, Martin long renowned as a humble competitor, returned to the sport in 2014, mentoring his sons Dale and Brent into off road racing.
After an unfortunate accident at the ARB Waikerie event in 2018, it brought home to the Martin Motorsport team the importance of seat belt cutters and that they needed to be quickly and easily accessible. In an effort to raise awareness, the family donated seatbelt cutters and bright yellow race tape to fellow competitors which they launched at Goondiwindi the same year – an amazing gesture that was felt across the sport.
Nowadays, Martin Motorsport continues to excel on and off the track. Brent, who debuted in 2016, claimed his second ARB Australian Off Road Racing Championship last season, whilst Dale who launched his racing career in 2012 and Craig who will join this year’s championship bandwagon at Hillston, continue to compete at a high standard across the ARB scene.
One of Craig’s greatest achievements was becoming the King of the Sea Lake Mallee Rally, an iconic northwest Victorian event he won seven times, including four consecutive victories between 1985 and 1988. A famous Martin Sea Lake victory was when he was forced to start from the rear of the field, before proceeding to overtake 185 rivals, in a 400-kilometre dash for a breathtaking triumphant.
Martin Motorsport are looking forward to catching up with their racing family at the ARB Big Desert 480 this weekend in the northwest Victorian township of Rainbow, where an inspiring legacy continues to grow.
