In a press conference held at Daytona International Speedway Friday, team owner Rick Hendrick introduced Martin as the driver of the No. 5 Chevy being vacated by Casey Mears.

”This is a real special day for me,” Hendrick said. “It’s been 15 years that I’ve tried to do this; that we’ve tried to do this. It’s a pleasure to be able to announce Mark Martin coming on board to run for the championship next year in the No. 5 car.”

Martin will run a full schedule in 2009 and a partial 26-race schedule in 2010.

“Mark is a incredible racer and one of the classiest guys around,” Hendrick said. “He’s a driver who makes everyone around him better.”

Martin’s path to Hendrick began in 2005 when the veteran driver announced that he would be retiring from full time competition in 2006. His team owner at the time, Jack Roush asked Martin to come back for one more season. In the fall of 2007, Martin announced that he would be heading to MB2/Ginn Racing to campaign a part time schedule. In the summer of 2007, Dale Earnhardt Incorporated purchased Ginn Racing and Martin was named as the driver of the No. 8.