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Mark Martin will kick off his 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule in the series' season opening Daytona 250 on Friday, Feb. 17. Martin, who plans to run a limited schedule in both the Craftsman Truck and Busch Series in 2006, will compete in four races over Daytona Speedweeks, including the Budweiser Shootout, the IROC season opener, the Craftsman Truck opener and the famed Daytona 500 on Feb. 18.

It will mark Martin's fourth career start in the truck series, his second consecutive; he finished eighth in the '05 series finale at Homestead. Martin won at North Wilkesboro in 1996 in his second career truck series start, and finished third in his first start at Richmond that same year. This will be Martin's first venture in the series at Daytona, although he did take part in a truck at Daytona with teammate David Ragan two weeks ago.

"I'm excited to get out there in the truck," said Martin, who plans to go full-time in the series in 2007. "We had a chance to test the truck at Daytona a couple of weeks ago and I really had a ball out there. I've been excited about the Truck Series for a while now, and I can't wait to get out there in the No. 6 Ford F-150 and see what we can do against the competition.

"The truck is really fast and Mike Beam and the entire No. 6 crew have really put together an awesome team for David (Ragan) and myself for 2006 and we are really looking forward to sharing the Ford F-150 for 2006."

Martin will run a limited number of Truck races in 2006, sharing the seat with up and comer David Ragan. Martin will be in the seat for the first three races of 2006 at Daytona, Fontana and Atlanta before handing over the reigns to Ragan at Martinsville. Martin is currently scheduled to make seven starts in the No. 6 Ford F-150.