Sterling Marlin
Born: 06/30/1957
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 185 lbs.
Hometown: Columbia, Tenn.
Resides: Columbia, Tenn.
Spouse: Paula
Children: Steadman & Sutherlin
Personal Car: Dodge Truck
Primary Sponsor: Coors Light
Primary Series: Winston Cup
Team: Chip Ganassi Racing
Make: Dodge
Crew Chief: Lee McCall
Some of Sterling's Favorite Things
Hobbies: Watching Tennessee Volunteer football, helping Steadman with his racing career, and collecting Civil War artifacts
Movie: "The Outlaw Josey Wales"
Food: Home Cooking
Football Team: Tennessee Volunteers (college football)
Music: Country
Classic Car: '70 Dodge Charger
Career Highlights
2001
Finished third overall in NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship points race, rebounding from a 19th place finish last season.
The only NASCAR Winston Cup driver to stay in the top-10 in championship points all season.
Won two races to go along with 12 top-5 and 20 top-10 finishes and one pole position.
Oct. - Won UAW-GM 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
Aug. - Won Pepsi 400 at Michigan International Speedway. This win marked the first time since 1977 that Dodge had won an event in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.
July - Captured the pole position for the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
Feb. - Won the first Gatorade 125 qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway, earning the third starting position in the Daytona 500.
Jan. - Lee McCall named crew chief for the No. 40 entry.
2000
Oct. - Coors Brewing Company announced its future sponsorship plans with a multi-year agreement between Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates and veteran driver Sterling Marlin. The new No. 40 Dodge Intrepid R/T design resembled the "Silver Bullet" Coors Light can.
March - Logged top-10 NASCAR Winston Cup finish in the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Won second-career NASCAR Busch Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway in the No. 82 Channellock/Team SABCO Chevrolet.
April - Posted top-10 NASCAR Winston Cup finish in the DieHard 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
June - Earned runner-up finish after leading 25 of 112 laps in Save Mart/Kragen 350K at Sears Point Raceway.
1999
June - Earned 10th-career NASCAR Winston Cup pole position and broke track-qualifying record at Pocono Raceway for the Pocono 500. - Posted two top-5 and five top-10 finishes.
1998
Feb. - Drove the No. 40 Coors Light Chevy to victory in first Gatorade Twin 125 qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway, earning the third starting position in the Daytona 500 in his first season with Team SABCO.
Sept. - Earned season-high finishes of seventh at both road course events (Watkins Glen International and Sears Point Raceway). - Finished 13th in the NASCAR Winston Cup point standings, a 12th-place improvement for Marlin from 1997 finish. Only driver to complete 32 races before recording first DNF.
1997
Feb. - Finished fifth in season-opening Daytona 500.
July- Recorded season-best finish of third in Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway. - Posted two top-5 and six top-10 finishes in his last of four seasons with Morgan-McClure Racing.
1996
April - Earned second consecutive victory at Talladega Superspeedway with a win in the Winston 500 Select.
July - Won the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway from the outside pole position. - Tallied five top-5 and ten top-10 finishes. Finished the season eighth in the NASCAR Winston Cup point standings.
1995
Feb. - Won second consecutive Daytona 500 from the third starting position. Became first driver in history to record Daytona 500 wins as first two career NASCAR Winston Cup victories and third driver to win back-to-back Daytona 500s. - Led the NASCAR Winston Cup points race midway through the season and finished season in third place. Posted nine top-5 and thirteen top-10 finishes.
March Claimed first non-restrictor plate win in the TranSouth 400 at Darlington Raceway from the fifth starting spot.
April Posted victory in the DieHard 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
1994
Feb. Won first career NASCAR Winston Cup race in the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. The victory came in Marlin's 279th Winston Cup start and after nine runner-up finishes. - Posted the runner-up spot in Goodwrench 500 at North Carolina Speedway.
Oct. Captured pole position at Phoenix International Raceway. - Tallied five top-5 and six top-10 finishes with Morgan-McClure Motorsports.
1993
Logged one top-5 and eight top-10 finishes with Stavola Brothers Racing. Claimed third win in Winston Open at Lowe's Motor Speedway at Charlotte.
1992
Captured five pole positions with car owner Junior Johnson. Scored six top-5 and thirteen top-10 finishes. Finished season 10th in the NASCAR Winston Cup point standings.
1991
Earned first career NASCAR Winston Cup pole position in 205th attempt in Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway, the first of two pole positions in 1991 season with Johnson. Posted seven top-5 and sixteen top-10 finishes. Finished season seventh in the NASCAR Winston Cup point standings.
1990
Scored five top-5 and ten top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series with car owner Billy Hagen.
1989
Drove to second victory in Winston Open at Lowe's Motor Speedway at Charlotte. Tallied four top-5 and thirteen top-10 finishes with Hagen.
1988
Won first career Winston Open. Scored six top-5 and thirteen top-10 finishes with Hagen. Posted first career top-10 finish in the NASCAR Winston Cup standings.
1987
Scored four top-5 and eight top-10 finishes with Hagen. Finished season 11th in point standings.
1983
Named NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year. Finished 19th in the NASCAR Winston Cup point standings with car owner Roger Hamby.
Other Notable Accomplishments
2002 Nominee for Tennessee Professional Athlete of the Year.
1995 - 1996 Tennessee Professional Athlete of the Year.
1983 NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year.
1980 - 1982 Nashville (Tennessee) Raceway champion.
First NASCAR Winston Cup start at Nashville Speedway on May 8, 1976, for car owner and father Coo Coo Marlin. The 18-year-old Sterling Marlin replaces his father after a racing accident broke the older Marlin's shoulder.
Played in four bowl games for Spring Hill (Tennessee) High School and was team captain as senior while playing quarterback and linebacker. Also played high school basketball.
Taken From: Sterling Marlin Fan Club
Back