Chris Martin was too great a fan of drag racing to insist it only existed within the confines of the NHRA. He immediately chose to attend events with which he felt a bond of history, including races such as the World Series of Drag Racing in Cordova, Illinois, where so much of the sport’s heritage was still tangible. In many trips to tracks and events that he had only read about, Martin gleefully displayed the same enthusiasm he exuded in his earliest exploits.

His production and publication of the Top Fuel Handbook marked not only a literary achievement but the release of the first completely accurate history of the sport’s premier division. Martin returned to writing poetry on multiple subjects including drag racing. He still championed the NHRA’s U.S. Nationals in his DRO coverage of the event and, to the end, remained possibly the greatest fan of dragster pioneer Chris “the Greek” Karamesines.

The friendships made over a lifetime of contact with thousands of fellow quarter-mile aficionados lasted throughout his career, as well. Willingly or not, they learned of Martin’s love of excess in any form. His legendary abuse of a variety of substances mirrored his addictions to drag racing, boxing, and jazz music. Throughout his life, Martin strived to remain at street level where he felt he could experience an existence beyond the mainstream. Each day and every communication or liaison was another experience to add to the huge collection which was his life. He never apologized for his flaws and accepted others as he was accepted. He made no excuses for a life destined to end and, in fact, lived far longer than even he anticipated.

In that end, Chris Martin remained true to his philosophy, his realm of experience and, most of all, his friends. There were several on whom he truly depended and each rallied for him. Chris Martin fought many battles - losing at least one - but it was the fight itself from which he derived the exhilaration of life. There are no true analogies for that life but that he lived it on his terms in every possible way.

A writer of prose most of his adult life, Chris often quoted the late British poet W.H. Auden whom he called “one of the smartest men I have ever read.” Martin was fond of a haiku by Auden called “Marginalia” with which we have chosen to draw the final curtain on the life of our friend, Chris Martin.

“What is death?
A larger life disintegrating into several smaller ones.”

Read Jeff Burk's last thoughts on his friend here, and read Bob Fisher's poem in memory of Martin here.