Charlie Martin was born in Seneca, Kan., in 1930 and moved to Lincoln where he went to work for Bob Carroll Farm Machinery in 1949. Martin started attending races in 1950 at Grandview Theatre Speedway in Omaha on Sunday afternoons and at Capital Beach in Lincoln. During the late 1950s through the early ‘60s he built and wrenched on race cars for Louie Quattrocchi. In 1965 Martin hooked up with Joe Saldana and they raced a Super Modified at Midwest Speedway in Lincoln and Eagle (Neb.) Raceway. From 1967-69, Martin was crew chief on Saldana’s “Mechanical Rabbit” roadster designed by Don Brown, finishing second in Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway points all three years. Martin and Saldana traveled throughout Midwest racing the roadster with great success. In 1971, Martin was crew chief for Lloyd Beckman in Bill Smith’s famous No. 4x compiling 19 feature wins. In 1972, Martin wrenched for R.D. “Biz” Bisping of Norfolk with Gerald Bruggeman at the wheel. From 1973-75, several drivers drove for Bisping and Martin, including Don Maxwell, Beckman and Russ Brahmer. Martin was an unassuming man with a passion for building, preparing and maintaining race cars throughout his racing career. Martin was inducted into the Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2006.