Now that it's over, Mark Martin can admit that the speculation about his future at Hendrick Motorsports was weighing on him. Confident that he'll be in Hendrick Motorsports' No. 5 car through the end of the 2011 season, Martin said the team mood feels much lighter this week. "I think as hard as we tried to not let it have any effect on us, I think it did have an effect on how you feel," Martin said Friday at Michigan International Speedway. "It was fine for a while, but it wore on a long, long time." Martin's place at Hendrick was subject to speculation after the team signed Kasey Kahne without having an open seat for next season. Martin insisted all along that he wasn't going to be forced out a year early to make room for Kahne, and lashed out at reporters after facing persistent questions about his future. The situation was settled this week when it was revealed that Kahne will drive for Red Bull Racing next year, then go to Hendrick in 2012. Martin said he regretted venting his frustration in public. Read more: http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/news/story?id=5461641
