Some drivers become synonymous with certain roads they’ve raced on. Dale Earnhardt Sr. became the “King of Daytona” after winning 34 races at the iconic circuit, earning a nine-foot bronze statue near the track. Richard Petty’s legacy is forever tied to Martinsville, where he won 15 races and has been honored multiple times over the years, even becoming co-Grand Marshall in 2024. Now, Sterling Marlin has been honored in a similar fashion, although not by a racing track.

This week, Columbia, Tennessee, officially renamed a five-mile stretch of Highway 31 as the Sterling Marlin Commemorative Highway, honoring one of the greatest athletes the town has ever produced. Nicknamed the “Columbia Comet”, Marlin said in a ceremony what it meant to have part of the stretch named after him.

“We used to hell raise on this road. Actually, where they put the sign is where [me and my] my best friend Dennis (Chunn) got pulled over once,” he said humorously. No one’s pulling him over again in that spot anytime soon.

This newly dedicated stretch runs from Carter’s Creek to Spring Hill High School. Marlin grew up nearby, went to school there, and still lives just a few miles away on his 800-acre family farm with his wife, Paula.

The honor had been in the works for almost a year. Maury County commissioners approved the idea in 2025 before it worked its way through the Tennessee legislature and finally became official this week. Mayor Sheila Butt said on Thursday, “Thank you for representing Maury County with humility, integrity, and excellence throughout your remarkable career. We are proud to celebrate one of our own.”

Marlin also revealed at the ceremony, as reported by AOL, that his father, Clifton “Coo Coo” Sterling Marlin, wasn’t much different, as he too tested the speed of his cars on that same highway many years ago. With perfect timing, he asked county officials whether having his own highway now meant he could finally set the speed limit himself. It turned what could have been just another ceremony into something completely authentic.

If you’ve followed Sterling Marlin for years, that’s exactly who he has always been: unfiltered and never afraid to showcase his humorous side. Just ask Michael Waltrip, who once found himself on the receiving end of a bizarre practical joke when Marlin snuck into his motorhome and greased up his equipment just to get a reaction out of him. Almost universally loved in the garage as a driver and also respected as a competitor.

Marlin gave 33 seasons to the NASCAR Cup Series, collected 10 wins, and earned a place among NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023. His biggest achievements were in 1994 and 1995, when he won the Daytona 500 in back-to-back seasons. Only four others in NASCAR history —Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, Denny Hamlin, and William Byron — have managed to do that.

He also came heartbreakingly close to winning the 2002 Cup championship. Sterling Marlin led the standings for much of the season before a neck injury at Kansas Speedway ended his title hopes. Yet for all the success, Columbia was always home.

Today, Marlin spends his days working around the property, tinkering in his race shop, and helping his grandson, Stirlin Marlin, continue the family’s racing.

He’s also been fighting a battle with Parkinsons’ disease since revealing his diagnosis in 2012. Even so, he has stayed active and remains a familiar face around Middle Tennessee, recently serving as grand marshal for Columbia’s famous Mule Day Parade.

Marlin may have built his legacy on NASCAR’s biggest stages, but Columbia was always home. Now, the town has made sure that the legacy lives on there, too.