Despite a phenomenal season last year, Mark Martin came just short of winning NASCAR’s biggest prize; the Sprint Cup championship.
No doubt Martin at the age of 51 with not too many seasons left came into 2010 ready to go all the way.
Martin took a bold step towards that goal Saturday at Daytona International Speedway winning the pole for this year’s Daytona 500 with a speed of 191.188.
It was the first career pole for Martin and a record setting one, as he became the oldest driver to ever win a pole for NASCAR’s biggest race.
Martin will be joined on the front row by his teammate Dale Earnhardt Junior. For Earnhardt his second place start is the second in his career.
“It’s such and incredible accomplishment for everyone on the 5 and number 88 team,” Martin said. “It’s all about the team that was not an accomplishment of mine, that was all about Alan Gustafson (crew chief).”
Ryan Newman will start third, followed by 54-year-old Bill Elliott in a Wood Brothers Ford in fourth. Juan Pablo Montoya rounds out the top five.
Reigning champion Jimmie Johnson was sixth, followed by Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon rounding out the top ten.
Under the rules of Daytona 500 qualifying only the front row are assured their starting spots next Sunday. Everyone else will have their actual starting positions determined by one of two qualifying races on Thursday. 54 cars are entered and the actual 43-car field will be sorted out then.
While some can fall back on last years owners points, their qualifying runs Saturday or past champions provisionals, several drivers will have to race their way into the field. Most notably among the ‘go or go homers’ is two time 500 champion Michael Waltrip who qualified 50th and former Richard Childress Racing driver Casey Mears who lost his ride when the team lost their sponsor last season. Mears qualified 39th.
A total of 40 cars beat the pole speed from last year.
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