Mark Martin wins Cup pole in Bristol

Mark Martin

Mark Martin will have a front row seat when he makes his 1,000th-career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start on Saturday night after topping Friday’s qualifying session for the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Showing he has no intention on slowing down in his bid to race his way into the Chase for the Sprint Cup, the wily 50-year-old veteran rattled off a top speed of 124.484 mph in the no. 5 Pop-Tarts Chevrolet to score his second straight Bristol pole and his fifth of the 2009 season.

“I feel like there's a 200 lb. gorilla off my back right now," said Martin. “I have got a number of really nice laps qualifying this year. Not every lap can be like that and I was afraid that the law of averages was going to get me here and I was going to choke. And this is the one place where we don't need to be choking right now. We went out and instead of playing it conservative, we put it out there and got another good lap.

“I'm so relieved that it's over with. It's a big shot in the arm. It's huge."

Greg Biffle posted a top speed of 124.307 mph in the no. 16 Ford to take the outside pole.

Toyota pilots Scott Speed and Dave Blaney qualified third and fourth, respectively – the highest qualifying effort among the 12 “go-or-go-home" drivers trying to make the field. Ford driver Matt Kenseth rounded out the top five starters.

By taking the green flag for Saturday night’s race, Martin will become just the third driver to record 1000 starts, joining Michael Waltrip and seven-time champion Richard Petty.

“I didn’t know it was coming until last weekend," said Martin of the milestone. “It was just not something that was really on the radar screen. In some ways it’s an accomplishment but really to me it’s what you did in those 1000 starts that really matters. It’s not just the sheer number it’s what happened in those starts that makes it special."

Martin comes into Saturday night’s race 12th in the points standings – the cutoff position to be eligible for the Chase to the Sprint Cup – despite leading the series in victories with four tallies.

A critical miscue in last Sunday’s race at Michigan relegated him to a 31st-place showing after running out a fuel in the final laps, a mistake Martin and his crew chief Alan Gustafson can ill afford to make as the regular season winds down with just three races to go.

“Alan and I made a pact on Tuesday afternoon that we were going to let our performance do its thing. And it that's not enough, then it's not enough," said Martin. “We do have the performance. And we can't let the things that we can't control, the racing gods, the luck, we can't let that tear us apart. Let's go out here and do it; do what we do and do it. We can't change the outcome. And that's what we're doing."

Denny Hamlin and Aric Almirola both spun during their qualifying attempts. Hamlin was able fall back on owner’s points to take the 41st spot on the grid, while Almirola’s speed was not quick enough, joining Mike Wallace, Mike Skinner and Max Papis among those failing to make the field.

Results

+ Set by Owner Points
* Denotes Rookie