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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
CUP: Martin Tops First Practice
Mark Martin looked speedy at Auto Club Speedway Friday...
Tom Jensen  |  Posted February 19, 2010   Fontana, CA
Mark Martin led the Friday practice session for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 500 at Auto Club Speedway. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Daytona 500 pole-winner Mark Martin showed no signs of slowing down during the lone round of practice for Sunday's Auto Club 500 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.

RESULTS: Practice One-Auto Club Speedway

Martin was fastest in the 90-minute session in his Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet Impala SS, turning a fast lap of 182.297 miles per hour around the 2-mile Southern California oval. Martin, who lost an engine in this race last year, is hoping to get off to a much better start this time around.

Second fast was another car carrying Hendrick power, the No. 39 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevy of Ryan Newman, who had a best lap of 182.449 mph.

The rest of the top five consisted of three more Chevys: Juan Pablo Montoya's Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates entry, Jeff Burton's Richard Childress Racing No. 31, and Clint Bowyer in a second RCR car.

Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray was sixth, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. was 25th.

Auto Club 500 qualifying will be at 6:40 p.m. ET, with live television coverage on SPEED.

RESULTS: Practice One-Auto Club Speedway

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of "Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED," and has appeared on television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association. Jensen is the 1997 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year and has won numerous national and state awards for news reporting, columns and feature writing. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com. Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to

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