NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
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CUP: Martin Wins Phoenix Pole
Mark Martin scored the 56th pole of his Sprint Cup career Friday...
Mike Hembree  |  Posted March 01, 2013   Avondale, AZ
Mark Martin scores the 56th pole of his Sprint Cup career.


People keep waiting for Mark Martin, 54, to slow down.

It doesn’t happen.

Martin raced to the pole position Friday for Sunday’s Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, putting up a speed of 138.074 miles per hour. The pole is the 56th of Martin’s long Cup career.

Martin was the only driver over the 138 mark, although he fell short of the track record set last November by Kyle Busch (138.766).

The qualifying session was the first for the new Gen-6 car at a non-restrictor plate track.

Martin said he still has doubts about his ability to get things done.

“I have those doubts,” he said. “If I had qualified 30th today, my lip would be out and I’d have the long face and whatnot. I still revert back to the fact that I have people who believe in me more than I believe in myself.”

Martin said crew chief Rodney Childers and the rest of the team improved the car after practice.

“We had a pretty good car in practice, but it wasn’t a pole car,” he said. “Rodney Childers and the guys were talking after practice about the things they were contemplating doing to the car. I heard several of them, and I covered my ears. I didn’t want to hear all that.”

At 54 years and seven months, retired driver Harry Gant is the oldest driver to win a Cup pole. Martin is 54 years and two months old and will have a shot at Gant’s record later this year.

Following Martin in the top five were Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. In the second five were Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman.

Johnson, the winner of the Daytona 500, had a somewhat tense afternoon as his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet needed three trips through NASCAR’s inspection area to be approved.

Johnson said he wasn’t sure about the issues but speculated that the problem was in the back of the car.

“Fortunately or unfortunately, I’ve been in that situation before,” Johnson said. “I knew just to stay calm.”

Kurt Busch hit the wall during his qualifying run and will start Sunday’s race in a backup.

Danica Patrick qualified 40th.

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 31 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.


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