After topping the chart in Friday’s practice (speeds), Mark Martin blistered Atlanta Motor Speedway with a 29.640-second lap (187.045 mph) to win the pole for Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 500.
All Martin has to do now is find a way to finish the race in his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, after turning a lap that left him breathless and shaking.
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The pole was Martin’s first since the May 2001 event at Richmond, 281 races ago. Since then, the veteran driver, 50, has qualified second 16 times including six times last year.
Only Harry Gant, who was 54 when he claimed the pole in August 1994 at Bristol, was older than Martin.
“I feel like a rookie,” Martin said. “I really, really do.”
With everyone renewing their complaints about a lack of tire grip on the high-banked, 1.54-mile oval, Martin managed to hold things together for a nearly perfect run that took less than 30 seconds.
The rest of the top 10 was Jamie McMurray, Juan Pablo Montoya, Greg Biffle, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Joe Nemechek, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick. Points leader Jeff Gordon will start 16th.
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Martin was the 12th competitor on the track, but he didn’t leave his hauler until Travis Kvapil, who ran 47th, finished his lap.
“Not only did the lap scare me ... I continued to be nervous all the way through the rest of qualifying like I used to back in the early ‘90s when we were lucky enough to get poles back then,” Martin said.
“That would be just my luck,” Martin said.
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