An all "Martin" front row for the Daytona 500

Posted: Sun Feb 8 5:26 PM

Daytona Beach, FL (Sports Network) - Martin Truex, Jr. and Mark Martin secured the front starting row for the 51st running of the Daytona 500 in Sunday's pole qualifying at Daytona International Speedway.

Truex gave the newly-formed Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing team an impressive debut, as he drove his No.1 Chevrolet to the pole position with a best lap of 47.872 seconds (188.001 m.p.h.). The pole victory was his second career in the Sprint Cup Series.

"It's a big deal starting on the pole for the Daytona 500," Truex said. "We got a lot of work ahead of us this week still, but I'm excited for all the guys back at the shop that worked so hard."

Truex recorded his first pole in November 2007 at Texas.

Martin, driving the No.5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for the first time, obtained the outside pole with the second-best time of 47.919 seconds.

"I can't wait to get out on the race track and do some drafting," Martin said. "It felt like everybody else has already been doing that for the Shootout, and we had to sit and watch. I can't wait to get this Kellogg's/Carquest Chevy out there in the draft. It's so fast."

Martin was not eligible for Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona.

Ryan Newman, the defending Daytona 500 champion, finished third in qualifying, followed by Juan Pablo Montoya and Bill Elliott. Sixth through 10th were: Jimmie Johnson, Aric Almirola, Travis Kvapil, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart.

Truex and Martin are the only drivers with guaranteed starting positions in next Sunday's Daytona 500, as the remaining 43-driver field for "The Great American Race" will be determined in Thursday's Gatorade Duel at Daytona (twin qualifying races).

Truex will start on the pole for the first Gatorade Duel, with drivers finishing in the odd-numbered owner points in 2008 competing in that qualifying race. Martin will lead the field to the green flag for the second Gatorade duel, with drivers ending last season in the even-numbered owner points competing in the final event.

Finishing positions in the Gatorade Duels will determine starting positions 3-39 in the Daytona 500.

The top-35 in owner points from last year are guaranteed a spot in the race.

Furthermore, three drivers not in the top-35 have been assured a position based on their qualifying speed. They are: Elliott, Stewart and Kvapil. All three drivers can advance their starting positions in the Daytona 500 based on their outcomes in the Gatorade Duel.

"I've got so many mixed emotions now at this point because we didn't run in it last year, but I'm thrilled to death where we are at," Elliott said.

Elliott, the 1988 series champion and 1985 and '87 Daytona 500 winner, was the fastest in Saturday's practice for qualifying.

Stewart is not in the top-35 since he changed teams this year.

Terry Labonte is guaranteed a position based on the past champion's provision since he won the series title in 1984 and '96. At worst, Labonte would start 43rd in the race.