#5-Mark Martin won the Coors Light Pole Award for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway with a lap of 191.188mph [3 mph faster then last years pole of 188.001] for his 1st career Daytona 500 pole and 49th pole of his career. #5-Mark Martin is the oldest pole sitter ever for a Sprint Cup race at Daytona at 51 years, 0 months, 27 says (Dale Jarrett held the record at 48 years, 2 months, 17 days). #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the outside pole. Martin and Earnhardt Jr. are the only two drivers with their starting spots set for the Daytona 500. All other starting positions will be determined following the Gatorade Duel 150 qualifying races on Thursday.
The rest of the top five for qualifying were #39-Ryan Newman, #21-Bill Elliott and #42-Juan Pablo Montoya. #21-Elliott, #82-Speed and #87-Nemechek are the three go-or-go-homers [not in the top-35 of end of season owners points] who are guaranteed of making the race via speed. #71-Bobby Labonte is now guaranteed to make the race, at least thru the past champions provisional. Four other drivers can get in via their speed IF the four already in [Elliott, Speed, Nemechek, Labonte] race in via the Gatorade Duels [top 2 in each get in]: #51-Waltrip, #36-Bliss, #32-Sorenson and #90-Mears.
So it is the top 2 are in, followed by spots 3-39 [33 from the top 35 and 4 from the Gatorade Duel], then spots 40, 41 and 42 from the next fastest cars, then then the most recent past champion in 43rd. If not needed, then the fastest driver not already in, would get the spot.
See the qualifying results, qualifying procedures and more on my Daytona 500 Qualifying Results Page.(2-6-2010)
