Mark Martin has edged Dale Earnhardt Jr. to claim pole position for next Sunday's Daytona 500.
The 51-year-old, who scored seven poles in last season's Sprint Cup, lapped the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway in 47.074 seconds (191.188 mph) in his No. 5 Chevrolet, with Hendrick Motorsports team-mate Earnhardt averaging 190.913 mph to complete the front row.
The pair are currently the only two drivers who know their grid positions for the annual Sprint Cup curtain raiser.
The starting order for the rest of the 43-car field won't be determined until Thursday, with the running of the two Gatorade Duel 150-mile qualifying races.
"This is such a great accomplishment for the 5 and 88 teams," said Martin after taking his first pole for the 'Great American Race'.
"That was not an accomplishment of mine. It is one of all our guys on this team. To have Dale Jr. on the outside of the front row, locked in, just means that we are doing stuff right."
Ryan Newman (190.577 mph) was third quickest in Saturday's time trials, followed by Wood Brothers Ford driver Bill Elliott (190.573 mph), the fastest of the 19 drivers required to make the field on speed alone.
The performances of Elliott, Scott Speed (13th) and Joe Nemechek (16th) - the three quickest in the 'go-or-go-home' group - means they are all guaranteed to start the race, but they won't know their starting positions until the Duels are run.
The other 16 entries whose cars are not locked into the field by virtue of top-35 owner points finishes in 2009 must try to race their way into the 500 on Thursday.
However, Bobby Labonte is guaranteed a place in the field as the most recent past Cup champion not already exempt, regardless of his finish in the Duels.
Juan Pablo Montoya was fifth fastest, as Chevrolet claimed four of the top five positions and seven of the top ten.
Seventh-place Kurt Busch led the Dodge charge, with ninth-place Kyle Busch doing the same for Toyota.
Martin will lead the field to the green flag in the first of Thursday's Duels, with Earnhardt pacing the second.
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