Mark Martin uses 2009 season to grab seven poles

The "Old Man" is back, and he's ready to qualify

For Mark Martin fans the 2009 season was one to remember for many more reasons than just one. Mark Martin’s return to full-time racing brought his fans a new sense of optimism and excitement that he tried to match himself.

It didn’t take him long to excite his fanbase, as he grabbed the outside pole for the season’s inaugural event. Today, Martin will attempt to qualify his No. 5 GoDaddy.com car one spot better for the 2010 version of the Daytona 500. (And I should note that Mark was second fastest in practice yesterday behind teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr.)

Mark Martin and his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon share a laugh during Bud Shootout practice on Thursday (AP)

On qualifying days in 2009 he turned the fastest lap seven times, the most times he sat on the pole in one season in his 22-year career. Here’s a look back at all seven Mark Martin poles from the 2009 season, which might give some Mark Martin fans a sense of optimism heading into today’s qualifying day for the Daytona 500.

Pole #1: Atlanta
For the first time in nearly eight seasons Mark Martin grabbed a pole, turning a lap of 29.64 seconds, one-tenth of a second faster than eventual race winner Kurt Busch. Martin was the only one to top 187 mph in the night qualification session.

Martin’s last pole before his first of 2009 came at Richmond in May of 2001. So, naturally, Mark was a little excited when he won the pole at Atlanta. “This is the first real solid step at turning our thing around. This is cool. This is really cool.”

Although Mark blew a tire and finished 31st the pole at Atlanta was just the start of what ended up being a great year for Mark and the No. 5 team.

Pole #2: Bristol (March)
Two weeks later Mark Martin grabbed pole two of the 2009 season, the first time he’d grabbed poles in back-to-back races since 1989. He edged Ryan Newman by .004 seconds, turning a lap of 15.256 seconds to earn the right to lead the field to the line.

Mark Martin won back-to-back poles by edging Ryan Newman in March at Bristol

After horrible luck in the first few weeks of the season, a new-found optimism had Martin beaming. “With the things that have happened to us in the races, it was good to show people that we’ve still got speed in the car,” he said. “We’ve got speed, and the other part will come around sooner or later.”

Little did he know his next pole would lead to that “other part”.

Pole #3: Phoenix
Mark Martin’s third pole of the season marked the beginning to one heck of a weekend for the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team. Martin’s lap of 26.903 seconds beat out both Kurt and Kyle Busch and Martin’s HMS teammate Jeff Gordon.

“When we beat Jimmie Johnson to win a race, I’m going to feel like I beat Superman,” Martin said after clinching the pole. Martin didn’t disappoint on Saturday evening in the desert, where he led 157 laps, and secured his first victory since 2005.

Mark Martin's third pole of 2009 lead to his first win since 2005 (motorsports.com photo)

“It’s hard to make a car good enough to win, and it’s ten times harder to win one,” Martin said after the race. “We didn’t fall into this one, we took it.” It was his next pole that gave him a chance to go toe to toe with the teammate he referred to as “Superman,” and it was one of the most memorable moments of the 2009 season for this fan.

Pole #4: Indianapolis
In 2008 Mark Martin qualified his No. 8 U.S. Army Chevrolet on the outside pole for the Brickyard 400. In 2009 he did himself one better. He blazed around the world’s most recognizable 2.5-mile rectangle in 49.436 seconds.

Mark Martin described his qualifying lap as, "Eventful," at IMS

He said things like, “I like making history,” and, “I put a lot of pressure on myself to get a good lap today,” after becoming the oldest driver in Indianapolis Motor Speedway history to snag a pole award.

He could have become the oldest race winner in Brickyard 400 history if it weren’t for Johnson, who ruined Martin’s attempt at another weekend sweep. “I got beat. I didn’t get her done,” he said post race. “But I gave it my heart. So did my race team. I'm grateful for it.”

Pole #5: Bristol (August)
Mark Martin needed another clutch performance at Bristol in August, teetering on the edge of the Chase cutoff. So he did what he seemed to do best all season and grabbed the pole for the Sharpie 500. “It feels like I'm carrying a 200-pound gorilla on my shoulders,” he said after turning a lap of 15.414 seconds.

I remember a certain driver using that particular phrase in victory lane in 1998, and Dale Earnhardt was just happy to finally have won the Daytona 500—the race that evaded him for such a long time. Yet, I digress…

Mark Martin started on the pole and finished second for the second time in one month

Martin’s fifth pole of the year launched him to a great start and a late battle with Kyle Busch for the win. With every fan not wearing Busch gear pulling for Martin, Busch pulled away and won the race. But he didn’t win the overall battle.

Pole #6: Richmond (September)
Mark Martin was on the Chase bubble, and needed a great run at Richmond to secure himself a spot in NASCAR’s version of the playoffs. So, naturally, he outran the competition on qualifying day.

Mark Martin's pole at Richmond sprung him into the Chase, where he became the points leader

Martin’s lap of 21.292 seconds was pretty good according to the man they refer to as “The Kid”. “This is awesome,” he said. Martin’s fourth place finish in the 26th race of the year clinched a spot in the Chase, where he gained the points lead by virtue of having won the most races to that point in the season.

Pole #7: Kansas
Mark Martin wanted to show he wasn’t going down without a fight, and after winning the first race of the Chase and following it with a runner-up finish, he won the pole at Kansas, race No. 3 in the Chase.

“Have any of you ever stepped on a cat’s tail?” Martin asked after his lap. “I have accidentally stepped on a cat’s tail before, and it’s pretty funny how fast — they make a noise, and they go really fast. That’s kind of like when I step on the gas on that 5 car [Friday], it was like stepping on a cat’s tail. Man, that thing has so much horsepower.” He motored to a seventh-place finish.

Ultimately, the dream season of seven poles and five wins wasn’t enough for Martin to capture the big trophy, but 2009 was just the start of something special for Mark Martin and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team.

Will the duo of Martin and Earnhardt Jr. lead the field to the green in next week's Daytona 500?

As I stated at the beginning, Dale Earnhardt Jr. led practice yesterday, with Martin right behind him and their teammate Jeff Gordon timed third. Well, at Kansas last season HMS swept the top three spots in qualifying. The front row was compromised of Martin and Earnhardt Jr.

“Hendrick Motorsports swept the top three spots in qualifying, and I was really excited for Dale Jr.,” Martin said. “[He] really needed that shot in the arm — and got it. It would have been nice to have seen him on the pole, but still, front row’s great.”

I have a feeling that Mark Martin would be OK with an all Hendrick front row for next weekend’s Daytona 500, as long as it was him on the pole… again.

What a better way to start the 2010 season than with a pole? Well, I think in about seven days a win would work, but until then, we sit back and watch qualifying this afternoon to see how things will shake out. Enjoy your day.