Martin On Pole, Wants Full-Time in 2010

Mark Martin must have been tired of not winning poles in the Sprint Cup Series.

Just two weeks after Martin scored his first pole in 7 years -- remember that lap at Atlanta made the 50-year-old Martin feel like a rookie? -- the driver from Batesville, Ark., scored his second-straight pole Friday afternoon at Bristol Motor Speedway for Sunday's Food City 500.

Martin's lap of 125.773 mph gave him the top spot on the same weekend that news indicated he wants to stay in No. 5 full-time in 2010, rather than a partial schedule as was originally expected.

According to ESPN's David Newton, Martin is searching to continue this chapter in his life after his son, Matt, decided to end his racing career.

"I love what I'm doing right now and I'm not ready to quit," said Martin, driving a full schedule for the first time since 2006 at Roush Fenway Racing. "I thought what I was going to do beyond the driver's seat was work on [his son, Matt's] cars. That's not going to happen, and I'm actively searching what the next chapter of my life's going to be.

"Right now, I'd like to continue this chapter."

When Martin originally signed on to drive full-time for Hendrick in the summer of 2008, the presumption was that it would be a one-year full-time deal that would translate to a part-time schedule in 2010 as Hendrick/JR Motorsports Nationwide driver Brad Keselowski transitioned to Sprint Cup.

Crew chief Alan Gustafson was quoted in the article as saying that he'd be the crew chief for Martin until he turned 80 -- a nice bode of confidence despite the bad luck seen by the No. 5 team this year.

As for this weekend, though, Martin is looking to complete a solid weekend to keep his No. 5 Chevrolet within the guaranteed starting spots given to the Top-35 teams in NASCAR owner points.

Teammate Jimmie Johnson qualified third for Sunday's Food City 500, while Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne rounded out the Top-5. Michael Waltrip Racing's David Reutimann was fastest in practice and qualified sixth with Reed Sorenson seventh, a surprising Dave Blaney in eighth, Jamie McMurray ninth and point leader Jeff Gordon in tenth.

Failing to make the show for the season's fifth event were Scott Riggs and Jeremy Mayfield.