Mark Martin secured the 56th pole of his NASCAR Sprint Cup career at Phoenix International Raceway on Friday.
Despite a later slot traditionally being better for qualifying as the sun sets at the Arizona track, Michael Waltrip Toyota driver Martin was able to take provisional pole with a mid-pack lap and could then resist all the challengers at the end of the queue and hang on in front.
Martin's 26.973-second lap gave him a 0.04sec advantage over front row partner Kasey Kahne's Hendrick Chevrolet.
"The car was beautiful," said Martin, who also took pole for this event a year ago. "All the guys do such a nice job. I had a lot of anxiety about it. The times are so close that one little slip-up really costs you here."
Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson made it two Hendrick cars in the top three, with teammate Jeff Gordon fifth behind Kyle Busch's Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Practice pacesetter Matt Kenseth could only manage ninth.
After her Daytona pole a week ago, Danica Patrick experienced a comedown as her best lap proved only 40th fastest.
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap
1. Mark Martin Waltrip Toyota 26.073s
2. Kasey Kahne Hendrick Chevrolet 26.113s + 0.040s
3. Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Chevrolet 26.124s + 0.051s
4. Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Toyota 26.149s + 0.076s
5. Jeff Gordon Hendrick Chevrolet 26.246s + 0.173s
6. Tony Stewart Stewart-Haas Chevrolet 26.250s + 0.177s
7. Kevin Harvick Childress Chevrolet 26.263s + 0.190s
8. Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Toyota 26.292s + 0.219s
9. Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Toyota 26.300s + 0.227s
10. Ryan Newman Stewart-Haas Chevrolet 26.304s + 0.231s
11. Brad Keselowski Penske Ford 26.309s + 0.236s
12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr Roush Fenway Ford 26.329s + 0.256s
13. Clint Bowyer Waltrip Toyota 26.344s + 0.271s
14. Martin Truex Jr Waltrip Toyota 26.354s + 0.281s
15. Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Ford 26.377s + 0.304s
16. Paul Menard Childress Chevrolet 26.400s + 0.327s
17. Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Ford 26.414s + 0.341s
18. Aric Almirola Petty Ford 26.419s + 0.346s
19. Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet 26.483s + 0.410s
20. Jeff Burton Childress Chevrolet 26.492s + 0.419s
21. Dale Earnhardt Jr Hendrick Chevrolet 26.496s + 0.423s
22. Marcos Ambrose Petty Ford 26.580s + 0.507s
23. AJ Allmendinger Phoenix Chevrolet 26.580s + 0.507s
24. David Ragan Front Row Ford 26.614s + 0.541s
25. Kurt Busch Furniture Row Chevrolet 26.618s + 0.545s
26. Dave Blaney Baldwin Chevrolet 26.647s + 0.574s
27. JJ Yeley Baldwin Chevrolet 26.654s + 0.581s
28. Scott Speed Leavine Ford 26.683s + 0.610s
29. Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet 26.702s + 0.629s
30. Travis Kvapil BK Toyota 26.725s + 0.652s
31. David Gilliland Front Row Ford 26.727s + 0.654s
32. Joey Logano Penske Ford 26.791s + 0.718s
33. Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty 26.797s + 0.724s
34. David Reutimann BK Toyota 26.903s + 0.830s
35. Mike Bliss Humphrey Smith Toyta 26.911s + 0.838s
36. Josh Wise Front Row Ford 26.948s + 0.875s
37. David Stremme Swan Toyota 26.952s + 0.879s
38. Landon Cassill Circle Sport Chevrolet 26.990s + 0.877s
39. Scott Riggs Xxxtreme Ford 27.084s + 0.960s
40. Danica Patrick Stewart-Haas Chevrolet 27.090s + 0.941s
41. Joe Nemechek NEMCO Toyota 27.268s + 1.022s
42. Ken Schrader FAS Lane Ford 27.325s + 1.075s
43. Casey Mears Germain Ford 27.421s + 1.158s