Martin brings Dover speed to Pocono

LONG POND, Pa. -- Mark Martin is having fun at the racetrack again.

Martin, who won last Sunday's wild MBNA 400 at Dover, is fast again this weekend at Pocono Raceway.

Martin qualified fourth for Sunday's Pocono 500 -- his best qualifying effort of the season -- and led the first practice on Saturday morning. Martin's fastest lap during the session clocked in at 167.501 mph.

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"Things are just going our way," Martin said. "We're pretty optimistic about Sunday and I think we're going to have a great run."

If history is any indication, Martin should be strong. Martin leads active drivers with 17 top-five and 24 top-10 finishes in 34 Pocono starts.

The only thing Martin hasn't done at Pocono is win. He says he has a great chance to change that Sunday.

"Right now this team is performing so well," he said. "They're giving me really great stuff to drive and they're doing a great job on everything.

"If we can keep the breaks going our way, instead of going against us like they had just about every other race until we got to Dover, maybe we can keep that windfall of good things happening."

Even though rookies Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers will share the front row to start Sunday's race, Martin isn't sure that youth will transfer on raceday.

	Kasey Kahne led Saturday's final practice. Credit: Autostock

"There are pluses and minuses to being young," Martin said. "You don't know what can happen to you when you're young and that helps you go fast, but sometimes it gets you in trouble, too.

"Being a veteran, I know what I can do here and what you shouldn't do and how to preserve your equipment until the end," he said.

"I don't think it matters what your age is -- it matters what happens on Sunday."

Martin clocked in fifth in Saturday's uneventful final practice. Kahne led the session, turning a lap at 167.657 mph, a time of 53.681 seconds. His Evernham Motorsports teammate, Jeremy Mayfield was second at 167.274/53.804 and Elliott Sadler was third at 167.159/53.841.

Jeff Gordon and Martin rounded out the top five, followed by Jimmie Johnson, Vickers, Scott wimmer Terry Labonte and Ryan Newman.