Truex earns pole for Daytona 500

After a tumultuous off-season in which a merger, layoffs and sponsorship turmoil followed the drivers from Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, Martin Truex Jr. seemed almost relieved at winning the pole for the 51st Daytona 500.

Truex took the pole Sunday with a qualifying speed of 188.001 mph. Mark Martin, Truex’s former teammate, will start alongside him next Sunday from the outside pole.

“I’m just Mr. Outside pole,” said Martin, who posted his best qualifying spot in the Daytona 500. “I’ll take that because I have sat on the back pole a few times in my career, and I don’t like that at all.”

The three fastest go-or-go-home drivers were guaranteed spots in the race. Bill Elliott in the No. 21 Wood Brothers car was fastest, followed by Travis Kvapil and Tony Stewart.

Elliott was the fastest driver during practices all week, and made the race after missing it last year. “I have such mixed emotions,” Elliott said. “This whole Motorcraft team, David Hyder, Len and Eddie [Wood], they really put a good plan together to come down here for the 500 this year. I’m so proud of what they’ve done.

“I’m disappointed for those guys that we didn’t sit on the pole as good as we ran yesterday, but on the flip side, I looked back a year ago when we ended up loading that Motorcraft Ford up and going home. It’s such a fine line.”

The 2008 miss marked the first time in more than 40 years that the Wood Brothers were not in the Daytona 500.

Elliott’s car lost a gear in pole qualifying last year, then finished 16th in his Gatorade 150. One of the pioneers of the sport, the Wood Brothers have won the Daytona 500 three times -- Tiny Lund in 1963, Cale Yarborough in 1968 and David Pearson in 1976. During prequalifying practices, Elliott was the fastest car on the track. He posted a lap at 187.739 mph and was fifth fastest overall.

“To me it’s in steps,” Elliott said. “You’ve got to look at it from the standpoint of first, this is your best opportunity to get in the Daytona 500. If you miss that, then you’ve got a second chance on Thursday, but you want to do it a step at a time.”

With past Cup-series champions Elliott and Stewart racing their way in, Terry Labonte, the third past champion who isn’t locked into the top 35, will also be guaranteed a spot with the past champion’s provisional.

That leaves four Daytona 500 spots remaining to be filled, and 17 drivers battling for them. The issue will be settled Thursday during the Gatorade Duel at Daytona, where the top two “go-or-go-home” finishers in each 150-mile race will receive the coveted final berths.

Nobody’s Daytona 500 starting positions are set except those of Truex and Martin. The rest of the starting lineup will be determined by the finishing order of Thursday’s races.

It’s fitting that Truex is set for the race. From him came the only constants for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing this off-season. His sponsorship was set throughout the off-season, his contract in place for 2009 and his ability proven in the Sprint Cup series.

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tganguli@orlandosentinel.com