Martin Nabs Pole

Mark Martin, who surged from last to second in last year’s race, will start at the front in Sunday’s Save Mart Supermarket 300 in Sonoma, Calif., next to 1996 winner Rusty Wallace on an all-Ford front row.

Wallace held the pole for about an hour with a lap of 92.533 mph. Then Martin raced over the 2.52-mile Sears Point Raceway at a record 92.807 mph for his first Winston Cup pole this year.

Larry Dixon led the first round of Top Fuel qualifying for the NHRA’s Lone Star Nationals, covering a quarter-mile at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis in 4.650 seconds at 304.90 mph.

John Force topped the Funny Car division with a track-record time of 4.905 seconds at 304.90 mph. Cruz Pedregon was second at 4.941 and 312.71, the second fastest Funny Car speed in NHRA history. Warren Johnson led Pro Stock with a 7.019-second run at 197.71 mph.

Stock car driver Jim Pagel, 42, died after surgery following a crash into a wall during qualifying trials at the Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna.