Mast Earns Pole Position

Rick Mast drove to the fifth pole of his Winston Cup career, leading the first round of time trials for the Goodwrench 400 at North Carolina Speedway.

The 40-year-old Virginian drove his Butch Mock Ford around the 1.017-mile North Carolina Speedway at 156.361 mph. That was well shy of Mark Martin’s year-old record of 157.885 but easily enough to win his first pole since a race at Dover, Del., on Sept. 15, 1995.

Kenny Wallace and David Green, both of whom failed to qualify for the season-opening Daytona 500, were the closest to Mast at 155.531 and 155.491.

Wallace’s effort gave the new Taurus model a sweep of the front row.

Spokane’s Chad Little was 44th at 152.633 mph and gets another shot at qualifying today.