Johnson wins Brickyard pole; Martin will contend

Mark Martin picked Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the spot he plans to end his 97-race winless streak. Then he announced it to all of NASCAR, an uncharacteristic burst of boldness that literally raised eyebrows. "When Mark said that, I looked at him ... because Mark never is optimistic about things," said two-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson. "The fact that he was so confident about it, I couldn't believe it was Mark Martin. "I think that's a huge statement." Martin turned a lap Saturday at 181.393 mph in his Chevrolet to beat everyone in qualifying except Johnson. His lap of 181.763 gave him his first pole at the Brickyard, and an up-close look at what Martin has in store for the field in Sunday's race. "He's a much better racer than he is at qualifying, so I would assume he's going to be one of the guys to beat," said... [read full story]