new full-time home. Mark used a lap at 178.628 mph Thursday night to win the
pole for Friday night's GM FlexFuel 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season
opener at Daytona International Speedway (8:15 p.m. Eastern, Speed).Mark has only three career series starts, but earned a win in his second series start at North Wilkesboro in 1996, but Thursday was his first series pole.
"It's a real privilege to drive that truck. I hadn't planned on racing this race," said Mark, who will move full time to the Truck series next season after wrapping up his Nextel Cup Series career. Mark is running seven races this season in the No. 6 Ford for Roush Racing.
"David Ragan was going to drive and came here for the test and I helped David a little bit and took the truck out and drove it about an hour and then turned it over to David and left it up to him.
"It wound up a last-minute surprise."
Toyota driver Bill Lester, who qualified second, broke up what would have been an all-Ford sweep of the top three positions.
Stacy Compton was third and Jon Wood fourth in Fords. Mike Skinner was fifth in a Toyota. Reigning series champion Ted Musgrave qualified 17th with his new Germain Racing team.
"We were feeling pretty good there, but in the back of our minds we saw Mark had done in qualifying (practice) and he was pretty much head and shoulders above the field," Lester said.
"We were concerned what Mark would be able to do. Sure enough, he backed up what he did earlier. We were pretty good in drafting practice so we are very optimistic about (the race)."
The Truck series had a record 12 rookies attempt to make the field for Friday night's race, with Joey Miller posting the fasting speed.
Miller, 21, will start ninth in the No. 12 Toyota. Rookie Kraig Kinser, who won the October Automobile Racing Club of America race at Talladega, Ala., will line up 11th in the No. 47 Chevrolet.
