Mark Martin begins the 2009 racing season with his new team Hendrick Motorsports sitting on the outside pole for Sunday’s Daytona 500.

MARK MARTIN, DRIVER, NO. 5 KELLOGG’S/CARQUEST CHEVROLET (ON STARTING HIS FIRST NASCAR SPRINT CUP RACE WITH HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS.): “I have been waiting for this day for nearly eight months now. The season could’ve started up the day after Homestead, and that would have been fine with me. I’ve gotten to know these guys through some tests. And I’ve been to the shop and really have gotten to see how they work and what all goes into this race team, and it’s just incredible. These guys are working so hard. I’m just ready to see something come out of it all and so are they. I’m just so excited. Getting into that car at Daytona can’t come soon enough.”

MARTIN (ON WINNING THE DAYTONA 500.): “I came so close in 2007 and had a great car that year. This year, I think I’ll probably have the best car I’ve ever had for Daytona and probably the best opportunity to go out there and win it. I want to have a great race car, and I think that’s important. But there will be about 10 really good cars out there, and only one guy will have all the luck. I’d rather be lucky than good when it comes to the Daytona 500.”

MARTIN (ON CREW CHIEF ALAN GUSTAFSON.): “I can’t say enough about this guy. Alan has just really impressed me from the time we worked in the Nationwide Series together back in 2007. It was awesome at Darlington (S.C.) and awesome at Michigan with him. He’s such a brilliant guy. Technically speaking, he is incredibly smart. I don’t even ask what he’s doing any more, because I trust him and know what he’s doing is right.”

MARTIN (ON HIS PREPARATION FOR THE SEASON.): “I feel more prepared for this season than I ever have before. This team is really prepared, and they’ve been together for a long time, so there’s nothing that I have to go and check up on, to ask about, to confirm. They have it all figured out. So, for the first time really, I only have to take care of myself. I’ve been able to really concentrate on working out. Eating healthy has always been important to me, so I’ve been paying a lot of attention to that — getting the team a little healthier, too! I can’t imagine anybody being more ready for 2009 than I am.”

MARTIN (ON HIS GOALS FOR THE 2009 SEASON.): “People want me to say championship, but that is so far out of my mind right now. I want to win a race — singular. When that gets accomplished, we’ll start talking about multiples. And I want to contribute to this race team. Short term, I want to get Alan (Gustafson) and the (No.) 5 team’s confidence up and get them performing on a level they’re capable of. But as a whole, I just want to make a contribution to Hendrick Motorsports.”