If qualifying for the Daytona 500 is any indication, the Hendrick Motorsports Team is going to be tough to beat again.

Mark Martin knocked Dale Earnhardt Jr. off the pole on a windy day. It was his 49th career pole as he averaged 191.188mph.

“It’s such an incredible accomplishment for the #5 & 88 team,” Martin began. “It’s pretty exciting to have them aboard. It’s all about the team. It was not about me it’s the team.”

A bearded Earnhardt Jr. said, “our guys are putting it together. It’s a tribute to a great effort it was not the driver (referring to himself), it was the car.”

Team owner, Rich Hendrick noted, ”to have one team with two cars (out of the same shop) and to have two cars run almost the same speed; I’m so proud of Lance (McGrew Junior crew chief) and Alan (Gustafson Martin’s crew chief) this is first opportunity to show what they can do.”

Referring to his difficult 2009 season, a winless year which caused him to change crew chief, Dale Jr. added, “This is a start. Hopefully, we’ll get the ball rolling.”

Since joining the team last year Martin has now won eight poles for Hendrick . “We got close last year and missed it by a little bit,” he explained.

The last time teammates swept the pole was in 2007 when Yates Racing driver David Gilliland won the pole and Ricky Rudd started on the outside pole.

US television reported that 40 cars beat the pole speed set last year.

Ryan Newman, in a Stewart Haas Chevrolet (with Hendrick equipment) was third fast and the venerable Bill Elliott was the fastest Ford in fourth.

Kurt Busch was the fastest Dodge and qualified in seventh while brother, Kyle Busch, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, was the fastest Toyota in ninth.

Four-time champs and Hendrick driver Jimmie Johnson was sixth fastest. Jeff Gordon was tenth.

The remainder of the field will be set on Thursday after the running of the twin 150-mile qualifying races.