RICHMOND, Va. — Mark Martin watched and waited as 44 other drivers made two qualifying laps around Richmond International Raceway on Friday night, then went out and beat them all.

Martin turned the second-fastest lap on his first circuit around the 0.75-mile, D-shaped oval, then nudged Carl Edwards to the outside of the front row with a lap at 128.327 mph to win the pole for Saturday night’s Sprint Cup race. It’s his 53rd career pole.

“I was very close to skinning the car up, especially off of (turn) four (on) the second lap,” Martin said. “I’m driving it as hard as I can go, and at the very limits of my talent.”

Edwards’ top lap at 128.290 had hung on through 17 drivers, but when Martin moved to second on the scoring tower with his first lap, Edwards paid much closer attention.