outside of California Motor Speedway.Between engine failure and crashes, it marked the third time in five races Mark didn't finish an event.
But, most notably, it marked the start of a 2001 slide that ended with a 12th-place Winston Cup points finish for Mark - his second-worst finish in 14 years with Roush Racing and his first finish outside of the top 10 in 12 years.
"It was no fun last year," Mark said. "I didn't enjoy racing with one hand tied behind my back last season. We tried as hard or harder than we ever had, and we never saw the results."
A tough start and poor finish had Mark seriously considering retirement after his contract expired with Roush in 2005.
But a resurgence this season has the popular driver rejuvenated and renegotiating. An announcement on a "lengthy" contract extension could come as soon as this weekend, team officials said.
Entering Sunday's Brickyard 400, Mark is second in the points (2,673) and feeling more like a teen-ager than a 43-year-old.
"We thought we were going to lose him for sure. With the way things were going, we never thought he would come back after 2005," said team owner Jack Roush. "Now it looks like we'll have him much longer than that if things keep going the way they are going."
And there's nothing to suggest things won't keep rolling in what's become the best season for Mark since 1998, when he won seven races and finished second in the points standings.
Mark may have only one win through 20 races this season, but his 13 top-10 finishes are tops in the circuit as are his seven top-fives.
Talk about a turnaround.
At this point last season, Mark had eight top-10s and three top-fives but five finishes of 33rd or worse.
"A year ago right now, I knew in my heart there was no way I was going to keep racing," said Mark, who's only 106 points behind championship leader Sterling Marlin. "It's really a relief for me. I was pretty slow to get excited about it. I couldn't stand to have my heart ripped out."
But just when things were becoming fun again for Mark, his heart was nearly
ripped from something far beyond his control.Roush, his long-time boss and friend, suffered life-threatening injuries in a small plane crash in Alabama on April 19.
Suddenly racing didn't seem so important, yet, suddenly, racing seemed more important than ever.
"We felt scared and concerned, but we knew Jack would want us to press on," Mark said. "We do our jobs not because he watches over us but because we believe in what he is doing."
Within 24 hours of the plane crash, the news - and Roush's condition - had dramatically improved.
The speedy recovery meant Mark and the No. 6 team could move their collective attention back to the track and resume their pursuit of a first points title for Mark and Roush Racing.
"More horsepower, better-handling cars, faster pits stops. That's what it is this year," Mark said. "It doesn't come in a week. It takes time when you get behind."
Mark has emerged as the leader of the four-car Roush stable that includes two drivers in the top five, three in the top 10 and all four in the top 13.
With 21 years of Cup experience, Mark has more years in the game than his other three teammates combined.
"He is what helped make Roush Racing what it is today and I have a lot of respect for him for a lot of different reasons. He is as great a competitor as he is a person," said teammate Jeff Burton. "He's been doing it a long time, but he still wants to win today as bad as he did when he first started."
Just another reason why Mark might race, and win, well into his 50s.
