The 2003 Banquet 400

Mark and the Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) team ran to a 20th-place finish Mark & Kurt at KC

in Sunday’s Banquet 400 at the Kansas Speedway. Mark battled for most of the weekend, searching for the correct blend of handling and speed. In the end, Mark’s main obstacles ended up being lapped traffic and track position, as the No. 6 team would be forced to fight for position throughout the race.

Mark started the race 38th after taking a provisional after Friday’s qualifying session. With the car handling “loose in” the corners, Mark struggled from the start of the race and fell a lap down to the leader on lap 46. Mark came into the pits for a green-flag stop on lap 59 to take on four tires, fuel and make a wedge adjustment. After a 14.71-second stop, Mark returned to the field in 29th place, still a lap down.

Mark had moved up to 26th on lap 68 when the day’s first caution was issued. The No. 6 team stayed out, while the leaders pitted, returning Mark to the tail end of the lead lap when the race went green on lap 76. After a quick start, he was able to put some distance between himself and the leader, and when caution was again issued on lap 81, Mark was back on the front end of the lead lap. After a 14.50 second stop to take on tires and fuel, Mark was in 22nd place. The veteran driver had fought his way back onto the lead lap.

Mark continued to battle for position, and was running in 25th place on lap 105 when the day’s third caution was issued. The team opted for two tires and fuel and Mark moved up to 13th position when the race went green on lap 109. The move gained Mark track position, but the two tires ultimately made the car tight and Mark dropped to 20th by lap 114. By lap 158, Mark had moved back to 16th position and was running times as fast as the leaders when the day’s fourth caution was issued. The No. 6 Ford Taurus came into the pits for four tires and fuel and after a quick stop of 14.5 seconds, Mark moved up two positions to 14th when the race went green on lap 165.

The Viagra® Taurus was running in 18th place on lap 181 when caution number six was issued. The No. 6 team opted not to pit and Mark restarted the race in 12th place when the race went green on lap 189. Two laps later, he moved into 12th position where he was running on lap 200 when caution number seven was called. The team came in for four tires and fuel and Mark restarted the race in 19th place, as several cars stayed out or took only two tires.

Despite having to battle lapped traffic, Mark moved back up the field and Mark at KC

was running in 13th place by lap 219. Mark spun out trying to get around the lapped No. 01 car, causing the day’s eighth caution. Fortunately, he was able to save the car, and after coming into the pits for four tires and fuel, Mark returned to the race in 23rd position with 28 laps to go. He would go on to gain three more positions before the checkered flag.

The guys did a great job with the car.,” said Mark. “We were a 35th-place car here all weekend and we raced about 15th, so I'm sorry we finished about 20th."

"I just spun it out running 14th and finished 20th,” added Mark. “We ran better than I thought we were going to, but that was about all we were going do. I wish we would have run 14th instead of 20th, but we just had a tangle."

The team returns to action next Saturday night at Lowe’s Motor Speedway for the season’s final night race of 2003.