The 2006 Bank Of America 500

Mark was truly in his element for most of the race Saturday night at Lowe’s Mark racing Junior at Charlotte

Motor Speedway. Running at his favorite race track, Mark started seventh and had run virtually the entire race inside the top 10. He took over the Nextel Cup points lead on lap 175 and he passed the No. 8 four laps later to move into the top five for the first time of the race. Mark just completed a green-flag pit stop on lap 239 when moments later his promising night came to a crashing halt, when rookie J.J. Yeley made a careless move attempting to enter the pits. Mark attempted to clear Yeley’s No. 18 car low, but Yeley cut him off, sending him crashing in the wall head on. A testament to NASCAR’s safety initiatives, Mark was able to climb out of the car unharmed, even standing on the side of the car and saluting the cheering fans in turn four.

“I want to thank Humpy (Wheeler) and Bruton Smith and God for the soft walls,”’ said Mark, after leaving the infield care center. “I'm having fun. The championship is not really something that was meant for me ever, probably isn't this year and it's not going to get me down.

“From my viewpoint, he let the 17 pass him on the inside and I was coming too and I didn't know he was going to pit, he was up on top in the middle of the track. Usually when I pit, I get on the inside of the race track and then come off. It's just one of those things that happens. We had brand new tires. We were probably coming faster than they knew, or his spotter knew or whatever, we were on brand new tires. I had no idea that he was going to turn down across the race track.”

Mark was strong all weekend, qualifying strong on Thursday night. Like most of the field he battled with a tight race car for much of the early going during the race, as the crew continued to make adjustments, while rotating two-tire and fuel only pit stops over the course of the race. By lap 163 the adjustments started to pay off with Mark radioing that the car was beginning to loosen up. Mark took the points lead just 12 laps later and told crew chief Pat Tryson that the car was at its best of the race on lap 186 as he powered his No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion into the top five and all the way to third before pitting under green on lap 202.

Mark pitted under green for the 10th and what would be the final time on lap 239 to take four tires and fuel. The team had a problem on the left Thanks A Pant Load, JJ

rear of the car, but points leader Jeff Burton stalled in the pits, giving Mark as much as a 25 point lead when he returned to the track. However, Mark’s point lead and night would come to an abrupt halt, just seconds later as Yeley came down the track and sent Mark’s Ford crashing into the wall.

“That was a bad one,” added Mark. “I wasn't ready to meet my maker tonight. Still, we are having a blast. I want to thank all the fans and I thank the AAA team for giving me a pretty good race car and I was having fun out there. I was on new tires and coming hard and J.J. let the 17 go by on the inside and I was coming hard to do the same and had no idea that he was going to pit from the center of the track. Just thank goodness for all of the safety equipment and the safe walls.”

The accident dropped Mark one place to fourth in the Nextel Cup point standings. Mark now goes into this weekend’s race at Marksville in fourth place, 102 points behind Burton with five races left in the Chase for the Nextel Cup.