The 2003 Brickyard 400

Mark and the Viagra (sildenafil citrate) Racing Team steadily worked their way up the field in Sunday’s Brickyard 400, Mark Martin

battling to a ninth place finish in the 10th annual running of the famed event. Mark broke into the top 10 for the final time on lap 129 and remained there for the final 31 laps of the race.

"We maybe had a better car than that,” said Mark. “We found ourselves in the back all the time. We lost a lap on an unlucky caution and then the team did a great job in the pits and in calling the race. We turned up with a ninth-place finish and that's good to get a top 10. Still, we had a strong car today, maybe even better than the finish showed."

The team qualified 25th on Friday, but Mark’s car was among the field’s fastest during both of Saturday’s practice sessions. The car remained among the fastest when the green flag dropped on Sunday and Mark had worked his way into the top 20 by lap nine.

The car began to become tight and the team came into the pits for four tires and an air pressure adjustment on lap 35. The team caught a dose of bad luck when a pit road accident on the following lap caused the day’s first caution and put Mark a lap down to the cars that had yet to pit. Mark restarted the race in 23rd position and at the tail end of the lead lap once the field returned to green on lap 44.

The team caught a break on the next lap, when the No. 81 car spun out, causing the day’s second caution. The caution allowed Mark to get back on the lead lap. The team opted to return to the pits for four tires and fuel, as they were not sure if Mark had damaged his tires running through the debris trail of the No. 81. Mark returned to the field in 29th position when the field went green on lap 49.

The No. 6 Viagra® Ford was fast, and Mark was able to gain nine positions by lap 58, when he again cracked the field’s top 20. Mark was running in 17th position when the field began green-flag pitting on lap 78. Mark was able to stay out as the other cars pitted, taking the lead on lap 84 and earning five bonus points. Mark led three laps before coming into the pits for four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment. A quick stop of 15.35 seconds put Mark in 17th position once all the cars had cycled through their stops.

By lap 102 Mark had worked his way into 14th position and the No. 6 Viagra® Ford Taurus was running the fastest lap times on the track. Mark continued to battle for position and the veteran driver was running in 12th position when the field began green flag pitting on lap 126. The team caught its biggest break of the day on lap 139, when the day’s fourth caution of the day occurred.

Crew chief Ben Leslie had already instructed Mark to bring the car into the pits for fuel, only seconds before the yellow flag flew. Mark was able to stay out at the last minute. The caution placed several of the cars that had pitted a lap down. Mark came into the pits for two tires and fuel and returned to the field in eighth position when the field went green with 16 laps to go.

After another caution, the field went green for the final time with 10 laps remaining. Mark battled several cars for the final 10 laps, before crossing the finish line in ninth place. The run was the eighth top-10 finish for Mark this season.

The team returns to action next week at Watkins Glen for the second and final road course race of the season.