The 2004 Brickyard 400

Mark and the Viagra (sildenafil citrate) Racing Team steadily worked their way up the field in Sunday’s Brickyard 400, Blue Crew Goes To Work

Mark and the Viagra®Team (sildenafil citrate) suffered yet another dose of heartbreak when the left front tire of Mark’s Viagra® Ford blew out going into turn one of the last lap in Sunday’s Brickyard 400. The blown tire put an end to what moments before had looked to be a sure top-five finish and relegated Mark, who had been one of the fastest cars in the race, to a 25th-place finish.

Mark had battled his way through the field on two separate occasions, first when he hit the wall during the race’s early laps and again after a blown tire under caution 30 laps into the race. Mark had run in the field’s top six for the previous 68 laps of the race, before blowing the tire on the final lap of NASCAR’s newly instituted green-white-checkered rule.

"The left-front went flat,” said Mark. “Evidently, that was sort of a tire problem today. A number of people had that and that was our second one.

"We ran good today, but, unfortunately, things set us back,” added Mark. “I'm awfully proud of this team and it's an honor to drive for all these guys. They put their hearts in this stuff and they give me some great racecars, especially today and last week - every week. We just had a little bad luck."

The weekend had been an up and down affair from the start. The team was fast in Friday’s practice session, but Mark got sideways going into turn one of his qualifying lap and had to settle for a 16th-place starting slot. The team was confident heading into the race, with Mark turning some of the fastest times in both of Saturday’s practice session.

However, the car’s handling was off to start the race and Mark brushed the wall causing light damage to the right side. With Mark unable to get a handle on the car, he quickly fell to 27th place where he was running when the day’s first caution was called on lap four. In a series of three stops, the team came into the pits for four new tires and to repair the damage to the car’s side.

Mark returned to the field in 40th place, but the new set of tires cured what was ailing the car, and the No. 6 Viagra® Ford was a rocket when the returned to the field. Mark had moved all the way to 23rd position when the day’s second caution was called on lap 23. In an effort to gain back much needed track position, the team used the opportunity to take two tires and fuel and Mark was running in fifth place when the field went green on lap 26.

Caution was called again for the third time just four laps later. While riding around under caution, Mark’s left front tire went flat, and he was forced to bring the Viagra® Ford down pit road just as the field was going green on lap 32. The flat tire would again drop Mark back to 40th place, running half of a lap down.

The day’s fourth caution on lap 42 allowed Mark to catch up with the field. The team came into the pits for four tires and fuel with a quick stop of 13.389 seconds, which helped move Mark up to 32nd place when the field went green on lap 48.

Mark wasted little time powering his way through the field and by lap 66 he had moved his Ford back inside the top 20 in 19th position. The team took four tires under caution on lap 67 and returned to the field in 22nd place. By lap 85 Mark had made his way into 12th place where he was running when the day’s sixth caution was called on lap 87. The team again opted for two tires only and the strategy moved Mark up to sixth place when the field went green on lap 92. Mark would not run outside of the field’s top-six again until the final lap of the race when he lost his second left front tire of the race.

A 13.63-second stop to take on four tires and fuel under caution on lap 125 moved Mark back inside the top five to fourth place. Mark struggled on the restart and lost three positions back to seventh, before regrouping. By lap 141 he had moved into fifth place. After another caution on lap 143, Mark was running in fourth place when the field went green on lap 148.

Mark was reeling in the second and third place cars and gaining valuable time on race leader Jeff Gordon when the day’s ninth caution was issued on lap 152 with only eight laps remaining. The late caution prompted the first use of NASCAR’s green-white-checkered rule, as the field went green in a three-lap shootout. Mark quickly pulled out to a two-car lead on fifth place and looked poised to score his second straight top-five run, when he began to lose the tire going into turn one. He was able to get the car around the track, but would finish as the last car on the lead lap and in 25th place position.

“I just wanted to have a chance and we did,” said Mark. “It was a great effort by the Viagra? team and we ran awfully good. Things just didn't go our way today."

The finish dropped Mark to 15th in the Nextel Cup point standings, 123 points out of 10th place.

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