The 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400

Mark and the Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Racing Team posted their third It doesn't get any closer than this

top-ten finish in only five races this season, with a dramatic fourth-place run in a race that saw one of the most dramatic finishes in NASCAR history.

Roush Racing teammate Kurt Busch's last lap shuffle with eventual winner Ricky Craven may be the highlight of the race, but Mark maneuvering up the field in the race's final laps will definitely go down as one to remember.

Mark, who led 71 laps of the race's 293 laps, was running in 11th position when the field went green after the day's seventh and final caution. Mark had entered the pits in second position and had one of the field's strongest cars, but a mishap in the pits with one of the lug nuts on the front left tire forced Mark back into the pits and to the back of the lead lap.

Mark wasted no time moving back up front, picking off several of NASCAR's top drivers in route to the front of the field. Mark passed teammate Matt Kenseth to break back into the top 10 on lap 246. Over the next three laps he moved past Bill Elliot and Tony Stewart and was running in eighth place by lap 250.

It took just six more laps for Mark to get around the lapped car of Ryan Newman and then Michael Waltrip to move into seventh place. Mark began to bear down on sixth place, eventually passing Jeff Gordon for the position with just 20 laps remaining.

Don't forget that left front lug nut!!!

Mark used the next several laps to edge up on the top-five, before passing Elliot Sadler and Dale Earnhardt Jr. between laps 278 and 280 to move into fourth position where he would finish the race.

Mark started the race in 27th position, but wasted little time moving up the field despite a caution-filled beginning of the race. The Viagra® Racing team opted to pit, take four tires and make a track bar adjustment after caution was called on only the fifth lap of the race. The field went green on lap 10 with Mark in 24th position, but caution was called again just two laps later.

This time the Viagra® Racing Team opted to stay out and Mark had moved up into sixth position when the field went green on lap 16. With the exception of one lap under caution, the veteran would not run outside the field's top 10 again the remainder of the race.

Mark had powered the Viagra® Ford into second place by the time the day's fifth caution was called on lap 67. Mark would run in second place for the next 49 laps before finally over taking the No. 8 car of Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the lead. Mark was still in the lead 15 laps later when the team came into the pits for a green flag pit stop to take on four tires and fuel. An excellent stop of 14.44 seconds helped preserve the lead and once the field had cycled through Mark remained in the lead on lap 136, where he would run for the next 55 laps.

Mark Martin at Darlington

Mark was still in the lead when caution was called on lap 190 for the sixth time of the day. With the car running 'tight', Mark came in for four tires, fuel and to make an adjustment to the track bar. Despite a quick stop of 14.79 seconds, Mark returned to the field running in third place when the field went green on lap 196. However, he was able to power the Viagra Ford back into second place just one lap later, before zoning in on race leader Jeff Gordon.

Mark spent the next several laps moving in on Gordon and was still running in second place, but gaining ground fast, when the day's final caution was called on lap 236. The team came in for four tires and another track bar adjustment in yet another quick stop. However, NASCAR forced Mark to come back into the pits on the following lap after it deemed that the front tire changer had failed to properly tighten all five lug nuts. Mark came back into the pits one lap later to have the lug nuts tightened and returned to the field at the back of the lead lap in 11th position.

Still Mark was able to drive past the adversity and continue his move to a top-five finish.

The car was moderately fast off the truck on Friday, but struggled in qualifying. By the end of happy hour on Saturday, the Viagra® Racing Team had the No. 6 Ford Taurus running some of the fastest times of the field.

Mark and the No. 6 Viagra® Racing Team will return to action next Sunday at the Bristol Motor Speedway.