The Checker Auto Parts 500k

Mark and the Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Mark goes by Jeremy Mayfield at Phoenix

Racing Team ran to their fourth straight top-10 finish with a strong fourth-place run in Sunday's Checker Auto Parts 500K in Phoenix.

The finish was the second straight top-five finish for the Viagra® Racing Team, who ran inside the field's top-five virtually the entire race on Sunday. Mark, who qualified and started seventh in the race, moved into fourth place with 36 laps remaining and held position for the remainder of the day.

The finish moved Mark to within 89 laps of first place in the championship hunt, with only one race remaining in the 2003 season. The finish is Mark's 21st top-10 and 11th top-five of 2003.

"The Viagra® Racing Team did a heck of a job this weekend," said Mark after the race. "The car was awful good today, especially early and we were competitive all day. With a little better track position later on, we had a car that could have won this race."

Mark broke into the field's top-five on lap 21 and was running in fourth by lap 33. The Viagra® Ford Taurus was still running in fourth when green flag pitting began on lap 110. Mark brought the Viagraā Taurus in for the second pit stop of the day to take on four tires and fuel. Once the field had cycled through a stop of 14.163 seconds had Mark running in second place by lap 122.

Running in second place when green flag pitting began on lap 221, Mark stayed out and led laps 224 and 225 - earning five bonus points - before heading into the pits. With the car getting tight, the team made an air pressure adjustment and took on four tires and fuel in another quick stop. Mark returned to the field in seventh place on lap 228, but made his way to sixth place on the following lap.

Mark passed point's leader Tony Stewart on lap 241 to move into fifth place. The veteran driver would run inside the top five for the remaining 78 laps of the race. Mark had moved to fourth place when the day's fourth caution was called on lap 257. The Viagraā Racing Team came in for a wedge adjustment and four tires and fuel. Two teams only took two tires and Mark returned in fifth place when the field went green on lap 264.

Nineteen laps later Mark made the move to fourth place, and moved on to the top-five finish. Roush teammate Matt Kenseth went on to win the race as Roush boasted three drivers in the field's top-10.

"The car wasn't as strong towards the end of the race as it was early on," said Mark. "But this was still a great effort by the Viagraā Racing Team. We fought all day and we'll keep fighting until the end of the race next week."

Mark and the Viagra® Racing Team will conclude the 2003 season next Sunday in Homestead. Mark enters the race in second place in the points standings, 89 points behind first place.