The 2005 Emerson Radio 250

Running a special Red Apple Group paint scheme, Mark followed up his dramatic IROC Series win on Thursday night with a record tying 28th Busch Series Pole in route to a solid fourth-place finish in Friday night’s Emerson Radio 250 at Richmond International Raceway. Already the Series’ all-time winner with 47 victories, Mark will need just one more pole to set to notch his name in one more category in the record books.

“We had a really good car tonight,” said Mark after the race. “Pat Tryson and the team did a great job and we were able to go out and get us a pole and then a solid run. We just weren’t quite good enough to win it, but we were strong and it was a very good effort by this team. I’d just like to thank J.R. Triplett and the Red Apple Group who were on the car tonight.”

Mark led the first five laps, before giving up the lead on lap six. The car started out extremely ‘tight’ and Mark fell back to as low as fifth by lap 38. The No. 9 team was solid in the pits all night and gave Mark a fast stop in the pits after the day’s first caution on lap 42 that put Mark back out in third place when racing resumed on lap 46. Mark quickly moved back into second place behind the No. 21 car of Kevin Harvick that would prove to be the class of the field on the evening.

Mark would hold second place for the next 54 laps until the night’s second caution was issued on lap 98. Another quick stop in the pits on lap 100 sent Mark back out in first place when green-flag racing resumed on lap 103. Mark dropped back to second three laps later and ran there until the team came into the pits after the day’s fifth caution on lap 148. Some cars had opted for a different pit strategy and Mark returned in 10 th place, but the first of the cars that had pitted.

Several quick cautions over the next few laps would halt Mark’s progression through the field, but the veteran had powered his way back inside the top five by lap 180. He moved into third place on lap 218, but would be unable to pass second place Paul Menard over the next several laps. On lap 232 he gave up the lead to the No. 17 car of Matt Kenseth, who would also be unable to get by Menard’s No. 11 car.

Mark would settle in for the fourth place finish with Kenseth coming in third behind Menard and eventual race winner Harvick. The run is Mark’s 98th career top-five finish in the Busch Series and his 135th career top 10. The finish was Mark’s fourth top-five and fifth-top 10 finish in six Busch outings this season.

Mark and the No. 9 Busch team will return to action in October at Kansas Motor Speedway. Mark will conclude his 2005 Busch schedule at the season finale in Homestead.