The 2006 GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan

Mark held off a charging Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the final laps at Michigan International Speedway to run to a fifth place Michigan 2006

finish in the GFS 400. The finish was Mark’s second top-five in the last three races and it moved Mark up two places to fourth in the Nextel Cup point standings with only three races remaining before the 26-race cutoff point for the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

“This is a good run for us,” said Mark after the race. “We had a very strong car there at the end. It took us all day to get running, but once we did we were really strong. I’m proud of the AAA team, they gave me a good car and we were pretty strong at the end.”

Mark struggled with a loose race car early on and for much of the race, falling back to as far as 22nd early. However, after several adjustments in the pits, the car eventually came around, developing into one of the fastest cars in the race as Mark made his charge to the front late in the race. Mark broke into the top 10 on lap 144 and never looked back. By lap 151 he was turning the fastest times on the race track, breaking into the top five on lap 169 and holding on for his fifth top-five finish of the season. Mark battled Earnhardt Jr. down to the final lap to hang on to the finish.

“That was one more off the list,” said Mark. “If we can get through Bristol without wrecking, we’ll be in pretty good shape. The AAA team did a great job today, and I’m really proud of the effort.”

Mark started the race 14th and moved into 11th position by just the second lap of the race. However, the car’s handling eventually became extremely loose in the hot sun, and the team came down pit road after the day’s second caution on lap 11 to take two tires and make a track bar adjustment to help tighten up the car’s handling. Mark returned in 22nd position when the field returned to green on lap 14.

Mark soon reported that the car was still ‘way too loose’, and he returned to the pits on lap 23 after the race’s third caution to make an additional wedge adjustment and take four fresh tires. The car remained ‘loose’, but Mark was still able to work his way up to 15th position by lap 39. The team adjusted the car under caution on lap 43 and stayed out under caution on lap 53. The car’s handling finally began coming around allowing Mark to work his way to 13th by lap 59.

Crew chief Pat Tryson brought Mark into the pits four laps later after caution number six was waved. The call was to take two tires and Mark went back out in 19th position. He again patiently mounted a march forward reaching 13th place by lap 76, before the car’s handling tightened up too much and began to push in the corner. Mark again fell back to 17th position by lap 92 before the leaders on different pit cycles began to pit on lap 96. Mark moved up to third place as the leaders pitted, before eventually coming into the pits on lap 108 to take four tires, fuel and wedge out.

Mark was back in 15th when caution number seven was called on lap 113. Michigan 2006

This time the team was able to stay out and Mark started in ninth position when green-flag racing resumed on lap 119. By lap 122 Mark was running the fastest times on the race track, as he moved into sixth place on lap 129. Caution was issued moments later, and the team decided to come down pit road once again for four tires. The gamble worked with Mark coming back out in 10th as the field went green on lap 134. By lap 151, Mark was again the fastest car on the track, as he again powered his way to sixth position. Nine laps later the race’s 10th and final caution was called and the team came down pit road for the seventh and final time of the day, putting on four tires and taking fuel in its fastest stop of the say with a time of 13.3-seconds.

Mark went back out in eighth, as a few cars opted for two tires and fuel only. Mark was able to drive back to sixth by lap 165, before breaking into the top five on lap 172 with 28 laps to go in the race. Mark surrendered fifth place to Jeff Gordon two laps later, but he moved back into fifth with a handful of laps remaining. He was forced to battle hard for the position down the stretch, but was able to hold on to the finish.

With the run, Mark is now 138 points ahead of 11th and 89 points in front of 10th. He trails third by 78 and leads fifth by 11. The finish was Mark’s 16th top-five Cup finish at Michigan International Speedway. The team returns to action next Saturday night at Bristol, where Mark finished seventh in the spring.