Mark visited the NASCAR garage area today at Daytona
International Speedway, just two months after back surgery.
Mark plans to get in the No. 6 Valvoline Ford on Friday,
but won't be officially testing for the team.
"We're
just going to put my seat in tomorrow and I'll take a
few laps just to get a good fit," said Mark. "The greatest
challenge will be getting in and out of the car. It's not
going to be the driving." Mark reported that he's
feeling better since surgery than he has in more than
two years. "I'm in a lot less pain than I have been in.
After six weeks of rest and recuperation I'm
feeling like a teenager again," he said. "Feeling
better will probably make a difference in whether I
smile or not, but it won't make a difference on the race
track," Mark said, explaining that he was able to manage
the pain he has experienced the past two years without letting
it affect his performance as a driver. "I may feel like
signing more autographs now." Mark attributes his
successful recovery to the strict fitness regimen
that's been a part of his daily lifestyle for years.
"I got up and walked the afternoon after my surgery.
The doctors say patients never do that. That's because of the
physical condition I was in before surgery. I had all that
muscle to assist me in moving." The Valvoline Ford team
was just as pleased to see Mark return to the garage as
he was to be there. "It was great seeing the team today,"
said Mark. "I've missed these guys. They're my family."
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