Mark made the cut. There will be much joyful noise at the next chapter
meeting of Sad Sacks Anonymous, and most of it will be reserved for Mark.
With a fifth-place showing at RIR last night, NASCAR's perennial bridesmaid
and resident Professor of Gloom nailed down eighth in the Nextel Cup
standings and assured himself a berth in the sport's newly configured
playoffs. Say amen, brothers and sisters. Your benedictions are
well-placed."I'm going to sleep tonight," Mark said in the aftermath, a grin creasing his face. "It's fantastic. The pressure's off. I promise it will be a lot less stressful from here on out."
He was an easy guy to root for last night. He'll be a sentimental favorite over the next 10 weeks. That's partly because Mark is 45 and closing fast on career's end and mostly because he's been second-best more often than Marv Levy, Ashlee Simpson and Nicky Hilton combined. He's finished second in the point standings four times. He was second to Geoff Bodine for rookie of the year in 1982. His hometown of Batesville, Ark., is even the second-oldest city in the state.
His longtime car owner, Jack Roush, is second to none in mourning the absence of a championship in his aging driver's portfolio.
"I feel a grave responsibility and sadness that given his abilities as a driver and his commitment to the sport and his commitment to me that I have not been able to provide him with enough support to lead to the ultimate prize," said Roush.
The ultimate downer was 1990. It was Mark's third year with the Roush operation. It also was the year his car was docked 46 points for having an illegal carburetor spacer at RIR's spring race. He eventually lost the title to Dale Earnhardt by 26 points. To this day, Roush questions the inspection ruling and thinks his guy wuz robbed. To this day, Mark claims the setback was no more painful than the runnerup performances of 1994, 1998 or 2002, when he fell 38 shy of Tony Stewart.
"They either gnaw at me equally or don't bother me equally," Mark said. "I'm proud of the things I've done in my career, not mad 'cause I wasn't good enough."
He's won 34 races on the Cup circuit and been top-five in points 10 times. But he's also gone winless twice over the past four seasons. He was a career-worst 17th in the standings in 2003. And when his engine died seven laps into the season-launching Daytona 500 and he finished last and continued to struggle into late June, even Mark ("That's it it's over") figured he was a goner.
He wasn't. He whooshed home third or better in three of the four races preceding last night's start and inched up to 10th on the bubble. He'll tell you the guys in his shop and on his crew made the rally possible. They'll tell you it's been a labor of love.
"He's done so much for the sport," said crew chief Pat Tryson. "When some of us were just learning this business, there was him and Earnhardt battling it out each week. The guys bust it for him 'cause they like him and they know he'll do everything he can to get the most out of the car. He always finishes a couple of places ahead of where you think he should."
He maybe finished, period, last night because he's still got the touch. Running in the top five on Lap 178, he came upon a mayhem-inducing dustup that wiped out series leader Jimmie Johnson. Mark spun out but avoided sheet-metal damage, gathered himself and kept rolling. He's a pro's pro. He's got a pro-Mark contingent around him as well.
"I'm thrilled Mark got in," said Roush teammate Matt Kenseth. "I saw him this morning, and he was ready to throw up in the garbage can. I told him everything would be OK. He looks a little more relieved now."
Frankly, he was even a tad feisty. He said he liked his chances at the tracks where the 2004 title will be settled. He said he was capable of winning races. He said he had several first-rate cars ready to go. He said his team was "ready for this thing."
This was Mark talking, remember. A much different Mark than the one who spoke with reporters recently about the brick walls he's steered into during his star-crossed career.
"Every time I've been close, I've had the legs knocked out from under me," he said then. "I've had my heart broke so many times. Things have a way of not working out for me."
They did this time. Applause and warm fuzzies are in order.
