Mark said he ranks his win in the 1998 Winston all-star event among
the most memorable of his career. Jeff Gordon appeared on his way
to victory in the race when his No. 24 Chevrolet ran out of gas on
the last lap, allowing Mark to pick up the win."That was one of the coolest nights of my life. It was a tremendous feeling. That's why we do all this stuff for," Mark said. "That's what it's all about. That's what 25 years of 100-percent total dedication is all about.
"These wins are tough to come by. That one was real special because we didn't know it was going to happen. The best ones are the ones you don't expect. The ones you expect are only a relief. They don't even feel good when they're over with. You say, `Whew, glad we didn't throw that one away.' "
Mark and his No. 6 Roush Racing-owned team are bringing a new car to Saturday night's Winston (9 p.m. Eastern, FX).
"(This) should be a good car. We took a new car to Richmond two weeks ago and sat on the pole," Mark said. "If this car runs as well as we think it will, we'll bring it back the following week to run in the 600. That is assuming it makes it out of The Winston in one piece. I haven't been that lucky the past two years in that race."
Since winning The Winston in 1998, Mark has gotten caught up in accidents the past two years that have destroyed his cars and forced the team to find alternatives for the 600 the following the week.
"It is always a tough call to bring your best car to The Winston. You really want to do well since there is quite a bit of money on the line, and it is an excellent opportunity to see how the car will run under similar conditions to the 600," Mark said.
"On the other hand, you're taking a chance of wrecking a really good car because The Winston can get pretty wild. The first two 30-lap segments aren't too bad, but those final 10 laps will have the fans on their feet.
"There is rarely a dull moment under the lights at Charlotte."
