The 2004 MBNA NASCAR Racepoints 400

Mark and the Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Racing Team had one of the fastest cars throughout Sunday’s Dover 400, Mark & Greg Biffle at Dover Sept 2005

running inside the top five for the majority of the race’s 400 laps and never running worse than seventh at any time during the day. Mark was running in second position when the day’s ninth caution was called on lap 368. Hoping to preserve track position, crew chief Pat Tryson opted for a two-tire stop and Mark went back out in the lead with only 30 laps remaining in the race.

The strategy would ultimately backfire as the rest of the field took four tires. Mark was able to hold off second place Jimmie Johnson on the restart, as his 130 lap-old left side tires would prove too much a challenge. Still, Mark was able to hold onto a spot in the top five, settling for a fourth place finish that propelled him three positions to fourth in the Nextel Cup points race. With only eight races remaining to decide the 2005 champion, Mark currently sits 21 points out of first.

“I just want to thank the fans for giving me the best year of my career.” said Mark. “Viagra and all the guys on this team have given me a shot at a championship. They tried to win the race. It maybe cost us 10 points, but that's not going to be the difference. We can win races and we can still win this championship and this was a good day for us."

“The car was just awesome,” added Mark. “It was a great car and got better the longer the race went. It's just tremendous to drive for this team. This whole weekend was right there at the top of the list. They tried to win. I told them, 'I've got 34 wins. Don't do that.' You need every point you can get here, so it'll be OK. Still, I love Pat Tryson for trying to go for the win. He won me a race here staying out just about a year ago or so. I'm happy for him to make those decisions.”

Mark started the race seventh based on Friday’s strong qualifying session. He consistently had one of the fastest cars throughout the weekend and needed only 20 laps to break into the field’s top five. Mark had moved into fourth place by the time the day’s second caution was issued on lap 70. With the car handling tight in the center of the track, the team came into the pits for four tires, fuel and adjustment in both air pressure and wedge. A quick stop by the Viagra® Team allowed Mark to return to the field in fourth.

After another stop on lap 108, Mark began to move up the field. By lap 153 he had driven his No. 6 Ford into third place, where he would run for the next 50 laps before pitting under caution on lap 202. The team posted another quick stop and returned in sixth position after several cars opted for two-tire only stops. On lap 213 he broke back into the top five, and he would never run outside the top five again.

The team took four more tires and fuel under the day’s sixth caution on lap 270 and used another fast stop to gain position up to third place when Mark & Ricky Rudd at Dover Sept 2005

racing resumed on lap 273. Mark moved into second 20 laps later, before briefly taking the lead for one lap on lap 320. Mark gave up the lead on the following lap to Kurt Busch, before dropping back to third place on lap 328 after giving up second to Johnson. Mark eventually passed Busch again for second on lap 345. He remained in second, steadily gaining on Johnson, before the ninth caution was issued on lap 368. The No. 6 team opted for the two-tire stop and Mark would spend the remaining 30 laps of the race battling for position against the field with fresher tires.

Johnson passed Mark on the restart on lap 370 and the No. 5 car of Kyle Busch would get around Mark with only 16 laps to go. Rusty Wallace was able to maneuver around Mark with only four laps remaining, just before the day’s final caution was issued. The caution forced a green-white-checkered finish and Mark would spend the final two laps of the race fighting off a feverish effort by Ryan Newman. The veteran was able to hold off Newman and move on to the fourth-place finish.

"It was a good run for us and a great run for the team,” said Mark. “They did a fabulous job. It's an honor to drive for these guys. There are a lot of races left in this thing (The Chase) and I don't need to be talking about it, I just need to be scoring them right now.”

Mark and the team will return to action next weekend at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama for the season’s fourth and final restrictor plate race of the season. Mark boasts 21 top-10 finishes and two wins during his Cup career at the 2.66-mile superspeedway.