Mark and Ginn Racing have announced that Mark will run the Pepsi 400 on
July 7 at Daytona International Speedway. The addition puts Mark's
limited 2007 Nextel Cup schedule at 23 for the season. Rookie Regan
Smith is slated to drive the remainder of the Cup races in the No. 01
U.S. Army Chevrolet."I've kind of had that one penciled into the back of my head for sometime," said Mark who's second place finish to Kevin Harvick in Sunday's Daytona 500 was one of the closest in the history of the Great American Race. "We were pretty sure that we might add it for a while, but after the car that the guys gave me on Sunday and with as much fun that we had in the 500, I just don't see any reason not to go back Daytona and see if we can't finish the job in July."
Mark, who resides in Daytona Beach, led 26 of the final 27 laps and finished just two-one hundredths of a second to Harvick on Sunday, but is quick to point out there are no sour grapes with the finish.
"That was a tremendous amount of fun," added Mark, who made his debut on Sunday with new team Ginn Racing, driving the U.S. Army car. "All I wanted was a chance to win the Daytona 500 and those guys gave me that chance, and you just can't ask for more than that. Coming off of turn four there we were right in the thick of things -- in real contention to win the Daytona 500. For a racer, it just doesn't get much better than that."
Mark and Ginn have also released the second half of Mark's 2007 schedule, which in addition to Daytona includes; Chicagoland, Indianapolis, Michigan, Kansas, Charlotte, Atlanta, Texas and the season finale at Homestead.
Mark and the U.S. Army Team head to California Speedway this weekend, where Mark will also team up with the Wood Brothers in the No. 21 Craftsman Truck. Mark won last year's truck race at California.
MARK'S/GINN RACING 2007 NEXTEL CUP SCHEDULE
Feb. 10 Bud Shootout @ Daytona
Feb. 18 Daytona 500
Feb. 25 California Speedway
March 11 Las Vegas Motor Speedway
March 18 Atlanta Motor Speedway
April 15 Texas Motor Speedway
April 21 Phoenix International Raceway
May 5 Richmond International Raceway
May 12 Darlington Raceway
May 19 Nextel All-Star Challenge
May 27 Cola-Cola 600
June 3 Dover International Speedway
June 10 Pocono Raceway
June 17 Michigan International Speedway
July 7 Daytona International Speedway
July 15 Chicagoland Speedway
July 29 Indianapolis Motor Speedway
August 19 Michigan International Speedway
Sept. 30 Kansas Speedway
Oct. 13 Lowe.s Motor Speedway
Oct. 28 Atlanta Motor Speedway
Nov. 4 Texas Motor Speedway
Nov. 18 Homestead-Miami Speedway
