The 2004 Pennsylvania 500

Mark used his sixth-career second-place finish at Pocono Raceway to move to Mark battles Jimmie Johnson

within 89 points of tenth place in the Nextel Cup point race. Mark had one of the fastest cars all day, running in the field’s top two for the final 75 laps of the race, including 10 laps led along the way. The finish is Mark’s third top five of the season and his eighth top 10.

"That's nearly as good as a win,” said Mark. “I tell you what, this Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) team had this Taurus working today. I just couldn't run with the No. 48, but, boy, we had a time with the rest of them. I had a great power plant with Ford under the hood. It was an awesome car. Pat Tryson, Wally Brown and these guys are just incredible. I just want to thank everybody that supports us.

“I've sure got a great race team and I just appreciate their effort,” added Mark. “This is what I've wanted to do all my life is contend for these races and I feel like a kid again to be able to get out there and do it in these cars. I'm happy. I don't know about the points. I'm not worried about it. I don’t even know if we can get there, but, heck, if we can go win some races. I want to win the Brickyard next week. If we do that, maybe we'll get there. Ask me after next week and I might know a little more.”

Scattered showers and heavy fog vastly limited the team’s time on the track during the weekend, as the team’s had only one hour of practice on Friday and both practice sessions on Saturday were cancelled. Mark had an early draw in Friday’s rain-delayed qualifying that proved detrimental, as cooler temperatures later in the day allowed several cars to pick up their times and Mark was forced to settle for a 21st place starting position.

However Mark wasted little time on Sunday establishing himself as one of the fastest players in the game, powering the Viagra? Ford inside the top 10 by lap 21. By lap 30 Mark was running in seventh position and turning the fastest lap times on the track. The team came into the pits one lap later to take four tires and fuel. The Viagra over-the-wall crew, who had a fantastic day in the pits, turned in a 13.612-second stop and once the field had cycled through Mark was running in seventh position.

The day’s first caution was issued on lap 50 and the team used the opportunity to come into the pits for four tires, fuel and a track-bar adjustment. A 14.25-second stop helped Mark gain a position and the veteran was running in sixth position when the field went green on lap 55. The car began to get ‘really’ loose during the run and when caution was issued again on lap 89, the team came down pit road for additional adjustments.

The team turned in a 13.79-second stop to take fuel, four tires and to go an additional two rounds down on the left rear track bar. Mark returned to the field inside the top five for the first time of the day as the field went back to racing on lap 87. Caution was called again just before the halfway mark, with Mark running in sixth position. In yet another lightening fast stop, the team took on four tires and fuel in 13.5-seconds, but several cars behind Mark opted for gas only, placing the Viagra Ford in 16th place.

The Taurus did not perform as well in the heavy traffic of the mid pack and Mark struggled on the restart. However by lap 118 Mark had moved the car back inside the field’s top 10 where he was running when the day’s fifth caution was called on lap 121. In order to attain better track position, the team took two tires and fuel only in a 6.52-second stop that put Mark out in fourth place when green flag action resumed on lap 123.

Mark quickly moved his black and blue Viagra Ford into second place before caution was called again on lap 125. Mark took the lead under caution on lap 129, earning five bonus points on the day. The field returned to green on lap 133 with Mark in the lead, followed by the No. 48 car of Jimmie Johnson, who had been the dominate car most of the day. Conserving fuel, Mark was able to hold off Johnson for several laps, before eventually surrendering the lead on lap 139.

While being close to being able to finish the race on fuel with only one more stop, Mark was able to conserve valuable fuel, while holding onto second place until the day’s seventh caution was issued on lap 160. With the pressure on, the Viagra Racing Team held serve with its fastest stop of the day, a 13.374-second stop to take on four tires and enough fuel to make it to end of the race.

Mark was able to hold off all challengers for the remaining 20 laps of the race for the second-place finish. A late caution with just over five laps remaining would give Mark one more shot at the No. 48, but Johnson was just too fast on this day. Mark however was able to fend off the No. 9 car for the last two laps to hold onto the second-place finish, his sixth second-place finish in 36 races Pocono Raceway.

The finish marked the third time in the last three years that Mark has finished one of the Pocono races in second position. It was also Mark’s record 17th top-five finish at Pocono and his 25th top-10 at the track.

The strong run also helped move Mark back to within striking distance of the coveted Nextel Cup top-10.

In typical fashion, Mark had his mind on the next race – the famed Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – before he even left the track at Pocono on Sunday.

“We need to go win the Brickyard,” said Mark. “You all know I don't say stuff like that very often. If we do that, then you all come and ask me if we can get to the top 10, but let's don't dwell on that right now because really all that matters to me and my team right now is winning the Brickyard.

“That would make up for all the heartbreak that we've experienced this year. That would make a season. It's very difficult to single out one race and go get it, but, you know, my guys after a heartbreak at Charlotte said, 'We've just got to go win Dover.' I thought under my breath, 'Yeah, right.' And we did.”

Mark and the No. 6 Viagra® Team will get that chance again next Sunday at Indianapolis.