Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 2000

Problems in the pits plagued Mark during Sunday's Pop Secret 400 as well. When Mark pitted on lap 158, a Spencer and Mark spin out

lug nut jammed in the air gun socket and he lost many positions in the pits. A subsequent visit to the pits was made to add spring rubbers to both front springs. Mark rejoined the race in 27th place and was caught up in an acident on lap 175. "I don't know what happened," he said. "We had some trouble in the pits and that's what happens when you end up in the back. Spencer spun in front of us and I didn't expect Skinner to slow down that much. It's a shame because we had a good car and I would have liked to have seen what we could have done with it today."

PHOENIX PREVIEW:
In 12 career starts at Phoenix International Raceway, Mark has posted one win, seven top-five finishes (including five second-place results) and 10 top-10 finishes. He started fourth and finished second at the race in 1999. "I like racing at Phoenix," Martin said. "I'be always had pretty good luck there, which is something we need to finish up this year. We've had a tough season, and I'd really like to win at least one more race before the season ends. The team is working as hard as ever, but sometimes luck is just not with you. We've had five DNFs this season, which is unheard of for this team. Three of them have been accidents that never should have happened. There were about three more races we should have won, but luck did not go our way. Hopefully, since we've had a weekend off, the break will help turn our luck around."

JR-85 AT PHOENIX
Mark will drive JR-85 at Phoenix. It will be only the second start for the car, which Mark drove to a fifth-place finish at Charlotte last month. "That was a pretty good car at Charlotte," he said. "We should be very competitive on Sunday. By this point in the season, there aren't a lot of cars to choose from. The car I had at Rockingham was great, but now it is just a pile of sheet metal at the shop. I swore I wouldn't drive the Martinsville car again, so the guys in the fab shop are hard at work getting cars ready for the final two races."


Congratulations, Dale Jarrett, for the win at the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 in Rockingam, NC