The 2002 Southern 500 at Darlington

Mark and the No. 6 Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Racing Team capped off a Mark battles for the points lead

rain-filled weekend with an 11th-place finish in Sunday's Mountain Dew Southern 500. Persistent rainfall forced the cancellation of both qualifying and practice on Friday, and forced a two and a half-hour delay in the start of Sunday's race.

"We really had a better car than that," said Mark after the race. "But I would imagine that a lot of people feel that way. We had our moments and we felt like we could have a stronger finish in the end. However this time, things just really didn't| go our way in the end."

Mark started on the front row in second slot, based on his position in the point standings entering the weekend, and the veteran driver wasted no time moving to the front. The race's first 19 laps were ran under caution, as NASCAR officials made sure the track was dry enough for safe racing conditions. Once the green flag fell on lap 20, Mark immediately passed points leader Sterling Marlin for the lead. Mark would lead the next 25 laps of the race.

The car began to tighten up and Mark had fallen back to 10th place when green-flag pitting began on lap 68. The team came in for four fresh tires and to make adjustments to help free up the car, and found itself in 11th position once all the cars had cycled through their stops.

With the car continuing to run tight the team used the day's first caution on lap 107 to come into the pits for further adjustments and four more tires. Mark came in running 11th, but a quick stop of 14.88 seconds sent the veteran driver back out in eighth place when the field went green on lap 109.

Eventually the numerous adjustments made the car too loose for Mark to handle, and the day's second caution on lap 153 provided the team an opportunity to come into the pits to make more adjustments. Mark entered the pits in 10th place, but a problem with the air gun of the rear-tire changer, would cost the team valuable seconds and Mark would return to the field in 19th place when the race went green on lap 159; his worst position of the day.

Mark had moved up to 17th place by the time the day's third caution was waved on lap 189. Mark entered the pits for a track bar adjustment and four new tires. An excellent stop of 14.59 seconds allowed Mark to gain five positions and the No. 6 Viagra® Ford Taurus returned to the field in 12th place when the race went green on lap 202.

Mark comes into the pits

The team would notch another impressive stop on lap 236. Mark entered the pits in 10th place after the day's fifth caution was called. Taking on four tires and another track-bar adjustment, another impressive stop of 14.40 seconds sent Mark back out in eighth place when the field went green on lap 246.

Mark worked the car up to fifth place, by the time green flag pitting started on lap 300, and the veteran driver led two more laps before entering the pits on lap 303. Another quick stop of 14.70 allowed Mark to return to the race in fifth place.

Two more cautions would occur in the next 23 laps, but the team would opt to stay out on the track. Running on older tires than several of the cars behind him, Mark would start to drop back by lap 324. Despite vigorously fighting off several cars, Mark would be unable to stay in the field's top 10 and was forced to settle for an 11th-place finish.

"Those last two cautions really hurt," said Mark. "We were better on long runs and probably could have run in the top five had the field stayed green. Still, that's the breaks. I proud of the guys, they really fought today."

Jeff Gordon went on to win the race and move past Mark in the point's race. Mark now trails first place Sterling Marlin by 125 points and Gordon by 34 points.

Mark and the No. 6 Viagra® Racing team return to action next Saturday night in Richmond.