The 2005 Sylvania 300

Mark and the Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Racing Team scored their best finish at Loudon since July of 2000 with a seventh-place Mark leads the way at Loudon

run at New Hampshire Int’l Speedway in Sunday’s New Hampshire 300. Mark was solid all day, leading 31 laps en route to a strong finish in the first of 10 races that will decide the 2005 Nextel Cup Champion. Mark battled fellow veteran Rusty Wallace down to the wire, narrowly missing out on sixth. “First of all I have to thank Jimmy Fennig and the No. 97 Team for letting us use a great car,” said Mark. “And Pat Tryson and the Viagra® Team did a great job setting the car up. We had a good car and I’m a little disappointed that I couldn’t get it up there a little further.

“Still it was a good start to the Chase and a top-10 finish at a track that hasn’t been our strong point,” added Mark. “Now we’ll get ready for Dover where we hope to be really strong again and if we can put together another run there, we’ll be in good shape.”

Mark started the race 15 th and struggled early with the car’s grip on the slick track. By lap 33 he fell back to as low as 25th before the car’s handling eventually came around. By lap 48 Mark had moved the Viagra® Ford back inside the top 20 and he had motored his way up to 16th by lap 71 when the day’s third caution afforded the No. 6 team the opportunity to come into the pits for the first time of the day. Taking four tires and fuel the team delivered with a fast stop that moved Mark up to 12 th position when the field went green on lap 77.

Mark was still running in 12 th when the day’s fourth caution was called on lap 104. Mark again came into the pits for four fresh tires and fuel. Many of the cars opted for a two-tire stop and Mark returned in 12th when green flag racing resumed. Having taken four tires on lap 104 gave Mark the opportunity to take two tires under the next caution on lap 136. The nifty strategy by crew chief Pat Tryson sent Mark back out in the lead when green flag racing resumed on lap 141.

Mark would lead the next 30 laps of the race, before giving up the lead to Tony Stewart on lap 171 just after the restart after the day’s seventh caution. Running against cars on fresher tires, Mark quickly dropped back to sixth place.

Kyle Busch spun out on lap 179 causing the eighth caution of the day and Mark closing in at Loudon

the team came down pit road for four tires and fuel. Now on a different pit cycle than much of the field, Mark returned in 20th place when green-flag racing resumed.

Mark was able to narrowly avoid the spinning No. 38 car just in front of him on the restart after the day’s ninth caution on lap 201. The incident cost Mark two positions, but he quickly regrouped, eventually breaking back inside the top 10 on lap 235. As the field began to pit under green Mark moved up to as high as third position, before coming into the pits under green himself on lap 266. He returned to the field in 21 st place as many of the cars were on a different pitting cycle and had yet to pit.

The No. 6 Ford was up to 13 th position when the day’s 10 th caution was called on lap 279. Once the other cars had pitted, Mark returned to the field in seventh position. The veteran would spend the remaining 17 laps holding off the No. 48 car of Jimmie Johnson, while batting for sixth position with the No. 2 car. Mark would come up just inches short of passing Wallace at the finish line, as he moved on to the seventh-place run.

“The team gave me a great car,” said Mark. “We had a tough fight with Rusty (Wallace) there at the end and came up just a little short. But it was a good day for the Viagra® Team and a solid effort to lead off the Chase.”