The 2006 Sylvania 300

Mark picked up two positions in the final two laps of Sunday’s Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway Mark at Loudon 2006

to bring home a solid finish in the opener of the 10-race Chase for the Nextel Cup. Mark ran as high as fourth and inside the top 10 for the majority of the race. With Mark running in 10th, the team pitted for four tires and fuel after the race’s ninth caution on lap 264. Several other teams opted for two-tire stops, and Mark went back out in 14th position. With passing conditions difficult and another late caution the strategy failed to work the way the team had planned, but Mark was still able to drive back to 11th before the checkered flag fell on the 300-mile event.

"We had a really good car and it's a shame that we didn't finish higher than that,” said Mark after the race. “It's good that we had a fast race car at least, and I was real pleased with our race car. Pat (Tryson) and the guys did a super job on it getting it where it was and keeping it where it was all day."

“We ran better than that, but things usually go wrong for me a lot worse than that here, so I'll take it,” added Mark. “We knew this was going be a tough one for us, but actually when the race started we had a sweet race car and it was a lot better than I thought. Right there at the end we lost a little bit of track position and wound up 11th."

Mark passed the No. 8 and No. 12 cars to move into 11th on lap 292, seconds before Kyle Petty lost his engine bringing out the final caution of the race. However, Mark was shown behind the two cars at the scoring loop and Mark was forced to restart in 13th position behind the No. 8 and No. 12, rather than 11th. The race resumed green flag action for the final time on lap 295, setting up what would be a five-lap run to the finish. Mark was up on the wheel hard, again picking off the pair of cars and coming up just short of 10th place teammate Matt Kenseth.

“We just got too far back there at the end and I was really up on the wheel and on those guys hard fighting for the positions,” added Mark. “If we had of had one more lap I think we could have gotten the No. 17 as well, but we just were too far back and ran out of time.”

Mark started the race 26th after a disappointing qualifying run on Friday, but he wasted little time powering the AAA Ford Fusion through the field once the green flag fell on Sunday’s race. Mark needed only 15 laps to break into the top 20 and he was running all the way up in 17th when the race’s second caution was issued on lap 29. Crew Chief Pat Tryson and the team opted for a two-tire stop and the strategy moved Mark into seventh position when green-flag racing resumed on lap 30. Four laps later, Mark passed three cars to move to fourth.

Eventually, the two tires wore and he settled back into sixth where he was running when caution came out on lap 81. The team took on four tires and fuel and used a 13.81-second stop to move back into the top five when the field went green on lap 85. Mark stayed out an extra lap as the field started green-flag pitting on lap 164. He was able to lead lap 170 -- gaining five valuable bonus points in the point standings – before coming down pit road on lap 171 for four tires and fuel. Mark remained on the lead lap, running in ninth once the field had settled through its stops on lap 176.

He had moved to seventh by the time the race’s seventh caution was issued on lap 194. The team again came down pit road for four tires and fuel and delivered a 13.5-second stop. A handful of cars opted for two tires only and Mark went back out in 11th position. Running 10th, the team topped off with fuel on lap 211 after caution eight, hoping to go the distance. However, the ninth caution on lap 264 foiled that strategy and Tryson brought Mark down pit road for the four tires and fuel, setting up his final stretch run to the finish.

With the finish, Mark moved up to sixth in the point standings. With just one of 10 Chase races down, Mark is currently 75 points behind leader and eventual race winner Kevin Harvick. He trails fifth place by 11 points and leads seventh by six points.

“This is just one race,” said Mark. “I'm not worried about it. I thought we would lose more points than this today, so we actually did well. And, you know what's next? Dover,” smiled Mark, referring to the track where he has won four times and has finished top 10 in five straight and inside the top four in four of the last five. One of Mark’s favorite and most successful tracks, Dover has seen Mark put up 19 top-five finishes, 25 top 10’s and four poles. Mark won at Dover in 2004 and finished ninth there in the spring.