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Mark and the Viagra® (sildenafil Mark and Stewart on the pole

citrate) Racing Team appeared poised for yet another strong finish at Lowe's Motor Speedway on Sunday, but mechanical problems late in the race erased Mark's chances of another victory on the 1.5 mile track.

"It was just a tough deal," said Mark after the race. "We got a great set of tires on that last run, and if we would of been at full power we would have been really trucking. We've had a tough three weeks now, but we just have to keep fighting."

Mark ran inside the top-10 for much of the day, after starting second (according to the points) when rain forced the cancellation of qualifying on Friday. With the car tight early, Mark fell back to 11th place when green flag pitting began on lap 59. A moment later, Mark came in on lap 64 to make wedge and air pressure adjustments in order to free the car up and to take on fuel and four tires. Mark returned to the field in 11th-place.

By lap 81, Mark was in eighth place and running some of the fastest times on the race track. By lap 106 the veteran was in seventh place and was again running the fastest times of any car.

The Viagra® Ford Taurus was running in fifth place on lap 145. The car began to push a little, and at the half-way mark of lap 167, Mark found himself in ninth place. Mark came into the pits on lap 205 to make another wedge and air pressure adjustment and take on tires and fuel. He returned to the field in 19th place, as a lot of cars were on a different pit cycle and had not pitted yet.

By lap 234, Mark was running in 11th place with 100 laps remaining in the race. The team pitted for the fifth time just five laps later, where they pulled a spring rubber and took on four tires and fuel. Mark returned to the field in 15th place, hoping to mount a run to the front.

Mark gained two places up to 13th place by lap 257 when the car began to experience mechanical problems. Mark would be forced to run the remaining 60 laps down a cylinder. The veteran driver stayed tough, losing only three more positions, despite the handicap.

Mark was able to stay out a few extra laps on the next pit cycle, leading laps 301 and 302 and earning five bonus points on the day. He finished the race 16th, one lap down.

"Mark did a great job hanging in there," said crew chief Ben Leslie. "A lot of drivers would have lost it during that situation, but he hung in there and got all he could out of it." "We'll just have to regroup and come back and see what happens next week."

The Viagra® Racing Team will attempt to get back on track when they head to Martinsville, next Sunday. Five races remain in the 2003 season, with Mark trailing first place by 122 and second by 25.