Viagra® Racing Team Concludes 2003 Season at Homestead
Mark Martin and the #6 Viagra® Racing Team
Home-Stead Speedway/November 16, 2003
Roush Racing

HOMESTEAD, FLA. (Nov. 16, 2003) – Mark Martin and the Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Racing team carried high hopes into Sunday’s Ford 400 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. Indeed Martin and the team had one of the fastest cars on the track during the season finale. The team looked poised to take home another top 10 finish, when Martin and the No. 0 car of Ward Burton tangled up on lap 243; sending both cars to the garage and providing an early ending to both team’s day and season.

"We got too racy there with Ward there,” said Martin. “Ward and I were racing real hard and we got together and went around. It’s an unfortunate way to end the day because we had a pretty fast car all day, especially on long runs.”

Banking was added to the track during the off-season and the teams were allowed to test and choose between two cars to run during Sunday’s race. After testing on Wednesday, Martin and new crew chief Pat Tryson opted to go with a car that Tryson brought over from the No. 21 team of the Wood Brothers and the decision paid off. Martin posted some of the fastest times on the track during Friday’s practice session. However, due to track conditions the car was overly loose during qualifying and Martin was forced to take a provisional, starting 40th in Sunday’s race.

However, Martin wasted no time moving up the field, gaining five positions just three laps into the race when the day’s first caution was called. Several of the cars dove into the pits for fuel. Martin stayed out and restarted the race in 21st position. The car’s handling tightened up and Martin had fallen to 22nd place when the day’s second caution came out on lap 28. Martin came into the pits for four tires and to free the car up with wedge and air pressure adjustments. Martin once again restarted the race in 21st place.

The adjustments saw huge payoffs and Martin started to run some of the fastest times on the track, moving into 15th place by lap 52. By lap 67, Martin was the fastest car on the track, as he powered the No. 6 Viagra? Ford into the top 10. Martin had moved all the way to seventh place when caution No. three was called on lap 74. After another quick caution a few laps later Martin was running in ninth place, as the car began to once again get tight in its handling.

Martin remained in the top 10 and was running ninth when the day’s fifth caution was issued on lap five. The team came in for four tires and fuel and to once again make a wedge adjustment in hopes of freeing up the car. Martin restarted the race in 12th place and was running 11th when caution no. six was called a few laps later on lap 141. The majority of the field pitted for tires, but Martin came into the pits for fuel only and was running in sixth place when the race went green on lap 151.

Martin broke into the top 10 on the next lap, but got caught up in traffic and quickly fell to 10th place by lap 155. By lap 168 Martin had dropped all the way to 17th position and the car again became tight. Stronger on long runs, the car began to improve and Martin broke back into the top 15 by lap 183. Two laps later the veteran maneuvered by three cars to take 12th place.

The No. 6 was running in 11th place when the team came into the pits under caution for four tires, fuel and another wedge adjustment. Excellent work in the pits saw the team reel off a 14.227-second stop and Martin returned to the field in ninth place and with enough fuel to go the distance in the race.

Still struggling on short runs, Martin dropped to 11th place on lap 226, but rebounded and moved back into the top 10 on lap 241. Two laps later Martin and Burton got tangled up in the accident and Martin and the team had to settle for a 33rd place finish. A disappointing finish to an equally disappointing season that saw several races end after getting tangled up in accidents.

Still Martin was upbeat after the race about his team’s future.

“We had a pretty fast car, and I was really happy with it,” said Martin. “It was certainly a top 10 car for sure. We were really great on the long runs. I wish I would have had some race cars like that this year because that thing was awesome.”

“I just can’t say enough about the way this team hung in there this year and kept fighting no matter what happened. I can’t thank them enough for that. I’m excited about what we have going on right now and we are ready to tackle the off season and come back strong next year.”

TOTAL WINNINGS 2003 SEASON: $4,066,267 (Includes Gatorade 125 and The Winston)
TOTAL POINTS: 3769 (-1253)
PLUS/MINUS: No change
POSITION IN STANDINGS: 17th
STARTS: 36
WINS: 0
TOP 5: 5
TOP 10: 10

DATE	RACE & TRACK	START	FINISH	STATUS	LAPS COMPLETED	WINNINGS
February 8	Bud Shootout Daytona International Speedway	9	17	Running	70/70	$31,700
February 13	Gatorade 125 Race 2 Daytona International Speedway	7	14	Running	50/50	$22,070
February 16	Daytona 500 Daytona International Speedway	26	5	Running	109/200 (rain)	$439,959
February 23	Subway 400 North Carolina Speedway	3	7	Running	393/393	$93,443
March 2	UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 Las Vegas Motor Speedway	29	43	Engine failure	114/267	$91,542
March 9	Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 Atlanta Motor Speedway	29	42	Engine failure	133/325	$79,843
March 16	Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 Darlington Raceway	27	4	Running	293/293	$114,813
March 23	Food City 500 Bristol Motor Speedway	29	19	Running	451/500	$95,368
March 30	Samsung/Radio Shack 500 Texas Motor Speedway	32	5	Running	334/334	$173,058
April 6	Aaron's 499 Talladega Superspeedway	9	26	Running	154/188	$102,783
April 13	Virginia 500 Martinsville Speedway	17	24	Running	499/500	$85,433
April 27	Auto Club 500 California Speedway	22	17	Out Of Race	249/250	$107,358
May 3	Pontiac Excitement 400 Richmond International Raceway	30	5	Running	393/393	$102,533
May 17	The Winston Lowe's Motor Speedway	14	15	Eliminated	69	$66,104
May 25	Coca-Cola 600 Lowe's Motor Speedway	21	29	Running	273/276	$107,183
June 1	MBNA Armed Forces Family 400 Dover International Speedway	32	18	Running	399/400	$97,968
June 8	Pocono 500 Pocono Raceway	6	2	Running	200/200	$152,278
June 15	Sirius Satellite Radio 400 Michigan International Speedway	9	15	Running	200/200	$96,248
June 22	Dodge/Save Mart 350 Infineon Raceway	17	19	Running	110/110	$93,208
July 5	Pepsi 400 Daytona International Speedway	33	20	Running	160/160	$106,708
July 13	Tropicana 400 Chicagoland Speedway	13	14	Running	266/267	$103,883
July 20	New England 300 New Hampshire International Speedway	12	18	Running	300/300	$90,133
July 27	Pennsylvania 500 Pocono Raceway	14	41	Accident	74/200	$75,923
August 3	Bickyard 400 Indianapolis Motor Speedway	25	9	Running	160/160	$180,433
August 10	Sirius At The Glen Watkins Glen International	3	10	Running	90/90	$90,598
August 17	Michigan 400 Michigan International Speedway	37	17	Running	200/200	$89,323
August 23	Sharpie 500 Bristol Motor Speedway	2	36	Accident	346/500	$94,813
August 31	Mountain Dew Southern 500 Darlington Raceway	7	33	Accident	307/367	$85,638
September 6	Chevy Rock & Roll 400 Richmond International Raceway	3	13	Running	400/400	$89,463
September 14	Sylvania 300 New Hampshire International Speedway	33	28	Running	298/300	$87,583
September 21	MBNA America 400 Dover International Speedway	16	22	Running	398/400	$91,323
September 28	EA Sports 500 Talladega Superspeedway	15	23	Running	188/188	$92,103
October 5	Banquet 400 Kansas Speedway	38	20	Running	267/267	$103,483
October 11	UAW-GM Quality 500 Lowe's Motor Speedway	27	11	Running	334/334	$93,108
October 19	Subway 500 Martinsville Speedway	23	14	Running	500/500	$85,008
October 27	Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 Atlanta Motor Speedway	39	39	Engine Failure	159/325	$95,833
November 2	Checker Auto Parts 500 Phoenix International Raceway	12	10	Running	312/312	$99,133
November 9	Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 North Carolina Speedway	12	41	Engine Failure	239/393	$79,773
November 16	Ford 400 Homestead Miami Speedway	40	33	Accident	242/267	$79,113