I've added a link on the Home page to an edited video from the 2008 Turkey Night GP.  We struggled with our tire choice in the 98 lap main event but made the show which was sure the goal! 

 

Our successful 2008 season came to a close at Toyota Speedway on Thanksgiving Day. This is the race that we look forward to the entire year and the one that always seems to hold the most hype and excitement. This year was no different with 63 of the fastest midgets in the country trying to make the field of 30.

Practice saw me and teammate Evan Margeson in the mix from the beginning. The dream is to qualify in the top 14 which means you're in the show without having to come through a qualifying race. The last practice of the day looked promising with me in 8th position and Evan in 14th. Evan had a solid qualifying run that ultimately held up for 11th quick out of 63. I wasn't so lucky with a mechanical problem that saw me move all the way back to 52nd. Odds at that point were that only one of the team cars was going to make the show which was a downer for the team to be sure.

My qualifying race saw me start toward the back with a ton of National talent ahead of me. The crew gave me a "free" race car that was deliberately set up for the challenge that I had in store. When it was over the Speed Channel guys were in our pits with the cameras rolling as I had a great run passing 11 cars and earning a spot in the main event. We all got some good press on that one and I was sure happy for my crew.

Somewhere in the neighborhood of 1/2 the field chose to run the hard compound tire in the main event and the other half chose the softer compound tire. I'm afraid this time we chose the wrong one and had a real handful of a race car. When it was over Evan finished in 20th position and I was in 25th. While it wasn't the result that we had hoped for, it's an honor to make the field against the best and we left Irwindale knowing that our program has advanced to the point that we know we can run with the best and be competitive doing it. 

We concluded our regional season with Mark's WMRA Championship banquet on Saturday night.  Mark recieved special recognition for being the 1st ever to win both Rookie of the Year honors and the Championship in the same season.  The guys did an amazing job supporting Mark this year as he pointed out in his acceptance remarks.  Mark's teammate Evan Margeson won the coveted "Hard Charger Award" given annualy to the driver that passed the most number of cars throughout the season.  Here's a photo of the entire Atkinson Racing Team along with Evan Margeson's car owner Harold Beal and long time car owner and race supporter John Kieper:

L to R: Kent Smutny, Gregg Atkinson, John Kenderesi, Kerstin Smutny, John Gidlund, Mark Atkinson, Evan Margeson, Kenny Ferris, Tom Margeson, Harold Beal, John Kieper

 

 

We just received word that Mark's fast time at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last week is in the books as the new track record.  It's an honor to list this this as an accomplishment at a track with such rich history.  We'd like to have had a chance to close the deal there with the win but rest easier knowing that the guys have excorcised the demons from the electrical system moving forward. 

Next on our list is our Superbowl.  Turkey Night at Toyota Speedway in Irwindale will see Mark and about 60 others attempt to make a field of 26 on Thanksgiving night.  This will be a tough test for Mark in his rookie season but we have plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

Mark with Crew Chief Kenny Ferris

 

The team made the much anticipated 30 hour trek to Las Vegas this weekend.  Our hope was that there would be a full field of USAC National competition in town for the Phoenix race this coming Thursday.  We weren't disappointed.  Friday practice saw both team cars in the hunt for fast time honors.  On Saturday we opted to put my car out for one quick practice run and Evan's car out for the other session.  Qualifying looked like a story book ending for the team when Evan posted quick time and I followed up by barely bumping him from the top spot.  In the end we still held onto spots 1 and 3 against some of the best competition in the country.  The invert for the main event saw me line up in the 6th spot with Evan right in front of me. The race ranked up there with the best of the season to be sure.  In the end Evan was battling for the lead but came up just short in 2nd place to Zach Schiff driving one of the Beast house cars.  I had a great early run going, right on Evan's tail, when I had to retire due to a mechanical failure.  While I was disappointed, fast time honors against  National competition was a real confidence boost in my rookie season.  We're now on our way to Lake Havasu where we're setting up camp for the month of November.  Look for updates from Phoenix later on in the week!

 

Mark in the Atkinson Racing #23 car and Evan Margeson in the #50 car came very close to our goal of a 1-2 team finish in the prestigious USAC West race at Altamont, CA on Saturday.  In the end it was Evan getting the much deserved win and Mark pulling off with a mechanical failure with 5 laps to go.

Evan has been invaluable in Mark's development this year and sure didn't disappoint at Altamont.  He set the pace all day and masterfully worked through the entire field to bring home the victory.  Evan's consistent results against top flight national competition and Mark's historic rookie season give us a ton of momentum as we begin the toughest part of our season.  We'll be in Las Vegas on November 1st and then Phoenix the following week chasing the elusive 1-2 team finish.

Evan prepares to enter the track at Altamont:

 

The 2008 Washington Midget Racing Association season concluded last night with an historic 1st.  Mark won the 2008 Rookie of the Year honors as well as the overall 2008 championship.  This historic 1st is a remarkable feat considering the rich history and ultra-competitiveness of the series.  The WMRA has been in continuous operation since the early 40's.

It's been over 20 years since a rookie has recorded a single win in the WMRA.  Mark did it 3 times on the way to recording his historic 2008 championship.  In post race interviews last night Mark was quick to acknowledge his crew for their efforts:  "It's been a remarkable year.  I couldn't have done it without Car Chief Tom Margeson, Crew Chief Kenny Ferris, Crew members John Gidlund and John Kenderesi and teammates Evan Margeson and Kerstin Smutny.  I had a car capable of winning every time out and that's more than I could have possibly asked for".  When asked about his future plans Mark stated, "We have 3 more USAC National dates on our schedule before the year is over.  I hope to build momentum toward a fast paced 2009 in USAC National competition, select WMRA events and the right stock car opportunity if it becomes available". 

&am 

Mark was put through his paces at the track on Saturday night as the producers of the nationally syndicated "BizKids" television show were in town to film him for an upcoming episode.  Mark was selected for an upcoming episode on "risk".  We'll post more when we learn the dates that the show will air.  Here are some photos:

Even dad gets a cameo role:

 

Our regional season draws to a close this weekend at South Sound Speedway in Tenino, WA.  It's tough to come up with the adjectives that can adequately describe the job that the crew has done for Mark this year.  In the end Mark will be the 2008 Rookie of The Year and likely the overall series champion as well.  It's been over twenty years since a rookie has won a race in this series let alone the other season ending accolades.  This is a tremendous testament to the talent and preparation from Car Chief Tom Margeson, Crew Chief Kenny Ferris, Crew Members John Gidlund and John Kenderesi and of course Teammates Evan Margeson and Kerstin Smutny.  A special and heartfelt thank you goes out to all for their efforts.

-Atkinson Racing

A "Shasta Style" Happy 18th Birthday celebration for Julie Gidlund!:

 

Car Chief and Team Leader Tom Margeson:

 

 

Crew Chief and Inspirational Team Leader Kenny Ferris:

Crew Member John Gidlund:

Crew Member and Graphic Guru John Kenderesi:

 

This past weekend marked our return to Shasta Speedway in Anderson California.  It's significant for us in that it's where the 2008 season started and it's where Mark got his 1st ever midget start and a solid 3rd place finish on a track that he has a great feel for.  There would ultimately be a full 21 car field and a $7,000.00 purse which added to the significance of the event. 

Friday practice saw teammate Evan Margeson in the HVB #50 lead the way with consistent track record lap times.  Mark had the #23 car in the mix for runner up times with the DMS cars in attendance due to the cancellation of the USAC race slated for Altamont.

Race day qualifying saw the power fail in the scoring tower during Marks qualifying attempt.  A communication failure with the race starter saw Mark get the checkered flag in his re-qualifying run after just one lap.  While a second lap would have likely been quicker, he still reeled off an impressive tie for 4th fast with former Chip Ganassi driver Bobby Grewohl.  Mark lost the tie breaker due to him being on the track after Bobby.  The odds were good that the invert would pay Mark back for the scoring problem and start him ahead of the other quick qualifiers. Luck would not be on his side in the end however as fast time setter and new track record holder Evan Margeson drew a 4 invert. 

The race was full of excitement as close competition saw a number of tight battles and unfortunately, crashes and equipment failures.  In the end it was Mark in second place right on the bumper of race winner Bobby Grewohl.

 

Ephrata started strong with Mark posting fast time in qualifying.  All looked good as Ephrata's challenging but "racey" track is a favorite due to the low grip excitement and relatively high speed corners.

Mark would again be faced with starting deep in the field all day due to the invert.  He ran to 3rd in his heat race and commented that he really liked what the guys were doing with his car and that he looked forward to the main event.

The main saw Mark line up in 6th position.  Within 4 laps he was up to second and reeling in teammate Evan Margeson.  In lap 5 Mark developed an ignition problem and wisely pulled off the track rather than risk serious damage to his engine.  The crew was disappointed but Mark took in in stride knowing that the guys gave him a great car and one that put him solidly in the hunt for another win.  Congrats to teammate Evan Margeson for his 5th win of the season.

With two races to go Mark maintains a lead for the season championship.  We'll be at Shasta Speedway in Northern California in two weeks.  It's one of Marks favorite tracks and one that he expects to run well at.

Teammate Kerstin Smutny and Mark prepare for the track at Ephrata

Mark and Teammate Kerstin Smutny

A view from above

 

Our goal for the rough surfaced track at Port Angeles was to escape unscathed and we did just that.  The track was re-surfaced not long ago and the rumors of how poorly it turned out proved to be true I'm afraid.  Management has promised a new surface before we return there and I'd say it'll be a requirement.

The day started well with Mark significantly under the track record but .02 off fast time with a second place qualifying effort.  The race plan was to surrive and make it to the main event without taking any undue chances with the car as we had a race a few days later and a championship on our minds.

The invert saw Mark start close to the rear of the field the entire day.  When it was over we finished in 4th place with teammate Evan Margeson getting the win.  Look for an update from Ephrata next week...

 

Tom Margeson prepping Mark for qualifying

Crew Chief Kenny Ferris gathering track and car data from Evan Margeson..

 

Our much anticipated trip to Sun Valley's 1/2 mile was a bust in the end.  We had a great practice session but the rain changed everything after a pretty significant light show.  Things were right on track with our cars 1-2-3 on the leader board at the conclusion of practice. 

The facility is 1st class and we really hope to be able to go back.  The staff and management treated us super well and the track is as well designed and maintained as anything we'll run on all year.

Sun Valley Speedway

Mark Up To Speed At Sun Valley

 

 

The entire team made the trek to Agassiz, BC on Friday afternoon.  We made it a race weekend by stopping to watch the Clay Cup at Deming Speedway on Friday night.  We were treated to some great racing and saw our friends Logan Forler and Garet Archer post some impressive results.  Saturday night would see Logan Forler take the $5,000.00 winners purse competing against some of the best in the country.  Congrats to Forler Racing.

We arrived at Agassiz Speedway mid morning on Saturday.  It's a picturesque facility nestled in the shadow of the mountains.  We all agreed that it was the prettiest setting for a race track that we had ever seen. 

Tom and Kenny did another great job preparing the cars as they were quick again right out of the trailer.  A special thanks also to Matt Ferris for making the trip and lending a much needed hand.

Practice saw all three cars in the hunt from the beginning.  Evan Margeson and Mark were running neck and neck for quick time honors most of the way with Kerstin in the 9 car getting progressively quicker and ultimately putting up some impressive times of her own.

Qualifying saw Evan Margeson put a blistering track record time on the board only to have Mark take it away by the narrowest of margins minutes later.  We were told by one of the locals after the event that he believes Marks time to be the fastest lap ever turned at Agassiz.  It's all the more impressive when we were told that the track has been in continuous operation since the 60's.

(to be continued)

 

(continued)

The invert would see Mark and Evan run from deep in the pack the entire night.  Evan had a great run going in his heat race only to have a catastrophic brake failure lead to a significant hit to the turn two wall while leading.  Evan walked away unhurt thankfully, but the car suffered extensive damage.  They'd be unable to make the main event which was a disappointment to the entire team.

Mark finished his heat race in second place behind Tony Seidelman with Kerstin following closely behind in the 9 car.

The main event was entertaining for the fans to be sure.  Mark emerged from deep in the pack early to begin his chase of the 24 car of Tony Seidelman who had taken a pretty commanding lead.  In lap 13 Mark attempted an aggressive pass for the lead on the high side in turn one.  It turned bad quickly when he was unable to hold on and spun the car between turns one and two.  Luckily there was no contact and he waited to be re-started at the tail end of the field.  It looked doubtful that he'd be able to move through the entire field in the remaining laps.  When the green flag dropped Mark went to work.  It seemed to a number of his crew that he had had redemption on his mind as he turned it up a couple of notches.  With three laps to go he was in the same spot again right behind the 24 car of Tony Seidelman.  This time he made the pass stick for the win to cap off what was really more excitement than his car owner was looking for.  Kerstin Smutny had a great run also with a solid 4th place finish.

Mark maintains the lead in points for both the season championship and rookie of the year honors with his 3rd win of the season.

 

Mark and teamate Evan Margeson waged a heck of a battle for the win on Saturday night.  In the end it was Evan taking the victory with Mark in 2nd place but both drivers agreed after the race that it was their best head to head battle of the season.

Qualifying saw Mark post a solid run that looked to be fast time until he was bumped in the end by a rocket fast 13.16 from Brea Lopez.  Evan Margeson was 3rd quick just behind Mark.

The main saw Mark line up in the second row behind Tony Seidelman and Evan Margeson.  Within about three laps the battle began between Evan and Mark.  They ran side by side off of turn two on a number of laps and nose to tail for the rest.  In the end it was Evan but we were treated to a clean battle that made for an exciting conclusion to the night.

Mark maintains the lead for the championship and rookie of the year honors but it will be a battle that won't likely be decided until the conclusion of the last race of the year.

Our next stop is Agassiz in British Columbia this coming weekend. 

 

Saturday night saw both of the Atkinson Racing cars in the hunt.  Mark set fast time in the 23 car and Kerstin knocked 3 tenths off her best qualifying time to date which would put her solidly in the mix all night.

After setting fast time Mark drew the pill for the invert.  He drew a ten which meant he'd be starting deep in the field for the entire event.  The heat race and trophy dash saw him take a conservative approach, saving his equipment for the main event.

At the start of the main Mark moved forward quickly.  He found himself out front with the 25 car of Brea Lopez and the 8 car of Spence Gatrell early on in the event.  Mark commented later that he knew early on that the guys had given him a great car that he thought he could win with.

In about lap 7 Mark made a pass on the 25 car of Brea Lopez for the lead.  His car got even stronger as the race went on allowing for a solid margin of victory.  Kerstin Smutny had a great run in the 9 car taking it to a seasons best 4th place finish - narrowly missing her 1st podium appearance.

A special thanks to Rob Lindsey for taking over the Crew Chief duties for Kenny Ferris for a big part of the night.  John Gidlund was there in support of both of the team cars which is always appreciated. 

After the race it was announced that Mark's victory was only the second win for a rookie in WMRA in over 20 years (the 1st was his also). 

Mark in the winners circle at South Sound Speedway       

Ephrata saw the guys unload 3 very good race cars again.  The entire Atkinson Racing Team saw quality runs and some great racing.  Just as we've grown to expect from Tom the cars were fast right out of the trailer.  Kenny and John did a great job of keeping them that way through the entire weekend.

Qualifying saw Evan reel off a close to track record pole time with Mark close behind in 2nd.  Kerstin had a breakthrough weekend in the 9 car that would ultimately see her lead the main event for a number of laps as Mark and Evan chased her down.

In the end Evan and Mark went 1-2 with Kerstin solidly in the hunt with a 7th place finish.  Evan and Mark continue to battle for the championship points lead.  Mark's also in the lead for rookie of the year honors as we approach mid-season.

We couldn't be happier with the consistency that the guys are providing in the cars.  Tom justifiably prides himself on onloading well prepared race cars that are ready to go to the front quickly. 

We've got a couple of Seattle area (South Sound Speedway) races in the coming weeks and then some travels that will see us in Canada.

Mark entering turn 1 at Ephrata

 

 

 

We made the 3 hour drive to race #2 at Slinger Speedway on Saturday morning.  Slinger is heralded as the fastest 1/4 mile track in the world and rich in history among the short track NASCAR regulars as they regularly test there.  The track was by far the steepest banked track that we had ever seen and one that Mark said looked like a ton of fun when we arrived.

The #23 car unloaded from the trailer very fast.  Mark ran top 10 times his 1st time out and was quick in both of his test/practice sessions.  Kenny and Tom gave him car that was competitive quickly which was a major benefit with no prior experience there.

Qualifying saw Mark run .16 seconds off pole.  As an indication of the type of competition at this level, Mark's time put him 13th quickest out of about 40 cars in attendance.  His heat race was fun to watch.  he had a great car and a solid feel for the track.  His 4th place finish assured him a top starting position for the main event.

The main event saw Mark line up in 10th place.  It's pretty remarkable for his experience level to make a show at this level, let alone a top 10 starting position.  When the green flag dropped Mark ran hard on the outside trying to get down to the preffered racing line and some grip.  This caliber of competition saw him staying on the outside longer than he wanted looking for a window down low that he could settle into for the 50 lap feature.  Early in the race he came off of turn 4 with an eye toward a spot opening up on the inside.  That's when it got scary.  His car pushed to the wall at well in excess of 100 MPH and made significant contact.  His race was over with a severly damaged race car.

Along with some bruises, Mark took away a level of confidence and a ton of great experience  

Our much anticipated 1st taste of National level USAC racing began with our run on the fast 5/8 mile at LaCrosse, WI on Friday night.  The buzz word was "perspective" as we knew we were in for a true experience racing against the likes of Tony Stewart Racing, Kasey Kahne Racing and Steve Lewis's 9 Racing among others.  Mark's job was simple.  Go to the biggest track he's ever been to, go faster than he's ever gone and race against a full field of the who's who of the racing world with a total of 16 laps of practice.

Qualifying saw Mark exceed all expectations with a 14th place effort against a field of about 40.  His solid qualifying effort meant that he'd have to do a bunch of passing to make the main event as the heat races were a complete invert.  When the green flag dropped he was in 7th place and he needed to finish 4th or better to get his time back and make it to the main event.  He ran hard but came up just short with a 5th place finish.  He had one more chance in the last chance qualifier race.  It got tougher though with a full field of top competition and a 12th place starting spot on the grid.  He needed to finish 6th or better to "get his time back" and start the main in what would have been a top 10 starting spot.  Again he got close but came up just short with an 8th place finish. 

All in all it was a great way to start our 3 race swing.  We left knowing that he was ready to run with top level competition and that Mark is still exceeding expectations with only 6 midget races to his resume.  Saturday we'd be at Slinger Speedway with another chance.

The guys are still back in Indinanapolis preparing the cars and the rig for the trip to Wisconsin and the 1st of three National USAC events in three days.  We board a flight for Chicago tomorrow and then make the drive to race #1 in West Salem, WI on Friday night.  From there we head to Slinger, WI on Saturday night and on to Rockford, ILL on Sunday.

Tom and Evan Margeson were able to get their ORP test in yesterday (the 3rd rain make-up date we were given).  Evan ran competitive times right out of the trailer.  As much as Mark would have benefited from a test at ORP, school came 1st this time and we reluctantly made the decision to come home on Sunday.  We hope to be able to squeeze something in prior to "The Night Before The 500" at ORP on the 24th of May.  If this doesn't work out we'll just put our best foot forward against what will be the stiffest competition Mark has ever faced.

Special thanks to the Margeson's for their effort and expertise as they've done great work to get the cars prepared and the hauler to racing venues a long way from home. 

 

We headed to Indianapolis to meet the team for testing at ORP and the "Night Before The 500" on Thursday.  The weather in Indy looked like Seattle in November.  Our scheduled test with Bob East and his gang rained out and the make-up date was just as bad.  All wasn't lost when we heard that the Wolverine Outlaw group was running at Kalamazoo, Michigan about 4 hours to the north.  We loaded up and headed out for what was to be a great time.  Kalamazoo Speedway is a great facility with a fast, high bank 3/8 mile track with plenty of room to race.

We arrived a little late but were welcomed with open arms by the Wolverine group.  They went out of their way to make us feel welcome.  Mark and teamate Evan Margeson went out for their 1st test session to learn the track and came back 1st and 2nd quick for the entire field.  The second session proved to be just as fun to watch as Mark and Evan traded places the entire session for 1st and 2nd place honors.

The main event saw a great battle for 1st through 4th with Evan and Mark solidly in the mix.  Mark ultimately had to pull off with a flat tire but Evan ran hard to a 3rd place finish.  We learned a ton and plan to look these guys up if time permits next year when we're back for Indianapolis testing again.

Evan ran the Harold Beal #50 car and Mark ran Kerstin Smutny's Atkinson Racing #9 at Kalamazoo Speedway

 

Saturday night saw Mark put the Atkinson Racing #23 Beast/Esslinger in the front at the end of both his heat race and the main event. Mark recovered from a hard hit and subsequent spin early in the heat race to take the lead and the win.  He then repeated the feat in the main by leading the entire event.  The guys did a great job putting a solid car under Mark the entire night. Special thanks go out to Kenny, Tom, John and Rob for their dedication and hard work.

It was announced after the event that Mark was the 1st rookie to win a WMRA event in over 20 years.

Mark in the winners circle...

Kenny Ferris talking with Mark prior to the event on Saturday night...

All three cars getting ready for action...

 

This years inaugural USAC run for Atkinson Racing would be at the famed Altamont Motorsports Park in Altamont, CA. The USAC Western Sates event would allow us a chance to run against national level competition on a full 1/2 mile track. This years events at Altamont don't include Friday testing which adds to the challenge for the rookies. The event schedule allowed for two morning practice runs and right to qualifying. Mark returned from his 1st ever run on a fast 1/2 mile track in practice to see that he was 3rd quick overall which was a pleasant surprise. The 2nd session still saw him hold onto a 5th quick time which added to his confidence going into racing action. A mistake in qualifying brought Mark back to reality and a 13th place qualifying effort. This is the likely position that he would line up for the main event after a preliminary heat race. The heat race saw Mark run to the front and stay there against some top flight drivers. His heat race win was regarded as quite an accomplishment and one that got some solid attention from the regulars. These 1st ever laps on the big track in competition were important as he approached the main event and the stiffest competition he'd ever faced. Mark lined up in 13th place for the main event. When the green flag dropped he was in 16th at turn 1. The remainder of the race saw Mark patiently move toward the front. In about lap 20 Mark went again to the outside on the front stretch and it looked like he'd be in third when he completed the pass. It got dicey when teammate Evan Margeson (after leading most of the race) cut a right rear tire down and moved up the track unexpectedly blocking him and costing him valuable track position. He went back to work passing again up to 5th place until the race was red flagged early for a scary crash on lap 23. It was a memorable start to our USAC season. Special thanks to Kenny and Tom for preparing a great race car. 

It's hard to believe that all the months of preparation are behind us now and that we're really racing.  Our WMRA regional series commitment saw us take to the track at South Sound Speedway for the 1st race of the season last Saturday.  WMRA rules dictated that both Mark and Kerstin would run as rookies as neither had the required 100 laps of competition in midgets. 

Mark qualified the 23 car in 3rd place and managed a respectable 4th place overall finish  running from the rear of the field reserved for the rookies all day.  Kerstin ran the 9 car to a respectable 6th place finish.

At the end of the day both cars loaded up with no damage and an impressive 1st WMRA run of the season.

 

 

 

After months of intense effort the 2008 season started on a real high note this past weekend at Shasta Raceway Park in Anderson, CA. The weather in Seattle has been such that we had to make the trip without ever turning a single lap in the newly completed 2007 Beast/Esslinger.  Tom and Evan Margeson's prep work was such that we made the trip with complete confidence in the car however.  

Testing on Friday went well.  The car unloaded from the hauler handling well and the lap times got progessively quicker.  It's a good thing because the rains came and practice was over early in the day.

Race day came and we developed a frustrating fuel system gremlin.  Tom and Kenny ultimately discovered a fuel system that was contaminated with debris from an unknown source.  The guys worked hard and ultimately we thought that they found a cure.  The invert saw Mark lined up for the main event in 8th place after a solid qualifying effort.  When the green flag dropped he quickly worked his way through the field and led his 1st ever midget race for most of the way. 

It looked like a story book ending.  He had a convincing lead until about 5 laps from the end when the fuel system gremlin returned.  He was ultimately passed by teammate Evan Margeson and former Bush/Craftman Truck competitor Shane Hmeil for a 3rd place podium finish.  We later learned from Mark that he knew he was in trouble at about the halfway point but that the car was so strong he was able to just hang on and keep digging. 

The crew deserves a ton of praise for their efforts.  We left Shasta with the knowledge that the hard work was paying off.  We'll be back in action on the 12th at South Sound Speedway.&l 

Saturday was a big day.  After months of buying and building, the #9 and the #23 Atkinson Racing Midgets hit the track at the same time.  We used the day to work out the bugs on the new #23 car and prove some tuning enhancements on the #9 car.  If the weather cooperates we'll have one more test session prior to our season opener at Shasta, CA on March 29th.  Here are a couple "pre-graphic" images of the #23 Beast/Esslinger:

    

 

We honestly thought the 40' trailer would be enough this year.  After adding the second car and the associated support equipment and increased crew all of this has changed.  We're pretty excited to have room to grow now with the Renegade Toterhome and trailer:

 

It's with great pleasure that we announce that Kerstin Smutny will campaign our full 2008 schedule in the #9 Atkinson Racing Beast/Esslinger.

Kerstin got her start racing quarter midgets almost 10 years ago.  She's a multi-time champion that went on to an impressive run at top level, national caliber road racing.  Her impressive resume includes Formula BMW, Formula TR, Indy Pro and shifter kart experience among others.  Kerstin's national caliber road racing experience was apparent in the poise she demostrated at a recent test in the midget.  She's a recent winner of the prestigous Lyn St James Driver Development Scholarship.  Past winners of this scholarship include the who's who of female race car drivers in the US.  Check out Kerstin's web site for more details on her impressive career:  www.kerstinsmutnyracing.com

Here are a few photos of Kerstin at a recent test in the #9 car:

Kerstin and Crew Chief Ken Ferris between runs

Last minute safety check

Kerstin up to speed quickly

 

We've updated the web site race schedule with what we have so far for 2008.  You'll find the South Sound Speedway Limited Late Model dates as well as the WMRA Midget dates listed. There are two dates that will find Mark in both the midget and the late model on the same night.  We'll now look for opportunities to squeeze USAC Western and National dates into this very busy schedule.   

I've only hinted about our USAC Midget plans for 2008.  It was my plan to have photos by now of the two new cars that we're building up for 2008.  I can't wait for the photos any longer, it's time to come clean.

We're excited to announce that Atkinson Racing has hired the best talent in the Northwest and is looking to make a serious run at USAC midgets in 2008 and beyond.  We're preparing two top notch Beast Midgets and have chosen Esslinger as the foundation for a very solid engine program.

Ken Ferris is one of the most respected names in midget racing in the Northwest.  Ken made the decision to retire as an active driver this year and we were lucky enough to be there first when he did.  We couldn't be happier to announce that Ken will be the crew chief for Atkinson Racing in 2008.

Anyone that follows midget racing knows Tom and Evan Margeson.  Tom brings years of success both behind the wheel and behind the wrenches.  Evan is a talented young driver that ran to an amazing 8th place finish at the Turkey Night Grand Prix at Irwindale Speedway on Thanksgiving and Tom prepared the car that made it possible.  We're lucky to have their support in the shop and on the road when we make the run at the National events.

The build-up continues to move forward.  We'll post pictures soon of the new 2008 graphic scheme for Atkinson Racing.  We also have some key sponsorship announcements in the coming weeks so stay tuned... 

Evan Margeson on his way to the 2007 WMRA championship in the HVB Beast

We've accomplished plenty in the past few weeks and feel like it's time to go public with what our plans are for 2008.

We made the tough decision to turn down our 2008 contract offer to return to Ron Sutton's Winners Circle Team.  While our experience with RSWC was worth it's weight in gold, we felt that it was time to move on.  As we've mentioned in previous posts, the memories and relationships that we developed in 2007 are sure to last a lifetime. 

We talked at length about our many options for 2008.  Concurrent with these discussions came an offer to test for Doug Taylor's Olympia based Precision Utilities limited late model team.  The test went well and that led to a follow-up session a couple of weeks later.  Both of these test sessions saw Mark run very fast times that were described as very unique for his age and experience level.  We subsequently accepted Doug's offer to campaign his car in the 2008 South Sound Speedway season.  This generous offer will provide Mark with much needed experience in the years to come.

Mark prepares to hit the track in the Precision Utilities car for the 1st time

Stay tuned for an announcement in the next couple of days that includes the reformation of Atkinson Racing and our 2008 midget racing plans...  

 

Saturday night saw Mark receive top 5 season ending honors at the annual USAC award banquet in Southern California.  The California Pavement Series is regarded as the toughest competition in the country and Mark showed that he has the talent to compete at this level. 

The 2007 Race Season began with Mark as the youngest competitor in the USAC California Ford Focus Series.  Mark had a lot to learn but entered the season knowing that he was well supported by the RSWC team and that preseason testing showed solid progress and promise.

In the end, the season was defined by solid runs and dissapointing mechanical gremlins in equal amounts.  As we reflect back on a marathon season, we see minimal crash damage, some outstanding finishes and Mark as the odds on champion had we decided to return for the 2008 season (more on that soon).

We'd like to offer our heartfelt gratitude to the entire RSWC team for making the 2007 season a solid learning experience.  We'll have lifelong memories as we continue to move through the ranks of national level motor racing.

Foreground L to R:  Crew Chief Al Roubos, Mark Atkinson, Caitlin Shaw, Daniel Adler

 

The Turkey Night Grand Prix at Irwindale Speedway marks the annual end to the USAC racing season on the West coast.  This was Mark's 1st experience pitting next to the likes of Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne and Jason Leffler.  The Thanksgiving Day tradition saw almost 100 combined midgets in attendance from all over the country.

Mark's test times and early practice times were strong enough to put him close to the front row for the start of the race if not for the failure of the lap timing system just prior to qualifying.  Unable to fix the timing sytem, USAC made the decision to use the lap times from the last practice session as the official qualifying times.  This wasn't what Mark and his crew had planned for when they went out with an experimental setup in the race car for the last practice session.  It would ultimately see Mark start the race from the 12th starting position in the 26 car field.

The race started well for Mark as he worked his way all the way to 4th early on in the race.  Mark later commented that he had a very tight race car that got worse as the race progressed.  When the checkered flag fell Mark was in 8th place.

 

As a make-up for a cancelled Las Vegas race USAC gave Mark and the Winners Circle guys a shot at victory again on Saturday night at Lake Havasu.  There was a full field as it was also on the Utah groups schedule.  All was going well as Mark battled for the win when a serious crash mid pack sent the #42 car of his teammate Beau Debard into the wall for a hard and scary hit.  We were stunned when the USAC/Havasu crew immediately called for a helicopter to get Beau to the Las Vegas Trauma Center.  We now know that Beau will be ok but it sure isn't an experience that we look to repeat anytime soon.  Beau sustained a concussion, bruised lungs and a fractured pelvis.  The doctors say that he'll be back in the car in a few weeks.  Here's to a speedy recovery Beau... 

 

 

This one will stick with us for a while.  Mark had what one of his toughest competitors described as a "dominating" performance on Friday night at Lake Havasu's I-95 Speedway.  When the green flag fell for the main Mark was on a mission.  He led every lap of the entire race until the last turn of the last lap.  A caution on lap 27 left debris on the track.  Apparently they didn't get it all cleaned up and Mark cut a tire down.  He went into the last corner of the race and the tire let go.  He went to the wall but gathered it up to limp to a 5th place finish.  It was sad for him and his entire RSWC crew.  They gave him an incredible car to drive that night and it just wasn't meant to be.

 

Mark won the prestigous Trophy Dash last weekend at Lucas Oil I-10 Speedway in Blythe, CA.  Mark commented after the race that the car ran on the outside line just as he had hoped.  The Winners Circle guys knew what he was looking for in the car and they sure gave it to him.  Crew Chief Al commented later that he knew darn well where Mark was going to put the car as he's got him figured out by now. 

The main event was shaping up like it would be a similar finish until a scary closing rate on some lapped traffic caused him to lift and be passed by eventual race winner and teamate Daniel Adler from St Louis, MO.  All and all a great showing for the #9 car and the entire Winner's Circle bunch.

 

 

The #9 RSWC team headed into Altamont this weekend on a roll.  Close to a win last week and an impressive effort the previous week added to their building confidence. 

Mark had a tough time getting the car where he wanted it but the crew made steady progress leading up to Saturday qualifying.  Mark managed a top 5 qualifying effort which put him in a good starting position for the main assuming the heat race went well. Mark finished his heat race in 2nd place which assured him a top starting position in the feature.  When the checkered flag dropped the #9 car was in 6th place. 

Mark and the entire RSWC team are looking forward to a well earned week off before returning to action the following week at Salt Lake City's Rocky Mountain Speedway.

 

 

Mark and the guys set out to prove that last week's top effort at Irwindale wasn't good enough.  Practice on Friday saw Mark really benefit from Gord Bentley's (Speed Secrets)coaching and post some great times.  By the end of the Friday session it was obvious that the #9 RSWC team was on to something.

Saturday saw the guys work through a changing track prior to qualifying.  Mark's crew (Al & Layne) had an aire of confidence though as they made last minute "tweaks" prior to his session.  Mark and the guys put up a qualifying effort within just over a 10th of a second of the pole sitter. 

Mark's main event would see him start on the pole.  When the flag dropped the #9 car ran hard.  Mark drove a smart race and held the lead through lap 27.  Ultimately teammate Ian Miille put the #3 car under Mark in turn 2.  Mark battled with Miille for the remaining laps and brought the #9 RSWC car to an outstanding 2nd place finish.  The guys worked together like pro's all weekend. 

A special congratulations to Ian Miille and the entire RSWC #3 team.

   

 

The RSWC crew did a heck of a job putting the car together for tonight's event.  Al and Layne worked with Mark throughout the weekend to get the car balanced and really well prepared.  It looked like a podium finish when he was hit on the last lap at speeds in excess of 100 MPH.  Luckily the car sustained no damage and Mark salvaged a 10th place finish.  As frustrated as Mark was, he leaves Irwindale knowing that he and the guys hit it right. 

 

Altamont saw Mark and the crew make steady progress through Friday's practice sessions.  The consistent improvement in the race car and Mark's approach to the track were proven by his team best qualifying effort on race day.  The invert saw Mark start the main event in 4th place.  Mark battled with a loose race car and ultimately brought the #9 Winners Circle car home in 5th place.  When the checkered flag waved the Winners Circle cars occupied 4 of the top 5 finishing positions. 

 

After his car troubles at Las Vegas on Tuesday Mark arrived at Madera Speedway with  redemption on his mind.  The car proved to have a plan of it's own again proving itself untameably tight through the entire practice day on Friday.  The guys ultimately were able to free the car in the last of the race day practice sessions seeing Mark run top 5 times which would put him in a great position for the main event.  Mark and the crew discussed thier expectation for the track conditions before qualifying and made the decision to tighten up the race car.  The results weren't good as Mark returned to an extremely tight race car and one that would see him qualify in a season worst 10th position.  It got more complicated in his heat race as Mark once again battled with his car and ultimately put it sideways and was collected in turn 3.  The crew went to work fixing the car in time for the main event.  Mark lined up toward the rear of the 15 car field and was pleased to find that the car had improved to the point that he was able to pass all the way to an 8th place finish which earned him "Hard Charger" honors for the event. 

 

Coming off a solid Podium finish at Irwindale last week Mark and his RSWC crew had every reason to be optimistic at Las Vegas last night.  Unfotunately, the #9 car had a different plan when it unloaded from the trailer in 121 degree temperatures. 

Mark found himself battling very high engine temperatures and the resulting horsepower loss the entire event.  He ran to the lead in his heat race only to fall back to a 4th place finish.  The main event saw him run all the way to 4th and solidly in the hunt until the rapidly rising engine temperature once again dashed any hope of finishing up front. 

Not a disaster with a 7th place finish in a field of 19, but surely not the results that Mark and his team had expected.  Mark will be at Madera, CA this weekend expecting to get back up to the front. 

 

Irwindale was an opportunity to get back on track after having less than stellar racing luck at Altamont last week.  The car unloaded in pretty good shape and ultimately saw Mark qualify in a respectable 4th place.  When the day ended Mark was on the podium with a hard fought 3rd place finish.  Mark's crew worked hard to improve the car and needs to be commended for their commitment and dedication. 

A special thanks to young gun Jace Meier for handling the driver coaching duties at Irwindale.  We're lucky enough to have Jace with us again next week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway which is his home track.  Jace is an impressive young man with a ton of talent and we know it'll be a tremendous benefit to Mark.

Left to Right: Layne Mattos, Al Roubos & Tom Cook

(Mark's the one kneeling with the hardware)

 

 

Altamont wasn't kind to us this weekend.  The car unloaded from the trailer with some pretty evil handling traits and proved to be a handful for the entire event.  It culminated with a DNF due to some overheating issues and an as yet unidentified mechanical issue.  We hope to regain our momentum this coming weekend at Irwindale Speedway in Southern California.

 

 

In only his 4th USAC Ford Focus Midget start, Mark took the #9 Winners Circle car to a hard fought and much deserved 3rd place finish at Roseville, California's All American Speedway. 

An unexpected ignition problem caused the Winners Circle crew some anxious moments leading up to the Grand Prix style qualifying session.  Mark still managed a respectable 7th place qualifying effort although significantly down on power while discovering that the ignition problem was still unresolved.  

Crew Chief Al Roubos led crewmates Layne and Tom through the baffling ignition system issue and ultimately discovered the culprit just prior to the scheduled 35 lap main event. 

Mark had his work cut out for him to make it through traffic in the main event but didn't disappoint.  When it was over he had the run of his young USAC career and a very respectable podium finish against top caliber competition.

Special recognition to Ron Sutton's entire Winners Circle team for putting a great race car on the track and to Benny Moon for solid coaching throughout the event.

 

The RSWC program continues to impress with a diverse and broad based training syllabus.  This weekend marked the annual Winners Circle Motorsports Mixer.  This event has grown in size and prominence each year.  It's designed as a supoort event for the drivers education module on learning to interact with business leaders.  The event was well attended by Sacramento area business people and race fans.  Mark had a chance to sign a number of autographs and employ some of the techniques he's learned in the classroom. 

Day two of the weekend's classroom sessions was entitled "Getting Hired".  Sutton shared hours of wisdom about the professional race driver hiring process as well as significant insight into the inner workings of a number of top Nextel Cup Teams.  The alliances that Sutton is forging with top professional teams is impressive.

 

"Never a dull moment". Those are the words that best describe last night's sprint car event at Deming Speedway.  With just shy of 30 competitors in Mark's class, I guess excitement was inevitable.

Mark started the event with a strong qualifying effort and a hard fought 2nd place finish in his heat race.  He then lined up for the main event in good shape with a car that Geoff and Wade had set up right for the changing track conditions.

In about lap 5 Mark rounded turn 4 in a dogfight for position in the lead pack.  3 cars directly in front of him piled into each other leaving Mark nowhere to go but directly into and over them, ultimately landing upside down.  Some anxious moments followed as the safety workers got the car turned over and went to work evaluating Mark to make sure he was ok.  Wade and Geoff from Archer Racing immediately went to work on the car to see how much damage he sustained and whether or not it was safe for him to continue.  Surprisingly, the car only sustained superficial damage to the wing and was immediately sent back out at the tail end of the lead lap.

The response from the stands when Mark gunned it and slid sideways out of the pits to remain on the lead lap made for some good drama for the fans and his crew.

Mark re-entered the track with about 18 laps remaining.  He immediately went to work and had what one official called the best run of the night.  He steadily picked off his competition through the remainder of the race and ultimately salvaged a very respectable 6th place finish.

Mark had the opportunity to run a shifter kart this weekend in McMinnville, OR and he jumped at the chance.  After an almost (2) year lay-off from karting, the largest IKF Gold Cup event of the year sounded like a good enough reason to blow the dust off his 2006 CRG/125 Road Rebel.  While Mark hadn't been on the McMinnville track in years, he still holds the track record in the Yamaha Super Box class which he set in 2003.   

The (3) day event includes a Friday practice session which the group would miss due to it's Deming Speedway event on Friday night.  The Archer racing Renegade toter drove through the night arriving Saturday morning in McMinnville.  The Saturday schedule included morning practice and afternoon qualifying and a heat race.  Practice concluded with some respectable lap times but no real idea where most of his competition was running as there wasn't time to focus on anything but his own re-familiarization of the track.

Mark was pretty excited when the qualifying times were posted and not only was he on pole, but he set another track record.  His enthusiam waned unfortunately as he was hit in his heat race and he was unable to continue.  It didn't get any better the rest of the event as he developed a mechanical issue that we weren't able to solve over the weekend.

While Mark doesn't have any immediate plans to race his shifter kart again in the near future, it was a confidence boost to get back up to speed quickly and post another track record for his resume.

 

 

Mark’s progress has been rock solid.  After showing great poise on what will be one of the most intimidating tracks he’ll see this year, he posted an outstanding 3^rd place qualifying time and ran to a season best 4^th place finish in the main event.  The day wasn’t without its difficulties however.  Mark’s qualifying time put him into the trophy dash on the outside pole.  In the lead through turn three, he found himself in trouble when he was hit unexpectedly.  While his damage wasn't too significant, teammate and pole sitter Ian Miille was collected in the melee and wasn’t so lucky.  Sadly, Ian’s car sustained substantial damage and was forced to retire from the event.  Here's to hoping for a speedy recovery for the #3 car.  We can’t say enough about the RSWC team and the speed at which they’re figuring out these new race cars.

 

Our 3^rd USAC race of the 2007 campaign is underway at Blythe, California’s I-10 Speedway.  We flew to Phoenix and made the two hour drive as the temperature climbed into triple digits.  Mark entered an extremely loose race track for the first of his practice sessions mid afternoon.  The common theme through the stands was apprehension as we watched race cars on the edge at speeds over 100 MPH.  Luckily the track improved steadily through the practice sessions and the #9 RSWC car posted some impressive lap times.  Live updates as they’re available tomorrow…

 

Mark got rolling early yesterday to make his flight to CA.  He was scheduled to be at Roseville, CA's Great American Speedway for the 1st time since the major reconstruction of the facility.  Mark describes the track as one of the best he's been to and commented that the banking makes for an exciting drive.  The session was described as a real success by the entire team.  The RSWC team will be racing in the USAC Ford Focus Midget event at Roseville in May.

 

 

Mark's 1^st race at Deming Speedway this year started with a bang and ultimately ended the same way.  Mark lined up in the fastest heat race group after a solid qualifying run.  When the dust had settled, not only did Mark win convincingly, but the computer proved this morning that he turned what was to be the fastest lap of the entire event.

 

After Mark’s convincing heat race win, he was definitely one of the guys to watch in the main event.  When the green flag dropped Mark entered turn 1 only to be hit hard from behind and sent into the inside wall.  Wade and Geoff went to work replacing a number of damaged front end components and ultimately got him back in the race a lap down.  Mark battled hard with a bent race car to an 11^th place finish.  While a disappointing finish to a night that started with so much promise, running the fastest lap of the show is surely a confidence builder.

Race updates to follow shortly...

 

On Saturday the RSWC crew had the fuel system problem solved in time for practice.  Mark commented that qualifying was a challenge as a fellow competitor oiled down turn 3 just before he entered the track. 

 

Mark drew a tough field for his heat race.  This would be a good gauge of his progress.  He ran to a 5^th place finish and showed increasing confidence at the 100+ MPH speeds of the Las Vegas Bull Ring.

 

The main event saw Mark line up 10th on the grid.  He ran a great race showing good poise in traffic and solid race craft.  When the checkered flag dropped he was in 7th place and gathering the traffic ahead of him.  

“If it was easy, everyone would do it”.  These were the words to live by for the (2) scheduled car setup/practice sessions at Las Vegas Motor Speedway today.  Unexpected fuel system gremlins added a great deal of work for the crew on the #9 Winners Circle car.  After a frustrating day, the entire RSWC team will work into the wee hours of the morning and put a plan together that will ultimately see the #9 car back up to speed in time for two practice sessions prior to qualifying and racing tomorrow.

 

(L) Las Vegas Motor Speedway (R) Mark with his crew talking over what the car wants

 

 

The 2007 Deming Speedway season kicked off with the annual "Play Day" last night.  This is a great time to work on set up, break-in new engines, show off new graphics (Thanks Image Mill!) and test new equipment.  Mark came out of the blocks strong.  With Wade Archer's effort leading up to our 1st time in the dirt for 2007 and Geoff Needham's steady crew chief hand, we looked like we were as ready as we can be for the season. 

We'll miss next Friday's race as we'll be at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Midget.  We will be at the second race of the year though and Mark's pretty excited to get going.

Above (L): New North Coast Electric Graphics on the track for the 1st time / Above (R) Crew Chief Geoff Needham and Archer Racing's Wade Archer           

 

Above: Archer Racing's Renegade Hauler loading up to go home.

 

The Image Mill boys have really done it this time.  We just picked up the car from their shop.  They've come up with a 2007 look for us that's really over the top.    Here's a few photo's of the 2007 Atkinson Racing / North Coast Electric Car:

 

 

We picked up the sprint car last night from Wade Archer's shop.  He's been burning the midnight oil getting the car ready for the Deming Speedway season.  Wade's expertise has been invaluable. He updated a number of systems on the car and installed the freshly rebuilt motor.  Wade's experience has been huge for us.  He's personally raced everything from Northwest Tour cars to Funny Cars.  There's very little that he doesn't know when it comes to race car prep.

 

We just received our 2007 graphics package for the sprint Car.  The Image Mill guys (Thanks Scott, John and Dave!) have outdone themselves again with a really cool new look for this season.  Mark's USAC schedule doesn't allow us to race every Friday night like last season but he'll sure arrive in style when he's in town.  We'll get images posted shortly after the car is completed.

 

This past weekend saw Mark head off to Sacramento on his own to complete module's 8 & 9 of the Winners Circle Classroom Training Syllabus.  These two training modules were titled, "Seven Secret People Skills" and "Advanced Driving Strategies".  Mark commented that the psychological aspects of the "Seven Secrets" module really struck a cord.  He specifically mentioned that the section on the motivation of others was interesting to him and that he looks forward to employing some of the strategies.

 

We're excited to announce that Mark will be in the capable hands of Archer Racing for the 2007 sprint car season.  The familiar Atkinson Racing trailer will be retired in favor of the very cool new Archer Racing hauler.

 

Above: Archer Racing's new Renegade Hauler

Wade Archer and Crew Chief Geoff Needham bring an experience level and a commitment to winning that's unequaled.  They've done a remarkable job with the #5 restricted 600 car of Garrett Archer and we can only hope to enjoy the same level of success. 

 

Our much anticipated 1st USAC Ford Focus race is in the books.  The weather at I-95 Speedway in Havasu City, AZ was perfect and Mark's 1st race with the Winners Circle Team was a great success. 

Practice began in earnest on Friday afternoon.  Mark's crew did a great job of sorting out the last of the gremlins in the new race car and he got faster and faster as the session progressed.  Sutton hired former Ganassi driver Bobby Grewohl to coach through the entire weekend and that experience is worth it's weight in gold. 

Qualifying was a two lap effort that just about saw Mark make significant contact with the turn 3 wall in lap 1.  He gathered it up and with one lap to go still managed 7th place on the grid. 

In the heat race Mark went right to the lead.  He held off last year's champion Tim Skogland for most of the race.  With two laps to go Mark lost the lead on turn 1 but immediately set out to take it back with a great battle with Skoglund for the remainder of the race.  The main event saw Mark struggle with a car that he described as not handling the way it handled in the heat race and ultimately a ninth place finish.  All and all a solid start and we got out of Arizona with no damage and a ton more experience in the new race car. 

Mark heads to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a couple of weeks with more experience and a new level of confidence.  Here's the view from the pits at I-95 Speedway in Lake Havasu City.  A pretty cool place...

While the rare weekend at home was sure appreciated, Mark’s USAC season starts in Lake Havasu on March 9^th so it was our only opportunity to get to the dyno room on Mark’s sprint car motor.  We learned a ton from this all day marathon.  We found horsepower in our rebuild that we didn’t have last year.  For anyone that hasn’t ever gone through this, do it if you ever have the chance.  Not only is it interesting to hear your motor screaming on the rev limiter on the other side of the glass, but watching the experts (Thanks Wade, Dave & George!) tune and find elusive horsepower is a worthwhile learning experience.

 

Above left: Wade, George & Dave preparing the engine on the dyno.  Avove Right: The motor screams at almost 14,000 rpm's

 

It feels like we just got home and we're off again.  With the USAC season about to begin, we have the opportunity to get some more seat time at Altamont and we're going to take it.  We'll meet the Winners Circle team at the track and get a day of testing in.  Altamont is a great facility and only a 40 minute drive from the Oakland airport.

Above: Aerial view of Altamont Speedway

 

 

February started off with another trip to California for classroom training.  The weekend began with instruction centered on the psychological aspects of winning.  This outstanding class was taught by noted author and coach Ross Bentley.  Bentley is the author of the much acclaimed Speed Secrets series. 

  

Above: Ross Bentlry

Sunday saw a completely different curriculum.  Mark was told to show up in workout clothes.  The day consisted of a fitness test, instruction on nutrition and on a workout designed specifically for the rigors of car racing.  Mark was pleased by the fact that his extensive gym time back home really paid dividends.  He scored among the top of the class in each of the strength tests.  He was quick to point out though that his preference for cycling didn’t help him much in the running test.

 

Mark just turned 16 (Finally USAC legal!).  We sent his Simpson Speedway Shark Helmet to Jon Byers of Byers Custom & Restoration in Auburn, WA to be custom painted for his birthday (art direction by Mark for the record!). 

We can't say enough good things about Jon Byers and his entire crew.  Not only was seeing his operation a great field trip, but he's as talented as they come and he did exactly what he said he'd do when he said he'd do it.  Take a peak at his web site for a glimpse at what "the best" looks like:   http://www.byerscustom.com

 

 

Mark just returned from classroom training in Sacramento.  This valuable classroom time really separates Sutton’s program from the alternatives.  Broken down into modules, Mark just spent a fully immersed weekend on “Chassis Tuning from the Drivers Standpoint” and “Driver Development”.  To hear Mark describe the science of making the race car work is sure proof of the value of this classroom commitment.  

 

We’re excited to announce that Mark has just been offered a spot on Ron Sutton’s Winners Circle Ford Focus Midget Team.  He has a grueling schedule in store for him in 2007 and one that will see him racing in CA, AZ, WA, OR, NV and UT.  Here’s an excerpt from a recent USAC press release:

“After 520 resumes, 112 interviews and 23 tests, Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle has announced its 2007 driver lineup for its driver development program.

Six drivers were named to compete in one of USAC’s West Coast divisions for the 2007 season. Four of those have competed in USAC before, while two are completely new to the program.

Ryan Kaplan, Paul Zimmerly, Daniel Adler and Ian Mille are expected to continue their USAC careers while teenagers Justin Melton and Mark Atkinson will join the USAC fraternity for the first time next season”.

Above: Ron Sutton's Winners Circle Shop, Hauler, 2006 cars and crew

 

 

Mark just returned from Roseville, California’s Great American Speedway.  He was invited to participate in Ron Sutton’s Winners Circle Shootout.  Similar to Jack Roush’s Gong Show, this years shootout saw top talent from across the United States vying for coveted spots on the team.

Mark’s goal going into this year’s shootout was to earn a seat on Sutton’s Ford Focus Midget Team.  He was also intrigued with the road racing opportunities with Neil Porter’s California based Formula Ford and Formula Continental team.  Needless to say, either opportunity would be greeted with a sense of pride and accomplishment.  The main reason for the Ford Focus Midget goal was to further his knowledge in oval racing and for the chance to tutor directly under Ron and his team.  This was a natural next step after his 2006 foray into the sprint car arena.

 

Above Left: Neil Porter's pits / Above Right: Mark after a Ford Focus session at Altamont