His racing career began In 1981 at the age of 16,when Mark went to watch a F2 meeting at Rochdale – and came home the proud owner of a car bought from Bob Bowker! It was towards the end of that year that Mark girded for his first race at Crewe. Nothing spectacular, but the 790 car placed in all races.

1982 was the first full season racing, with the 790 car hovering between the yellow & blue grades throughout that year. 1983 was a similar tale, but with Mark winning the B.O.S.S. achievement award that year before the car expired, and a new one was built that would see him through till 1985, and usually in the blue grade.

1986 saw Mark move into the F1’s under no 490,with sponsorship from Tony Cole, in an ageing Frankie Senior built car. Considering the somewhat average equipment and lack of finances, Mark showed real potential in ‘86/87 running as a strong blue top, managing to get over to Holland to race, and piping Frankie Senior to the Mildenhall Track Championship. Unfortunately by the end of 1987 the pot was dry, and Mark retired, apart from occasional F2 meetings in borrowed cars.

1991 saw the No.790 back in the Two’s with a new car, which kept blue grade, and won the World Of Shale & North West Open championships for Mark.

Somewhere around 1993, the car was wrecked in an altercation with a certain Mr Speak at Bolton – So the roll cage was chopped off and grafted onto a new HCD copy chassis. It was also around this time that a leaf sprung car was purchased off Andy Ford(13), thus giving the luxury of 2 cars (But only 1 Engine!) for a while!

It was that Leaf sprung car (The 1^st to be painted Lime Green!) that Mark piloted to his best World Final finish so far. Starting from the back row, with a self-built engine, Mark got 3^rd behind Ian King & John Mickel at Crewe in 1993.

Somewhere in the 1995/1996 seasons, both these cars, now sporting red roofs were sold, the leaf sprung car going to John Whittle(77) and the other to Alan Skayman(177). This
made way for 2 new cars….The first came out in ’96 and was a fluorescent orange ‘Diamond’ chassied car, which Mark built primarily for Tarmac…Though I remember it going to Bradford one night, and winning every race bar one, including the ‘winner takes all’ race! Mark kept this car at his farm for quite some time, until selling it to John Lund's mechanic Phil Slater.

1999 was the most successful year yet for Mark. A good Chassis, coupled with an experienced & quick driver, was now joined by sponsorship from Redline racing Engines…. Which went on to be an almost unbeatable combination on shale – and no slouch on tarmac either! Only the now famous Taylor Championship bad luck kept a major title away, though the end of year saw a 3rd place finish in the National Points, Grand National championship, World Of Shale Series winner, and track champion at Kings Lynn, Sheffield, Mildenhall, Skegness & Swindon! There should have been more, believe me….!

2000,and another car (the old one going to Ireland for Ian Thompson Jnr) saw Mark developing the car more on tarmac than shale, with it really flying towards the end of the year. However, politics within the sport saw Marks enthusiasm wane throughout the year – less meetings were done, and despite still using the car for major events, it was actually sold mid-season to Johnny Hall 326,and the bits for a F1 were being accumulated. The last time Mark raced it. In the Kings Lynn World Final, was probably the best it ever went? Starting again on the back row, by the stoppage at half distance,790 was already up to 5th! But once again the gremlins reared their ugly heads, and a broken water pump saw a retirement to the infield, and a good chance of a podium, if not the Gold was gone…Maybe some other time..! 

Mid 2001 saw the debut of Mark’s first self built F1 at Skegness, powered by the ex Alistair Forsyth Chevy 510. Now in 2002,despite still settling in, the car is constantly improving, running well within the top 10 all year, with a few wins under it’s belt. With recent improvements the 490 team are hoping for better to come. Despite consistency, Mark is still hungry for race wins 20 years on, and so a constant development programme is underway…Watch this space!