Thu, 17 Jun 2010, 10:50 PM Rewards on the Road

By Kelly Wade Photo copyright 2010 Auto Imagery, Inc.

Mark Faul celebrates Allstar win.

Last season, Mark Faul crossed off just 157 blocks on the calendar at home in Tacoma, Wash. The other 208 days were spent hauling his two race cars - a Super Stock GT/EA '98 Grand Am and a Stock C/SA '69 Chevelle - across the country and competing in over 30 races, including national and divisional NHRA events and a few IHRA meets and bracket races. Though he has tuned down the exhaustive schedule a bit this year and aiming to spend no more than a month on the road at a time, he is still reaping the rewards of his efforts, most recently with a Stock victory at the prestigious Allstars event in Chicago.

Though he had earned the right to race with the best of the best at the Allstars on five different occasions, the honor hadn't produced a trophy until this season. Three times before, Faul had accumulated enough points to race his Super Stocker at the event but had disappointingly gone out first round, and his only previous appearance in the Stock Allstars competition was an impressive but just short runner-up in 2007. In this season's Super Stock final, Faul put his vast experience on the drag strip to work, cutting a better light and running closer to his dial to beat Division 3's Chris Stephenson.

Faul vs. Chris Stephenson

"I was really happy just to qualify for the Allstars," said Faul, who was already on the Stock and Super Stock entry lists for the Chicago main event when he realized he would also race the special bonus event. "At the beginning of last year, I teamed up with Tommy Gaynor and we got the FVP sponsorship on the Super Stocker. That made me alter my schedule just a little bit, and it kept me a little closer to home. It was really cool the way things fell into place, because I was in fourth place for the Allstars going into Boise, the last race that counted for points, and I won there. After that, I knew that going to Joliet I would have three chances to win, and that was awesome."

Faul added the Allstars hardware to an expanding collection of accomplishments, and so far this season, in addition to the Allstars and Boise triumphs, he also recorded a final round finish at the IHRA event in Baton Rouge in his Chevelle. The humble racer carries a scorecard tallying 10 Super Stock victories in 13 final rounds, four Stock titles in eight attempts, a Super Comp runner-up in 2002 to Shawn Langdon, and a near double at the Fontana Pacific SPORTSnationals in 2008, where he won Super Stock and finished second in Stock to Dave Moreno.

Faul at Baton Rouge. Photo by BME Photography

The big money that supports a drag racing career is won at national events, but every bit counts, and Faul has notched 10 wins in 24 final rounds at the divisional level - including four at his home track, Seattle's Pacific Raceways. Two of his Super Stock national event crowns (2005 and 2008) were also scored on the grounds where he cut his racing teeth.

"Winning Indy in 2006 was a great success, but winning in Seattle is really rewarding," said Faul. "It's always nice to win in front of your family and friends. That's one thing about racing full time: your family isn't usually with you and the winner's circles are sometimes pretty thin. But winning in Seattle, then I have a whole bunch of people in there."

Touring professional sportsman racers will tell you that life on the road isn't all sunshine and celebration.

Scott Stillings vs. Faul U.S. Nationals 2006 final.

"You do get exhausted, but the worst part is usually the boredom in between races, especially if there isn't anybody to hang out with," he said. But the regular travelers typically band together whenever possible, and through the years Faul has talked driver tendencies and strategies, weather, and life in general with fellow road warriors like Lee Zane, Dan Fletcher, Brad Plourd, and Gary Stinnett. Fletcher was a critical part of Faul's decision to race for a living, offering gritty advice about the strenuous lifestyle.

"I admired the guts that he had to try it," said Faul. "I was working outside sales at a printing company and lost a big customer, and I thought that maybe the time was right to try it. I emailed Dan with a bunch of questions, and he was real open and honest. He said, 'Well, you're no Peter Biondo, but I think you can keep the lights on.' "

Faul in his Super Stock Grand Am at Sonoma in 2003.

Faul has been racing full time since 2002, when he gave up his job at the printing company to pursue the life of a race car driver, but the draw dawned much earlier in life. While still in high school, Faul began taking dad Gary's GTO out to the track, and eventually, his dad joined him. Gary took back possession of the GTO and Faul piloted a '51 Chevy. Both cars started out running low 14s, but father and son got to work, and Faul was pleased to finally see the high 12s. He won his first race in 1988, realized a bit of money could be made, and it was all downhill from there. He won back-to-back points meets, became involved in the Summit Racing Series, and was completely hooked.

"I'm still learning things all the time, and I'm definitely learning new ways to lose," he joked. "You think you've figured them all out, but then you invent a new one.

Faul won Boise this year. Photo by Rich Carlson

"I'm always picking up little tricks from my opponents, but one of my biggest lessons has been trying not to repeat my same mistakes. It used to be that I would lose a race, crack a beer, and wallow in my sorrow. Now, I still crack a beer, but I look at my time slip and figure out why I got beat or what I did wrong and make sure I learn from it."

On the home front, Faul's racing endeavors are supported by his parents, Gary and Cynthia, and brothers Brian and Darin. Other support comes from FVP Batteries, Mickey Thompson Tires, K&N, Dave Barcelon's Truck Town, and Gaynor's Automotive.

Sustained by his supporters, Faul has collected four Northwest Division titles, in 1997, 2001, 2004, and 2006; the 2008 Pacific Division championship in Stock, and finished in the top 10 at the national level on several occasions, including a career-best fifth in Stock in 2008. After checking a coveted Allstars win off of his to-do list, Faul's next major goal is a national championship, but for now, his main focus is on winning enough to continue touring.

Faul was '09 Division 7 Stock Champion

"This year, for some reason, I've really felt the pressure," said Faul. "I can't really pinpoint why. It's tough to make a living doing this, and I don't know if I'm coming to the realization that I should probably get a job. Mentally, it's tough sometimes, especially to leave home after being here for awhile. But I just have to focus and remember that I'm not only going out there to make a living, I'm also going out there to have fun. I've made so many friends all over the country, and it's a plus to get to go race with them.

"Winning is great, of course, but something that I really pride myself on is that I'm a good sportsman and I've made a lot of friends. I'm proud of the fact that I've carried myself well and been a stand-up guy. Not just me, but most people out there will loan you a part if you need it. The racing community is so good, and I'm glad to be a part of it."

Check out Faul's website at www.markfaulracing.com, and follow his blog at www.bracketracingnw.com.