If you were to mentor a young driver, what advice would you give?
Do as I say not as I do. Not everybody can copy my driving style. They need to race the track and that's it. Keep it close for the first half of the race and see where you stand come the second half. If your car is good enough that's when you push it. Oh that and if you see me in your mirrors you better move over cuz I'm coming through.
Do as I say not as I do. Not everybody can copy my driving style. They need to race the track and that's it. Keep it close for the first half of the race and see where you stand come the second half. If your car is good enough that's when you push it. Oh that and if you see me in your mirrors you better move over cuz I'm coming through.
Mike Lack, Mike Fitzlaff, John Wiedemann, and John Shea are Mark's biggest rivals
Who has been your biggest rival on the track in Indyslotcar? In ISF?
Myself.
With the talent that keeps stepping up in these series, I have to keep
pushing myself to constantly improve my game. Granted my results in ISF haven't been up to par lately, but I also attribute that to missing alot of those events and not as much seat time with those cars. If your looking for names in Indyslotcar the last few years its been Fitzlaff, Lack and this year Wiedemann. He REALLY stepped his game up. I think he will be the guy to end my streak of titles. In ISF
it was always John Shea. That guy could do just about anything in a
car. He always waited for his last lap to bump me off pole, and he knew
it got to me.
It has been noticed you win more consistently in Indyslotcar than ISF, yet you are a three time champion, any reason for more success in one league than the other?
Its been quite a few years since I've actually put in a full season in ISF, But I've always been a threat to win at any race I've shown up to. If I were to run a full schedule again I have no doubt in my mind I would have a few more championships.
Dan Margetta and Everet Kamikawa are two original Indyslotcar veterans
that haven't beaten Walczak to the championship
Dan Margetta, Everet Kamikawa, Tom Spehert, Chris Spehert have been racing in the series the longest. Besides beating you, what advice would you give them to win the championship?
LOL. Like Dan Tommy Kendall said at the HO Indy 500 after my 5th title, there is a reason I drive the Target car. Because I have the Target set squarely on my back. I really don't think there is much advice to give them. Margetta has been in the series the longest and has seen drivers come and go. He knows what he's doing. If he really set his mind to it he would win multiple titles. I think him getting robbed of one a few years back left a sour taste in his mouth. Kamikawa is a great racer in his own right. We may not always see eye to eye when were racing, but he's won back to back titles, and you have to respect that. The Speherts unfortunately have seen dwindling starts over the last few seasons.
LOL. Like Dan Tommy Kendall said at the HO Indy 500 after my 5th title, there is a reason I drive the Target car. Because I have the Target set squarely on my back. I really don't think there is much advice to give them. Margetta has been in the series the longest and has seen drivers come and go. He knows what he's doing. If he really set his mind to it he would win multiple titles. I think him getting robbed of one a few years back left a sour taste in his mouth. Kamikawa is a great racer in his own right. We may not always see eye to eye when were racing, but he's won back to back titles, and you have to respect that. The Speherts unfortunately have seen dwindling starts over the last few seasons.
What music do you like to listen to while racing and why do you wear headphones?
It all really depends on the track. Some tracks you need to get pumped up and I turn on a Metallica, Nickleback
or something like that. Others like Raven where you have to keep your
composure I'll mellow it out a bit, and of course you can't go to
Stardust Raceway with out listening to Elvis and Sinatra. The
headphones go back to something Iverson
had pointed out to me. Under our old qualifying format we had 12 laps
cumulative time to set the field. Well each time you came off it took
between 2-3 seconds to be put back on track. I found that if I put the
i-pod on and got into a zone before starting I actually ran better. My
qualifying and race results greatly improved after that.
What are you most proud of accomplishing and what do you still want to accomplish in both leagues?
Wow. Tough call. I think in the ISF it would be that I was the first driver to win back to back Rapids Invites. In Indyslotcar I would say now being the all-time leader in wins is huge. As far as left to accomplish, in the Indy series I need the 6th title, to be the all time winningest champion would be amazing. Having won 5 to tie Cianciola is just.......... I really don't have the words to explain it.
Is there a quality about you, your driving style, car set up, or race craft that you think you do better than others?
No
I really don't think there is. I just make the most of the practice
sessions were allotted and find the edge of the envelope. I know then
when and where to push cars.
What is your favorite memory all time in ISF and all time in Indycar?
In ISF I would say my dominant year in LMP.
I started from the pole in every race and won every race, well except
the final race that year at HORA. I qualified 1st, but got a phone call
and had to leave before the race started. There is no doubt in anybody
mind that I would have won that race too. The car was just so lightning
quick I was way ahead of everybody even in race pace. In Indyslotcar there are just too many, building a car for Dan Margetta to win his 1st HO Indy 500, my first win. Giving my back-up car to Iverson
for him to win the Ho Indy 500 and claim his first season title. My 500
win, first title, being the first to win 3 consecutive titles, winning 5
consecutive to tie Cianciola.
You also raced stock cars in the American Racing Alliance (ARA) for several seasons. Any thoughts about that series you want to share?
That was defiantly a fun series. a complete change running the tin tops. I was lucky enough to end John Shea's reign as the big dog in the heavy metal class and continue to hold that title until the series unfortunately folded, which ranks up there for me accomplishment wise. I was luck enough to win races in all four classes with multiple championships.
If
you could choose any driver in either league that no longer
participates to come back and race against for a full season who would
it be and why? Who would you want for a teammate?
Wow, that's a tough call. So many good drivers that have retired and or moved away. Iverson, Cianciola, Shea, Rotter. I really can't choose just one. I'd honestly love to race them all again. Well they all would add their own thing to the team. Again there its hard to decide. Iverson and I dominated the series when we were together. Lets just say I'd be lucky to team up with any of them.
Wow, that's a tough call. So many good drivers that have retired and or moved away. Iverson, Cianciola, Shea, Rotter. I really can't choose just one. I'd honestly love to race them all again. Well they all would add their own thing to the team. Again there its hard to decide. Iverson and I dominated the series when we were together. Lets just say I'd be lucky to team up with any of them.
You also raced stock cars in the American Racing Alliance (ARA) for several seasons. Any thoughts about that series you want to share?
That was defiantly a fun series. a complete change running the tin tops. I was lucky enough to end John Shea's reign as the big dog in the heavy metal class and continue to hold that title until the series unfortunately folded, which ranks up there for me accomplishment wise. I was luck enough to win races in all four classes with multiple championships.
Anything else you want to ad?
No I think I've rambled on too long for some of your readers. LOL. I just hope it provides a small glimpse into my racing life. Thanks for the time Steve.
Thank
you Mark. Sometimes the Washington Generals beat the Harlem
Globetrotters. Mark sometimes loses a race, however like that famous
basketball team, his league dominance looks set to continue for a long time.
Until next time...It's not bad being in the pits!
Steve The Wrench Ratchett
