Mark McFarland

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Mark McFarland
Mark McFarland with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels
Born: February 1, 1978 (1978-02-01) (age 30)
Birthplace: Winchester, Virginia
Achievements:
Awards:
NASCAR Nationwide Series Statistics
2006 NNS Position: 30th
Best NNS Position: 30th - 206 (Busch Series)
First Race: 1998 Gumout Long Life Formula 200 (New Hampshire)
Wins Top Tens Poles
0 1 0
Statistics current as of April 29, 2006.

Mark McFarland (February 1, 1978) of Winchester, Virginia) races in the USAR Hooters Procup Series. He currently drives the #81 Knights Racing Chevy in the USAR Hooters Procup Series for Pete Knight Racing. He will also be driving in select Busch East races for Pete Knight Racing. McFarland won the NASCAR Weekly Series national championship in 2003.[1]

Contents

[edit] Early career

At the age of eight, he began his racing career, racing go-karts. He earned a factory ride after his first year of racing. In 1994, his karting career ended with 10 National Championships and 14 State Championships to his name.

Mark's first LMSC win - 1996
Mark's first LMSC win - 1996

At the end of 1995, he started racing late models at Old Dominion Speedway in Manassas, Virginia. He was rookie of the year in 1996, and finished third in points. In the 1997 season, he captured 9 wins, and 27 top 10 finishes, at several tracks throughout the south. He finished second at points at Old Dominion.

[edit] NASCAR weekly-series championship

In 2003, driving an asphalt Late Model Stock Car owned by Jim Dean, McFarland won 16 of his 18 starts at Old Dominion Speedway in Manassas, Virginia. This earned him the national championship of the NASCAR Weekly Series, as well as the track championship.[1]

[edit] NASCAR national-series career

1998 Carolina Shoe Chevy
1998 Carolina Shoe Chevy

In 1998, he ran select NASCAR Busch Series events, along with 15 late model races throughout the east coast. He qualified for several Busch Series events. In 1999, he did not run any NASCAR events, but finished fourth in points at Old Dominion, and set a new track and LMSC record of 15.222 (88.687 MPH), which still stands today. He continued to run late model and off and on Busch Series events through the 2003 season, when he won the national championship for LMSC in NASCAR.

In 2004, he raced first for Jim Harris in the Craftsman Truck Series in the Harris Trucking Dodge. Then about mid season, he was picked to be one of the 4 Hungry Driver drivers in Tommy Baldwin's #6 Busch Series Dodge's.

He then moved into the USAR Hooters Pro Cup series 1n 2005 driving the Winfuel #32 Chevy for Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Mark when he drove for Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Mark when he drove for Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

In 2006, McFarland was hired to drive the number 88 United States Navy Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the NASCAR Busch Series. He got injured while running in the top 10 at the Milwaukee Mile and missed the next two races at Daytona International Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway. He had dislocated his shoulder and also injured some of the muscles around it. Following the Kroger 200 Mark was released from his driving duties of the #88 U.S. Navy Chevrolet. Martin Truex Jr. would drive the car in the next race at Watkins Glen International and Robby Gordon drove it in subsequent races at Michigan International Speedway and California Speedway. Shane Huffman, also from the Hooters Pro Cup series, drove the remaining races in the #88 and is slated for a full Busch Series schedule in the car for 2007.

[edit] Honors

  • As part of the 25th anniversary of the NASCAR Weekly Series in 2006, McFarland was named one of the series' All Time Top 25 drivers.[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Schaefer, Paul. Where Stars Are Born: Celebrating 25 Years of NASCAR Weekly Racing. Coastal 181, Newburyport, Massachusetts, USA, 2006. ISBN 0-9789261-0-2. pp. 143-147.
  2. ^ Schaefer, Paul. Where Stars Are Born: Celebrating 25 Years of NASCAR Weekly Racing. Coastal 181, Newburyport, Massachusetts, USA, 2006. ISBN 0-9789261-0-2. pp. 163-170.

[edit] External links

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