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View Full Version : Shocking news.... Mark Mockovak Released from NASCAR



Howie
07-24-2007, 06:28 PM
I just learned that Mark Mockovak has been terminated as Media Coordinator of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. No replacement has been named at this time. After 14 years on the job, Mark and all the help he has been to us all will surely be missed.

LongIslandJam
07-24-2007, 06:55 PM
I wish the best to Mark. In my opinion he did an awesome job. Best wishes him and his future endeavors!

gomodsgo
07-24-2007, 06:58 PM
WOW.... that sucks. Mark is a great guy. WMT / Nascar really made a bad choice on this one.

Teds Race Tours
07-24-2007, 07:01 PM
Wow. That disgusts me. Mark Bleeds Modifieds as do many of us. I can't even begins to imagine what they are thinking!!!!:mad: I'd love to hear Mark's side of it. Suggestion for next Monday's Gary Danko Guest!!!!

Chris
07-24-2007, 09:45 PM
Sorry to hear about Mark. It wouldn't surprise me if the position is not filled. :disgusted

Mike Fields
07-24-2007, 09:54 PM
Just think, he must have breathing real easy after the off-season purge that he survived. When people like Al Robinson were axed, it was amazing that anyone made it through.

Mark will be very much missed in the press box at tracks up and down the east coast.

Tooner
07-24-2007, 09:59 PM
Wow, That's a big loss to the teams and competitors, Mark worked his tail off.

Big loss NASCAR, don't know what you were thinking..

Howie
07-25-2007, 09:49 AM
Shawn has an excellent blog on this subject today. As usual, interesting reading. The blog can be found here (http://blogs.courant.com/autoracing/2007/07/another-good-gu.html#more)

RGeeProductions
07-25-2007, 12:04 PM
This is sad news about Mark. I have never met Mark but he tops all people/venues who send me PR stories. They were always sent within 1 hour of a race ending and that is extremely fast!!!! He was very dedicated to his work and will be missed.

Photog1
07-25-2007, 12:34 PM
I think I can speak for Dave as well as myself in saying that Mark was the best! He's always been helpful to both of us, as well as an all-around nice guy! Best wishes to you, Mark, in your future endeavors. Another big loss for NASCAR.

Hazel Meredith

ThE sHaDoW
07-25-2007, 01:15 PM
NASCAR's loss maybe a huge gain for a local track. Any track looking to upgrade their PR dept may have received their Christmas gift early.

CynthiaTork
07-25-2007, 01:30 PM
First Al Robinson then Mark Mockovak........

Glad to see NASCAR holds loyalty to the people who have more passion and respect for the sport, then they do.
:rolleyes:

JED
07-25-2007, 04:16 PM
I'm surprised to hear this.....although I guess I should not be. NASCAR has let go many good people in the last six months. You just wish you could understand the thought process.
Mark you were always there for us. Thanks for all you've done.

Jim

Mike Fields
07-25-2007, 07:33 PM
Cynthia, it's not just Mark and Al. Don't forget people like Jeremy Davidson, and about six others that didn't survive the off-season NASCAR masacre.

CTScribe
07-25-2007, 08:58 PM
:mad: It is a dark day in New England Auto Racing. A staunch supporter and ally of the Whelen Modified Tour (Featherlite Series), Mark Mockovac, was let go by NASCAR. It is very disappointing to me that every time “middle management” changes in the NASCAR Touring division, a person or two gets the straw end of the broom.

Hazel and I were welcomed with open arms by Mark. We were new to covering the Tour, but Mark didn’t care -- we were part of the family. Besides the racing itself, that kept us wanting to cover the Modified Tour.

Let me see the next PR person appointed run up and down the stairs from any press box, pick up the Bud Pole Award and the other awards, distribute hats, and arrange autograph sessions. Mark worked with every media type that came through the door and took time to make sure you were set before heading off to get copies or driver info. I surely doubt if you’ll find anyone with as much knowledge and understanding of WMT racing. No one will fill Mark Mockovac’s shoes as far as the Tour information and history.

From the first time we covered a tour race at Stafford Motor Speedway, Mark made us feel like an important part of the team. He was “almost” always friendly (hey, we all have our moments!). If you needed something right away he’d go out to the car or hauler to get it for you, no questions asked.

Mark spent plenty of time getting things done behind the scenes and never asked for credit or bragged about what he had done. Maybe we’ll see Mark, Audrey and the boys at a local track watching racing with the rest of the fans.

Maybe they should hire Brian Danko since he’s retiring from writing! Like Shawn, I too considered Mark a friend of mine. When you left the track you knew you’d have the agate and the story when you arrived home just about every time.

Knowing Mark, I know he’ll miss all the people who made up the WMT family -- drivers, crews, media, track personnel and the NASCAR WMT officials and friends. I’m sure he won’t be stranger (well, except during UCONN Football season when Shawn and Mark can commiserate about racing).

Best of luck to you luck to you, Mark. It will not be the same without you.

Dave & Hazel Meredith

CynthiaTork
07-25-2007, 11:31 PM
Cynthia, it's not just Mark and Al. Don't forget people like Jeremy Davidson, and about six others that didn't survive the off-season NASCAR masacre.

You are correct, I was not intending on slighting Jeremy at all. It was a complete oversight on my part. I had met Jeremy at Riverside Park , many years ago.

hollywoodmic
07-31-2007, 11:30 AM
I'd just like to hear NASCAR's reason. I announced at Riverhead, and Richmond the first guy to ever come see me at the races I was announcing was Mark. We would get as announcers so much stuff from Mark about the tour, it's drivers, press releases, sponsor info everything. We never ran out of things to say. You remember the Richmond race with the sun delay?? Mark called up to the press box to make sure I had enough to talk about during the delay. He cared, it's hard to find people in NASCAR that care the way Mark Macovak did, and probably always will. If NASCAR was smart they would promote Mark, not let him go, they could really use people with the passion that this guy has.

Good luck to you Mark in all you do.

Steve Halpin

RGeeProductions
07-31-2007, 07:57 PM
Interesting that with 4 days left till Riverhead, there has been no NASCAR PR put out for this race as with previous races this season.
Only PR so far are the 2 from Riverhead Raceway!!!!!!
OOPS!!! Someone is dropping the ball here!!!!

gomodsgo
08-02-2007, 08:39 PM
was there an announcement of who took his place? or is it still vacant? or maybe they are not planning on filling it??

RGeeProductions
08-02-2007, 09:16 PM
As per other post, I just recieved NASCAR WMT for Riverhead. Seems they will be from Jason Christley and with a new format, starting with Riverhead's PR, in a Word Document style, with multiple PR's and color. This may be a difficult PR to put together as it's many stories. I will sort out and have up on main page of TCH about 10pm tonight.

RGeeProductions
08-02-2007, 11:53 PM
NASCAR's new Public Relations story for Riverhead's Miller Lite 140 is up.
NASCAR is now using a new multimedia, multi story format. I have posted them as an Adobe [Acrobat] .PDF, which leaves the original format as sent. Most people have the reader installed so it should open right up, if not, the link to the Reader is on the front page of The Chrome Horn.

Teds Race Tours
08-03-2007, 12:08 AM
Thats an interesting PR release. I liked the Info on Mike Ewanitsko. It was a nice little piece on Mike. I wonder who his Crazy fans in Turn 2 are. I sit there all the time and don't see any crazy people.:)

Tooner
08-03-2007, 12:11 AM
That's quite a work of art for a press release. Alot of work went into it.
Although I'll always be partial to Mark M and all he did for the tour through the years. I have spoken to Jason Christley on the phone about the Whelen All American Division info in the past, and he seems like a very nice, intelligent guy.

Mark will still be missed, but maybe Jason should get a chance to show what he can do.

RGeeProductions
08-03-2007, 12:15 AM
Thats an interesting PR release. I liked the Info on Mike Ewanitsko. It was a nice little piece on Mike. I wonder who his Crazy fans in Turn 2 are. I sit there all the time and don't see any crazy people.:)

Ok, are you asking for pictures???? LOL