“I see some other guys who can go from car to car and go out and win races, but I haven‘t seen myself as that guy,” Marks said. “I have needed more control of my destiny. That is how things work for me. I have been in situations where you go week to week wondering if you have a job. That‘s not a healthy way to run a business or run your racing career, at least not for me.”
For Marks, the 2021 season could have been a write-off after his departure from CBJ. In retrospect, it provided a pivotal junction in his racing career. It took him time to find his moorings, but winning the World of Outlaws season finale at The Dirt Track at Charlotte put an exclamation point on an exhilarating year. Starting with a late April victory at Selinsgrove, he won 15 races that season and proved his team could go toe-to-toe with anyone.
In preparing for 2022, Marks sought the counsel of Murray and his crew.
“I did the Outlaw tour for three years and loved it and I just wanted to race professionally,” Marks said. “I sat down and crunched the numbers and going with the World of Outlaws didn‘t make sense. Yes, racing with the Outlaws has always been a goal and dream of mine. But when I joined CBJ they didn‘t want to do that either and I thought it was a good decision. Then when I left and went back to my car it was too late to join the Outlaw tour again.
“I had every intention of going back this year, but we sat down and discussed what we wanted to do. We really had a successful season in 2021 and it was nice to be able to pick and choose where we wanted to race,” Marks noted. “We could hit all the big shows and didn‘t have to go out to California and miss a $50,000 race at Port Royal an hour from our shop. In the end, we decided to just stick with what we are doing, and it is working out right now.”
The team started the season in Florida, but picked up their first victory in Pennsylvania. Starting in June, he strung together one strong performance after another. He won a World of Outlaws feature at Knoxville, pocketed more than $20,000 by winning the Ohio Sprint Speedweek finale at Portsmouth (Ohio) Raceway Park and returned to Pennsylvania where he won five features en route to the Pennsylvania Speedweek title.
His domination in Pennsylvania was impossible to ignore, but another test was looming on the horizon.
With Eldora‘s Historical Big One and Kings Royal scheduled over a three-day period in mid-July, prestige and a ton of cash was on the line. For those prone to lay a few dollars on the outcome of these signature events two factors demanded attention. First, Marks was on a roll, and second, he had an impressive record at the imposing Ohio half-mile track.
When he topped the field in the Historical Big One the team made a decision consistent with their approach to the season. They took the next night off. It paid dividends. When he crossed the line as the Kings Royal winner it was uncharted territory and he had won more than $275,000 in three nights time.
It was a second Kings Royal victory for Moyle who was struck by the contrast.
“I was with Shane Stewart when we won back in 2015,” he said. “We had that monsoon come in and it was about 3:30 in the morning when the race was over. That day when we left the sun was coming up. This time the sun was going down when we were pulling out of the track.”
Even though he had experienced the ultimate high at Eldora previously, he appreciated the team had accomplished something special. “When I leaned in to talk to Brent right after he came off the scales at the Kings Royal, I said, ‘Do you realize what you just did?‘ It is cool to be a part of a team that did that, and that can never be taken away.”
As a result, many labled Marks the favorite for the Knoxville Nationals. Marks dispelled this idea.
“I don‘t feel pressure going into the Nationals,” said. “We won a race in June, but struggled the next night. We were good at the Nationals last year, but I haven‘t really dialed in there yet. I don‘t feel like I‘m the favorite like I did at Eldora. Knoxville has its own pressure because it is the Nationals. I have learned that you just have to go there and do your thing.”
Marks did his thing, but finished seventh as Donny Schatz won sprint car racing‘s biggest prize for the 11th time.
Now many wonder what lies in store for next year. Moyle says he is always year to year and Marks can hardly scoff at the rewards this season brought their way. In the end, all agreed that their pick-and-choose schedule played to their advantage.