Committee Profile – Mark Straker

Born into motorsport in 1971, with a father who had been a successful navigator in the 1960’s, competing in the MN road rally championship and also in the 1964 Monte Carlo & RAC Rally. By 1971 Dad was competing as a driver – so I had no choice but to get involved in the sport!  I started co-driving for my Dad at age 14, mainly on single venue stage rallies in South of England Championships.

 

A week after starting at the University of Surrey, where I gained a degree in Mechanical Engineering, I drove in my first stage rally at age 18, driving my Dad’s Sebring Sprite, with him navigating! I was then hooked, and bought my Talbot Sunbeam in January 1991, and enjoyed many seasons of fun, and some success, until the Sunbeam’s sale in 1999, at which point Dad & I had committed to buying our first Darrian.

 

I have stuck with the Darrian brand ever since, with success coming on several single venues, then finally the Harry Flatters Rally over Epynt in 2013 (after many attempts). 2014 & 2015 resulted in more success, including two victories in Ireland, on the ALMC Stages & Wexford Stages.

 

Since then I have concentrated on developing a new power unit for stage rallying, with the direct injection 1.6L Ford EcoBoost engine, which is turbocharged, and has to run a 34mm restrictor.

 

Having regularly marshaled over the years, but never having been on the organising committee of any events, I have recently joined the FDMC Committee, specifically with a view to giving back to the sport that has given me so much over the years.

You can contact Mark by email (click here).