Internet Home of Mark Dowdy Racing

Home of America's First Paralyzed Dirt Late Model Driver

MARK DOWDY RACING

CLICK THIS LINK HERE TO SEE A LETTER FROM A SPECIAL FAN OF MDR

January 23rd, 2012- Mark Dowdy Racing is hard at work preparing for the upcoming 2012 racing season. Many big things have fell into place for MDR since the conclusion of the 2011 season. We will be debuting a new look in 2012, along with partnerships with new sponsors coming on board.

During December, MDR attended the International Motorsports Industry Show in Indianapolis, IN, while there we made several contacts and gained relationships with companies in the motorsports industry. We are to proud to announce that we will be partnering up with KRC Power Steering, ButlerBuilt Race Products, Bilstein Race Shocks as product sponsors in 2012 after our visit to IMIS.

We are proud to announce a new sponsor for 2012 and welcome Rather Sewer Inspection Services of Olive Springs, TN to the MDR team. We also want to welcome back Pittman, Dutton & Hellums Attorneys at Law as they will be returning as a major sponsor for the 2012 race season, Along with product sponsorship from FK Rod Ends, DBR Starters, WIX Filters & Fragola Performance Systems and JPM Promotions of Mt. Pleasant TN as our public relations representative.

We are doing the Facebook Fan promotion again this year. For a minimum donation of $10, you will get your name on the racecar and in the sponsor section of the website. This was a success last year. If we can succeed with the 50% participation, 50% of the money collected will be donated to the Race2cure.org group. A group that helps families that are dealing with cancer, By providing them with financial assistance for the little stuff that often goes overlooked. We would like to see at least 300 fans participate this season. There are almost 700 fans on our page. So lets do this!! Tell your friends, neighbors, family. All donations can be mailed to Mark Dowdy, 223 Co Rd 169, Waterloo, AL. 35677. if you prefer Paypal. Send it to dowdy88@hotmail.com.

We look forward to another great year of racing at MDR and giving our fans & sponsors a year to remember.

December 7th, 2011- Mark Dowdy Racing would like to take the time to thank all of its 2011 sponsors and fans. We didn’t reach that milestone of victory lane but we gave it our all and we’ll give our best in 2012 to get that elusive checkered flag. Victory lane isn’t always defined as taking the checkered flag, Victory lane at MDR is having great supporters that make it all possible to still live the dream of being able to reach victory lane, and MDR thanks each one of you.

During the 2011 season we accomplished: 4-Top 5 finishes and 12-Top 10 finishes amongst a very stout field of competitors. MDR finished in 8th place in final points standing a Thunderhill Raceway (Summertown, TN). Thanks again to each sponsor that made MDR a successful season.

2011 MARK DOWDY RACING SPONSORS

Pittman Dutton & Hellums Attorneys at Law (Birmingham, AL) www.pittmandutton.com

FK Rod Ends www.fkrodends.com

Tolbert Performance Engineering (Arley, AL) www.tolbertperformance.com

JPM Promotions (Mt. Pleasant, TN) www.jpmpromote.com

DBR Starters www.DBRstarters.com

D & R Hardware (Waterloo, AL) (256) 766-4238

Wix Filters www.wixfilters.com

The Jason M. Neely Foundation Race to Cure Parkinson’s Disease www.jmnfoundation22.org

All the Facebook Fans who came on board the MDR Team.

Last but not least, MDR would like to say thank you to each and every fan of Mark Dowdy Racing, at MDR we appreciate everyone’s support. Happy Holidays to everyone from MDR and look forward to seeing everyone in 2012.

October 12th, 2011- Mark Dowdy and the MDR team were back at Thunderhill Raceway (Summertown, TN) this past Saturday night October 8, 2010 to make a run at that elusive victory, that’s eluded them all season.

Dowdy would take the Pittman Dutton and Hellums Law Firm, FK Rod Ends, Wix Filters, Tolbert Performance, Warrior Chassis out to qualify and would set a time of 14.038 second lap around the speedway and earn a 14th place starting position.

As feature time rolled into place, Dowdy was set to do battle to make his way through the pack for 20 laps. When the field took the green Dowdy avoided the turn one chaos by getting through a thick crowd of competitors. Dowdy inched his way up to 12th place before the first caution fell of the event. On the restart, Dowdy started 12th amongst a hornets nest, as the cars were battling for position Dowdy connected up with another competitor, escaping damage on the front end of the car but in a chain reaction the car behind Dowdy clipped Dowdy’s rear tire causing it to blow out. Dowdy would exit the speedway, thus ending his night to get that elusive victory in a 15th place finish.

Mark Dowdy Racing will be at Thunderhill Raceway this upcoming Saturday October 15th, 2011 for its Danny Sandrell Memorial Limited Late Model Special, paying $2000 To-Win 30 lap event.

MDR is already setting their wheels in motion for the 2012 race season and looking for marketing partners to sponsor the Mark Dowdy Racing Team. If you’re interested in speaking with a MDR team member please contact us at dowdy88@hotmail.com or jpmpromote@gmail.com or call (256) 856-8638 and they’ll be more than glad to discuss opportunities to join the MDR team.

Mark Dowdy Racing would like to thank all their sponsors for 2011 that include: Pitman Dutton & Hellums Attorneys at Law (Birmingham, AL) www.pittmandutton.com Tolbert Performance Engine (Arley, AL) www.tolbertperformance.com DBR Starters www.DBRstarters.com D & R Hardware (Waterloo, AL) (256) 766-4238, JPM Promotions (Mt. Pleasant, TN) www.jpmpromote.com , and the Jason M. Neely Foundation Race to Cure Parkinson’s Disease www.jmnfoundation22.org Products Sponsors are FK Rod Ends www.fkrodends.com and Wix Filters www.wixfilters.com and all the Facebook Fans who came on board the MDR Team.

September 27th, 2011- Mark Dowdy Racing saw action this past weekend at Thunderhill Raceway (Summertown, TN) competing amongst a stellar field of 21 other cars. Dowdy would have a strong showing in the Pitman, Dutton, Hellums Law Firm, Tolbert Performance, Maniac Race Engines, Warrior chassis bringing home a top-10 finish.

Dowdy went out in qualifying a laid down a solid lap of 13.151 seconds around Thunderhill Raceway and earn a 8th place starting spot in the 20 lap main event.

When feature time came, Dowdy and the rest of the 21 car field were set to do battle for the 20 lap roll call. When the green flag dropped on the feature, Dowdy took no time to set sail. He worked the bottom of the speedway holding position before the first caution of the event fell on lap two, for a slowed up car on the speedway. On the restart, Dowdy would start in the 8th position, behind the #K3 car of Michael Kennedy. Dowdy and Kennedy would race for position for the duration of the race. The second caution of the race fell on lap twelve for the spun car of #20 Tarpley. Race leader #F26 of Mark Fields fell out of the race with engine problems and the #77 of David Gentry would take over the lead and the rest of the field would advance up one position. On the final restart of the 8 laps left, Dowdy would start 7th and he and Kennedy would continue their battle. Dowdy worked the bottom of the speedway, the way he had all night and eventually raced his way by Kennedy in the bottom of turn two, advancing by him to the 6th going down the backstretch straight away. Dowdy would settle in for the final laps holding the 6th spot down, as the field took the white flag, Dowdy closed in on the 5th place running car of #27 Cody Springer as the two came to the checkered flag Springer narrowly held the fifth spot, holding off Dowdy to a sixth place finish for the evening at Thunderhill Raceway.

MDR will be taking the week end off, as Thunderhill Raceway is closed for this week.

September 14th, 2011-Mark Dowdy, America’s first paralyzed dirt late model driver saw action this past weekend, September 10th at Thunderhill Raceway (Summertown, TN) for a regular scheduled program in the limited late model division taking home a 15th place finish.

As the night got started for the MDR Team in hot laps, the Warrior Chassis sustained some damage as Dowdy was out shaking the car down. With the help of MDR team member Lee Strong and Cody Springer team member Ike Newton and special guest Larry Stephens the team made repairs before qualifying time rolled around. Dowdy would go out and lay lap time of 13.194 seconds around the steep banks of Thunderhill, giving him a 10th place starting position amongst the 21 car field of limited late models in attendance.

Feature time came and the time had come to get down to business for 20 laps. As Dowdy came to the green flag in the 10th spot, he knew his work would be cut out for him. Dowdy maneuvered his way around several cars by Lap 5 and reached as high as fifth place before caution fell on lap five. While in contention the 21 car of Shannon Ardry got loose ahead of Dowdy and He could not avoid getting into Ardry, Dowdy would be credited for the caution and be sent to the rear of the field. Dowdy raced his way back to a 15th place finish after the 20 lap feature was over. Considering the damaged sustained to competitors cars earlier in the night, and a wild night at the Hill, the MDR Team would settle for the 15th spot for the night and make another run at it next time.

Mark Dowdy Racing will take this weekend from racing and be in attendance at the North Alabama Speedway’s Bama Brawl Event.

Mark Dowdy Racing would like to thank all their sponsors for 2011 that include: Pitman Dutton & Hellums Attorneys at Law (Birmingham, AL) www.pittmandutton.com Tolbert Performance Engine (Arley, AL) www.tolbertperformance.com D & R Hardware (Waterloo, AL) (256) 766-4238, JPM Promotions (Mt. Pleasant, TN) www.jpmpromote.com , and the Jason M. Neely Foundation Race to Cure Parkinson’s Disease www.jmnfoundation22.org Products Sponsors are FK Rod Ends www.fkrodends.com DBR Starters www.dbrstarters.com and Wix Filters www.wixfilters.com and all the Facebook Fans who came on board the MDR Team.

September 6th, 2011- Mark Dowdy Racing hit the high banks of Thunderhill Raceway this past weekend September 3rd. Dowdy would qualify fifth quick with a 13.195 second lap in the Pittman Dutton and Hellums Law firm, FK Rod Ends, JPM Promotions Warrior Chassis.

As feature time rolled onto the speedway for the 20 lap event, Dowdy was set to make moves on the front runners. As the green flag waved, Dowdy fired like a bullet. Staying in reach of the leaders, Dowdy ran amongst them nearly capitalizing to get the third position, but mechanical failure would end the night as the Ignition box quit working with 6 laps in the books. That would end the night for the MDR team and a 14th place finish.

August 30th, 2011- Saturday night saw the Mark Dowdy Racing team at Thunderhill Raceway. The team would qualify with a 13.834 second lap setting them up to start 15th in the feature. The team had an electrical problem and had to decipher the issue before feature time. The issue was resolved after finding a crack in the battery. Feature time rolled around and Mark’s work was cut out for him starting deep in the pack. The green flag dropped and the field fired, Dowdy hunkered down holding his spot attempting to make up ground but track conditions were unfavorable to pass. Three caution flags would hamper the 20 lap event. Dowdy made all efforts to crack the top-10 but settled for an 11th place finish.

Mark Dowdy Racing would like to thank all their sponsors for 2011 that include: Pitman Dutton & Hellums Attorneys at Law (Birmingham, AL) www.pittmandutton.com Tolbert Performance Engine (Arley, AL) www.rtolbert.com D & R Hardware (Waterloo, AL) (256) 766-4238, JPM Promotions (Mt. Pleasant, TN) www.jpmpromote.com , and the Jason M. Neely Foundation Race to Cure Parkinson’s Disease www.jmnfoundation22.org Products Sponsors are DBR Starters (Collinwood, TN) FK Rod Ends www.fkrodends.com and Wix Filters www.wixfilters.com and all the Facebook Fans who came on board the MDR Team.

August 16th, 2011- Mark Dowdy Racing competed at Thunderhill Raceway this past Saturday Aug. 13th finishing outside the top-10 amongst some stiff competitors.

Dowdy would set a qualifying time of 13.750 seconds around the high banks of Thunderhill Raceway and a 12th place starting position in the Pittman Dutton and Hellums Law Firm, Tolbert Performance Engine, D&R Hardware Warrior Chassis. Track conditions were dry and slick, the final hot lap session before the feature event would help the team set up the final adjustments to the Warrior chassis.

When the field of 21 limited late models took to the track for its feature, Dowdy would line up in the 12th position. As the green flag fell, Dowdy was ready to make a march toward the front but when the green waved a car ahead of Dowdy didn’t fire with the rest of the field, causing the cars behind it, to get tangled up and Dowdy was involved in a front stretch pile up amongst several other cars. A red flag was waved on the speedway to clean up the damage and remove the damaged cars. Dowdy was able to continue. Restarting in the 11th position with zero laps in the books, Dowdy set his sights on making his way through the field stepping out on the high side of the track making a run on the 10th place car. One lap would go by before the second caution of the night would fall for the spun car of second place running #F26 Scott Cook. Dowdy re-started in the 10th position and He made a run on the 9th place car getting by him on the back stretch, another caution would wave on the very next lap for the #14 of Jeremy Jones. Dowdy re-started in the 9th position and was in position to get the eighth spot but running the high line of the track got the Warrior chassis out of shape and let two contenders get by Dowdy to drop him down to 11th. After a short 5 lap run, the fourth and final caution would wave for the #C66 of Donald Johns slowing on the track. The feature time limit had been reached and it set up a green, white checkered finish. On the final restart in the 11th position, Dowdy settled in and rode out the storm of the night to bring home an 11th place finish.

The MDR Team will not be racing this upcoming weekend, keep a check back to www.dowdyracing.com for the next scheduled event.

Mark Dowdy Racing would like to thank all their sponsors for 2011 that include: Pitman Dutton & Hellums Attorneys at Law (Birmingham, AL) www.pittmandutton.com Tolbert Performance Engine (Arley, AL) www.tolbertperformance.com D & R Hardware (Waterloo, AL) (256) 766-4238, JPM Promotions (Mt. Pleasant, TN) www.jpmpromote.com , and the Jason M. Neely Foundation Race to Cure Parkinson’s Disease www.jmnfoundation22.org Products Sponsors are FK Rod Ends www.fkrodends.com and Wix Filters www.wixfilters.com

August 3rd. 2011- Mark Dowdy Racing returned to action this past weekend July 30th at Thunderhill Raceway after taking a few weeks off with high hopes of maintaining their string of top-5 finishes.

Mark would qualify the Tolbert Performance, Pittman Dutton & Hellums law firm Warrior Chassis with a quick lap of 13.092 and third overall amongst a stout field of 17 cars. Mark would start third on the grid behind pole sitter #C66 Donald Johns and #54 AJ Ferguson. At the drop of the green flag Dowdy was quick to the draw, not letting the top two cars get out of reach. Johns would lead the first six circuits as Dowdy would challenge Ferguson for the 2nd position, before the first caution fell in the 20 lap event for a spun car.

On the restart, Johns would lead the field to green followed by Ferguson and Dowdy, the top 3 cars. Johns and Ferguson would get the jump on Dowdy exiting turn 2, but Dowdy would reel in Ferguson within the next two laps. Dowdy would pass Ferguson coming out of turn four and Ferguson would challenge back going into turns one and two. Dowdy would run the top line and Ferguson the low line. The two raced down the back stretch door to door and going into three and four, Dowdy and Ferguson wasn’t eager to give up the second spot and the two would connect and slam doors but continued on holding their positions with Ferguson nudging by Dowdy for second and Dowdy holding third. On the next circuit Dowdy would make another run for second, pulling up on Ferguson going down the back stretch, Dowdy would enter turn three on the low line and Ferguson up top. The two would connect again, but the outcome wasn’t in either’s favor. Ferguson was collected into the turn three wall ending the night for him and Dowdy would be scored as causing the incident and had to go to the rear of the field. On the lap 9 restart Dowdy would start in the 13th position, when the field took the green Dowdy would get ready to march back toward the front of the pack. One lap would go by and Dowdy was exiting turn four in the process of making a pass on the #4 car of Jeremy Kelpart, but Kelpart would get loose exiting turn four and Dowdy would get tagged in the door. No damaged was done to the #88D, but track officials ruled Dowdy as the cause to the incident and Dowdy was scored with his second caution of the night and would have to exit the speedway for the two caution rule, thus wrapping up the night for the MDR team with a 13th place finish.

Mark Dowdy Racing will be taking a week off from racing a plans to return to the track in two weeks

Mark Dowdy Racing would like to thank all their sponsors for 2011 that include: Pitman Dutton & Hellums Attorneys at Law (Birmingham, AL) www.pittmandutton.com Tolbert Performance Engine (Arley, AL) www.tolbertperformance.com D & R Hardware (Waterloo, AL) (256) 766-4238, JPM Promotions (Mt. Pleasant, TN) www.jpmpromote.com , and the Jason M. Neely Foundation Race to Cure Parkinson’s Disease www.jmnfoundation22.org Products Sponsors are FK Rod Ends www.fkrodends.com and Wix Filters www.wixfilters.com and all the Facebook Fans who came on board the MDR Team

July 25th. 2011- Mark Dowdy and the Mark Dowdy Racing Team will be returning back to action at Thunderhill Raceway Saturday July 30th after being sidelined for a few weeks. The team would like to thank everyone for their emails and encouragement while the team was out, and we look fotrward to seeing everyone at the track.

July 6. 2011- Mark Dowdy, America’s first paralyzed dirt late model driver continues to set the bar higher each week with his program, this past weekend at Thunderhill Raceway Dowdy brought home a fourth place finish.

Saturday July 2nd started early for the Mark Dowdy Racing team, the team loaded up bright and early and headed to the Auto Zone in Lawrenceburg, TN for a car show to put the Pittman Dutton & Hellums Law Firm, JPM Promotions, FK Rod Ends, Wix Filters, Jason M. Neely Race to Cure Parkinson’s, Warrior race car on display, along with several other race cars to give folks a up close perspective of what a dirt late model looks like. The team had several folks commend the team’s car and was intrigued with Dowdy’s ability to still race and wheel a high profile race car.

After the car show the team headed north to Thunderhill Raceway for some Saturday night dirt slinging action.

Dowdy would lay down a 13.150 second lap time, Fourth overall amongst the 13 car field. This set Dowdy up to start fourth on the grid for the 20 lap feature. When feature time rolled around, Dowdy was ready to get to it. As the green flag dropped going into turn one and two, Dowdy and the #17 of Blake Ray touched causing both cars to get out of shape and spin. Dowdy was able to continue receiving no damage from the incident. A complete restart was called and the field was bunched back up to double file. The green flag waved and Dowdy was quick to the gas, exiting turn two in the third position. Dowdy would hold down the third spot while holding off the #54 of AJ Ferguson for the first four laps before Dowdy’s Warrior race car pushed up out of the groove in turn one, losing the third position to Ferguson. Dowdy gathered it up and remained in the fourth position before first caution waved for a spun car on the speedway on lap five. On the next restart Dowdy rode in the fourth spot, the car developed a push but Dowdy was able to maintain his fourth position. A caution would wave on the next lap for a spun car. The field came back to the green flag and Dowdy’s Warrior chassis was pushing pretty hard in the turns, Dowdy would man handle the car while holding off the #85 of Mitch Thornton for the fourth spot. Two more cautions would wave throughout the 20 lap event, and Dowdy would earn a fourth place finish on the night, behind race winner Cody Springer.

Mark Dowdy Racing would like to give a special thanks to the Ferguson Family: Roger, Renee and AJ for their help they gave to the MDR team early Sunday morning for the repairs on the team’s hauler.

Mark Dowdy Racing will be in action at Thunderhill Raceway Saturday July 9th, 2011

The MDR would like to thank all the fans for all their support along with all of our 2011 sponsors :Pitman Dutton & Hellums Attorneys at Law (Birmingham, AL) www.pittmandutton.com Tolbert Performance Engine (Arley, AL) www.rtolbert.com D & R Hardware (Waterloo, AL) (256) 766-4238, JPM Promotions (Mt. Pleasant, TN) www.jpmpromote.com , and the Jason M. Neely Foundation Race to Cure Parkinson’s Disease www.jmnfoundation22.org Products Sponsors are FK Rod Ends www.fkrodends.com and Wix Filters www.wixfilters.com.

June 28th, 2011- Mark Dowdy’s Racing program continues to gain ground with this past Saturday nights performance at Thunderhill Raceway with a top 3 finish.

Starting in qualifying , Dowdy would lay down the 2nd quickest time with a 13.370 second lap time amongst the 11 car field, lining himself up to start on the front row. By choice the pole sitter #F26 Mark Fields choose the outside lane in the feature.

When the 11 cars came to the green flag for the 20 lap main event, Dowdy was sitting on the inside pole position and Fields to the outside, as the green flag waved, Fields would jump the start coming out of turn four. Bringing out the caution and Fields would be rolled back one position for jumping the start. The field would be lined up for a complete restart with zero laps in the books.

Dowdy still sitting in the number one spot and #54 AJ Ferguson sitting second brought the field to the green flag, Ferguson jumped out to the lead with Fields following pursuit and Dowdy nipping on the heels of Fields coming out of turn two down the backstretch. Dowdy was fast and right there in the mix as Ferguson and Fields battled for the top position for the first 4 laps, Dowdy would get a run on the bottom of turn three and four on Fields but as Dowdy would set up to try and get by Fields on the next lap, a caution fell for #4 of Jeremy Kelpart , who slowed on the speedway.

5 laps were down and on the restart, Ferguson lead the field to green followed by Fields, and Dowdy. Dowdy dropped down low entering turn one into two and the Warrior chassis stuck like glue to the racing surface and exiting turn two like a rocket gaining ground on the second place of Fields. Three laps went by and Dowdy settled in for the long haul, as Fields was pushing hard to get to the leader, he slipped up going down the backstretch nearly going over and Dowdy was there to take the position but Fields gathered it up and got back by Dowdy before the flag stand and maintaining the position. Dowdy continued to hold down third place in wings of one of the top two cars to slip up. Fields would develop a push exiting turn two and going down the backstretch, Dowdy would nearly get by Fields once again but Fields had the momentum on the high line and continued to hold the second position with Dowdy third. The third and final caution fell on lap 15 for the #1 of Greg Love, who lost a drive shaft on the backstretch. A five lap shootout would set up the final laps to determine who’d come out on top, Ferguson lead Fields, Dowdy and the rest of the field to the green, Dowdy was right there on the bumper of Fields as they took the green but as the laps wound down, Dowdy settled in the third spot and drove the Warrior Chassis to a 3rd place finish to the checkers.

Mark would like to give a big thanks to the his girls this week, Michelle and Darci for all the hard work at the track Saturday and Big Happy Birthday to his daughter Dena.

Mark Dowdy Racing will be at the Lawrenceburg, TN Autozone Saturday July 2, 2011 for a car show with his Warrior Racecar on display from 9 am to 1 pm. After the car show The MDR team will head north to Thunderhill Raceway for some Saturday night racing action.

Mark Dowdy Racing would like to thank all their sponsors for 2011 that include: Pitman Dutton & Hellums Attorneys at Law (Birmingham, AL) www.pittmandutton.com Tolbert Performance Engine (Arley, AL) www.rtolbert.com D & R Hardware (Waterloo, AL) (256) 766-4238, JPM Promotions (Mt. Pleasant, TN) www.jpmpromote.com , and the Jason M. Neely Foundation Race to Cure Parkinson’s Disease www.jmnfoundation22.org Products Sponsors are FK Rod Ends www.fkrodends.com and Wix Filters www.wixfilters.com and all the Facebook Fans who came on board the MDR Team.

June 14th, 2011- Americas first paralyzed dirt late model driver Mark Dowdy and the Mark Dowdy Racing team continue to have success with top-five finishes at Thunderhill Raceway.

The MDR Team was back at Thunderhill Raceway (Summertown, TN) on June 11th, coming off a top-5 finish the prior week, the team was ready to move up the ladder. Mark would qualify with his best qualifying lap thus far in 2011 amongst the 14 car field with a 13.46 second lap time and a fifth place starting position in the 20 lap feature.

After hot laps prior to intermission, the team made the final adjustments and was set for the feature. Starting fifth on the grid, the green flag would wave and the Pittman, Dutton & Hellums Law Firm, JPM Promotions Warrior chassis would fire like a bullet. Riding in the fifth position and challenging the #54 of AJ Ferguson for the fourth position, before the top 5 cars got stretched out and would settle in hitting their marks, Dowdy was rim riding and got out of the groove on the back stretch, losing one position to the #127 of Robert Ardry, Dowdy gathered it up and maintained the sixth position before a caution would fly with six laps in the books, for the #20 of BB Tarpley. On the restart Dowdy sat sixth, and when the green fell, Dowdy made no haste to pass the #127 of Ardry and advance to the fifth spot. Four laps clicked off the speedway before the second caution of the night fell for the #20 of Tarpley on lap 10. Dowdy had a feel for the car through the half way point and on the lap 10 restart made moves to get by the fourth place car but was unsuccessful when the final caution of the night fell for the second place car of Grant Helms, who dropped out of the race with mechanical problems. Dowdy would restart on lap 11 in the fourth position followed by the #1 car of Greg Love, Dowdy and Love would race door to for several laps and Love eventually got by Dowdy who settled in for the remaining laps in fifth. As the checkers fell on Lap 20, Dowdy would take the checkers in the fifth position behind Greg Love, AJ Ferguson, Cody Springer and race winner Mark Fields, wrapping up the night at Thunderhill Raceway.

The MDR Team will be back in full force Saturday June 18th, 2011 at Thunderhill Raceway in Summertown.

Mark wants to give a big thank you to his little brother Lee Strong for all his hard work he puts in during the week to help to prepare a safe and competitive Warrior Dirt Late Model and all of the fine establishments that sponsor MDR in 2011: Pitman Dutton & Hellums Attorneys at Law (Birmingham, AL) www.pittmandutton.com Tolbert Performance Engine (Arley, AL) www.rtolbert.com D & R Hardware (Waterloo, AL) (256) 766-4238, JPM Promotions (Mt. Pleasant, TN) www.jpmpromote.com , and the Jason M. Neely Foundation Race to Cure Parkinson’s Disease www.jmnfoundation22.org FK Rod Ends www.fkrodends.com and Wix Filters www.wixfilters.com and all of the Facebook fan supporters.

June 6th, 2011 – America’s first paralyzed dirt late model driver Mark Dowdy notched another Top-10 finish this past weekend at Thunderhill Raceway (Summertown, TN)

MDR’s website has been updated with this year’s 2011 pictures of racing action, along with a new banner for 2011. Check them out at the pictures link or click here 2011 Pictures

Mark Dowdy Racing was back in rare form this week, after last week’s run in with the wall. The Warrior Chassis sustained no heavy damage from the wreck, it was all due to a bent shock discovered after hot laps this weekend.

This past weekend at Thunderhill Raceway, MDR was ready to pick up where they left off before the incident, marching toward the front of the pack. Mark qualified the Pittman, Dutton and Hellums Law firm Warrior Chassis in 10th place with a time of 13.418 seconds around the steep banks of Thunderhill. Starting 10th in the feature, the team made the proper adjustments to the car, after watching the Tennessee SUPER SERIES super late models and what track conditions would be like after their 40 lap event. When it was feature time, Dowdy rolled onto the speedway with confidence in the car and the team after preparing for the 20 lap main event.

When the green flag waved, dowdy was quick to the draw advancing from 10th to 8th after 6 laps were in the books of 20, when a caution waved for three cars mangled together in turns 1 & 2. On the re-start Dowdy settled in for a green flag run in 8th and was mixing it up with the #K3 of Michael Kennedy and the #127 of Robert Ardry. Dowdy made the pass for seventh on lap 12 getting around the #K3 of Kennedy, as the laps were winding down in the race, Dowdy continued to bottom feed like a catfish and work on the #127 of Ardry getting pass him, but as he made the pass a caution would wave on lap 16 sending Dowdy back to eighth for the last completed lap. Dowdy would make a charge on the restart with four laps remaining, but couldn’t advance any more positions. Dowdy would bring home a seventh place finish for Saturday June 11th.

MDR will be back in the hunt next weekend at Thunderhill Raceway.

MDR wants to recognize and thank all 2011 sponsors and encourage everyone to try their products or services. Pittman Dutton & Hellums Attorneys at Law (Birmingham, AL) www.pittmandutton.com Tolbert Performance Engine (Arley, AL) www.rtolbert.com D & R Hardware (Waterloo, AL) (256) 766-4238, JPM Promotions (Mt. Pleasant, TN) www.jpmpromote.com , the Jason M. Neely Foundation Race to Cure Parkinson’s Disease www.jmnfoundation22.org FK Rod Ends www.fkrodends.com and Wix Filters www.wixfilters.com

May 31st, 2011– Mark Dowdy Racing was back in action this past Saturday at Thunderhill Raceway to compete in a regular points race.

Coming off an eight place finish the week before, the team compared notes and made significant changes to the Warrior chassis during the week to prepare for Saturdays race at Thunderhill. Mark would qualify eighth quick with a 13.854 second lap amongst the 14 car field, setting him up to start in eighth place in the 20 lap feature.

When feature time rolled around, MDR had made the final adjustments and was set for the main event. At the drop of the green flag, Dowdy had a quick car, picking up positions as each lap went by, on about lap 6 dowdy had moved into the top 5 when the caution waved for a bad wreck on the back stretch, with the #17 of Blake Ray and #4 of Jeremy Kelpart getting together, the #17 of Ray flipped twice, bringing out the red flag out to clean up the damage. On the restart, Dowdy made moves and started letting the Warrior chassis do its magic on the slick surface, as the laps clicked away the car seem to be getting faster and Dowdy moved as high as fourth place but then developed a bad push. As Dowdy made each lap the car just kept getting worse exiting the turns, while trying to maintain his fourth position on the speedway. As Dowdy was exiting turn 4 with a few laps left in the 20 lap event, the Warrior chassis made contact with front stretch wall, bringing Dowdy’s car to a stop and ending all efforts for a top 5 finish. Mark escaped the incident uninjured. MDR was scored with a 11th place finish for the night.

MDR will return Saturday June 4th, 2011 to the high banks of Thunderhill Raceway to compete in the Limited Late Model division regular points race.

Special thanks goes out to the crew and fans for all their support of the Dowdy Racing Team, and if you haven’t already check out the 2011 Mark Dowdy Racing sponsors: Pitman Dutton & Hellums Attorneys at Law (Birmingham, AL) www.pittmandutton.com Tolbert Performance Engine (Arley, AL) www.rtolbert.com D & R Hardware (Waterloo, AL) (256) 766-4238, JPM Promotions (Mt. Pleasant, TN) www.jpmpromote.com , and the Jason M. Neely Foundation Race to Cure Parkinson’s Disease www.jmnfoundation22.org FK Rod Ends www.fkrodends.com and Wix Filters www.wixfilters.com

May 23rd, 2011-Mark Dowdy Racing was back on familiar ground this past weekend at Thunderhill Raceway (Summertown, TN) to compete in the Limited Late Model Special, paying $1000 to the winner. MDR brought home an eighth place finish after the 30 lap feature.

Mark Dowdy Racing prepared the Waterloo Wheelman’s Warrior Chassis all week leading up to Saturdays Limited Late Model special at Thunderhill Raceway and Mark qualified in with a 13.754 second lap and ninth overall of the 18 car field. Lining him ninth on the starting grid of the 30 lap feature.

Dowdy took the green starting mid pack and after a few laps track conditions didn’t favor the adjustments made to the Warrior chassis, causing the car to be tight and having a push in the turns. Dowdy ran the car as hard as he could for the duration of the race and passing on the track was hard with it being rubbered up from the prior super late model race. Dowdy maintained his ninth place position throughout the 30 laps of the feature and Dowdy crossed the checked flags in ninth, but after post race inspection a front runner was disqualified and the Mark Dowdy Racing team was scored with an eighth place finish for the night.

MDR will be back in action next weekend May 28, 2011 at Thunderhill Raceway for a regular points race.

Special thanks goes out to the crew and fans for all their support of the Dowdy Racing Team, and if you haven’t already check out the 2011 Mark Dowdy Racing sponsors: Pitman Dutton & Hellums Attorneys at Law (Birmingham, AL) www.pittmandutton.com Tolbert Performance Engine (Arley, AL) www.rtolbert.com D & R Hardware (Waterloo, AL) (256) 766-4238, JPM Promotions (Mt. Pleasant, TN) www.jpmpromote.com , and the Jason M. Neeley Foundation Race to Cure Parkinson’s Disease www.jmnfoundation22.org FK Rod Ends www.fkrodends.com and Wix Filters www.wixfilters.com

May 17th, 2011- Mark Dowdy Racing returned to racing action this past weekend at Moulton Speedway (Moulton, Ala.) after taking a two week break from action with engine repairs and rain outs at Thunderhill Raceway.

MDR and crew had intentions to race at Thunderhill Raceway (Summertown, Tn.) but heavy rains dampened the speedway for a second week in a row, canceling the show at Thunderhill Raceway.

The MDR team decided to head to Moulton Speedway and break in the re-condition power plant that received repairs. The team drew a 44 in the pill draw and put the Pittman, Dutton & Hellum, JPM Promotions, Tolbert Performance, Wix Filters, FK Rod Ends Warrior Chassis on the second row of their heat race. At the green flag of the heat, Dowdy jumped into the second position behind the 18 car of Chuck Wilkerson , on lap 3 of the heat race dowdy drove in low underneath Wilkerson in turn one to attempt to make a run on him but got into the mud, upsetting the car. Dowdy gathered up the car but lost four positions causing him to finish sixth in his heat race.

When the green flag of the 20 lap feature fell, Dowdy started in the 14th position. Dowdy wheeled the car to as high as ninth but fell down to 10th. After the dust settled from the 20 lap event, MDR finished in the 10th position wrapping up the night at Moulton Speedway.

Mark Dowdy Racing is tweaking the Pittman, Dutton & Hellum, JPM Promotions, Tolbert Performance, Wix Filters, FK Rod Ends Warrior Chassis for this up-coming weekends Limited Late Model special at Thunderhill Raceway (Summertown, TN) on Saturday May 21st, 2011.

Mark wants to give a big thank you to his little brother Lee Strong for all his hard work he puts in during the week to help to prepare a safe and competitive Warrior Dirt Late Model and all of the fine establishments that sponsor MDR in 2011: Pitman Dutton & Hellums Attorneys at Law (Birmingham, AL) www.pittmandutton.com Tolbert Performance Engine (Arley, AL) www.rtolbert.com D & R Hardware (Waterloo, AL) (256) 766-4238, JPM Promotions (Mt. Pleasant, TN) www.jpmpromote.com , and the Jason M. Neeley Foundation Race to Cure Parkinson’s Disease www.jmnfoundation22.org FK Rod Ends www.fkrodends.com and Wix Filters www.wixfilters.com and all of the Facebook fan supporters.

May 9th, 2011- MDR did not compete in any action this past weekend. After burning the midnight oil on Friday night to get the engine replaced in the Warrior Chassis the team was set to try it out at Thunderhill Raceway Saturday night but the track had a cancelation, spoiling the efforts to compete at Thunderhill Raceway Saturday night.

MDR has plans to race this up-coming week-end of May 14th but hasn't decided on a speedway to attend. Keep a check back here at www.dowdyracing.com for the teams plans for racing this up-coming weekend. Please check out some of our sponsors Pitman Dutton & Hellums Attorneys at Law (Birmingham, AL) www.pittmandutton.com Tolbert Performance Engine (Arley, AL) www.rtolbert.com D & R Hardware (Waterloo, AL) (256) 766-4238, JPM Promotions (Mt. Pleasant, TN) www.jpmpromote.com , and the Jason M. Neeley Foundation Race to Cure Parkinson’s Disease www.jmnfoundation22.org FK Rod Ends www.fkrodends.com and Wix Filters www.wixfilters.com

April 29th, 2011- Dowdy Race fans and sponsors, MDR regrets to inform you that the team will not be in action this week-end April 30th at Thunderhill Raceway. Upon post race inspection from this past Saturdays race, the team discovered some internal issues with the engine that powers the Pittman Dutton & Hellum, Wix Filters, FK Rod Ends, JPM Promotions Warrior chassis. MDR sent the motor off with hopes of having it repaired before Saturdays April 30th race at Thunderhill Raceway but time just ran out. The power plant will be back at the MDR camp at the first of next week and the team will be preparing for the return to action on May 7th, 2011 at Thunderhill Raceway.

The MDR would like to thank all the fans for all their support along with all of our 2011 sponsors :Pitman Dutton & Hellums Attorneys at Law (Birmingham, AL) www.pittmandutton.com Tolbert Performance Engine (Arley, AL) www.rtolbert.com D & R Hardware (Waterloo, AL) (256) 766-4238, JPM Promotions (Mt. Pleasant, TN) www.jpmpromote.com , and the Jason M. Neeley Foundation Race to Cure Parkinson’s Disease www.jmnfoundation22.org Products Sponsors are FK Rod Ends www.fkrodends.com and Wix Filters www.wixfilters.com and all the Facebook Fans who came on board the MDR Team.

April 25th, 2011- The Mark Dowdy Racing team was back in action this weekend at Thunderhill Raceway (Summertown, TN). The team made the repairs to the transmission that took the team out of contention to compete 2 weeks ago at Thunderhill Raceways opening night event and returned to the scene of the crime to make a run for a feature win and gain points for the 2011 Limited Late Model title.

20 limited late models were on the bill to compete and competition was tight, as some of the states hot shoes were there to compete in both super and limited late model classes. Mark took to the track for his hot lap session and he was quick to try out the repairs made the previous week. The FK Rod Ends, Pittman Dutton & Hellums Law Firm, Wix Filter Warrior chassis was right back where it needed to be, quick right out the box.

Mark would qualify eighth quick out of a stout field of cars, amongst the names of David Gentry, Terry & Tanner English just to name a few. The MDR team made the final adjustments and prepared the Warrior chassis for the 20 lap feature event. Starting in the eighth position, Dowdy was quick to make a march toward the front, after 6 laps were in the books; Dowdy had made his way to the sixth position. A few more laps went by and Dowdy had settled in the sixth spot battling with the #K3 of Michael Kennedy, with just a few laps to go in the event, the pressure Dowdy was putting on Kennedy must have worked, Kennedy dropped to the bottom of the track exiting turn two and spun his car bringing out the caution. Advancing Dowdy to the fifth position and only a hand full of laps left, Mark noticed the car was under powered but continued the race. When the checked flag dropped Dowdy would finish in the fifth position but under post race inspection the third place finisher was disqualified bumping Dowdy up into the fourth position for the night.

A good night for the MDR Team finishing in the top 5 amongst some great drivers and gaining valuable points toward the championship. The MDR crew will be back in action this up-coming Saturday April 30th at Thunderhill Raceway

MDR would like to welcome aboard the following names added to the list that participated in the Dowdy Racing Facebook fan page promo. Michelle Rhodes, Kelli Goshorn, Bill & Linda Hockenberry, Glenda Tolbert, Lamar Hawkins, Ben Tolbert, Mike & Debra Jordon, Ronald Locklear, Robby Tolbert, Aaron & Tequila Adams, David Laning.

The MDR would like to thank all the fans for all their support along with all of our 2011 sponsors :Pitman Dutton & Hellums Attorneys at Law (Birmingham, AL) www.pittmandutton.com Tolbert Performance Engine (Arley, AL) www.rtolbert.com D & R Hardware (Waterloo, AL) (256) 766-4238, JPM Promotions (Mt. Pleasant, TN) www.jpmpromote.com , and the Jason M. Neeley Foundation Race to Cure Parkinson’s Disease www.jmnfoundation22.org Products Sponsors are FK Rod Ends www.fkrodends.com and Wix Filters www.wixfilters.com and all the Facebook Fans who came on board the MDR Team.

April 10th, 2011-The opening of 2011 season for the Mark Dowdy Racing at Thunderhill Raceway Saturday April 9th didn’t go as planned for the team. With 15 limited late models signed in for the night to compete, the team was primed to race the new Pittman Dutton & Hellums, Tolbert Performance, JPM Promotions, Jason M. Neely Foundation, FK Rod Ends, Wix Filters and D&R Hardware sponsored Warrior chassis.

When the MDR took to the track for their hot lap session, Mark looked fast right out the box, until 2 laps into the session the drive shaft came out from under the car ending the hot lap session for the team. As the team did their inspection to find out exactly what had happen, the team discovered the transmission was at fault. The team scurried to replace the transmission before time trails but didn’t make the call to time in. The team would get one more chance to test out the replaced transmission before feature races would start with another round of hot laps. MDR pulled out on the track to test the replacement transmission and only had high gear. Mark made a couple laps and the efforts of the team to get the car in race form were ended for the night to make the feature race.

Mark Dowdy Racing would like to thank all their sponsors for 2011 that include: Pitman Dutton & Hellums Attorneys at Law (Birmingham, AL) www.pittmandutton.com Tolbert Performance Engine (Arley, AL) www.rtolbert.com D & R Hardware (Waterloo, AL) (256) 766-4238, JPM Promotions (Mt. Pleasant, TN) www.jpmpromote.com , and the Jason M. Neeley Foundation Race to Cure Parkinson’s Disease www.jmnfoundation22.org Products Sponsors are FK Rod Ends www.fkrodends.com and Wix Filters www.wixfilters.com and all the Facebook Fans who came on board the MDR Team.

March 30th, 2011- With the 2011 race season just over a week away the Mark Dowdy Racing Team wants to welcome aboard and thank their 2011 sponsors and supporters for the year.

Mark Dowdy Racing’s Primary sponsors for 2011 are: Pitman Dutton & Hellums Attorneys at Law (Birmingham, AL) www.pittmandutton.com Tolbert Performance Engine (Arley, AL) www.rtolbert.com D & R Hardware (Waterloo, AL) (256) 766-4238, JPM Promotions (Mt. Pleasant, TN) www.jpmpromote.com , and the Jason M. Neeley Foundation Race to Cure Parkinson’s Disease www.jmnfoundation22.org Products Sponsors are FK Rod Ends www.fkrodends.com and Wix Filters www.wixfilters.com MDR welcomes these fine establishments to the team and look forward to a successful year with them.

With the popularity of the Dowdy Racing Facebook page MDR gave its fans an opportunity to become part of the team in 2011, by offering a special fan promotion with a spot for their names to be placed on the Waterloo Wheelman’s Warrior race car. A special thanks goes to each of those who became part of the MDR Team: Chuck & Karen Cross, The Lewis Family, Mike, Kendra, Troy & Disnee, Mary Jean Dulmage, Logan Beckwith III, Will & Sandy Miller, Randall Marks, Joni Hart, The Kressley Family, Scott, Tracy & Dustin, Donnie & Kathy Paschall, Patrick Julian, Gordy Nelson, "Bone", Wally Walls, Kevin Whitmire, Darla Thole, Annette Shade, The Rick Devlin Family, Matt & Arricka Reiniche, Matt & Ami Eagen, Jim Osborn, Ami & Brianna Brewer Shawn Strong, Dan Smith, Stan & Missy Friedrick.

MDR appreciates everyone for their support and looks forward to the 2011 season. Mark Dowdy Racing’s schedule will mainly consist of chasing the 2011 Limited Late Model Points Title at Thunderhill Raceway in Summertown, TN.

February 27th, 2011- Fans of Mark Dowdy Racing here’s your chance to join the team! A fan of The Mark Dowdy Racing team has come up with a unique way to get fans involved as becoming a sponsor of “The Waterloo Wheelman’s” Warrior Racecar in 2011. For only $10 fans can sponsor The Mark Dowdy Racing Team. All fans who sponsor the MDR Team will have their names placed on the #88D Warrior race car for the 2011 race season. “We are excited to get the fans involved in our race program, as well as our primary sponsors. This is our way of showing our appreciation to all the fans that’ve supported us throughout the years” says Dowdy

Thru the month of March, send $10 to Dowdy Racing at 223 County Rd 169, Waterloo AL. 35677. If you prefer Paypal, use dowdy88@hotmail.com. If we have over 50% fan participation we will print the 2011 Dowdy racing T-shirts and include the name of every fan that participates!

If you haven’t already go to Facebook and join The Dowdy Racing page and press the like button, for all the latest news coming from The Mark Dowdy Racing Team or visit www.dowdyracing.com

February 14th, 2011- Greetings from the Mark Dowdy Racing Team, We are pleased to announce that the MDR Team will be making another run for the Thunderhill Raceway Limited Late Model Points Championship in 2011. Coming off a strong 3^rd place finish in points in the Limited Late Models during 2010 at Thunderhill Raceway, it is only fitting to make another run for the Title in 2011. Our schedule for 2011 is to run all scheduled events at Thunderhill Raceway in Summertown, TN and compete at a few different tracks during our 2011 race campaign. “2011 MDR SCHEDULE”

Mark & Michelle attended a very informative sponsorship seminar in Memphis, TN at the beginning of Feb. and learned more to providing sponsors with the best package that fits their marketing needs.

We are pleased to welcome back FK Rod Ends as a supporting sponsor for another year. FK Rod Ends provide great products at affordable prices and the staff is great to work with, we thank them for their support and continued relationship in 2011. During the 2010 season, The UPS Store of Florence, AL performed as the primary sponsor for the MDR Team but will not be returning in 2011. We wish them the best and thank them for all their support in 2010.The team is currently working with Ferguson's Block & Head repair of Lawrenceburg, TN to get this year’s power plant built.

The team is currently in search of a primary sponsor/marketing partner. We have some very good motorsports marketing packages at very affordable prices when compared to forms of advertising. If you have an interest in sponsoring/marketing with the Mark Dowdy Racing Team for 2011 please contact Mark Dowdy at dowdy88@hotmail.com or Josh Plant at jpmpromote@gmail.com and we will provide you with a marketing package.

MDR is looking forward to kicking the season off in April at Thunderhill Raceway for another great year and seeing our fans once again and having a great year.

November 3rd, 2010 - Welcome to the New Design of The Mark Dowdy Racing Website, created by Josh Plant of JP Motorsports Promotions. While visiting www.dowdyracing.com you will find the latest news, results, photos and information on the Mark Dowdy Racing Team.

October 11, 2010- Well race fans, the season has come to an end for us here at Dowdy Racing. To wrap it up in a nut shell, it will be looked back on as a successful season that can be built on for better results. The team finished with 4 second place feature finishes and 3 heat race wins, But no main event wins. However we did wrap up with a 3rd place finish in the seasons final points standings. We had been within 27 points of the lead at times during the season. However with the engine troubles we had mid season with no resources to fall back on, we missed 6 weeks of racing. With that absence we had fallen back to the 5th position in the points standings. When the engine was then rebuilt and we returned to the race track, the team rallied to put together some decent runs and we came back to 3rd in points by the seasons end.

Mark would like to thank Larry & Suki from The UPS Store of Florence Alabama. They were a great sponsor for us this year and really showed their support. We would also like to thank Neil Scott, the owner of the Waterloo Market & Grille. Neil campaigned over the winter and brought on board the Farmers & Merchants Bank of Waterloo, GSSC Machine shop services of Memphis, Wilburn Oil Company of Tupelo, Dixie Diner of Waterloo and finally The Trail of Tears end of the ride in the Town of Waterloo, Alabama. All of that was due to the efforts of Neil Scott. And we can not thank him enough! Also we need to thank Maria & Gordy @ FK Rod ends for their support. They have a great product and as soon as we put the FK rod ends on our car, they eliminated any binding that was going on in that car. Thank You FK Rod Ends!

We also have to mention Mr. Marc Shaffer and his company www.hostandstream.com for keeping our web site up this season. We made some small changes on the outside. However on the inside it was a lot of work for Marc. He did a fantastic job and the site was never down for maintenance. Next season will see us bring on JP Motorsports Promotions of Mt. Pleasant, TN. for some additional marketing and promotional efforts. We are looking forward to working with Josh @ JP, you will se some changes in the site in the future.

To wrap it up I would like to bring everyone's attention to a nice story written about Mark in this months Short Track USA magazine. The story was written by Roger Mealey the editor of the magazine and it is a well written piece. The link to the magazine is http://theracersresource.com/short_track_usa.php Just click on the month of september and you will have the entire magazine on your PC. Its a pretty cool way to get a magazine.

We will stay in touch over the off season with some news and updates. Mark is scheduled to be interviewed by DIRTCAST on Monday evening for a story that will be available on an internet podcast soon. We will have that info for ya when available. DIRTCAST can be found on facebook as "DIRTCAST". Or you can also find them at www.Dirtcast.com It is another very cool service on the web for us racers to stay connected.

We will begin talking with potential sponsors for the 2011 race season. Without them we just cannot continue to do this. If you would like information as to how to get on board with the Dowdy Racing Team, please email us through the link at the Home page. Or just call Mark at (256) 856-8638. He or Josh will be happy to get you one of our packages and discuss a strategy to get your company involved in Dirt Late Model racing!

And please remember, life will knock ya down. You will wonder, "Why me"? No matter what the sutuation. It is what you make of it. Dont give up, keep working, find a goal and dont let ANYONE tell you that it cant be done. Just look what we are doing here... Your friend, Mark.

September 20, 2010- Wow, what a weekend here at Dowdy Racing. This weekend was the Danny Sandrell memorial race at Thunderhill Raceway. Danny was a regular competitor in the Late Model division at Thunderhill. So Friday the team loaded up and headed to the Hill. We pulled in and unloaded. Shelly went to the registration window and drew our starting position for the heat race, a 76. So that ment we would be starting in the back. Marks cousin Lee & his son Austin came down from Michigan for the weekend it was great to have there help. Gary, Lee, Austin & Mark got the car all set and the heat race lined up, Mark had to start at the tail. The green flag waived and the engines fired to life. On the 3rd lap we could tell something was wrong. The #88D, UPS Store, Ford Mustang just seam to be shutting off. The next lap Mark pulled the car to the pit area. After he returned to the trailer, Mark verified exactly what we thought. He said that the entire ignition system seamed to be shutting off and then back on, as if he were flipping the switch. So Gary jumped under the car and went to work. Sure enough he found that the screws on the ignition switch had loosend up and the ignition wires were barely making contact. After finding that and fixing it, it was time to line up for the feature. Since we had not finished the heat race, the #88D, Trail of Tears car had to start 13th in the feature. Unfortunatly the guys didnt get alot of time to work on the set-up of the car. So the feature race started and it was obvious to us that the car was extremely loose. Mark was struggleing to keep the car under him. Almost spinning it out twice. However he did manage to finish the feature and pass a few cars. The #88D, Dixie Diner, Waterloo Market car came home in the 7th position.

On Saturday morning the guys got to work early. They took the car into the power wash and cleaned it up like new. Then it was loaded on the trailer and taken to the Trail of Tears motorcycle ride that ended in Waterloo, Alabama. The car was put on display directly in front of the concert stage. It seamed to be a very popular attraction among the OVER 65,000 motorcycles in attendance! Thats right folks, over 65,000 motorcycles rolled into town Saturday to celebrate. Around 3 pm the guys loaded the car back up, said goodbye to some friends at the ride and we headed back up to Summertown Tennessee for day 2 of the races.

We arrived at Thunderhill for Saturdays program and this time Shelly drew a #10. With only one other car drawing a lower number, that put the #88D, D & R Hardware car on the front row for the heat race. Gary & Mark had thought of a few ideas to try after last night. So Gary & Lee made the changes and they lined up for the race. The green flag flew and so did the cars! Mark & the other #88 car of Cody Springer charged into turn 1. Mark fell in behind Cody and they ran close to each other for the remainder of the race. On the last lap the #54 car of AJ Ferguson slipped under Mark to take the 2nd spot. It was a very good race, no contact and caution free. Thats the way we like them! So the feature event saw the Yellow, #88D, UPS Store of Florence, Alabama car line up in the 3rd row on the outside. The green flag flew and these guys got busy throwing dirt. Cody Springer jumped out to a sizeable lead, however behind him it was a dog fight among the #71 of Jediah Ardry, the #127 of Robert Ardry, the #54 of AJ Ferguson and Mark. The yellow flew one time for the #141 of Sam Davis, other than that it was 20 fast laps of racing. Cody Springer came across the line first, however he was disqualified in post race inspection. So that moved the entire finishing order up. Jediah Ardry won the race in the #71, followed by Robert Ardy, (this years new track champion), AJ Ferguson and Mark & the 21m of Cody Martin. Our finishes over the weekend moved the team back into the 3rd position in the track points. With 2 races remaining it is still possible for us to regain the 2nd position.

So with that we loaded up and it was time to head home. It was a busy weekend and we were all very tired. The car is in tact, no damage was found and we should be able to race next Saturday. Lee & Austin headed back to Michigan on Sunday morning. It was great having them here, and they LOVED the high banks of Thunderhill. Mark would like to thank Gary Jones for ALL of his help this season. But specially this weekend. Gary puts a lot of effort into this team and we couldnt run as good as we do without his help. We also want to thank our great sponsors. The UPS Store in Florence Alabama, Waterloo Market, Dixie Diner, D & R Hardware & Trail of Tears in Waterloo Alabama. WOCO Oil in Tupelo Mississippi, GSSC Machine Shop in Memphis Tennessee. As well as FK rod ends and Mckelroy Motorsports.

September 15, 2010- Hello gang. Here at Mark Dowdy Racing we are gearing up for a big weekend. We will be racing two days in a row at Thunderhill Raceway, for the Danny Sandrell memorial weekend. This weekend will include the SRRS late model series on both Friday & Saturday nights! We had some damage on the last weekend we raced, so the team put a new body on the right side of the car and made her look like new again. Also going on this weekend is the Trail of Tears Memorial motorcycle ride. It ends in our hometown of Waterloo, Alabama right on the Tennessee river. This ride has had over 150,000 motorcycles annually. We are hoping for a HUGE turnout as the weather is looking GREAT this weekend.

Well this update is gonna be a short one, I have to wrap things up and head to the UPS Store in Florence and send a package to Indiana. OH, before I forget. We are also excited to have Marks cousin Lee Strong and his son Austin coming to race with us this weekend. Lee has raced with Mark for years as a crew member when Mark was up north. Lee is much like a "kid brother" to Mark, as they have grown up together. Mark is very excited to have him back on the team for this weekend. It is always nice to have family with ya...

Check in next week for results of the weekend...

August 22, 2010- Hello Gang, after a forced month off to repair the car, the Dowdy Racing team made it back to the race this past weekend!! On Wednesday we got our engine back from our new engine shop and bolted it back into the #88D, Warrior, Mustang. Saturday we loaded the car up and we were all set to head out to Thunderhill Raceway, when we recieved a text announcing that Thunderhill had been hit by an afternoon rain storm and had cancelled the evenings events. So after some deliberation, the team left the house and headed south to Moulton, Alabama to the Moulton Speedway. Mark hasn't even been to this track since 2000 when he ran a special late model race there. Gary had been there a couple times this season while helping a friend on another car. So we were all a little nervous to say the least.

We got to Moulton and unloaded the racecar to beautiful skies and a wonderful welcome. The promoter of the track met us as we pulled into the gate, and he knew who Mark was. He told us he was very happy to have us race there and he made us feel very welcome. Instead of running heat races, at this track our division qualifies, then starts the feature event straight in the order that you qualify. So this would be interesting, Mark got a few practice laps early in the night. But the track was very wet and nothing like it was during qualifying. But Mark and Gary put a set up on the car that they felt would work. Mark pulled onto the track and ripped of a good lap. When all the qualifying was over, The #88D UPS Store, Trail of Tears car was 4th fastest. YES, He ended up 4th quick, and only 1/4 of a second from being the fastest! Not to shabby for not being on this track in over a decade! But that has always been one of Marks proudest points. The fact that he is not just a "One track Racer". Through out his racing career he has always been able to adapt quickly to different race tracks.

So the #88D, Waterloo Market, Dixie Diner, Ford lined up and started the feature in the 4th spot. The green flag dropped and they all raced pretty close and very clean. Then right at the half way mark the yellow waived for a blown engine in the #2v car. At the restart of the race the M21 car got a run on Mark and made a pass in turn 4. However the very next lap Mark took the Yellow #88D deep into the turn and re-captured the 4th position. After that Mark opened quite a distance over the 5th place car of the #27 Cody Springer, (he also passed the M21 car). So the race finished with us running in the 4th spot, just as we started. Actually, The #88D & the #27 car were the ony 2 cars to make any passes. Thats straight up qualfying starts at their best. That is why we are not fans of qualifying at dirt tracks. The races tend to string out with very little passing.

All in all it was a good night for the UPS Store of Florence, Alabama race car. We ran a new engine and it ran well. We went to an unfamiliar track and we ran competitive. And there was no damage to the race car! We enjoyed the track at Moulton. The people there treated us great, and the track was in great shape. The show ran very well and clicked along after it got started. However we are Thunderhill Racers! We will be back at The Hill next week if mother nature lets us. But in the event that The Hill cancels, we now have a very nice plan "B"...

July 20, 2010- Hello race fans, sorry for the delay in the race update. On July 10th the #88D UPS Store of Florence, Alabama race team headed to the Thunderhill Raceway for a night of competition. The night started tuff when we drew a #73 for a starting spot. What that means is the lower the number you draw, the closer to the front you start. So The Yello #88D "Town of Waterloo", Mustang started shotgun on the field. However with 2 laps left to go in the heat race Mark had the car into the 3rd position, behind the #127 of Robert Ardry & the 17R of Brad Skinner. (coincidently that is also the top 3 in points). However at the white flag Mark drove the car into turn 1 hard and bottomed the frame out on the track. Sending the Dixie Diner car over the turn. SO, Mark was actually scored last in the heat race and got to start the feature in the same spot he started the heat race, last.

At the drop of the green flag on the feature it was clear that Mark had a fast racecar. In 4 laps he had alpready moved into the 5th position. Mark was again behind the #127 car of Robert Ardry and passing for the 3rd position when a big cloud of smoke erupted from the exhaust of the Bright Yellow, "Trail of Tears" Hot rod. Mark shut the car down and rolled into the infield. Our night was finished.

Back at the shop during the week the guys disassembled the engine to find that it broke an intake valve and destroyed a piston. It wasnt a total destruction of an engine, but bad enough. The total bill to fix it is going to be close to $2000. It is currently at the shop being repaired, however we are not sure when we will be able to pay for it. So for the time being the team is on the sideline.

On an up note. The guys did get moved into the new race shop that has been being built for almost a year now. It is so nice to be in the new building that is dedicated just for Team Dowdy Racing. We had been sharing a building with Mark's father Lloyd. However it really wasnt built to house our racecars as well as Lloyds collector cars. It was very tight for Mark to navigate in his wheelchair. Now things are much better arranged and accessable for the team.

We hope to have our engine back in the car soon, as there is a couple big money shows coming soon that the team would like to attend. A Limited Late model special at Thunderhill on August 7th, and a Limited Late Model Special at Corinth Speedway in Corinth, MS on August 14th. Unfortunatly by losing the 3rd engine of the season we have fallen from 2nd in the championship points to 4th in just a couple of weeks.

Stay tuned for more news soon, and you can also follow us on Facebook. Just search for Dowdy Racing and click on "like" when it loads...

June 26, 2010- Well, June 26th was not a great night for us at Thunderhill raceway. We finished 3rd in the heat race and pulled out a 6th in the Feature. Mark was very down on himself as he felt he made several mistakes. However its pretty good when you can be disapointed with a 6th place run. Our worst finish in 5 weeks. However we did gain on the points leader. His night was even worse!

We will be taking next Saturday off for a family vacation to Northern Indiana. So the Dowdy Racing Team will be back in action on July 10th at Thunderhill in Summertown, Tennessee. Also we would all like to wish Mark's daughter Dena a VERY Happy Birthday. Dena turned 21 on Saturday night. She is a nursing student at Ball State University and cant get home until the end of July. We are all very proud of you Dena...

June 21, 2010- See Mark's latest Press on "Advocate Sports"

. This makes the 5th publication along with 2 television interviews on Mark so far this season! Juar click HERE to see the entired article.

June 14, 2010- It was a FANTASTIC night of racing at the Thunderhill Speedway, Summertown TN, this past Saturday night, June 12th. Upon arrival at the race track, Shelly went to the registration window to sign us in and draw for our starting position in the heat race. She returned to the truck with a smile on her face. She had drawn a 6. It was our first single digit number of the season. Ya see folks, we draw from numbers 1-50 for our starting spot. The lower your number, the closer to the front you are. If 20 cars are at the track, and we draw a 6. Then someone would have to draw 5 or lower to start in front of us. Well Mark Started the heat race in the pole position, (inside, on the front row). The green flag flew and so did the #88D car. Mark led every lap to take the win by a 3 car length margin over the #2 car of Mike Johnson. That put out us on the outside of the front row for the start of the feature.

In the feature, Mark started alongside last weeks winner Brad Skinner. At the start of the race Brad jumped to the lead and began to work the middle of the track. Mark took his UPS Store car up to the top of the track and tried to run him down. However soon the #41 of Ben Davis was challenging for the 2nd position. Mark & Ben ran a great race as Ben would pull along side several times and the two ran within inches of each other. However each attack by Ben was answered by Mark as his top side momentum would carry him back to the spot. The whole time that Mark & Ben raced each other, Skinner's 17R was out front cruising to a victory.

The 2nd place finish in the feature, along with the win in the heat race puts Team Dowdy in a very close race for the points championship. The track has not released the point standings at this time. However it is a very tight race between the #127 of Robert Ardry and The #88D, Florence,UPS Store, Waterloo Market car. We also want to thank the rest of our sponsors as well: The Trail of Tears Memorial Motorcycle Ride, Dixie Diner, Farmers & Merchants Bank, GSSC Machine Shop Services, Wilburn Oil Company & D & R Hardware. Also our product supply sponsors FK Rod Ends & Mckelroy Motorsports. All of you together make it possible for this team to compete.

Mark would like to specially thank Dennis Brewer & Gary Jones for having this car ready every time it hits the track. Fields racing, (Mark & Shorty) for their help with parts and info. And finally, his lovely fiance' Michelle for all of her support.

The team is planning on returning to the Thunderhill Raceway next Saturday, June 19th. And we now have Marks daughter Darci with us for a few weeks! See more by visiting "ThunderhillRacing.com" And, you can find us on "Facebook" now as "Dowdy Racing" or via Mark's personal account "Mark Dowdy"...

June 5, 2010-- June 5th found the Dowdy Racing team at Thunder-hill Raceway in Summertown, TN. We started in the 3rd spot in the heat and ran a very strong 2nd. That put the #88D, UPS Store, Trail Of Tears, Village of Waterloo Merchants, D & R Hardware, Customracingtees.com, TASCA Ford Mustang on the front row of the feature. Mark got the jump on the start, however fell to the second spot at the finish of the first lap. After 20 very fast, caution free laps, we crossed the line in the 2nd position.

Our two 2nd place finishes on Saturday night put Team Dowdy into 2nd place of the tracks championship points. The team is clicking right now. Its just a matter of time before Mark becomes the first paralyzed racer of ANY kind, to win a feature event against a field of able bodied competitors. For more information, you can always visit us here at www.Dowdyracing.com or find us on Facebook as Dowdy racing...

May 17, 2010- Well its been a couple weeks since we last had an update here at Dowdyracing.com Michelle (shelly) was hospitalized for 8 day after our last update. She had a terrible infection in an ovary that got serious. She ended up having a 4 hour surgery on Friday, April 23rd. She got out of the hospital on April 26th. She is doing much better now. Thank you for all who wished her well...

The team was idle for the week while Michelle was down. Luckily for us the weather wouldn't let racing to happen at Thunderhill Raceway. So we didn't lose ground in points. On Friday, April 30th the team loaded up and went to Thunderhill for the make-up race that was rained out the previous Saturday. Mark started 6th in the heat race and charged up to the 4th spot. finishing there. So he started the feature event in the second row on the outside. The green flag fell and the cars flew into turn one. Brad skinner charged to the lead in the 17R. The #88D UPS Store, TASCA Mustang fell in behind the #27 of Keith Coan and spent the next 20 laps racing him for the 3rd & 4th positions. The race went fairly fast and we finished 4th. It was a clean night of racing, with no damage at all. So we called it a good points night and went home.

The following nights races were cancelled due to rain. So that sets us up for another 2 night weekend at T-hill. You see, the track policy is that whenever they lose a Saturday night of racing to weather. It will be made up on the following Friday. Then, the next scheduled show will be ran on the same weekend on Saturday...

So on May 7th the team loaded the #88D, UPS Store, Waterloo Merchants, Trail of Tears, D&R Hardware, TASCA Ford Mustang and headed back to the racetrack. Mark looked VERY fast during hot laps. However that is just practice and it doesn't pay anything. So we lined up in the 3rd position for the start of the heat race. After a couple of quick cautions the drivers finally settled in and ran 10 quick laps. Mark finished the race in the second position, directly behind the #101 car of Bruce Belew. However Belew failed to go to the post race weigh in at the scales. So we inherited the win in the heat, and the front row start for the feature.

The feature lined up with the #41 of Ben Davis and the #88D of Mark Dowdy on the front row. Mark was thrilled because he had been running on the very top of the track during the heat. And he was VERY fast up there. So the green flag flew, they charged into turn one and Mark and Ben made it through and flew down the backstretch side by side. The next time by the flag stand, Ben was ahead by a slight amount. They charged back into turn one, much like they did the first time and Mark went over the cushion of the track by about 6 inches. For those who don't know, the "cushion" is a berm of dirt piled around the top off the track that helps to hold the cars on the track. When you place your right side tires over it, There is no traction at all... Mark had just placed his RR tire over the cushion in between turns 1 & 2. So, the Yellow #88D car disappeared over turn 2. The yellow flag was displayed and Mark returned to the track. He re-started the race at the tail of the field, and quickly started working back to the front. However as soon as he got to mid-pack there was a 3 car pile up going into turn 3. Mark had no place to go so he spun the car to the outside of the track just barely hitting the wall. The contact with the wall did no damage to the car, however it did flatten the left rear tire. So Mark took the #88D Ford Mustang back to the pit area. The guys changed the tire, however the race had re-started and there was no sense in returning to the track. We loaded up and saved it for the next race.

On Saturday, May 8th, Team Dowdy Pulled into Thunderhill Raceway ready to go and feeling good. Sleepy & Gary have had the car running VERY fast lately and Mark has been driving like his "old self". Mark pulled the Waterloo Market, Dixie Diner, UPS Store of Florence, Alabama, Trail of Tears #88D TASCA Ford Mustang out onto the track for practice. After 3 very quick laps he suddenly slowed and pulled off the track. Upon returning to the trailer he let Dennis (sleepy) & Gary know he felt a bad "shudder" in the engine. The guys checked it out and feel that the crankshaft may be broken.... So the team loaded the car for the night and set out of the evenings events at Thunderhill.

We are currently trying to get another engine for next weeks events. The team will be hard at work all week and we hope to maintain our 3rd place position in the points at Thunderhill raceway. We would like to thank Larry Stephens, of the UPS Store in Florence, Alabama for his help at the racetrack. Also much thanks goes out to Jim & Megan Smith for all of their help at the shop this week. Gary Jones is also a HUGE asset to this team for all he is doing to help Mark during the week. We thank you all so much!!!

April 20, 2010- Hello race fans, the Dowdy racing team had a very good night of racing last Saturday at the Thunderhill Raceway in Summertown, Tn. Mark started the heat race in the 6th position of 8 cars, and that is where he stayed. After returning to the pit area he told Sleepy the car wasn't really that bad, he just wants a little more time with the new brake controls before charging in under another car.

So minimal changes were made for the feature, which saw Mark starting in the 3rd row. The green flag flew and so did the cars. However the SK1 car of Walter Bolton seamed to lose control. He made contact with Mark, sending him spinning to the infield. The yellow was quickly displayed as the cars hadn't even made it thru turn 4 yet. Mark was placed back into the 3rd row and a complete restart was called for. This time it was a much better start and the cars fired into the turns with dirt flying! Mark quickly jumped into the 5th spot and was very close to 4th. However soon the yellow flew again as the 27 car of Kieth Coan spun while running second. This moved the #88D, UPS Store of Florence, AL. car into the 4Th position on the restart. After a few more laps of green flag racing Mark put a very nice move on the #2 car of Doyle Manley to gain the 3rd spot. He then began a strong series of laps to run the leaders down. However, Ben Davis in the 41 and Robert Ardry in the 127 had built a straight away lead. By the time the checkerd flag fell, the top three finishers were all in line with each other.

Mark finished 3rd and passed post race inspection. So it was a good night of racing for the #88D, UPS Store, Trail of Tears, Waterloo Market, Dixie Diner, D & R hardware, Farmers & Merchant Banks, WOCO Oil, GSSC Machine shop services, TASCA Mustang!!! (Wow, say that fast 3 times)...Lol

On another note... Mark's Fiance Michelle, has fallen ill. She has been hospitalized at ECM Hospital in Florence, AL. and may require surgery. The team may not race this Saturday as Mark has been at the hospital with Michelle since Sunday.

Lets all hope for a fast recovery for Michelle...

April 14, 2010- Well friends, the 2010 racing season has begun. We have been very busy here at Dowdy racing, and I'm a little behind on my updates. I am going to begin with our big announcement... We are proud to inform you that we are now sponsored by The UPS Store of Florence, Alabama. They are located in the K-mart plaza at the intersection of HWY 72 and Wilson Dam Rd. The UPS Store offers you many packing and shipping solutions. As well as many more services. They offer many printing services as well. Business cards, pamphlets, (both double and Tri-fold style) & multi-color copies. They also have an Notary Public on staff for your important documant needs. Larry, Suki, Greg & the rest of the staff at The UPS Store in Florence are GREAT peopl. We are happy to work with them and hope to turn this into a long friendship, as well as a successull partnership.

Last Saturday night was the opening night at the Thunderhill raceway. The UPS Store, Trail of Tears, Waterloo merchants, TASCA Mustang was all cleaned up and looking good. We had a lot of great compliments on the new Yellow paint scheme. The car looks great and thats a tribute to the work of Sleepy and Doug at Mckelroy Mootrsports. Sleepy does the Tin work for the team, as well as crew chief the car. Doug did the graphics on the car and he does great work.

As far as the racing goes, lets just say it was not a good night. The car was very tight, and wouldnt turn early in the night. Then after a few adjustments, the car went to the other extreme. It was very loose and Mark just had a hard time controlling the car. So after the 2nd spin in the feature, Mark just pulled the car into the pit area. So I guess the moral of the story is... "live to race another day".

The Dowdy Race team is planning on running at the Thunderhill Raceway every saturday night during the 2010 season. We are aiming our sights at the points title for the track. So stay tuned folks, Mark & the guys will work on the car and get it hooked up. Mark & Sleepy will be back this Saturday. Gary is gonna be gone in Louisiana this week and we will miss him. Come out to Thunderhill raceway and say "Hey" to us. We love meeting the folks that visit our web site....

Shelly out!

March 4, 2010--Wow! A lot has been happening here at Mark Dowdy Racing since we last updated. We have been talking and meeting with many folks concerning sponsorship support for the upcoming race season. With that being said we are very proud to announce our lineup of sponsors for the 2010 race season....

The Waterloo Market and Grille, of Waterloo, AL will return for a second season with the team. WOCO... the Wilburn Oil Company, of Tupelo, MS is joining the team. GSSC Enterprises: Machine Shop Services of Memphis, TN and The Farmers and Merchants Bank of Waterloo, AL will also join the list of sponsors for the team. We are very pleased to have them all these great companies on aboard. Mark is still talking with another potential sponsor in the area to try and wrap up a deal for the season. We hope to have another announcement soon regarding this!

The town of Waterloo, AL and its local merchants have asked us to extend an invitation to everyone to join us in Waterloo on Sept 17, 18, & 19th for the Trail Of Tears� motorcycle ride & festival. Every year Waterloo, AL is the official end of the annual Trail Of Tears motorcycle ride and an official sponsor of the Dowdy Racing team. The website for the official ride site is @ www.al-tn-trailoftears.net.

In the shop, the team has been hard at work putting together the new Warrior Late Model. Mark has been in contact with an asphalt team from Irvine, CA, and has developed a new braking system for the car with their help. The engine has been freshened and put back in the car, the chassis has been re-assembled with the 2010 updates, and soon the car will go to McKelroy Motorsports, in Ford City AL, so that Sleepy can have it for a week to put a new, shiny, smooth body on the car.

Also we would like to welcome Gary Jones of Florence, AL to the team. Gary races a modified in the area, after moving back home from being in Texas for a few years. Gary has decided to run a limited schedule for 2010 so that he can help the team run a full schedule in a chase for the points title at the Thunderhill Raceway in Summertown, TN.

Yes the team will concentrate on a points chase at Thunderhill this season. Mark has never been one to stay at one track and chase points. However with the North Alabama Speedway switching to "Crate" late models for the 2010 season, we will no longer be racing there. Mark does NOT like the whole concept behind "crate" racing, in which you buy an assembled engine from GM and race it. You are not allowed to open it and work on it yourself. You have to send it away for any and all work to be performed on it. This was intended to make racing more affordable. However we feel it has just opened up a whole another type of cheating. Fake engine seals and engine tampering is common place in this type of racing. No thank you, we will continue to race the way it was intended. The team that goes to work in the shop and focuses on making the car faster, will succeed on the race track.

So stay tuned folks! The updates will come more often and we are on track for the first race of the season on April 10th @ Thunderhill Raceway. It�s getting closer and we are getting EXCITED!