When Mark Pawuk looks back on the defining moments of his racing life, he’s often thought, “It can’t get much better than this.” But somehow, it always has. From Super Gas to Pro Stock to back-to-back Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown championships, Pawuk’s drag racing career has been one long climb toward unexpected peaks.
His latest milestone came at World Wide Technology Raceway, where the Ohio native clinched his second straight Factory Stock Showdown world title in his Empaco Dodge Challenger Drag Pak. Pawuk built his championship run with victories in Norwalk and Bristol, plus a runner-up finish at the Charlotte Four-Wide Nationals. His consistent performance gave him an early points cushion, and by the time qualifying wrapped up in St. Louis, the title was officially his.
“This one really means a lot to me,” Pawuk said. “Winning one championship was incredible, but to come back and do it again — that’s something special. It shows what our team is capable of, and I couldn’t be prouder of the effort everyone put in this season.”
For Pawuk, the moment symbolized more than another trophy. It represented a full-circle return to the kind of racing that first drew him in. “The cool thing about it that I like so much,” Pawuk said, “is I started my career in a Dodge — a Charger and then a Plymouth Roadrunner. I’ve kind of gone full circle and I’m back driving a Dodge again. It’s great for the sport.”
That circle began more than 40 years ago in the sportsman ranks, where Pawuk competed in Super Gas. He recalls getting to the final round at Indianapolis, losing by a mere five-thousandths of a second. “It was a heck of a race,” he said. “It was the first year they ran it as an exhibition. Don Moyer from Columbus, Ohio, beat me.”
At the time, a final at Indy felt monumental. “You’re thinking, ‘Man, it can’t get much better than this,’” Pawuk admitted. But the drive that had carried him through countless late nights and bracket races pushed him toward something bigger. He set his sights on NHRA Pro Stock, the class that mirrored today’s Factory Stock in intensity and independence.
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“I called my dad when I was leaving Brainerd,” Pawuk said. “I told him, ‘If I’m going to race, I want to run all out and do the best I can.’ That’s what led me toward my Pro Stock career.”
The move paid off. Pawuk became a six-time national event winner and twice held the NHRA Pro Stock national record. Those wins didn’t come easy; they came from a small, self-run operation that went toe-to-toe with the likes of Bob Glidden and Warren Johnson. “We built our own shop and worked hard on our own,” he said. “We were one of the independent teams. It was tough, but it was a great part of my learning experience.”
After a decade of competing against the sport’s giants, Pawuk eventually stepped away from Pro Stock. The grind had become relentless, and the fun that once fueled him began to fade. But when Don Schumacher called in 2018 with a new opportunity, Pawuk’s competitive fire reignited.
Schumacher was forming a Factory Stock Showdown team and wanted Pawuk as part of it. “When Don called about driving for him, I thought, ‘What a great opportunity,’” Pawuk said. “I remember being on a jet to Gainesville, and Don started bending my ear about this new class. He said I needed to be a part of it.”
That conversation changed everything. Pawuk earned his re-licensing in Leah Pruett’s car at Charlotte, and one quick hit down the track erased any doubts. “The first time I let the brake pedal off and left the starting line, I thought, ‘Man, this is cool. I can’t believe how fast these cars are,’” he said.
Pawuk ran for Schumacher’s team until the late owner’s health declined. Then, in true independent spirit, he bought a car and built his own operation again — this time with Ray Barton Racing Engines supplying horsepower. The move led to a career renaissance.
In 2023, Pawuk captured his first NHRA championship after a hard-fought season finale. “The way we won that first one was wild,” he said. “There were four cars left, and when I won the semis, my son Kyle came on the radio yelling, ‘We just won the World Championship!’ I was so excited I pushed the button so hard I broke it right out of the dash.”
This year’s title came with less drama but equal satisfaction. He dominated the midseason stretch, holding off a fierce late surge by Jason and Taylor Dietsch, the father-son duo who combined to win four races in their Mustang Cobra Jets. “The competition level was incredible,” Pawuk said. “It reminds me of the old Pro Stock days when you had Chevys, Fords, and Dodges battling. It’s great for the class and great for the fans.”
For Pawuk, who first raced a Dodge Charger decades ago, the success feels poetic. His career has spanned eras, manufacturers, and changing philosophies, yet his core motivation remains the same — the pursuit of competition and the love of the sport. “I love the competitive nature of drag racing,” he said. “When I came back in 2018, a lot of people told me, ‘It’s great to have you back,’ and it really was like a family again.”
That sense of belonging rekindled his joy for racing, a feeling that had faded in Pro Stock’s corporate grind. “Back when I raced Super Gas, it was a family out there,” Pawuk said. “Pro Stock got very cutthroat, and I wasn’t having fun anymore. Coming back, building new relationships, that’s been special.”
Sponsors that had supported him through various stages of his career — Enerco, Mr. Heater, Ohio CAT, Goodyear, Mickey Thompson, VP Fuel, and others — returned to his side. “It changed my attitude and really brought me back to where I was having fun again,” Pawuk said. “I enjoy going to the races now.”
At 65, Pawuk admits a full-time national tour isn’t in the cards. “I’m no young kid anymore,” he said. “Having an eight or ten-race schedule, I can live with that. I can’t live with a full national event schedule anymore.”
Yet the drive remains. Pawuk’s story isn’t just about wins or titles — it’s about perspective. Each chapter of his career, from heartbreaking losses to championship parades, reminds him that there’s always another summit waiting.
“Every time I’ve thought it couldn’t get better,” Pawuk said, “it somehow did.”
