CONCORD, N.C. – Veteran NASCAR and sports car competitor Justin Marks has decided to retire as a driver.
Marks, 38, made the announcement Thursday in a post on his personal Twitter account.
After 20 years, 400+ professional starts, 20+ wins, and the experience of a lifetime, I’m hanging up the helmet. Deeply appreciative of the amazing friendships I’ve made. I have not deserved this journey. Onwards and upwards. Time to reinvent. pic.twitter.com/vpTybtt5Pz
— Justin Marks (@JustinMarksDG) November 21, 2019
Marks began his career in sports cars, competing in SCCA events before transitioning to the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. By 2005 began to make the transition from sports car racing to stock cars
He started by making his ARCA Menards Series in 2005, eventually running two full seasons in ARCA over the next six seasons. He earned one ARCA victory, which came in 2010 at Florida’s Palm Beach Int’l Raceway.
Eventually Marks began competing in NASCAR, making starts across all three of NASCAR’s National divisions beginning in 2007. He made 38 Truck Series, 35 Xfinity Series and six Cup Series starts from 2007 to 2018.
His lone victory in NASCAR came in 2016 when he won a rain soaked NASCAR Xfinity Series event at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course while driving for Chip Ganassi Racing. His best finish in the Cup Series was a 12th-place finish in 2018 Daytona 500.
In 2018 he contested the full IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship schedule for Michael Shank Racing, but scaled back his involvement to include just endurance races this year. He was part of the race-winning GT Daytona team during the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen at Watkins Glen Int’l earlier this year alongside with Mario Farnbacher and Trent Hindman.
In addition to his career as a driver, Marks has also been involved as a car owner. He was co-owner of Larson-Marks Racing, which fielded sprint cars in the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, before being bought out by team co-owner Kyle Larson.
Marks has also been involved as a car owner in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and also owns the GoPro Motorplex karting facility in Mooresville, N.C.