March 25, 2023 | By Lee Spencer

Reinventing the wheel: Justin Marks' fresh approach appeals to new partners

When Quaker State announced the extension of a 13-year relationship with Speedway Motorsports at Atlanta Motor Speedway, it was not surprising.

Nor was the company’s new technical alliance with Trackhouse Racing and support of Daniel Suarez and the No. 1 Chevrolet next weekend at Richmond Raceway and in the Quaker State 400 at AMS in July.

What Justin Marks continues to build within the NASCAR Cup Series is a refreshing change in a market that had become predictable over time.

“Well, I think it just shows the work that we've done to try to be something special and stand out in this garage area, do something different is resonating with people and that it's real and that people are inspired by what we're doing,” Marks said.

“We're race teams, but we're also a marketing services company. And to being able to tell stories that resonate with people, being able to inspire and compel and create entertainment for the fans and for the audience, is really, really important to our business.”

Quaker State’s parent company, Shell Oil, understands the value of aligning with a hot prospect and holding on for the ride. Shell did just that when it signed on with Joey Logano in 2013. Two championships and 30 wins later, Shell/Pennzoil remains the primary supporter of the No. 22 Team Penske driver.

“You've got smaller companies—or new to NASCAR companies—that are looking to get their brand out there and grow it and scale it, and see us as a valuable place to do that or companies like Quaker State, that are real incumbents in their category and have been doing it for a long time, also seeing that opportunity with us,” Marks said. “It’s the Trackhouse vision working.”

What could be a more appealing story than taking two young, charismatic drivers that had been relegated to also-ran teams and turning them into winners? Marks has skillfully assembled a team to do just that with Suarez and Ross Chastain.

This weekend, Trackhouse returns to the site of the company’s first Cup win—Circuit of the Americas. In just his sixth start with the team, Chastain scored his first victory and backed up the accomplishment with his second Cup win four races later at Talladega.

Race 16 proved sweet for Suarez who captured his first win at Sonoma Raceway. Both drivers achieved a career first by qualifying for the Playoffs. Chastain advanced to the Championship 4 and finished second in the Cup standings to Logano.

On Saturday, Suarez qualified fifth for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. Chastain was 12th. In his return to Trackhouse’s Project 91 team, Kimi Raikkonen posted the 22nd fastest time at COTA.

Currently, Chastain and Suarez sit third and tenth in points after the first five events. Both drivers appear to have picked up where they left off in 2022.

“We focus in the company on really fundamentally important investments and that's in our process, in our culture, in our people and our workflow,” Marks said. “The way we've been able to be successful is try to cultivate as much talent and get as much talent together as possible and then truly spend all day, every day, empowering those people and putting the tools around them to be successful.

“So that's repeatable over time. It’s not like our success is the fact that we've discovered something with this car that nobody else knows. It truly is fundamental. It's just a fundamental investment in the people. I have seen management just being present and having a relationship with the people and listening to them and empowering them.

“They don't work for me. I work for them. Having that mentality, you truly unlock the full potential of everybody. That's basically what it is.”

Marks provides the tools and guidance for his drivers to succeed without being too heavy-handed. During his time behind the wheel in NASCAR, he always drove for someone else. From past experiences as a driver and entrepreneur, the 42-year-old has endured a crash course in team ownership over the last three years.

One of Marks' more interesting lessons is understanding when to advocate for his drivers—especially during sticky situations such as Chastain’s rivalry with Denny Hamlin. For Marks, finding balance is key.

“I'm navigating this for the first time myself,” Marks said. “So, I’m learning as I go. I got a little vocal last year after Gateway and I kind of regretted it because it wasn't necessarily my place, I think to step into the middle of the feud. It's nothing new. There have been feuds and disagreements on the race track for decades. Ross is a very aggressive driver. He drives every race like it's his last race and it's the reason that he's in our race car.

“I do talk to Denny. I communicate with Denny. We have good conversations. We have a relationship that goes beyond just what's happening on the racetrack because we're the two new team owners here. We feel a responsibility to try to grow the sport and grow our teams in the sport. So we have a good relationship there.”

While Marks relates to both sides of the battle, he hasn’t felt the need to interject—yet.

“With Ross, I just make sure he knows that I've got his back,” Marks said. “I'm here for him. I'm here to help him, but he's also got to go through this journey on his own a little bit. I can't figure it out for him. It's not my place to step in and try to squash it between those two.

So, no, I haven't felt a need to step out and address it on under my own initiative, because I think they're both adults. They're both driven. They both want this and I think they can figure it out on their own. It just might take some time.”