Mark Straubinger (aka "Banger") has been a fixture in the Grand National Championship series for many years. His quick improvisational skills have been known to bring a crowd to life, while his friendly personality won over the hearts of many riders and their families. His announcing side job quickly turned into a personal quest to elevate the sport to its fullest potential.

Earlier this year he was dismisses from duty as the voice of the GNCs, but that hasn't stopped him from moving on to what he calls bigger and better things. Since there have been so many questions about his dismissal and what's in his future, we decided to chat with "The mouth of the South" and see how he's doing and what he's up to.

 

4-Time People's Choice GNC Promoter of the Year, Donny Banks, knew Banger from back in the day when he raced professionaly. He later recommended Banger for the GNC job. The two remain good friends.

ATV Scene: Okay Mark, let's start from the begining. How did you get started in announcing at sporting events?
Banger: I was working at a state of the art high banked oval go cart track as a grid chief in Tallahassee, FL. One race day the local DJ was running late to the event and the promoter, Monty Miers, told me to get in the tower and get the show started. I went into the tower and started to use that late night TV commercial voice, you know the one, “it slices, it dices, it makes Julianne fries – it’s the Vegamatic!”. I knew everyone at the track, I knew the sport and I came from a mechanical background so it just fit. I had a blast and I have been announcing ever since.

ATV Scene: When did you commentate for your first ATV event?
Banger: The speedway park I worked at soon built a motocross park. The track hosted some of the Florida Gold Cup events and the Florida Winter Series promoted by Bill and Jerry West of Pace Supersports. They asked me to go on tour with the series. In 1990 they hosted an AATVA (America All-Terrain Vehicle Association) National. This is where I first met Donny “the Bulldog” Banks, Gary “the Chino Charger” Denton and Marty Hart. At this event I also met a young kid from Morgantown, WV named Davey who was starting a little known paper called “The Racer Paper”. Little did I know that this kid I was helping out to get his paper started was going to have so much success in the moto industry. That little known paper evolved into Racer X Magazine published by Davey Coombs. I still have the first two issues of The Racer Paper. During bike weekends a little red-headed boy had recently moved to Tallahassee from Saint Pete because his father got a job with Seminole Electric. This is where I became good friends with big Rick, Jeannie and Ricky Carmichael.

Mark and Ray Christy worked well together and accomplished a lot for the GNC series. Ray has been replaced by Moto Tees employee, Dean Vanleeuwen.

ATV Scene: How did you get the GNC gig?
Banger: In Feb 2000, Donny Banks called me to see if I wanted to announce an ATV National at Echeconnee in Macon, GA. Upon arrival I was introduced to one of the nicest people I have ever dealt with in the racing community. His name was Ray Christy and he felt my enthusiasm for the sport of ATV racing and asked me if I would be interested in announcing the whole 2000 series. I gladly accepted. From then on I dedicated my life to promoting the sport of ATV racing and the GNC series.

ATV Scene: We hear you have some ATV racing experience of your own?
Banger: As a boy I was a big motocross fan. They used to have a MX National here in Tallahassee at Mid Lake MX Park. I used to race Yamaha bikes locally but could never really get the bike thing down. Then in 1984 a friend of mine got an ATC 250R and I fell in love with it. I was a loyal fan of Yamaha and in ’85 they came out with the Tri Z250. I bought the first one on the dealership floor and I never swung a leg over a two-wheeler again. I raced the Florida State Championship Series and the Pace/Tempo/SRO event in which I placed second place.

.wmv 8.1MB Video shot from the '05 London, KY GNC

ATV Scene: What was it like racing three wheelers?
Banger: I loved it. It’s hard to believe we used to race them after riding a quad. Things were different back then. That’s for sure. You really never knew what to expect from race to race. One race I attended at a Civic Center, I arrived at the track with my fully suspended Yamaha. I noticed they were sweeping the dirt off of the polished floor surrounding their mud bog pit. I quickly called my friend back in Tallahassee and told him to take the tires off my riding lawn mower (they were Turf Tamers) and bring them to me. While he was in route, I loosened the triple clamps on my front forks and slid them up in the mounts, thus lowering the front tire. I lowered the rear by lowering the spring washer on my rear shock all the way down. Then I took a tie-down and bottomed out the rear suspension. That was my first attempt at TT racing.

Banger has interviewed every GNC professional champion throughout the years. Here he chats with Travis Spader minutes after he won the title in 2000.

ATV Scene: When you announced at the Nationals it seemed that you had a real passion for the sport. Was that real or does it come along with the job?
Banger: I always bring enthusiasm with me to any race or event that I announce at, but I have (and always will have) a real passion for ATV racing – so yes that was all genuine.

ATV Scene: In all of the years that you’ve been calling the races, what goes down as your most memorable moment?
Banger: The most memorable moment was at the 2005 GNC Awards Banquet when I received the Announcer of the Year Award. It came to me as a complete shock. It was odd to be standing on the stage behind the presenter at the podium when I realized that the award that Mr. Dantonio and his daughter Katelynn were presenting was actually for me. All I can remember was seeing all of the faces of my friends standing up for me (in more ways than one). I was overwhelmed with emotion. I’ll never forget it.

ATV Scene: You were certainly a hit at the GNCs. The two standing ovations at the GNC Banquet more than prove that. People seemed to really like you, so why were you dismissed from the series and who was responsible?
Banger: Yeah hearing that I was dismissed was the worst moment of my career. I was blind sided by it. I was very depressed about it. I feel that I was dismissed because I was a lone wolf. By that I mean that I was an enthusiast that did not work under any promoter or company. I was considered a threat because I thought on my own and did not have to answer to any “boss”. All of my decisions were based on what was good for the sport and the riders in the sport. As far as who is responsible for my dismissal it was Sam Gammons who delivered the news, but he was just the “hatchet man”. Many riders know who was really responsible. To this date I still have never been given a concrete reason for my dismissal. I find it odd that I received word of this at 9:40 pm the day I got back from announcing the ESPN Great Outdoor Games. The handling of my dismissal was very unprofessional on their part. I was told that the promoter’s group had decided to dismiss me -- yet the promoter of the next round (Unadilla) had no knowledge of the decision. Also unaware was Wyn Kern (Gatorback) and Donny Banks (Echeconnee). So it didn’t seem that all the promoters voted on the decision, since many didn’t even know I had been dismissed. I feel I should have been at least allowed to finish the 2005 season.

Mark will be replaced by new GNC announcers; Robbie Whitehead, Rodney Tomlin and David Screws (pictured here with Unadilla promoter, Greg Robinson).

ATV Scene: If you were dismissed from the series, how were you chosen to announce the GNC Banquet?
Banger: The banquet isn’t run by the promoters like the series is. Sherri Taylor (2005 GNC Awards Coordinator) called and told me that the banquet committee had unanimously voted me to be the host. I was relieved to hear this because I had not been given a chance to give closure to the series. I left Daniel Boone in London, KY thinking that I was going to see everyone at the Unadilla round. Announcing at the banquet was my opportunity to see everyone again, so I was pretty happy to be there and do it.

ATV Scene: We can only assume that you are not out of the business. Where can we expect to see Banger next?
Banger: You all will see me next at the opening round of the 2006 ESPN ATV Super Tour in Waldo, Florida on March 4-5. I will be announcing their new series.

ATV Scene: Have you seen this track?
Banger: I went to check out the facility on Friday November 11 and gave it a thumb’s up. It is a sandy track similar to the soil at Echeconnee. It’s 90 acres in size and they have almost 60 camper hook ups with electricity and water. They have excellent equipment, including two dozers, one tractor, one front-end loader and three water trucks. It has excellent medical facilities in the area and a helicopter landing pad as well. Their new showers and restrooms should be completed by mid December. All in all, it’s a really nice place.

Keeping it real. That's what makes Straubinger a fan favorite.

ATV Scene: What do you feel will be the future of the ATV motocross?
Banger: I think the future of ATV racing can grow to the level of the Bike Nationals some day. After all, more people can associate with riding ATVs than dirt bikes. Over 65% of units sold at motorcycle dealers are ATVs. And that’s ATVs vs. street and dirt bikes combined!

ATV Scene: Any last words?
Banger: I just want to thank all of the people that have been my friends and family over the years. I also want to thank all of the people that have supported me in 2005. You all are why I will continue to be involved with the sport. I also want to remind everyone that it should not always be about profits and how many Tee shirts you can sell. It should be more about the sport and the athletes that compete in it. And thanks to ATV Scene for giving me a place to tell my side of the story. POWER TO THE PEOPLE AND LONG LIVE THE SPORT OF ATV RACING!!!

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