Dan Fennell

Retired Ohio Dirt Late Model racer Mark Banal, the winner of the 2005 Big Kahuna in Cumberland, Md., and a frequent starter in major events at Pennsboro (W.Va.) Speedway during his 35-year career, died Sunday afternoon at a hospice care center in Lincolnton, N.C. He was 69.

"My dad had a lot of race fans back home, and it’s a sad day for people to lose their hero in racing. Today, I lost my dad and my hero at the same time," Steve Banal said of his father in a statement to DirtonDirt.com. "(Fiancee) Brandy (Davis) and I moved my dad down here to North Carolina to live with us in 2021, so we could try and give him the best care. Even though he had dementia, those were some of the most special years we got to spend together. He was always happy living down here with us and our two dogs, and we are grateful he is finally at peace now."

Driving the No. T8 car from 1979-2014 while racing out of Dillonvale, Ohio, Banal racked up an estimated 150 victories and six track championships, winning two titles apiece at Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway in Imperial, Pa., St Clairsville (Ohio) Speedway and Motordome 70 Speedway in Smithton, Pa.

He was an eight-time starter in the Dirt Track World Championship with a best finish of 12th in 1993, a race in which he rallied from a deep starting spot at Pennsboro to run as high as second before a flat tire forced him to pit. He had 16 career Hillbilly 100 starts with a best finish of ninth in 1993.

His lone five-figure payday came with a $10,000 triumph in the Big Kahuna V at Allegany County Speedway. Other major victories included a STARS triumph at Speedway 7 in Conneaut, Ohio, in 1988, a Mid-Atlantic Championship Racing Series victory in 2000 at PPMS and a UFO Series victory in 2010 at PPMS, the last checkered flag of his career. He also won 2007's Topless 50 at Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, W.Va., the 2007 non-qualifiers' race at Eldora Speedway's Dream and several special events at Motordrome.

Banal was also STARS tour's Rookie of the Year in 1989 and finished second in series points in 1990. His 41 Super Late Model victories at PPMS are fifth on the track's all-time list, and among other tracks where he won were Muskingum County Speedway in Zanesville, Ohio, and Latrobe (Pa.) Speedway.

His wife Dawn Banal died in 2016. Besides his son, Banal is survived by two sisters and two brothers among seven siblings The family plans a memorial service next month in Ohio with a date to be announced.

Correction: Fixes year of Dawn Banal's passing.