Remembering Mark Lasota, aka Spin_Out

It has been three years since we lost Mark Lasota (Spin_Out on this forum).  I know he had a lot of friends here, and some of you have even taken one or more of his project cars and done something with them.

If you have any Mark pictures or recollections you can share, please do. If you have, or had, one of Marks old cars, how about an update? 

I will start, with a picture from the $2018 Challenge. Mark helped organize the valve cover racing, and reached out to the young folks to help them feel welcome and involved. He even built valve cover racers and gave them to kids to race. This was taken the month before Mark's cancer diagnosis. (For privacy reasons, I won't name the happy young man next to him holding the trophy.)

I still miss Mark.  Gumby currently owns his Mustang, that was going to be our 2020 challenge car (berk covid).  I have his SPIN OUT plate from it hanging on my shop wall.  

I never had the pleasure to meet Mark but did end up with his 2006 Miata. It has been a great car and was a real godsend during the pandemic when my wife and I could cruise around and have the world feel normal for awhile. I did some additional prep and ran in SCCA AutoX in STR class taking the class championship the past couple of years with it (the ND's arrived this year locally so no more). I push hard enough and run it loose enough to "spin-out" at least once a year although I have no idea if Spin_out  was a reference to doing just that or not. Took it out for it's second HPDE at Gingerman yesterday and it is a blast and I still have much to learn to get the most out of it but got below my target of a sub 1:50 lap and had to give one point by to a C7 for the day.

The car is getting used and loved 

I think of Mark every time I walk out to my driveway. The Model T is slightly on the back burner and the Model A is at brain freeze status because I think I need to cut the frame. 

Lil Stampie has two of his valve cover racers. They are works of art and before he passed Mark told him what adjustments to make. 

He is missed. 

I have a jitterbug sander I bought from his everything must go sale a few years ago. Someday I'll use it to make something less ugly.

Mark was one of the best reasons to go to the Challenge. 

Mark was a super friendly and happy dude!  It was always nice to see him at the Challenge and local autox events. I have a red Crafstman tool chest in my garage from his sale. I think of him every time I open a drawer.   

I didn't meet Mark. I was at Challenge '19 when Patrick bought the Mustang.
I'm not sure I will 'do something' with the car due to the VIN status but the sound of the F-cam and long tubes makes my dude twitch.
When Patrick needed it to go away I was first in line to adopt.

In reply to gumby :

I've always loved that car

In reply to Danny Shields (Forum Supporter) :

It took a little searching but I managed to find your old thread where you announced Marks decline and then latter announced his passing.  I'm sad to say that old pictures are being lost.  Long live the memories!  

SV reX said:

In reply to gumby :

I've always loved that car

That car, originally known as Kay-Bluey.  

In reply to John Welsh :

Thanks for pulling up the old link, John. Lots of memories there!

In reply to Danny Shields (Forum Supporter) :

I missed the exact details of how we go them, but at the 2019 Challenge, my two sons were gifted a pair of his Valve cover racers.  It was a highlight of the Challenge for them.

Actually, I think most of that years race cars were made by him:

In reply to Danny Shields (Forum Supporter) :

He also built one of my favorite Challenge cars:

link to some info

Mark always liked to wear Hawaiian shirts. (except at the Challenge, of course, where he opted for the GRM shirt). The local PCA region started having a Hawaiian Shirt Day autocross, where everyone else wore one, too. Here, the autocross program chairman Brian presents Mark with an "official" embroidered shirt as an appreciation gift for his role in setting up the autocross events. (2012)

I recently learned that Mark would actually go to Goodwill and pick out the most hideous Hawaiian shirt to wear to autocrosses. All in keeping with the casual, friendly spirit of the event.

In reply to Indy - Guy :

My son is far left - the one whose face says "I'm taking this too seriously"

In reply to Patrick :

And having seen him lately he's much much bigger.

In reply to Indy - Guy :

I love the BAT link, from the days when BAT hadn't launched their own auction yet, and merely commented on interesting cars they spotted out there.

Here is another shot of Mark and Tod with their home-brewed TR8 racer:

Bringing this thread back up as it has now been five years since losing Mark. I talked with Mark's mom today by phone. She sounds good and says she is doing well.   Time goes by so quickly!

Time does go by so quickly. Thanks for the reminder, Danny. 

In reply to Danny Shields (Forum Supporter) :

I think about Mark a lot. Miss him every time I see something that came from him. It's hard to believe it's been 5 years. 

I purchased his Boxster.  He was there the day I picked it up but pretty far along by that time.  I bought the car site unseen and having never been in a Boxster, but it was a typical GRM whim decision.  The first time I drove it was on to the trailer - when I realized my feet were really too wide for the Boxster foot box and pedal arrangement.....  Kept it about a month then gave it to my son for his last six weeks of college.  He was pretty stoked to be the baller on campus in a Porsche for the final coast into graduation - even though the price of the car was probably in the lowest 25% of all in the parking lots....

Got it back, enjoyed it for the summer and fall, even though I had to be very careful with my feet while driving it.  Went to our traditional Christmas Eve dinner with friends.  He recounted the story of a big accident with a cement truck the week prior that wiped out his daily car.  Knowing me, he half jokingly asked if I had anything for sale, and I half jokingly said well, I have a Boxster.  His eyes grew large.  It was his dream car that he never thought he would get.  We negotiated over dinner, likely to the amusement of the tables around us that I am sure could hear the conversation as his wife also had to absorb becoming "Porsche people" instantaneously and the unexpected Christmas gift that was about to come.  They followed us home to take a test weekend to see if the really wanted it.  Mark helped to ignite car passion in someone that never owned a cool car.  They took the car to their NC mountain home and continue to enjoy it.

In reply to Danny Shields (Forum Supporter) :

Thank you for bringing this back up, and for checking on his mom.  

In reply to glueguy (Forum Supporter) :

Sweet Boxster story! Thanks for sharing that. It is always good to know that a special car has gone on to someone who appreciates it. Sure, it is just a car, but to guys like us, it is like finding a good home for a puppy that you can't keep.  I hope your friends enjoy Mark's Boxster for a long time.