CONCORD, N.C. On any given day, one could spot the No. 48 Lowe’s hauler during its trek to or from the racetrack.
Fans often wave or honk their horns at the sight of the truck hauling seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson’s race car.
But who is the face behind the 14-wheel hauler?
This week, we caught up with No. 48 hauler driver Mark Ellis to get an inside look at five fun facts about his life and day-to-day duties.
1) Ellis has been in the motor sports industry for a while, but he’s fairly new to Hendrick Motorsports. He started racing go-karts when he was younger and then attended school to learn how to build engines. Ellis even spent some time in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) before making the jump to NASCAR. His first race weekend with Hendrick Motorsports was during August’s race at Watkins Glen.
“I won a world championship over in NHRA with Tony Schumacher in the top fuel car back in 2014 as an engine builder,” Ellis said. “I came back to NASCAR in 2015 through word of mouth and then landed at Hendrick Motorsports a few weeks ago.”
2) The job doesn’t end after unloading at the track. Ellis’ main duties consist of loading the hauler, traveling to the racetrack and unloading the hauler, but his duties don’t end there. He works the same schedules as his teammates at the racetrack.
“I help them with fueling the car, running parts -- basically whatever they need,” Ellis explained. “It’s also my job to keep the trailer clean and make sure everything is stocked and organized for partners and everybody that comes through.”
3) After unloading the trailer, Ellis starts preparing for the next race weekend.
“When we get back from the racetrack, I immediately unload the trailer,” Ellis said. “That means basically cleaning everything, making sure all the maintenance and stuff is done and up-to-date. Anything that’s broken or torn that needs fixed we get taken care of here and probably the biggest thing is cleaning after every weekend.”
4) Even though it can be exhausting, Ellis loves traveling to different tracks every weekend.
“There’s nothing like the drive,” Ellis explained. “When you start to get a couple hours away from where you’re going, you get that good feeling like you’re almost there -- especially as a part of such a championship-caliber team. You just can’t wait to hit the track.”
5) Ellis’ favorite part of the job is connecting with fans. He loves driving through the hauler parades and meeting people at each of the different tracks on the circuit.
“You meet and see people that are really appreciative and loyal to this sport,” Ellis said. “They’ve kept us all going, in a way. It really gives us a perspective of life and how good things really are.”