Mark Albert!

Mark, family & crew; We are all praying for your speedy recovery. If there is anything I can do, let me know.
-Johnny

 

Serge DM Racing

On behalf of Dan Mercier Racing Team , wish Mike Albert a speedy recovery and we are all anxious to see you at the race track again.That week-end in Maple Grove should have been the best week-end for us so far but that accident make it no so fun.

We are with you Mike , sure you will be back in a Race car soon. take care !!!

Serge TAD-15

 

Our thoughts and prayers are with you for a quick recovery!
Get well soon Mark


Pete "Lucky" Luciano and crew

 

Bad Day!........for All.....

We're not to good with this computer stuff,but we are wanting to comment to Mark Jr. & Craig. First I would like to let the Albert's Family know that our thoughts and prayer's are with you EVERY DAY!We Love all of you very much,and If there is anything that you need, you know how to contact us. THANK YOU FOR THE DAILY UP-DATES! Joe waits anxiously every day for your calls! We are a close knit team, so your pain and sorrow is also the teams pain and sorrow.Please let Mark Sr. know that our thoughts and prayer's are also with him, and let him know how much we LOVE & MISS him! Tell him we will see him soon. MUCH LOVE;

JOE GERDELMANN & FAMILY
AND GERDELMANN MOTORSPORTS

 

It's good to hear the story straight from the family, the rumors spread like wildfire. We know he's got a long recovery but are glad that he isn't as bad as everyone was telling us. We all wish Mark a fast recovery and hope to see him soon at the track. Please send our best wishes and thoughts and prayers.

Karen Stalba and the 3 Toms, NIC Racing

 

Get well soon

Get well soon Mark. Our prayers are with you.

Marty & Team

 

Get Well Soon too!!!!

Wishing you the best on a very speedy recovery and our prayers to you all.

Nancy Matter Racing Team
7617 TA/FC

 

TO: Albert Family
I just want to say thanks for all the updates on you dad. i am very sorry for what happan that night. if u guys need anything please give me a call i will try my best to do every thing in my power to help. also the Albert family u guys are the coolest people ever. i remember the first time i met mark was in big cliffys basement. he was kicking my butt on the tree. lol he is the best on that tree i have to give him that. it was really cool when u guys let me work on the car this year at etown. mark kick some ass. i really didnt know what i was doing but mark and the whole crew was there if i had any question. there was no yelling all smile and laughs. it was the best weekend of racing that i ever had. even know u guys didnt win still every ones heads where up and still smiling. i remember when mark said good job every one we will get them next time. i felt like crying because u guys work so hard. please keep us update and tell mark when u see him kyle koretsky said get better and my prayers are with u.
FROM: Koretsky Racing

 

A Fan's Point of View

My prayers are with Mark and his family, this was an event that certainly didn't need to happen.

My friend and I were watching qualifying from the pit stands at about the 660 foot mark. As evening fell, we saw that the TAFC passes were getting loose at the top end, especially in the left lane, and noticed dew on the bodies as the cars were staging. By the time the last pair went, the entire top surface of both cars was dew covered, and the stands all around us were dripping wet with condensation. I commented to my friend that the starter should be seeing this and calling a close to qualifying.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Mark's rail veered across track, and appeared to rotate over and impact the right guard wall hard, upside down and backwards. My friend just kept repeating 'oh no, oh no' as the rear of the car appeared to roll under the chassis and simutaneously fireballed. It was a long time before the fire stopped moving, and longer still before it went out. The wreckage had tripped the right lane timers at 141 mph. We paused, and prayed, and waited.

I was mad. I saw that the track didn't appear safe, and I'm just a fan. The track announcer's words sounded hollow, talking about safety and the quick response of the rescue crews. I kept thinking about Kenny Bernstein's similar crash several tears back, when he went into a turn in barrier break in the guardwall, severing the car in half with the fuel pouring up behind the driver's compartment. I'm a mechanical designer, and I wrote a letter to NHRA after that crash saying how tracks should have seamless turn-ins, with diagrams and suggestions as to how it could be done and still allow Safety Safari access. I never got a reply back. I was remembering Blaine Johnson's untimely death impacting a guard wall turn-in, and I was mad.

Finally, the news came. Mark was out of the car, conscious, and had spoken to the rescue people. He was being transported to the hospital as a precaution. I took note that an ambulance left with a siren sounding... Qualifying was cancelled for the night, due to damage to the guard wall, and frankly, I didn't believe that was really the reason, but just an excuse to not have to explain a wet track. The next day, we did see a new barrier section in place, but I still was mad.

Being a fan is sometimes hard, as we have no way of knowing the "buzz" and finding out how someone really is. During qualifying Saturday, I spoke to another fan who said Mark was in an induced coma with burns requiring skin grafts and flame inhalation, and that he was touch and go. I didn't know who to believe, but was mad that the almighty image of the NHRA seemed to be covering the actual truth about a racer's condition. No official updates on Mark's condition strengthened my suspicions that Mark's injuries were worse than what was presented.

Unfortunately, Saturday night brought a similar incident. During Comp Eliminator, Frank Affronti's C/A got loose in the left lane at about the 1,000 foot mark. Frank did an admirable job keeping his car from getting sideways, but unfortunately be was chasing Tommy Ciccarone Jr's D/SMA, and found himself in Ciccarone's lane after the stripe, with the slowing Ciccarone dead ahead of him. He collected the left rear of Ciccarone's car, turning it sideways, causing it to barrel roll immediately. I saw Frank's taillights pass the flipping wreckage, and we waited again. The news came from the top end... drivers are OK, session was over. The dew was not on the stands like Friday night, but I was still mad.

I walked down to the pits, and observed the cars, confirming my fan's eye analysis of how the accident had occurred. The Ciccarone crew was attempting to repair their car, as they had won the round, but it didn't look good. There was loud talk from Affronti's trailer, and it was expressing frustration about how the event scheduling was more important than the safety of the racers. As a fan, I didn't feel it was my place to ask questions or comment, but I was still mad.

It wasn't until the Thursday after the event that I saw any news about Mark, a quick blurb on the NHRA website describing his burn condition and the fact that he was stable. Six days after the incident... call me cynical, but the words 'out of the car, conscious, and had spoken to the rescue people' do not describe a person who is still in the hospital six days later.

I appreciate finding this forum, so that I have a place to vent. I'd like to speak for at least some of the fans out here, to say that you racers are not alone in feeling that the representation of 'safety first' we all hear from NHRA is not always as it seems. From this fan's point of view, you guys pay the bills, and your responsibility is to provide the show, while the track and sanctioning body's responsibility is to provide a safe racing surface and facility. I'm sorry that that is not the case, and certainly appreciate that you guys hold up your end of the deal, unfortunately sometimes to your own hurt. I'm sure there probably isn't anything I can do to rectify the situation, but know that you are not alone in being mad...

Chris Saulnier
Drag Racing fan since I was 6 in 1964
Brunswick, Maine

 

mark , get well soon

my twin brother Ken was one of the first people to him with the Safety Safari. He was in obvious pain and just wanted out...FAST! I truly hope Mark will pull thru and his family is there with him to help. He is a great guy and will hopefully be back soon...mike

 

alcohol racers at Virgina and Atco

We will have at t hese races shirts and pins for a donation to help the Mark Albert recovery fund please stop in and we will try to tell everyone the latest reports as we get them.Prayers are most helpful at the critical time.Please spread the word .We need everyones help.Mike Janet and the Kosky team.

 

Help

MR KOSKY

many of us out here on the left coast have never had the
pleasure of meeting mark but we are still all alky family.
what can we do out here to help?
BOBBY PERKINS

P.S. GET WELL SOON MARK

 

Mark Albert

Hope to see mark at the track next season,the albert family is a class act racing family

 

Mark Albert

Mark's family is reading the cards and well-wishes to him in the hospital. If you would like to send a card;

Lehigh Valley Hospital
Cedar Crest & I-78
P.O. Box 689
Allentown, PA. 18105-1556
Burn Unit - Mark Albert

Also, a fund has been set up to assist the family with defraying the medical costs;

The Mark Albert Recovery Fund
P.O. Box 233
South Park, PA 15129

I hope that all of you keep Mark and his family & crew in your prayers. He has a long road ahead. Also, on behalf of the Albert family, Thank You to all that have contributed already. Your generosity and well-wishes go a long way.

Johnny D.

 

Get Well Soon

[Just wanted to let you know we are thinking of you guys all the time. If there is anything we can do let us know.
Peg if you need anything please call my sister, she is close to you. Love you guys. If you need anything call
Love Bob, Luanne & BOB

 

Peg And Family

I'm praying for you daily and hope that Mark is coming along.
We appreciate the updates to the club.
You know that there are many behind you and look forward to you coming home.
Tak Care
Pat O/Dutch

 

Is Mark Still in the Hospital?

Just wondering how Mark is doing... is he still in the hospital? I've got a card to send to him, and want to know if the addresses Jonny D posted above are still good.

Thanks-

MaineAlkyFan

 

The info should still be good,I talked to his son Craig about a week ago and he said he will be there for at least a couple more weeks.

 

Mark Albert Update.

It is now 8 weeks since Mark’s accident at Maple Grove.

On Tuesday November 21st Mark was brought out of the drug induced coma that he has been in for the last 7 ½ weeks. During that time he has underwent a total of 6 surgeries for his burn related injuries, including skin graphs to his feet, legs, hands, and arms. Mark still requires several surgeries that will take place in the upcoming weeks. After which he will begin his rehabilitation. This process will be long and painful and will take months. We appreciate all of the cards and letters; we know that they will be a morale booster for Mark during his recovery. We will try keep everyone updated during the up coming months.

Your continued prayers, support and well wishes are greatly appreciated and will aid in Mark’s recovery.

Mark JR and Craig Albert

Cards may be sent to:

Lehigh Valley Hospital
Cedar Crest & I-78
P.O. Box 689
Allentown, PA. 18105-1556
Burn Unit - Mark Albert

 

thank you for Mark's update

Thank you so much for taking the time to update all of us on Mark's progress. You are all in our prayers for continued positive progress.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Matter