Mark Pawuk’s race to the top

by Noell Wolfgram Evans

In some ways, the success of multiple Richfield companies and a racing career are intertwined in a broken-down lawn mower engine.

In 1959, Emil Pawuk founded Emil Pawuk & Associates in Richfield to sell the various components needed to build gas stations. After years of being asked for help installing the parts and equipment they were selling, Emil started Empaco in 1978 to do just that. “There are not a lot of people that do what we do,” said Mark Pawuk, Emil’s son and current president of Empaco. 

In Mark Pawuk’s first career as a racer, competed at the Indianapolis Raceway park. Photo submitted.
Mark Pawuk’s winning car at the National Hot Rod World Championship.

Mark joined the sales team at Empaco in 1979 after attending John Carroll University. “I was one of the first reps anywhere selling underground fiberglass tanks to gas stations. They were brand new at the time and we were really working to modernize gas stations.” 

The concept of modernization, or of making something old, new again, is a consistent theme for Mark. When he was a teenager, he was the recipient of that lawn mower engine. “I was always very mechanically inclined,” he said. “One day a next door neighbor gave me this broken down lawn mower engine. I got it running and tried to build a go-cart with it.”

Mark said his experience of trying to build a frame for the lawn mower out of 2x4s went as well as can be expected, but it taught him some valuable lessons about perseverance and learning from your mistakes. Lessons that he has tried to use in the two distinct facets of his life. 

A trophy case in the Empaco office displays memorabilia from the company and a whole host of racing trophies.  Photo submitted.

In addition to being part of the family business for almost 50 years, Mark is an accomplished professional race car driver.

“I was just always into cars,” Mark said. “When I was in high school, I knew a guy who had a race car, a 1968 Charger, they wanted to get rid of. I wanted to see how it ran, so I took it out to the Thompson Drag Raceway and won the first race I entered.” Mark bought the car.

That victory was the first of many to be notched by Mark, including the 1981 Super Gas championship. He joined the Pro Stock circuit in 1985, eventually picking up an impressive eight wins amongst a number of top ten finishes.

Following the death of his father, and the expansive growth of the Empaco business and landholdings, on2012, Mark decided that it was time to step away from racing.

However, the retirement was short-lived and in 2018, he was coaxed back onto the track by NHRA legend Don Schumacher. Mark raced with Schumacher’s team for five years before starting Pawuk Family Racing in 2023.

Just a year later, the team was hitting on all cylinders with Pawuk winning the first race of the season at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. He ended with a win last fall at the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown, which gave him a dream-come-true National Hot Rod Association world championship. 

As Mark’s racing career grew, so did the business and more help was needed. At the end of 2024, the next generation came onboard. 

Kyle Pawuk (Mark’s son) wasn’t a stranger to Empaco, having roamed the halls since Emil still sat in his office. Kyle said “Being around my Grandpa made me want to get into the business.” Kyle admits that it’s a little bit of a time trip to be somewhere in the office and suddenly remember seeing his grandfather in that same spot. 

Mark Pawuk heads up several companies and land holdings in Richfield. Photo by S. Serdinak.

When Mark returned to racing, he was no longer the only Pawuk on the track. Kyle was carrying on the family business there, too. “It’s pretty amazing,” Kyle said, “as a kid I always wanted to go watch my dad at the track and now when I make a run he’s up there pulling me through and then I’ll go and do the same for him.” 

Kyle, who was named to Drag Illustrated’s “30 Under 30” list in 2024, races a Super Gas car, while Mark races in a Factory Stock Showdown.One of the things that the Pawuk’s said they love about racing is the community. Kyle said “It is truly a family affair. My dad and I are out there on the track, my sister Kassandra does social media for a lot of the teams and my mom [Bonnie] is cheering us on.” 

Photo Caption: Returning to racing after a hiatus to grow his company, Empaco, Mark Pawuk won the National Hot Rod Association world championship. Holding the trophy, he is shown with his children, Kassandra and Kyle, and his pit crew. See story on page 6. Photo provided.