RIP Mark "Tex" Adams
Posted on February 6, 2012 by John.
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It was an unexpected and tragic turn of events that ultimately took the life of Mark “Tex” Adams on Thursday, January 26, 2012. The accomplished mechanic worked with the Joe Gibbs Racing team, and he will be greatly missed throughout the entire racing community.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the incident occurred at approximately 4:30 am when Adams stopped to help a stranded motorist who had run out of gas. With his Ford pickup truck park behind the stranded car, Adams approached the driver's side door to ask for help. A third vehicle then drifted onto the shoulder of Interstate 4, striking both vehicles and Mark Adams. Charges are currently pending for the driver of the third vehicle. The accident happened near Lake Helen, Florida, located near Daytona Beach.
Mark “Tex” Adams has been racing, building, and repairing motorcycles since he was a small child. As an adult, he has enjoyed success on MTV's Nitro Circus, where Adams frequently built and raced his own custom machines. One such vehicle fused an old airplane with a Suzuki RM250, which Travis Pastrana then attempted to fly. He also enjoyed a great deal of success as a mechanic with KTM Racing, and, most recently, Joe Gibbs Racing.
Adams built his first complete motorcycle at the age of 16, when he received a box of parts as a Christmas gift. He inherited his love of the sport from his father, who was a motorcycle racer during the 1950s. He died when Mark was only 9 years old.
“Mark had a pure heart," his mother, Carolyn Adams, who also lives in Lindale, Texas, said in an interview shortly after her son's death. "He always did more than most. And he was fearless, much to his mother's chagrin.” She continued by saying, “He has lived his dream and accomplished every goal he set out to accomplish," she said. "I'm so proud of who he is."
James Stewart, who personally depended on the mechanic to make sure his bike was in peak condition, expressed his condolences via Twitter. He posted, “I'm in disbelief as something so tragic could happen to you while helping someone else in need. I'm stunned because Tex was such a caring & doing for others person. My heart goes out to his family... He was always saying and doing funny stuff all the time and was a pleasure to be around."
The career of Mark “Tex” Adams can be traced all the way back to his teenage years, where he first worked at a local dealer called Broadway Yamaha. He progress quickly from there, and he was working as a tuner for Adam Mennenga by 2003. He joined KTM Racing in 2004, where he was eventually assigned to Kurt Nicoll's bike - Nicoll ended up taking third place overall in the season. Adams remained with KTM until the end of the 2007 season, and started the 2008 season with his final team, Joe Gibbs Racing. He was 28 years old when he died.
