Joe Marko
Email Joe
(978) 532-1170 days
1998 Z3
2002 Mini Cooper
Director 2004-2005
President 2003
Membership Chair 2002
President 2001
Director 1998-2000
President 1996-1997
VP / Activities Director 1995
Autocross Chair 1994-1995 |
Joe Marko.
I grew up in Albany, NY where as soon as I could drive I entered SCCA
Autocrosses and Time Trials. No matter what I drove, BMW 1600s and 2002s
always trounced me. My first BMW was a rusted out '69 2002, I did better
but still was no contest for the hot new 2002tii model. I joined BMW CCA
in 1972 as member number 3549. Two very successful summers of bartending
at a country club and private parties earned me enough money to get a new
1973 2002tii, which I still have. I finally started finishing in the top
three, and even occasionally winning my class.
Grad school (Cornell School of Hotel Administration '78) and work ended
most of the motorsport activities for the next 15 years - except for a
Driving School in 1981 at Nürburgring. WOW!
Having built a successful hotel technology consulting business that was
starting to provide some discretionary income, I decided it was time to get
active in motorsports again. I took two Skip Barber 3 day Formula Ford schools,
one at Lime Rock in '91 and one at Bridgehampton in '93.
I also participated in a few of the Boston Chapter Fun Rallies. After
winning a few of the rallies, John Sullivan asked me to be the Rally Master
(I guess he did not want me as a competitor anymore). I was also "volunteered"
to do the Fun Rally for Oktoberfest '94. The enjoyment I had participating in Ofest '94,
and the members that I met, really got me turned on to the Chapter and all of the fun I
had been missing.
The Driver's School at Ofest '94 was the first time in more than twenty
years that I had spent any time in my own car (1988 M6 at the time) on the
track, and oh, what fun it was! One driver's school, and I was hooked.
Around the same time John Sullivan needed a Vice President, so I was again
"volunteered." I was not really aware at the time that VP really
meant President in training.
In 1991 my consulting business merged with one of our major clients to
form the U.S. subsidiary of a Munich based Hotel Software Company.
Two years later a large U.S. company acquired the U.S. subsidiary, and moved
operations in Beltsville, MD. I stayed on for three more years as Chairman,
but operated out of my home in Marblehead.
During that period I had a bit of spare time and some capital to invest,
so why not start a motorsport company? I thought that this would be a great
way to write off Driver's Schools and maybe Club Racing expenses, and maybe
even end up with a bit of profit along the way. HMS Motorsport was formed!
After my Chairman contract ran out in July 1996, I decided to get serious
about HMS and to put my full time efforts into the company. The first few years
were very tough, but perseverance eventually pays off. In November of 1999,
we moved to our new spacious location in Peabody, and I am happy to say that
it looks like we have developed into a business that should be around long
after I decide to retire.
All the time that I spent in Germany in the early 90s with the German
hotel software company did have it rewards. Two good friends working in the
Munich office introduced me to a local architect friend of theirs, Ursula
(Uschi) Niklasch.
We got to know each other over several games of
German and Dutch Monopoly, and much better during a fateful ski vacation
with the same friends in Grechen, Switzerland. I dislocated my elbow on
the first day of the two week vacation, and needed to be taken care of for
the rest of the trip. Uschi was up to the task, and the rest is history -
we got married in 1996.
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