(Photo: NHRA)- One of the last lingering questions going into the 2012 NHRA season centered around the position of Chief Starter. Rick “The Iceman” Stewart had been the man between the lanes since 1996 but he retired at the close of the 2011 campaign. His tenure was marked with a couple of controversial moments, including at least one instance of a racer and crew chief completely ignoring his blatant order to shut their car down. On some level Stewart was in a hole right from the beginning, having to be the follow up act to Buster Couch, one of the most beloved and legendary officials in drag racing history.

Mark Lyle enters the position in a good spot. He has been the head starter in the NHRA’s Division 6 for many years and he has been an active member of the NHRA safety safari as well. This is a good thing for racers to know because at the drag strip, the starter is the last line of safety before the cars are unleashed on the asphalt at full throttle. His ability to make quick decisions and rapidly assess situations is paramount. His ability to command the starting line is also very important as Buster knew and Rick Stewart found out, publicly.

Lyle has been Stewart’s right hand man for the last couple of seasons, so he literally knows the drill and should not have much of a learning curve. Unlike the old days, the starter at a modern drag race does not directly fire the tree. Instead, using the “AutoStart” system that Compulink has in their timing system, the starter throws the switch then both cars are pre-staged. This begins a set of timers that dictate how long the competitors have to get into the fully staged position before timing out. He can also trigger the red bulbs prior to a run to stop the cars from heading down the track in the event he sees a safety problem.

Congrats to Mark Lyle, we wish him much luck on the starting line beginning in Pomona!

Here’s the full release from the NHRA –

Mark Lyle, longtime starter in NHRA’s Division 6 and a certified team member of the NHRA Safety Safari presented by AAA, has been named the official NHRA chief starter, one of the most storied positions in all of NHRA Drag Racing. There have only been two chief starters in the sport’s 60-plus-year history, Buster Couch (1955-1996) and Rick Stewart (1996-2011).

Beginning at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Feb. 9-12, Lyle will command the best view in the facility, standing alongside every kind of drag racing vehicle, most notably the 7,000-horsepower Top Fuel and Funny Car machines featured in NHRA’s marquee Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

“It is simply the highest honor anyone in my position can have,” said Lyle, who resides in North Bend, Wash., with his family. “I really have to thank Kenworth Northwest for being flexible with my NHRA work schedule over the years and for allowing me to pursue my dream. To follow in the footsteps of two iconic and legendary figures in NHRA history is beyond words. I am looking forward to sending off the first pair in Pomona.”

Lyle has worked in the automotive industry his entire professional career, all the while spending countless weeknights and weekends perfecting his craft on the starting line or working as a safety team member in the sport he has loved since his youth. He started as the official starter at Pacific Raceways in 2000 and since then has been a certified team member of NHRA’s Division 6. He was named the official starter of the division in 2005. Lyle worked alongside recently retired NHRA Chief Starter Stewart at many national events the last several years.

“Throughout his time as a starting-line official, he has demonstrated the characteristics necessary to take on this very important position on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series circuit,” said Graham Light, NHRA senior vice president of racing operations. “He always has safety first and foremost in his mind and strives to be fair and just in his decision-making.”