Dude was 60 years old. Lived in Phoenix.

Has been one of the drag racers I have admired the most for the past 20+ years I have known about him. He was one of the true innovators in drag racing. He is originally from Alaska, and I have to believe that made him who he was.

He did more with less than anybody in the class. He always built his own dragsters out of a shop behind his house. I'm talking all of the dragster. Chassis, body, front ends, steering. Everything. Heck, he even built many of the parts and pieces of the engine, transmission, and rear end of his cars. I've seen his dragsters on many occasions without paint. I'm not talkin primer, I'm talking no paint. Period. I cannot ever recall a time when he carried sponsorship. He did his own thing.

He was one of the very first racers to switch his combination to the nitro deal when it was allowed. When everyone else was saying that nitro motors would never be competitive without a blower, he knew better.

Damn. R.I.P. dude.

Mark Niver after his win at the 2008 Northwest Nationals in Seattle.

RIP Sir

and thanks for all that info CP

Thanks for letting us know about his history CP.

Just heard back from my brother, who is a drag racer and president of the Arizona Drag Racing Association. I thought he might have known Mark Niver, and he did. Such a shame.

RIP

He was a true grassroots racer RIP.