RPW Column: No Excuses In ’23 For Josh Marcus; Consistency Will Be The Name Of The Game For Success
News Director 
Column By: BOBBY CHALMERS / RPW – BETHEL, CT – No excuses during the 2023 racing season for fifth-year Big Block Modified racer Josh Marcus.
Marcus finished 15th in points at his Saturday night home, Lebanon Valley Speedway, last season and is looking for an even better showing this year behind the wheel of the family’s famed #91M.
“Last year, we had a good season and were able to finish in the top 15 in points,” Marcus said. “This year, we’re looking to make it into the top 10 by season’s end.”
The Marcus Bros. / Alex Thomson Racing team had their share of ups and down last season, including being part of a huge wreck on the backstretch at the Valley of Speed on July 9th where they ended up losing their racecar. However, they persevered and finished the season strong.
What does Marcus believe it’ll take to get an even better points finish in 2023?
“We’d like to be more consistent,” he said. “We’ve got a new motto this year…no excuses…because, for the last five years, we’ve had a lot of them. We just want to make this year a good season.”
Entering his fifth full-season behind the wheel of a Big Block, Marcus doesn’t want to ‘just be in the field.’ He wants to be a contender, week in and week out.
“We want to be consistent each week and run well with the pack,” he said. “We don’t want to just be in the show. We want to be part of the show.”
That drive comes from years of experience in racing for the Marcus family. Josh’s father, Robbie, and his uncle, George, forged a long history of success at the Valley over the years, becoming champions while also achieving legend status for their many trips to victory lane.
“I have the best mentors in the world.” He said. “I’ve also made a lot of good connections coming to Lebanon Valley that continue to help me every time we come through the gate.”
One of those connections is in the pit stall right next to them each week.
“My teammate, Kyle Sheldon, helps me out a lot,” he said. “He can tell me his point of view of the track. He shows me what I can improve on and what I can do better.”
Josh listens intently to what Sheldon tells him, which, in turn, he hopes will lead him to victory lane.
“I take what Kyle says and it sticks in my head,” he said. “I use it in the next warm-up session or the next year race or whenever the next time I get on track. Hopefully, I can use that knowledge to get better.”
