- For the other team in which Mark ran the race, see Mark & Mallory.
William "Bopper" Minton and Mark Jackson are a team of Best Friends on the 20th season of The Amazing Race.
Friends from Kentucky, they quickly became the fan favorites of the season due to their humble demeanours, enthusiasm and strong friendship. They were so popular that even Phil Keoghan himself said that Bopper and Mark have made the "top three favorite teams of all time". They also had one of the most heartbreaking stories in the series, as they wanted to win the money to treat Bopper's sick daughter. They managed to run a fairly strong race, and were the only team to beat Rachel & Dave to the Pit Stop after Leg 5. Unfortunately Mark suffered during the Bollywood Dancing Roadblock in Leg 9 from dehydration and motion sickness, with Bopper urging him to stop from fear that he might have a heart attack. Though they were saved by non-elimination for the second time, they were so far behind that not even the Fast Forward was able to save them in the next leg and they finished 5th.
Though their fan favorite status brought them back for All-Stars, a medical check-up on the night before the Race began, showed that Bopper's pancreas was inflamed and the doctor told him he was unfit to run the Race. Many teams were heartbroken by this news, with Phil saying "it was one of the hardest thing things that I've had to do on a Race" during an interview. With Bopper's blessing, Mark raced with former contestant Mallory of Gary & Mallory, though they were eliminated in 10th Place.
Profile
Bopper
- Age: 41 (Season 20), 43 (All-Stars)
- Hometown: Manchester, KY
- Connection to Teammate: Best Friend
- Current Occupation: Motorcycle Mechanic
Mark
- Age: 45 (Season 20), 47 (All-Stars)
- Hometown: Manchester, KY
- Connection to Teammate: Best Friend
- Current Occupation: Former State Inspector
The Amazing Race 20
Race History
| Booper & Mark's Race History | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Episode | Leg | Destination(s) | Detour Choice (underlined) |
Roadblock Performer |
Placement | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | United States → Argentina | No Detour | Bopper | 9 of 11 | |
| 2 | 2 | Argentina | Boil My Water / Light My Fire | Mark | 3 of 10 | |
| 3 | 3 | Argentina → Paraguay | Stacked Up / Strung Out | Mark | 4 of 9 | |
| 4 | 4 | Paraguay → Italy | Clean That Statue / Name That Salami | Bopper | 8 of 8 | |
| 5 | 5 | Italy → Germany | Fairy Tale / Champion Male | Mark | 6 of 8 | |
| 6 | 6 | Germany → Azerbaijan | Apples / Oil | Bopper | 3 of 7 | |
| 7 | 7 | Azerbaijan → Tanzania | Marksmanship / Courtship | No Roadblock | 2 of 6 | |
| 8 | 8 | Tanzania | Water Supply / Air Supply | Mark | 1 of 6 | |
| 9 | 9 | Tanzania → India | Cricket / Clutch It | Mark | 5 of 5 | |
| 10 | 10 | India | Used Fast Forward | 5 of 5► | [1] | |
| Average | 4.60 | |||||
Legend:
| ||||||
Notes:
1: Bopper & Mark completed the Fast Forward task, but were too far behind the other teams and they still came in last and were eliminated.
Post Race
- Bopper & Mark competed on a The Amazing Race Primetime special of The Price is Right in 2016.[1] Bopper & Mark helped their respective contestant, Monifa Sims, wife of Survivor: Worlds Apart castaway Will Sims II, win a trip to South Africa in their pricing game. However, The trio failed to make it to the Showcase Showdown.
Trivia
Interviews
Season 20
- Reg Seeton at The Deadbolt (04/30/2012): "The Amazing Race: Heat and Heart with Bopper and Mark"
- Elizabeth Kwiatkowski at Reality TV World (04/30/2012): "Exclusive: "Bopper" Minton and Mark Jackson talk The Amazing Race"
- Joyce Eng at TV Guide Online (04/30/2012): "Our Friendship Is Deeper Than Any Situation"
- Catriona Wightman at Digital Spy (05/01/2012): "We gave everything we had"
- Elimination Interviews at CBS.com (05/01/2012): "Elimination Interview: Mark and Bopper"
- Daniel Fienberg at Hitfix.com (05/02/2012): "Team Kentucky talks about their reception back home and more"
- Susan Gonzales at Yakkity Yaks (05/03/2012): "The Amazing Race: The Yak Chats with Mark Jackson and William 'Bopper' Minton"
Season 24
- Rob Cesternino at RHAP (02/24/2014): "Talking with the Latest Eliminated Players from Amazing Race"
- Elizabeth Kwiatkowski at Reality TV World (02/24/2014): "William 'Bopper' Minton talks The Amazing Race 24" [Parts 1 & 2]
- Daniel Fienberg at Hitfix.com (02/25/2014): "Bopper discusses his medical exit"
- Joyce Eng at TV Guide Online (02/25/2014): "Withdrawal Was Heartbreaking"
Social Media Profiles
Bopper's Facebook: /bopper.minton
Bopper's Twitter: @BopperMinton
- Mark's Facebook: /mark.jackson.963
References
Template:USAS20Teams