Mike Marlar
As the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series heads into a big weekend at the Brownstown Speedway, few drivers are carrying as much momentum as Mike Marlar. The Winfield, Tennessee native comes into the events at the Indiana dirt oval having scored a runner-up finish in the second of two World 100 features at Eldora Speedway and a $50,000 win in the Lucas Oil Knoxville Late Model Nationals at the Knoxville(IA) Raceway.
Marlar’s effort in the second Eldora main event was particularly noteworthy. After a mishap in his heat race, the No. 157 crew had to thrash just to get the car ready to start at the tail of their assigned B-main. After preparations were completed just in time, their 43-year-old driver raced his way into a transfer position to make it into the starting lineup for the 50th annual World 100.
The result of those efforts was a 26th starting position on the Ohio half-mile. But Marlar would not be deterred as he picked off competitor after competitor until he found himself in second and challenging eventual winner Jonathan Davenport for the lead late in the going.
“It was an awesome race,” Marlar told FloRacing.com following the 50th World 100. “The race track was just beautiful for really the whole night. There’s no way I could have come out of that B without a great race track so I want to thank Eldora for that.”
The former World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series champion believes that running in that B-main may have actually aided his efforts in the 100-lap feature race.
“I had to run that B but I really got my car worked in good so I got to dial it in in the B,” he insisted. “I had a good shot. I felt like on that restart ‘Here’s my shot’. I actually had the lead there for a little bit but Jonathan was just a wee bit faster. He was just the better car tonight. This place has been a trying deal for me. I ran third a couple of years ago and sixth another time and 28th about twenty times it feels like. So to get to run second and have a shot at winning, and I had my shot there with five to go or eight to go or whatever that was, but I was just barely a little slower. I’m happy with second and it was a great night.”
Strangely enough, it seems as if a major turnaround for Marlar and his team occurred after that heat race mishap forced them into a bit of a corner. From that point, their results have been outstanding. Not long before Eldora, the Ronnie Delk-owned team had began to employ a Longhorn Chassis.
“I cannot believe my guys got that car together after that heat,” Marlar stated. “Five minutes before the B we had half a body on it. They’ve got faith in me and they never thought they were out of it at any point. They must have more faith than I do.”
After Eldora, the momentum continued to build for Marlar and his crew. This past weekend, he drove to his third victory in the Knoxville Late Model Nationals. As a matter of fact, the veteran driver has won that crown jewel race in each of the last three times he has entered(2016, 2017, 2021).
On this occasion, Marlar went to the lead just after a lap 40 restart that had been precipitated by a caution when leader Tyler Erb had experienced a mechanical failure. The eventual winner had to hold off a determined challenge by Tim McCreadie over the closing laps to secure the race win.
“The car was really good and once I got out in clean air it was really, really good,” Marlar explained to MavTV Plus following his Knoxville triumph. “My guys helped me get it tuned in this weekend. You’ve just got to have a good car in this stuff or you can get up through there. It was an awesome race. It was fun racing with Timmy there. He had me on pins and needles at the end of that thing.”
He then went on to offer the secret to his recent success.
“It’s hard work,” he declared. “My guys, I can’t thank them enough. I think this is our twenty-third day in a row that we’ve either raced or went to the shop or went to another shop and worked.”
With three Knoxville Nationals wins to to his credit, however, Marlar has other goals that have yet to be achieved.
“As funny as it sounds, there’s something that eludes me that I’m more focused on,” he pointed out in victory lane. “Here is just something that I don’t really think about. We run good here and we’ve had so much success here over the years going back quite a while before we started winning.”
Mike Marlar(157) seen here racing with Darrell Lanigan
Even during his time of celebration, Marlar reached out to one of his fellow competitors.
“It takes a lot for it to happen and I feel for Tyler Erb, he was going for something awesome there. I told him before the race that he’s kind of my Knoxville protégé. As he was coming up, he spent a lot of time in my shop there three or four years ago before he got the ride he’s got now. We talked about Knoxville a lot and how you drive it and this and that. He’s really about mastered it here. It’s hard to think about winning three at a big place like this. I love racing in Iowa, I’ve had so much success up in here. But I think more about those ones that I can’t win right now.”
Marlar will look to keep things going his way when he and the rest of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series return to action for three consecutive nights at the Brownstown Speedway in Indiana. Thursday night will serve as a makeup date for the previously rained out ‘Indiana Ice Breaker’ which will pay $15,000-to-win. Friday will feature a $10,000-to-win affair while the Jackson 100 will dole out $20,000 to its victor on Saturday evening.
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