Mike Marlar led all 50 laps at Ponderosa
Mike Marlar loves racing close to home and on Saturday night he took full advantage of that by leading from flag to flag in the second of two nights for the Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Series-sanctioned Big Daddy Classic at the Ponderosa Speedway.
The Longhorn Chassis driver from Winfield, Tennessee collected $10,088 for his efforts in a race held on the 3/8 mile track located in Junction City, Kentucky.
A total of 21 cars were signed in for competition
Qualifying Results: 1. Tanner English(13.559), 2. Mike Marlar, 3. Josh Rice, 4. Camaron Marlar, 5. Ryan Gustin
Heat 1 Results: 1. Tanner English, 2. Camaron Marlar, 3. Garrett Smith, 4. Justin Ratliff, 5. Kirk Phillips, 6. Austin Lay, 7. Kenneth Howell
Heat 2 Results: 1. Mike Marlar, 2. Ryan Gustin, 3. Daulton Wilson, 4. Adam Ahl, 5. Brandon Fouts, 6. Shane Irvin, 7. Cory Brock
Heat 3 Results: 1. Josh Rice, 2. Scott Bloomquist, 3. Michael Chilton, 4. David Webb, 5. Clay Coghlan, 6. Ricky Arms, 7. Charlie Jude
Feature Re-cap: Mike Marlar jumped out to the early lead at the start of the 50-lap feature with English, Camaron Marlar, Josh Rice and Bloomquist in his tire tracks. Gustin looked to challenge Bloomquist for the fifth position on the second circuit but the Hall of Fame driver fought off those advances.
Marlar began to slip away from his pursuers by the fourth lap but was setting such a torrid pace that he began to encounter slower traffic two laps later. Meanwhile, English was having to deal with a challenge from the leader’s younger brother for the second position.
A pair of cautions came on laps 15 and 18 that saw Marlar continue to lead after each restart while Rice and Bloomquist traded positions four and five each time green flag action resumed.
At the halfway point of the race, the brothers Marlar ran first and second with English, Rice and Bloomquist filling out the remainder of the top-5.
English returned to the runner-up spot on lap 31 when he got by Camaron Marlar in traffic. Further ahead, Mike Marlar was making bold moves in traffic, at one time splitting the middle of two slower cars, to maintain the race lead.
As the laps clicked away, English closed right to the rear spoiler of Marlar’s car but was never able to make a move for the lead. A lap 47 caution gave the field one final shot but the No. 157 proved to strong as Marlar drove on to the win.
Click the play button below to hear our post-race interview with Mike Marlar:
Feature Results: 1. Mike Marlar, 2. Tanner English, 3. Camaron Marlar, 4. Josh Rice, 5. Scott Bloomquist, 6. Ryan Gustin, 7. Garrett Smith, 8. Michael Chilton, 9. Daulton Wilson, 10. Justin Ratliff, 11. Brandon Fouts, 12. David Webb, 13. Adam Ahl, 14. Kirk Phillips, 15. Ricky Arms, 16. Clay Coghlan, 17. Kirk Phillips, 18. Cory Brock, 19. Charlie Jude, 20. Austin Lay, 21. Kenneth Howell
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