6/15/2013
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Mike Marlar Magnificent in Winning Clash at the Mag Saturday
COLUMBUS, MS (June 15, 2013) - Mike Marlar overtook race leader, Don O'Neal with nine laps to go to take the $20,000 to win "Clash at the Mag" Presented by the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau on Saturday Night at Magnolia Motor Speedway. Marlar's first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of the season was hard earned as a caution with 12 laps to go set up a great finish.
Marlar, in his first weekend piloting a Bloomquist Race Car led to the checkers holding off O'Neal and John Blankenship for his fifth career LOLMDS victory. Point's leader, Jimmy Owens, who started 12th, came home in fourth followed by 17th starting, Randy Weaver.
"When I saw the caution come out, I got down in some dry dirt on the bottom of the track, and then I had to clean my tires off really good for the restart," said Marlar. "It was good to have one more shot at it there at the end, I lined up beside Blankenship for the restart, and my car took off really well up top, and it only took us a few laps to get by O'Neal. They had an awesome race track here tonight, we have always enjoyed coming down here to Mississippi to race, and they have a lot of great fans here."
"I really wish Norman Bryson could've be here tonight! He is on a mission trip in Honduras. I am still getting used to this new car, it turns differently than what I am used to driving. I also want to thank the Lucas Oil Series for the tire rule this weekend, we've finally gotten used to it. It saved us a bunch of money to come down here."
"I have to thank all my great sponsors, Convenient Lube, Midwest Sheet Metal, Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, Currin Construction, VP, Clements Racing Engines and Keyser."
O'Neal looked like the car to beat all night as he withstood challenges from Marlar and Blankenship for the first half of the race. O'Neal who won this race last year was trying to end a streak of bad luck in the LOLMDS where he had not finished the last two events. The caution with 12 laps remaining while O'Neal had built up a good lead over Blankenship and Marlar set up a finish that O'Neal did not want to see.
"No we didn't need that caution, our car was good all weekend, to run 100 laps here tonight, we thought tire wear was going to be a factor, but it was not, congrats to Mikey on the win, the way the last few weeks had went we needed a good finish and we got it," said the driver of the Optima Batteries/MasterSbilt House Car Chevrolet.
Blankenship, who continues to cut into Jimmy Owen's point's leader, had another solid finish. ""We didn't need that caution either, we were slowly catching Don, I don't know if I could have ever passed though, the track was real racy all night, my car was better on the bottom, his (O'Neal) car was better getting into the corners, we were a tick better off the turns, it would have been real interesting in those final laps if not for the caution," said the driver of the Coal World's Energy, Rocket Chassis.
Completing the top ten were Billy Moyer, Jared Landers, Billy Moyer, Jr., Chris Wall and Steve Francis.
In preliminary action, Don O'Neal set the overall time (Group A) amongst the 46 entrants, with a lap of 14.077 seconds. Steve Francis set the fastest time in Group B with a time of 14.223 seconds. Don O'Neal, David Breazeale, John Blankenship, and Mike Marlar won their respective heat races. Randy Weaver and Eric Cooley won their respective B-Mains.
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will be making three stops next weekend, beginning on Thursday, June 20th, at Swainsboro Raceway in Swainsboro, GA. On Friday, June 21st, the series will make its only stop in the Carolinas at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, SC. Rounding out the weekend, the series heads into the Blue Ridge Mountains to Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, VA on Saturday, June 22nd. All three events will feature RED BUCK Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and 50-Lap $10,000-to-win main events. For more information on the three speedways, check out: www.swainsbororaceway.com, www.cherokeespeedwaysc.com, and www.wytheraceway.com .
For the latest breaking news on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, log onto www.lucasdirt.com and follow the series on www.facebook.com/lucasdirt and www.twitter.com/#!/lucasdirt .
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Saturday Night, June 15th, 2013
Clash at the Mag - Magnolia Motor Speedway - Columbus, MS
RED BUCK Fast Time Group A: Don O'Neal / 14.077 seconds
RED BUCK Fast Time Group B: Steve Francis / 14.223 seconds
Wiles Drive Shafts Heat Race #1 (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Don O'Neal, Jared Landers, Billy Moyer Jr., Brian Rickman, Jimmy Cliburn, Chad Thrash, Stacy Taylor, Brian Reese, Jerry Lierly, Leon Henderson Dwayne Britton, Rick Rickman
Eibach Springs Heat Race #2 (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): David Breazeale, Chris Wall, Billy Moyer, Jack Sullivan, Randy Weaver, Chris Brown, BJ Robinson, Chris Smith, Robbie Starnes, Jamie Tollison, Randy Boyd Thompson
Simpson Performance Products Heat Race #3 (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): John Blankenship, Steve Francis, Scott Bloomquist, Bub McCool, Dennis Erb Jr., Dillon Wood, Justin McRee, Scott Dedwylder, Neil Baggett, Henry Cooper, Patrick Michel, Clint Smith
FK Rod Ends Heat Race #4 (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Mike Marlar, Earl Pearson Jr., Jimmy Owens, Eddie Carrier Jr., Eric Cooley, Ronny Lee Hollingsworth, Ray Moore, Wendell Wallace, Jason Cliburn, Dane Dacus, Robbie Stuart
CV Products B-Main #1 (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Randy Weaver, Chris Brown, Chad Thrash, Chris Smith, BJ Robinson, Jerry Lierly, Randy Boyd Thompson, Leon Henderson, Jimmy Cliburn, Dwayne Britton, Stacy Taylor-DNS, Brian Reese-DNS, Robbie Starnes-DNS, Jamie Tollison-DNS, Rick Rickman-DNS
Wrisco Aluminum B-Main #2 (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Eric Cooley, Dennis Erb Jr., Dillon Wood, Wendell Wallace, Ronny Lee Hollingsworth, Ray Moore, Robbie Stuart, Henry Cooper, Jason Cliburn, Patrick Michel, Scott Dedwylder, Neil Baggett, Justin McRee-DNS, Dane Dacus-DNS, Clint Smith-DNS
Feature Finish (100 Laps): 1. 5B-Mike Marlar; 2. 71-Don O'Neal; 3. 23-John Blankenship; 4. 20-Jimmy Owens; 5. 116-Randy Weaver; 6. 21-Billy Moyer Sr; 7. 5-Jared Landers; 8. 21JR-Billy Moyer Jr; 9. 71W-Chris Wall; 10. 15-Steve Francis; 11. 28E-Dennis Erb Jr; 12. 33B-Eric Cooley; 13. 28-Eddie Carrier Jr; 14. 1X-Jack Sullivan; 15. 0-Scott Bloomquist; 16. 10B-Bub McCool; 17. 1C-Chad Thrash; 18. 1W-Dillon Wood; 19. 21CB-Chris Brown; 20. 90-Brian Rickman; 21. 7L-Jerry Lierly; 22. 54-David Breazeale; 23. 14C-Rick Rickman; 24. 44-Earl Pearson Jr
Race Statistics
Entrants: 46
Lap Leaders: Don O'Neal
Caution Flags: Scott Bloomquist (Lap 34); Steve Francis (Lap 64); Eddie Carrier, Jr. (Lap 67); Bub McCool (Lap 88)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Jerry Lierly
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Emergency Provisionals: none
RED BUCK Fast Time Provisionals: Rick Rickman
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Randy Weaver (Started: 17th, Finished: 5th, Advanced: 12 positions)
Allstar Performer of the Race: Billy Moyer, Jr.
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Jimmy Owens
JRi Shocks/Dunn Benson Ford Rookie of the Race: Billy Moyer Jr.
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Jay Dickens Race Engines
Ohlins Shocks Chassis Builder of the Race: Bloomquist Race Cars
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Josh Davis
HAWK Performance Fastest Lap of the Race: Chad Thrash (Lap# 98; 14.960 seconds)
Time of Race: 43 minutes 53 seconds
Submitted By: Jeremy Shields