Lebanon, Mo.- In a surprise announcement today, former 2 time Daytona 500 Champion Sterling Marlin has made plans to compete this Saturday Night at The Lebanon I-44 Speedway in the tracks NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Pro Late Model division to tune-up for the upcoming Master Of the Pro’s 144 on June 3rd.
Marlin will has 8,000 reasons to make the trip to Missouri this weekend to get ready for the June 3rd Masters of the Pro’s at Lebanon I-44 Speedway. The Masters of the Pro’s 144 is an  $8,000 to win payday in the JEGS/CRA All-Star tour sanctioned race. The race started in 2013 as the highest paying Pro Late Model race in the United States with 2016 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series Rookie of the Year, Chase Elliott, taking home the “Green Jacket”. The Sterling Marlin Racing Team saw the benefit that 2013 I-44 Speedway and fellow Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville Track Champion, Cole Williams, got last weekend when he came to get “tuned up” for June 3rd.
Marlin has 3 previous starts in this high profile event with a best finish of 3rd in 2015. The 2016 event drew a record 43 entries and one of the the toughest fields in the United States. Sterling had to win a last chance event to make the field where motor issues forced him out of the race after 92 laps with a finish of 27th. In his first event in 2014, Marlin qualified 5th quick with the invert putting him on the pole. He quickly jumped out to an early lead, leading the first 18 laps. A late race spin while running 5th to avoid a wreck netted him with a 23rd place finish and the last car on the lead lap. In 2015, he qualified 8th quick with the redraw placing him on the outside front row along side Roush Fenway Development Driver, Ty Majeski. Marlin would take charge on lap 12 and set a blistering pace on the field until a caution on lap 85 allowed eventual winner John Hunter Nemecheck to close the gap and overtake Mariln on lap 92. Marlin finished 3rd in the final rundown.
Marlin will be racing against one of his former cars as 2017 NASCAR Missouri State Rookie of the Year contender, Jake Piel, Â bought a car from the Marlin team during the winter. The St. Louis native Piel is coming off a 4th place finish in last weeks’ season opening Spring Sizzler 50. 2016 NASCAR Missouri State Rookie of the Year Mandy Chick will also be on hand making her 2017 debut, along with former track champions Brian Brown, Kaleb Allison, Mike Slone, Tim Swearingen, and many more!
The grandstand and Tier Parking “Wildside” gates will open at 6:00 Saturday night, with Qualifying for the Modifieds and Pro Late Models at 6:15 and racing to start at 7:30 on Waynesville Snack A Pack and Lebanon YMCA Night at the races.
For more information visit the website at www.i44speedway.net or on Social Media at www.facebook.com/i44speedway or @i44speedway on Twitter.