<img src="http://stlouisracing.com/pixs03/marlarchilton.jpg">
Series Points Leader and Event Winner Mike Marlar (#157) racing with fellow ROY contender Michael Chilton (#97). Photo Credit - Richard Cunnigham.
Friday Night, September 19, 2003
Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, KY
STARS Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series
Current STARS Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series point’s leader, Mike Marlar of Winfield, TN continued his march to the 2003 series crown as he won his fifth series event on Friday Night at the Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, KY. Marlar, who also leads the R&P Industrial Chimney Rookie of the Year point standings led all 40 laps and had to withstand a late charge by three other drivers to take the Fourth Annual Hugh "Junebug" Rowland Memorial race worth $3000. Marlar drove the David Marlar, Todd Truss Company, Wayne Bowen Racing Supply, Wilson's Service Center, CarCosmetics.net, Winfield Video, Roger Ogle Home Builders, Renegade Race Fuels, Bilstein Shocks, Oneida Paint and Body, H&M West Enterprises, Marlar and Sons Auto Dismantling, Kenny's Rowboat, 45 Race Shop, Hoosier Tires, Real Wheels, Performance Battery, PBM Performance Parts, WFO Graphics, Estes Automotive and Machine powered C.J. Rayburn Grand Prix #157 to a series record tying fifth career win as he equaled the 2002 Series Champion, Eddie Carrier, Jr.'s five career win total in taking the win. Scott James of Lawrenceburg, IN finished second in the Powell Motorsports/Dargie Race Engines/Lazer G2 Monte Carlo. Third place went to Mike Jewell of Scottsburg, IN in the Southern Indiana Rock Drilling/Cornett Thunder Race Engines/MasterSbilt Grand Prix. Taking fourth was Dream $100,000 winner, Darrell Lanigan of Union, KY in the Accutex Signs and Banners/Cornett Thunder Race Engines/Rocket Ford Taurus. Rounding out the top five was Jesse James Lay of Walton, KY in the Delta Faucet Company/Dargie Race Engines/Rocket Monte Carlo.
Marlar grabbed the lead right from the start in a rapidly run race with only one caution flag to slow the action on the track. Victor Lee would put the #16 Harlow Racing entry into second place on the opening circuit with Scott James running in third. Marlar would begin to pull away from Lee ever so slightly as Lee was distancing himself from James. The two frontrunners would start to encounter some lapped traffic ahead by the 10th lap as Lee started to close down the advantage that Marlar had built over him. The race for third place was really getting going as James, Mike Jewell and Darrell Lanigan were going two and three wide at times in the race for third. A scary moment occurred on the 13th circuit for Marlar as he was pinched up against the fronstretch wall while attempting to lap a car. Marlar showed some sparks from the wall contact but kept his car going without slowing down much, but it did allow Lee to close up on him. Marlar and Lee would see more traffic in front of them and this time it was getting not just one or two cars it was heavy the two would have to race through to see who would get to victory lane. Marlar and Lee would dive around and in front of traffic until lap 25 when the only caution flag of the race would fly for Tyrel Todd in turn four. While under the caution flag, Lee who had shown signs of smoke coming from his car pulled into the infield and was out of the race after a solid effort.
This would move James into second with Jewell, Lanigan and Michael Chilton also in the mix to see who could handle Marlar in the remaining 15 laps of the event. When the race resumed it was still Marlar on the point with a handful from James, Jewell and Lanigan to deal with in the final laps. Marlar would hold a two to three lead over James with traffic again coming into play with less than five to go. James would close right on Marlar with Jewell and Lanigan coming along with him. While Marlar's view was not clear in front of him it was apparent that James may be able to muster a challenge to Marlar with two laps to go. When the white flag came out Marlar shot into turn one with cars in front and James took the inside route to close to a car length, as the two raced into turns three and four Marlar took the high side against the wall using a car as a pick as he drove to the finish line holding off James by one car length to take the win. Jewell and Lanigan would follow closely in third and fourth with Jesse James Lay coming from eighth to grab fifth place at the finish.
Completing the top ten were Steve Barnett, Bobby Carrier Jr., Eddie Carrier Jr, Duane Hommel and Steve Casebolt, Jr. In preliminary events Eddie Carrier Jr was the Racing Optics/Bullzilla Graphics Fast Timer at 13.322 seconds over the 30 entrants on hand which was a new track record for the reconfigured version of Ponderosa Speedway. Heat race winners were Eddie Carrier Jr., Victor Lee, Mike Marlar and Scott James. The AFCO B-Mains were won by Steve Casebolt Jr. and Michael Chilton.
Race Summary
Event #22
Ponderosa Speedway
Junction City, KY
Friday Night, September 19, 2003
STARS Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series
Racing Optics/Bullzilla Graphics Fast Time: Eddie Carrier Jr 13.322
First Heat: Eddie Carrier Jr., Darrell Lanigan, Bobby Carrier Jr., Steve Casebolt Jr
Second Heat: Victor Lee, Mike Jewell, Steve Barnett, Jason Setser
Third Heat: Mike Marlar, Steve Cornelius, Duane Hommel, Michael Chilton
Fourth Heat: Scott James, Jesse James Lay, Aaron Hatton, Duane Chamberlain
AFCO 1st B-Main: Steve Casebolt Jr., Bobby Wolter Jr., Jason Setser, Timmy Yeager
AFCO 2nd B-Main: Michael Chilton, Duane Chamberlain, John Blankenship, Dustin Neat
PBM Performance Products/Hugh "Junebug" Rowland Memorial Main Event: Mike Marlar, Scott James, Mike Jewell, Darrell Lanigan, Jesse James Lay, Steve Barnett, Bobby Carrier Jr, Eddie Carrier Jr, Duane Hommel, Steve Casebolt Jr, Timmy Yeager, Aaron Hatton, Steve Cornelius, Tyrel Todd, Michael Chilton, Bobby Wolter, Jr., John Blankenship, Victor Lee, Duane Chamberlain, Jason Setser, Dustin Neat
Race Statistics
Entries: 30
STARS BoB Provisionals: Timmy Yeager and Tyrel Todd
Track Provisional: Dustin Neat
R&P Industrial Chimney Rookie of the Race: Mike Marlar
PPM Racing Products/Outlaw Race Cars Hard Charger: Timmy Yeager
Caution Flags: 1
Race Leader: Marlar 1-40
Series Points Leader and Event Winner Mike Marlar (#157) racing with fellow ROY contender Michael Chilton (#97). Photo Credit - Richard Cunnigham.
Friday Night, September 19, 2003
Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, KY
STARS Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series
Current STARS Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series point’s leader, Mike Marlar of Winfield, TN continued his march to the 2003 series crown as he won his fifth series event on Friday Night at the Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, KY. Marlar, who also leads the R&P Industrial Chimney Rookie of the Year point standings led all 40 laps and had to withstand a late charge by three other drivers to take the Fourth Annual Hugh "Junebug" Rowland Memorial race worth $3000. Marlar drove the David Marlar, Todd Truss Company, Wayne Bowen Racing Supply, Wilson's Service Center, CarCosmetics.net, Winfield Video, Roger Ogle Home Builders, Renegade Race Fuels, Bilstein Shocks, Oneida Paint and Body, H&M West Enterprises, Marlar and Sons Auto Dismantling, Kenny's Rowboat, 45 Race Shop, Hoosier Tires, Real Wheels, Performance Battery, PBM Performance Parts, WFO Graphics, Estes Automotive and Machine powered C.J. Rayburn Grand Prix #157 to a series record tying fifth career win as he equaled the 2002 Series Champion, Eddie Carrier, Jr.'s five career win total in taking the win. Scott James of Lawrenceburg, IN finished second in the Powell Motorsports/Dargie Race Engines/Lazer G2 Monte Carlo. Third place went to Mike Jewell of Scottsburg, IN in the Southern Indiana Rock Drilling/Cornett Thunder Race Engines/MasterSbilt Grand Prix. Taking fourth was Dream $100,000 winner, Darrell Lanigan of Union, KY in the Accutex Signs and Banners/Cornett Thunder Race Engines/Rocket Ford Taurus. Rounding out the top five was Jesse James Lay of Walton, KY in the Delta Faucet Company/Dargie Race Engines/Rocket Monte Carlo.
Marlar grabbed the lead right from the start in a rapidly run race with only one caution flag to slow the action on the track. Victor Lee would put the #16 Harlow Racing entry into second place on the opening circuit with Scott James running in third. Marlar would begin to pull away from Lee ever so slightly as Lee was distancing himself from James. The two frontrunners would start to encounter some lapped traffic ahead by the 10th lap as Lee started to close down the advantage that Marlar had built over him. The race for third place was really getting going as James, Mike Jewell and Darrell Lanigan were going two and three wide at times in the race for third. A scary moment occurred on the 13th circuit for Marlar as he was pinched up against the fronstretch wall while attempting to lap a car. Marlar showed some sparks from the wall contact but kept his car going without slowing down much, but it did allow Lee to close up on him. Marlar and Lee would see more traffic in front of them and this time it was getting not just one or two cars it was heavy the two would have to race through to see who would get to victory lane. Marlar and Lee would dive around and in front of traffic until lap 25 when the only caution flag of the race would fly for Tyrel Todd in turn four. While under the caution flag, Lee who had shown signs of smoke coming from his car pulled into the infield and was out of the race after a solid effort.
This would move James into second with Jewell, Lanigan and Michael Chilton also in the mix to see who could handle Marlar in the remaining 15 laps of the event. When the race resumed it was still Marlar on the point with a handful from James, Jewell and Lanigan to deal with in the final laps. Marlar would hold a two to three lead over James with traffic again coming into play with less than five to go. James would close right on Marlar with Jewell and Lanigan coming along with him. While Marlar's view was not clear in front of him it was apparent that James may be able to muster a challenge to Marlar with two laps to go. When the white flag came out Marlar shot into turn one with cars in front and James took the inside route to close to a car length, as the two raced into turns three and four Marlar took the high side against the wall using a car as a pick as he drove to the finish line holding off James by one car length to take the win. Jewell and Lanigan would follow closely in third and fourth with Jesse James Lay coming from eighth to grab fifth place at the finish.
Completing the top ten were Steve Barnett, Bobby Carrier Jr., Eddie Carrier Jr, Duane Hommel and Steve Casebolt, Jr. In preliminary events Eddie Carrier Jr was the Racing Optics/Bullzilla Graphics Fast Timer at 13.322 seconds over the 30 entrants on hand which was a new track record for the reconfigured version of Ponderosa Speedway. Heat race winners were Eddie Carrier Jr., Victor Lee, Mike Marlar and Scott James. The AFCO B-Mains were won by Steve Casebolt Jr. and Michael Chilton.
Race Summary
Event #22
Ponderosa Speedway
Junction City, KY
Friday Night, September 19, 2003
STARS Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series
Racing Optics/Bullzilla Graphics Fast Time: Eddie Carrier Jr 13.322
First Heat: Eddie Carrier Jr., Darrell Lanigan, Bobby Carrier Jr., Steve Casebolt Jr
Second Heat: Victor Lee, Mike Jewell, Steve Barnett, Jason Setser
Third Heat: Mike Marlar, Steve Cornelius, Duane Hommel, Michael Chilton
Fourth Heat: Scott James, Jesse James Lay, Aaron Hatton, Duane Chamberlain
AFCO 1st B-Main: Steve Casebolt Jr., Bobby Wolter Jr., Jason Setser, Timmy Yeager
AFCO 2nd B-Main: Michael Chilton, Duane Chamberlain, John Blankenship, Dustin Neat
PBM Performance Products/Hugh "Junebug" Rowland Memorial Main Event: Mike Marlar, Scott James, Mike Jewell, Darrell Lanigan, Jesse James Lay, Steve Barnett, Bobby Carrier Jr, Eddie Carrier Jr, Duane Hommel, Steve Casebolt Jr, Timmy Yeager, Aaron Hatton, Steve Cornelius, Tyrel Todd, Michael Chilton, Bobby Wolter, Jr., John Blankenship, Victor Lee, Duane Chamberlain, Jason Setser, Dustin Neat
Race Statistics
Entries: 30
STARS BoB Provisionals: Timmy Yeager and Tyrel Todd
Track Provisional: Dustin Neat
R&P Industrial Chimney Rookie of the Race: Mike Marlar
PPM Racing Products/Outlaw Race Cars Hard Charger: Timmy Yeager
Caution Flags: 1
Race Leader: Marlar 1-40
