Story By: BEN SHELTON / MIKE MARLAR RACING – WINFIELD, TN – Mike Marlar’s recent hot streak continued on Saturday night with a $20,000 victory in the 2023 edition of the Deep Fried 75 at Duck River Raceway Park.
Marlar held a late-charge from Dale McDowell at bay to pick up his eighth win of the year with his Delk Equipment Sales / Petroff Towing No. 157 Can-Am Auto Salvage / Mesilla Valley Transportation / Longhorn Race Car / Clements Racing Engine Super Late Model.
“Dale [McDowell] managed [his equipment] so good. Dale’s my hero, man,” Marlar said after topping the $20,000-to-win event. “He’s a 57-year-old and he’s got me running like that every night. He’s tough. I saw him get into third that fast, and then to second. And I’m like, ‘I better not play around here.’ I was on it. I assumed he was on me. I wasn’t sure.”
“I have a great team,” Marlar said. “I have great cars. … It’s our fifth year with Ronnie Delk. He’s given me great cars through the years. Always wants me to have the best, whatever is available. I can’t thank him enough. … I have great equipment, and that’s what it takes.”
Back behind the wheel of a Longhorn Chassis, Mike Marlar took the Delk Equipment Sales No. 157 Super Late Model into battle at Ponderosa Speedway (Junction City, Ky.) on Friday for the Valvoline Iron-Man Series-sanctioned Pete Abell Memorial.
Following the second-fastest qualifying effort behind Michael Chilton, Marlar advanced into the feature with an eight-lap heat race triumph. With $7,500 on the line, Mike was an early retiree on lap 14 after being struck by a dirt clod.
With the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series on Saturday at Duck River Raceway Park (Wheel, Tenn.) for the 11th annual Deep Fried 75, Mike topped his 19-car time trial group before placing first in his heat.
Leading flag-to-flag in the 75-lap feature, Marlar whizzed ahead of Trey Mills at the drop of the green flag and streaked to a dominating $20,000 victory.
He registered his eighth win of the 2023 campaign ahead of Dale McDowell, Jadon Frame, Joseph Joiner, and Mills.
This weekend – August 10-12 – will take Marlar to Florence Speedway (Union, Ky.) for the 41st annual North/South 100. On Thursday and Friday the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS) fields will be divided into twin $5,000-to-win programs with Saturday night’s finale posting a $75,000 top prize.