The Daily Standard
Story Archive
Mike Marlar leads Ricky Thornton Jr. during Super Late Model racing on the opening night of Eldora Speedway on Tuesday. Marlar won the A-Feature.
ROSSBURG - Mike Marlar thought his chance at an elusive Eldora Speedway victory had once again eluded him.
After leading the first 43 laps, the veteran from Winfield, Tennessee, saw Hudson O'Neal flash by and into the lead of the 50-lap Late Model main event that highlighted the season opening event at Eldora.
"I kinda thought I was a sitting duck there," Marlar said. "My car was perfect all night, but then I started struggling to get by the lapped cars and just really slowed down, and I'm not really sure why; maybe chunked up a tire or something."
Pulling away from the field once in front, O'Neal got into the lapped car of Shannon Babb on lap 46 and then bounced off the outside wall in turns three and four later in the lap. The following lap, O'Neal got into the turn two wall and slowed with a flat tire, handing the lead back to Marlar.
"I feel bad for Hudson, but I've had so many heartbreaks here, I didn't think I'd ever win one," Marlar said. "I finally had one go my way tonight."
O'Neal started the main event in fifth and dropped back early in the event but then began working through the field through the second half of the 50 lapper.
On his way to the front, O'Neal, now driving the legendary Mark Richards-owned No. 1, worked past former World 100 winners Brandon Overton, Tim McCreadie and Jonathan Davenport.
When he passed Davenport, the five-time and reigning World 100 champion, for second-place on lap 36, O'Neal trailed Marlar by more than three seconds. The 22-year old, second-generation driver methodically ate into Marlar's lead and then drove around the outside of Marlar coming off of turn four on lap 44 to take the lead.
"He had it won," Marlar said. "He was up there on the wall doing things that I couldn't do and then when he broke he just about collected both of us, but luckily we got by."
On the restart on lap 48, Marlar got a good jump and pulled away from McCreadie and pulled away over the final laps to pick up career win number one at The Big E.
"I've been trying for a long time and it is really cool to win at Eldora," Marlar said.
McCreadie was happy with his second-place run but knows he has work to do before the Late Models return to Eldora for the Dirt Late Model Dream in early June.
"We came here with an entirely different package then we have been lately and we still need to work on it some," the 2018 World 100 said. "Mike was obviously better than us and Hudson was really good until he had his problems but we were good, just have to get a little better."
Tanner English charged from 17th starting position to finish third, while Davenport and Brandon Sheppard completed the top five.
Rounding out the top 10 were Ricky Thornton, Jr., Overton, Ricky Weiss, Bobby Pierce and NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson.
Marlar was the fastest of the 54 cars in time trials touring the high-banked, one-half mile oval in 15.232 seconds. Heat races were won by Marlar, Pierce, O'Neal, Nick Hoffman, Davenport and Daulton Wilson. B-Mains were captured by Weiss and Ross Robinson.
Kyle Larson, who won Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville, competes in the season opener at Eldora Speedway on Tuesday.
Larson came back and dominated the 20-lap UMP Modified main event in his first ever start in the division. Larson's modified win was the seventh different type of car he has won in at Eldora. Tyler Nicely finished in second-place while Trevor Neville, Drake Troutman and Michael Altobelli completed the top five.
Modified heat races were captured by Troutman, Dylan Woodling, Neville, Jerry Bowersock, Altobelli and Larson.
Former Eldora track champion Earnie Woodard captured the 15-lap Super Stock main event over Kyle Moore, Jarrod Klay, Tony Anderson and Craig Dippman.
The two Super Stock Car heat races were won by Moore and Woodard.
The next action at Eldora will be the #LetsRaceTwo weekend on May 5 and 6. The first sprint car event of the season at Eldora features the NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaw Sprint Car Series and the non-wing Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series. Both series will run full programs highlighted by 30-lap main events each night.
