Photo by Jim DenHamer / Story by Ruben Mireles
BROWNSTOWN, Ind. – June 27th, 2019 – Mike Marlar holds off a hard charging Darrell Lanigan for the win at the Brownstown Speedway! Marlar from the seventh starting position would claim his fifth DIRTcar Summer Nationals Victory for $5,000.00.
The 40-lap feature started with a rookie-veteran front row. Cade Dillard from Robeline, Louisiana set the pace with Batesville, Arkansas Hall of Famer Billy Moyer Sr. At the start, Dillard pulled away from Moyer to lead the opening laps. Marlar, from the seventh starting position, would jump to second in less than ten laps.
Dillard pulled away by a half-straightaway until Marlar closed the gap when Dillard encountered the rear of the field. Paul Stubber would run the middle of the Brownstown Speedway making Dillard chose the top line to get around him. Dillard’s decision to move up high opened the door for Marlar on the bottom. Before both cars got around the 31 car of Stubber, Marlar stole the lead on the exit of corner number four. Marlar would seal the deal when he slide-jobbed both Dillard and Stubber in turns one and two. A caution would fly one lap later for Steve Casebolt off the pace on the back straightaway.
On the Delaware double-file restart, Cade Dillard picked the outside, putting Scott James inside him. James would take second from Dillard on the restart with Lanigan from the thirteenth starting position working his way to fourth on the restart.
Lanigan would continue his march to the front as he would pass Dillard on the bottom. Two laps later, Lanigan would pass James for the runner-up honors. Mike Marlar was the only driver separating Lanigan from $5,000.00. On the closing laps both drivers caught rear of the field allowing Lanigan to get under Marlar several times. The lapped cars forced Mike Marlar to switch grooves. That shut down Lanigan’s run down low, allowing Marlar to run away and pick up his fifth Hell Tour Victory!
Late Model Feature (40 Laps) – 1. 157-Mike Marlar [7]; 2. 29-Darrell Lanigan [13]; 3. 83-Scott James [4]; 4. 32-Bobby Pierce [10]; 5. 21-Billy Moyer [2]; 6. 96-Tanner English [11]; 7. 97-Cade Dillard [1]; 8. B5-Brandon Sheppard [6]; 9. 18J-Chase Junghans [5]; 10. CJ1-Rusty Schlenk [15]; 11. 99JR-Frank Heckenast, Jr. [17]; 12. 2-Nick Hoffman [18]; 13. 1G-Devin Gilpin [9]; 14. 32S-Chad Stapleton [21]; 15. 3S-Brian Shirley [3]; 16. 76-Shelby Miles [16]; 17. 18-Shannon Babb [19]; 18. 25-Jason Feger [12]; 19. 31AUS-Paul Stubber [20]; 20. C9-Steve Casebolt [8]; 21. 99B-Boom Briggs [14]; 22. 87-Walker Arthur [22]; KSE Hard Charger Award: 29-Darrell Lanigan[+11]
