5/14/2022
Mike Marlar
Pair of Top-5 finishes in Illinois Speedweek
Mike Marlar ventured to Spoon River Speedway (Banner, Ill.) on Wednesday afternoon to take part in the inaugural Illinois Speedweek. (Josh James Artwork)
Drawing a stout field of 56 Castrol FloRacing Night in America mini-series entries, Marlar recorded the sixth-fastest time in his group before placing first in his heat race. Starting the $22,022-to-win A-Main in fifth, Mike gained three spots in the 50-lap affair to register a second-place finish. He trailed Brandon Sheppard across the line with Tanner English rounding out the podium.
On Wednesday evening at Lincoln Speedway (Lincoln, Ill.), Marlar elected to take a provisional into the feature and scratch from his B-Main after missing a transfer spot by one position in his heat race. With $22,022 on the line in the feature, Mike advanced through the field 13 spots in the 50-lapper to bring home an 11th-place finish.
For the MARS Racing Series-sanctioned Farmer City 74 presented by Douglas Dodge on Friday at Farmer City Raceway (Farmer City, Ill.), Mike followed up the third-fastest time in his group with a 10-lap heat race victory. Rolling off on the third row for the feature, Marlar was the first retiree of the race after slipping over outside lip of the track in turns one and two on the third circuit. He was credited with a 22nd-place finish.
To wrap up the Illinois Speedweek on Saturday, Marlar stopped at Fairbury Speedway (Fairbury, Ill.) for the Titan Industries FALS Spring Shootout. With a fifth-to-third run in his heat race placing him on the eighth row for the $30,000-to-win finale, Mike marched forward 12 spots in the 50-lapper to score a fourth-place finish. He trailed Bobby Pierce, Brandon Sheppard, and Hudson O’Neal to the checkers with Dennis Erb Jr. coming in fifth.
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