9/23/2023
Mike Marlar
Emotional Marlar relishes C.J. Rayburn Memorial at Brownstown Speedway
Mike Marlar claimed one of the most emotional wins of his career on Friday night at Indiana’s Brownstown Speedway. Marlar streaked to the $10,000 victory in the second annual C.J. Rayburn Memorial 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.
The night saluted the legacy of one of Mike’s most influential mentors.
“I will try to keep it together, C.J.’s special to us and when he passed away, I took it as hard as when my granddad or anybody. I fought hard there, I didn’t have the best car, but he (C.J.) was up there helping me out. I was just making it happen,” Marlar shared in Lucas OIl Victory Lane on Friday night. “I am just glad that C.J.’s family and all of these supporters of Brownstown Speedway were here. He (C.J.) means so much to all of us and we hated to lose him, but nobody ever lived as good as he did. So, I just really miss him, and miss him everyday honestly and I was glad to get this race won. It’s definitely one of the biggest ones for sure.”
Rejoining the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS) for the Jackson 100 weekend, Mike Marlar entered the Delk Equipment Sales No. 157 Late Model into battle at Brownstown (Ind.) Speedway for Friday’s C.J. Rayburn Memorial.
With 45 Late Models amassed for the opening round of the two-day weekend, Marlar backed up the second-fastest qualifying lap in his group with a heat race victory.
Charging into the lead on the ninth circuit of the feature after the front-runner slipped over the frontstretch banking, Mike paced the remainder of the 40-lapper to claim his 10th win of the season and 19th-career LOLMDS victory.
He earned a $10,000 payday ahead of Ricky Thornton Jr., Devin Moran, Jonathan Davenport, and Nick Hoffman.
The following night, Mike raced into the $30,000-to-win 44th annual Jackson 100 finale with an eight-lap heat race win.
Rolling off fourth, Marlar challenged for the lead early but was eventually forced pitside on lap 54 with a flat right-rear tire. He retired seven circuits later to a 19th-place finish.
Full results from the events are available at www.LucasDirt.com.
Mike will be back in the driver’s seat this Wednesday at Tyler County Speedway (Middlebourne, W.Va.) with $23,023-to-win Castrol FloRacing Night in America program.
Marlar currently sits eighth in the latest miniseries standings.
For more information on the weekend, please visit www.FloSeries.com.
Article Credit: Heath Lawson photo
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