Mike Marlar wins Eldora's 70th season opener
Apr. 20—NEW WESTON, Ohio — Mike Marlar kicked off Eldora Speedway's 70th season with a thrilling Super Late Model victory in the 50-lap feature in the Castrol FloRacing Night in America event at Tony Stewart's World's Greatest Dirt Track.
The Tennessee veteran won the pole position over the 54 entries in a tight qualifying session. Marlar dominated the majority of the 50-lap feature race on the popular and competitive dirt half-mile, before being overtaken by the charging No. 1 Ford-powered Rocket machine Hudson O'Neal.
The Martinsville, Indiana, hard charger made a dramatic late-race charge. With race fans cheering, O'Neal closed rapidly on Marlar using the "cushion" of extreme outside lane. The rim-riding O'Neal blew by Marlar down the front straightaway with six laps remaining and pulled quickly away from the pole-sitter.
However, O'Neal's miracle run through the field and chance of a season-opening Eldora victory was short-lived, lasting only three laps. With a comfortable lead and victory in sight, O'Neal slid out of the groove hitting the turn four wall. O'Neal slowed perceptively as Marlar closed in going into turn one. With a deflating right front tire, O'Neal's bright blue Valvoline sponsored machine hit the backstretch wall again as Marlar slipped back into the lead.
With his chances of victory gone, a disappointed O'Neal brought out the caution flag as he slipped into the pits to replace a flat right front tire. Marlar regained command and held off second-place finisher Tim McCreadie, and third-place Tanner English in the three-lap final shootout.
Jonathan Davenport, after running second for laps 5-34 finished fourth and Brandon Sheppard rounded out to top five.
Marlar's first-ever victory in the 3-year tour earned him a $23,023 Eldora paycheck and his first win on Tony Stewart's famed half-mile dirt track. The popular 45-year-old Marlar commented on his first Eldora victory and thrilling late-race duel with O'Neal saying, "Me and (O'Neal) just about wrecked on the back straightaway when he broke, so it was a wild race. You gotta make all the laps, and I didn't feel like I could drive that hard (on the cushion like O'Neal) and not wreck, and it ended up getting him."
Marlar gave O'Neal kudos for his late race charge saying, "It's tough, but he's trying to win, man. He's got it in him and that team does, so I applaud him. He gave it all he had and he about had it. Just one little slip up."
Marlar summed up his first thrilling first Eldora victory as the "World's Greatest Dirt Track" launches it's 70th season of dirt racing, saying, "I've had so many heartbreaks up here at this track, and now I finally had one go my way!"
Eldora's 70th season of the great dirt racing action continues May 5-6 with the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Cars and the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Sprint Cars.
Contact Aaron Kirchoff at aaron.kirchoff@greensburgdailynews.com
