5/21/2023
Ryan Unzicker
Ryan Unzicker double dips with MARS Late Model Championship, steals point lead
After bad luck and struggles plagued him during the Illinois Speedweek the previous week, Ryan Unzicker bounced back over the weekend with a trio of impressive runs in Midwest Auto Racing Series (MARS) Late Model Championship action.
Unzicker opened the three-race swing with a runner-up finish on Friday night at Kankakee (Ill.) Speedway aboard his RJR Transportation / Brucker Farms No. 24 KDM Services / Mosquito Hero / MB Customs / Pro Power Racing Engine Super Late Model before charging to back-to-back $5,000 wins at Charleston (Ill.) Speedway and Adams County Speedway (Quincy, Ill.).
“If it could be a problem, it seemed that it was during the Illinois Speedway, but as tough as that four-race stretch was for us, was as good as this past weekend was. A second-place finish and two wins… I’ll take that any day of the week, and it catapulted us into the MARS point’s lead,” Unzicker shared. “We’ve got another MARS three-race deal this weekend, and we are focused on keeping this momentum rolling.
Ryan Unzicker traveled to Kankakee County Speedway (Kankakee, Ill.) on Friday afternoon to kick off a three-race weekend with the MARS Late Model Championship.
With 27 Late Models on the ground for the Big Daddy Scrap 40, Unzicker held off fifth-starting Jason Feger in his heat race to pick up the victory. Chasing Feger to the checkers in the 40-lap feature, Ryan recorded a runner-up finish with Logan Nickerson rounding out the podium.
The following night at Charleston (Ill.) Speedway, Ryan secured his spot into the Graves 40 A-Main with an eight-lap heat race win.
Leading all 40 laps from the front row, Unzicker cruised to his second win of the season and sixth-career MARS triumph, which came ahead of Rich Dawson, Mike Harrison, Tommy Sheppard Jr., and Rodney Melvin.
The weekend drew to a close on Sunday evening at Adams County Speedway (Quincy, Ill.) with Unzicker recording his second win in as many nights in the main event.
With a heat race victory positioning him second on the starting grid for the A-Main, Ryan topped fellow front-row starter Jason Feger to secure his third win of the 2023 campaign. His $5,000 payday on Sunday elevated his weekend earnings to $10,000.
Ryan now holds a 20-point advantage atop the latest MARS Late Model Championship point standings.
Full results from the events are available at www.MARSRacingSeries.com.
Unzicker leads the MARS contingent into battle this weekend with a trio of $5,000-to-win events in the Land of Lincoln. The slate includes Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway on Friday, Fairbury (Ill.) Speedway on Saturday night, and Spoon River Speedway (Banner, Ill.) on Sunday evening.
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