8/10/2024
Mike Marlar
Third-place finish in North-South 100 prelim at Florence
Mike Marlar returned with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS) at Florence Speedway (Union, Ky.) as twin preliminaries on Thursday and Friday kicked off the 42nd annual North-South 100 weekend.
Amassing 60 LOLMDS entries, Marlar squeezed into his prelim with a fourth-place finish in his heat race. Pinned on the eighth row for the opener, Mike was collected behind a spinning car on the 10th circuit that brought an immediate end to his night.
On Friday, Mike laid down the second-fastest time in his 15-car group in time trials before placing first in his heat. Starting his $6,000-to-win preliminary feature in fourth, Marlar muscled forward one spot in the 25-lapper to register a third-place finish. He joined race-winner Bobby Pierce and Devin Moran on the podium.
For Saturday’s finale, Marlar stormed into the $75,000-to-win North-South 100 main event with a flag-to-flag victory in his heat race. Rolling off fourth, Mike overtook Bobby Pierce for the lead on lap 42 and paced the ensuing 24 circuits. Contact with the turn-four wall while leading on lap 67 relegated the Winfield Warrior to 11th at the finish in the 100-lap affair.
Mike is currently seventh in the latest LOLMDS point standings.
Full results from the event can be found at www.LucasDirt.com.
Article Credit: Heath Lawson photo