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Inaugural MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment Season to Come to a Close with Brownstown Bullring/FALS Doubleheader

Inaugural MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment Season to Come to a Close with Brownstown Bullring/FALS Doubleheader

FAIRBURY, IL (October 3, 2023) The gladiators of the MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment are set to close out the 2023 season with the two places that kicked off the season in an action-packed way: Brownstown Bullring and Fairbury Speedway. When the tour began in April, the driver rosters were loaded and sat the bar high for the remainder of the season with car counts of 43 and 41 on the weekend. As the season has progressed, the competition has been fierce with each event bringing a field of 36 cars on average each night with the most talented DIRTcar UMP Modified rosters in the country. This weekend appears to be no different as teams across the Midwest are looking to fulfill their hunger before the weather begins to turn gloomy and frigid in the coming weeks.

There can only be 1 inaugural champion in the history of a series and Michael Long looks poised to etch his name in the history books following this weekend of racing. The Fowler, Illinois resident has had a remarkable season this year on the MARS tour collecting 4 Wins and 12 Top 5 finishes in 14 starts this season. The consistency has been key to his championship run, yet even with his impressive 2023 MARS campaign Long has yet to lock up the title. Josh Harris goes into Championship Weekend 73 markers behind Michael Long in the championship chase. While the mountain may be steep, the task of coming out of the weekend as season champion is not out of reach for Harris as he will need to finish approximately 15 positions better (depending on where Harris finishes due to point breakdown) than Long each night to win the season title. After leading the points sporadically, the first half of the year, Tyler Nicely currently sits third in points even after missing the past 5 events. With Nicely currently being sidelined from racing due to an injury to his foot, the door is wide open for both Zeke McKenzie and Mike Chasteen Jr to improve upon their current positioning of fourth and fifth by the conclusion of the weekend.

Charlie Mefford is in control of the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year standings as he holds a 100+ point advantage over the rest of the pack. If Mefford starts the main event each night this weekend, he will be crowned the inaugural Rookie of the Year for the tour on Saturday night at FALS. Blake Bailey and Ricky Frasure are both drivers that have traveled sparingly over their racing years, yet both still hold perfect attendance on the MARS tour in 2023. Bailey currently holds a 40-point advantage over Frasure in Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year standings as it looks like the battle will come down to the wire on Saturday night.

Friday, October 6 – Brownstown Bullring – Brownstown, IL – MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment

After hosting 2 successful MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends events in 2023, Josh & Nicki Carroll will look to hold their 2nd MARS Modified event of 2023 at their newly renovated facility this Friday night. Brownstown Bullring has quickly jumped towards the top of the charts of must-see racetracks over the course of the 2023 season and will look to help close out the MARS Modified season on Championship Weekend in an impressive fashion. Tyler Nicely topped a 43-car field to open the tour at Brownstown back in April over Michael Long, Trevor Neville, Allen Weisser, and Zeke McKenzie.

Joining the MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment on Friday night will be the B Modifieds, DIRTcar Factory Stock, and $500-to-win DIRTcar 4 Cylinder special. Pit gates will open at 4:00 p.m. with grandstand gates opening to the public at 5:00 p.m. The driver’s meeting is set for 6:00 p.m. with hot laps to hit the speedway at 6:30 p.m. sharp. General admission tickets for the evening of festivities will be $20 while children 10 and under will be admitted for free. Pit passes will be available for purchase for $40, with kids ages 6-12 being admitted for $25. Children ages 5 and under will be admitted for free in the pit area with an accompanying adult.

Saturday, October 7 – Fairbury Speedway – Fairbury, IL – FALS Frenzy – MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment

The quest for the MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment will come to a close on Saturday night as the tour rolls into Fairbury for the final stop of the season. This will mark the 4th event of the season at America’s Dirt Track where current MARS point leader Michael Long captured 2 of the victories while Mike McKinney took the other event. 40+ cars have showed for each of the 3 events held to-date for the series at FALS, and this weekend appears to be no different as many of the region’s hot shoes have made plans to take on the MARS competitors and the FALS faithful such as Mike Harrison, Frank Marshall, Curt Spalding, Jared Thomas, Bobby Stremme, Jeremy Nichols, and many more.

For the first time ever, the MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment will share the docket with the World of Outlaws Case Construction Late Model Series as they will be competing for a $15,000 top prize. DIRTcar Pro Late Models will also be in attendance racing for $1,000-to-win. Pit gates are scheduled to open at 11:00 a.m. with grandstand gates opening at 2:00 p.m. The driver’s meeting is currently scheduled for 5:00 p.m. with hot laps hitting the speedway at 5:30 p.m. General admission tickets for this blockbuster event will be available for only $30 with children 12 and under being admitted for free. Pit passes will be available for $45 for adults with children ages 12 and under being admitted into the pit area for $15 with an accompanying adult.

If you are unable to make it to the track, this MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment event will be streamed live on DIRTvision.com for the first time in series history.

MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment Feature purse for Friday: 1) $2,000 2) $1,500 3) $1,200 4) $1,000 5) $800 6) $600 7) $500 8) $400 9) $300 10) $275 11) $250 12) $250 13) $250 14) $250 15) $250 16) $250 17) $250 18) $250 19) $250 20) $250 21) $250 22) $250. Non-Transfer Tow Money – (Friday $65)

MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment Feature purse for Saturday: 1) $3,000 2) $1,500 3) $1,200 4) $1,100 5) $1,000 6) $800 7) $700 8) $600 9) $500 10) $400 11) $300 12) $300 13) $300 14) $300 15) $300 16) $300 17) $300 18) $300 19) $300 20) $300 21) $300 22) $300. Non-Transfer Tow Money (Saturday $65) (Sunday $70)

MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment Points (with the 2 drop nights prior to Championship Weekend reflected)

1. Michael Long – Fowler, IL – 859 points
2. Josh Harris – Utica, KY – 786 points
3. Tyler Nicely – Owensboro, KY – 625 points
4. Zeke McKenzie – Claypool, IN – 590 points
5. Mike Chasteen Jr – Peoria, IL – 575 points
6. Charlie Mefford – Belton, KY – 552 points
7. Kyle Steffens – St. Charles, MO – 469 points
8. Trevor Neville – Mackinaw, IL – 453 points
9. Mike McKinney – Plainfield, IL – 442 points
10. Blake Bailey – Bunker Hill, IL – 425 points
11. Ricky Frasure – Lawrenceville, IL – 385 points
12. Allen Weisser – Bartonville, IL – 378 points
13. Ray Bollinger – Kewanee, IL – 340 points
14. Dillon Nusbaum – Warsaw, IN – 326 points
15. Brian Shaw – Robinson, IL – 285 points

• Both events this weekend will count for points and cannot be used as drop nights *

Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year Point Standings

1. Charlie Mefford – 552 points
2. Blake Bailey – 425 points
3. Ricky Frasure – 385 points

2023 MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment Statistics

Multi Fire X Fast Time Award Winners

Josh Harris – 3
Tyler Nicely – 2
Austin Friedman – 2
John Clippinger – 1
Kyle Steffens – 1
Jared Thomas – 1
Trevor Neville – 1
Brian Shaw – 1
Kenny Wallace – 1
Zeke McKenzie – 1
Mike McKinney – 1

Willy’s Carb & Dyno Heat Race #1 Winners

Kyle Steffens – 2
Josh Harris – 2
Zeke McKenzie – 2
Charlie Mefford – 1
John Clippinger – 1
Tyler Nicely – 1
Michael Long – 1
Austen Becerra – 1
Kenny Wallace – 1
Ethan Dotson – 1
Austin Friedman – 1
Mike McKinney – 1

Summit Racing Equipment 1st Place Finisher

Michael Long – 4
Tyler Nicely – 3
Kyle Steffens – 2
Ethan Dotson – 2
Mike McKinney – 1
Cole Falloway – 1
Josh Harris – 1
Treb Jacoby – 1

Fast Shafts 3rd place Finisher

Michael Long – 3
Josh Harris – 2
Tyler Nicely – 2
Trevor Neville – 1
Kyle Steffens – 1
Derek Losh – 1
Dillon Nusbaum – 1
Mike McKinney – 1
Kenny Wallace – 1
Ray Bollinger – 1
Michael Ledford – 1

Out-Pace Racing Products 5th Place Finisher

Josh Harris – 3
Mike Chasteen Jr – 2
Zeke McKenzie – 1
Allen Weisser – 1
Dillon Nusbaum – 1
Trevor Neville – 1
Brandon Roberts – 1
Rick Conoyer – 1
Timmy Hill – 1
Dean Hoffman – 1
Ethan Dotson – 1
Mike McKinney – 1

Keyser Manufacturing 7th Place Finisher

Charlie Mefford – 3
Zeke McKenzie – 2
John Clippinger – 1
Allen Weisser – 1
Rick Conoyer – 1
Caden McWhorter – 1
Kyle Steffens – 1
Danny Ems – 1
Mike Chasteen Jr – 1
Zeb Moake – 1
Ryan Thomas – 1
Victor Lee – 1

Hooker Harness 11th Place Finisher

Mike McKinney – 2
Josh Harris – 2
Cole Falloway – 1
Josh Lemke – 1
Justin Jones – 1
Jacob Rexing – 1
Steven Brooks – 1
Mike Brooks – 1
Jim Black – 1
Shawn Deering – 1
Owen Steinkoenig – 1
Willy Myers – 1
Zac Harris – 1

MD3 Hard Charger Award Winners

Michael Long – 1
Caden McWhorter – 1
Justin Jones – 1
Will Krup – 1
Logan Veloz – 1
Dave Baldwin – 1
Mike Chasteen Jr – 1
Danny Schwartz – 1
Danny Ems – 1
Trevor Neville – 1
Rick Salter – 1
Joe Mercurio – 1
Brad Deyoung – 1
Eric Vaughan – 1
Zeke McKenzie – 1

Wilwood Brakes Hard Luck Award Winners

Blake Bailey – 3
Cole Falloway – 1
Trevor Neville – 1
Zeke McKenzie – 1
Logan Mounce – 1
Allen Weisser – 1
Josh Allen – 1
Kyle Steffens – 1
Frankie Wellman – 1
Ray Bollinger – 1
Josh Harris – 1
Mike Chasteen Jr – 1
Dave Wietholder – 1

Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Race Winners

Charlie Mefford – 10
Blake Bailey – 2
Caden McWhorter – 1
Logan Veloz – 1
Ricky Frasure – 1

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH FOR:

• THE CHAMPIONS WAY: Although he has not clinched the title officially, Michael Long is well on his way to picking up the inaugural MARS Modified Championship. If his current point lead isn’t enough to make him and the team feel comfortable going into the weekend, the two tracks the series are headed to will. Long has 1 start this season at Brownstown Bullring and finished 2nd on that night. In 9 starts at FALS in 2023, he has tallied 4 victories and 7 top-5 finishes.

• FINISHING STRONG: If there is 1 person not wanting to see the end of the season, it is Peoria, Illinois driver Mike Chasteen Jr. Since acquiring his new Mark Bush Racecar, he has run 6 nights and finished in the top-5 in each of those events. Can Chasteen breakthrough and pick up that first coveted MARS victory of his career this weekend?

• CHAMPIONSHIP HOPEFUL: As the season is almost to a close, Rick Conoyer continues to lead the Brownstown Bullring track points. He holds a 61-point advantage over Highland, IL driver Owen Steinkoenig followed by Kenny Wallace, Mike Harrison, and Tyler Nicely. If Conoyer can hang on, this would be his first track championship at Browntown Bullring in his career.

• MR. SEPTEMBER: A driver that had one of the most impressive months of anyone in the DIRTcar UMP Modified world is Plainfield, Illinois driver Mike McKinney. In 12 starts over the course of the month, McKinney captured 6 victories and a whopping 10 top-5 finishes across 7 different racetracks.

• AN EYE ON 2024: With a successful first year campaign for the MARS Modified tour, series officials are already looking forward to the 2024 season. With events already being booked for next year, look for the series to continue with another action-packed schedule.

For more information about the MARS Dirt Series, please contact Jonathan Clayton at 731-467- 1316, visit the tour’s webpage at marsracingseries.com, or visit @MARSDirtRacing on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends and MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment would like to thank the following sponsors and marketing partners for their support of the 2023 racing season: FK Rod Ends, Summit Racing Equipment, Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts, Flo Racing, Racing Electronics, Hoosier Racing Tire, Sunoco Race Fuels, Illinois State Rifle Association, Pontiac RV, Allstar Performance, O’Reilly Auto Parts, DIRTcar Racing, Driscoll Motors, Woods Basement Systems, MD3, Josh James Artwork, MWD Signs & Graphix, Fairbury Fastener & Supply, King’s Graphix, Dirt Draft, Digital Copy Systems, Whelen, Multi Fire X, Budda Bert Transmission, Dyer’s Top Rods, Fast Shafts, Wilwood Brakes, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Out-Pace Racing Products, Keyser Manufacturing, Varsitee Screenprinting, Willy’s Carb & Dyno, Mackinaw Valley Powder Coating, Trackside Racewear, and Hooker Harness.

MARS Championship Upcoming Events

o October 6, 2023 – Brownstown Bullring – Brownstown, IL – Championship Weekend - $2,000 to win MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment

o October 7, 2023 – Fairbury Speedway – Fairbury, IL – Championship Weekend - $3,000 to win MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment

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