8/5/2024
MARS - Midwest Auto Racing Series
MARS Late Models Head to New Territory for Three Straight Nights of Action
MARS Late Models Head to New Territory for Three Straight Nights of Action
FAIRBURY, IL (August 5, 2024) – Sure there are times throughout the passing seasons that a touring series will hit a new track once that year, possibly twice on the same weekend, but this weekend will take that to an even further level. This weekend (August 9-11) the MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends tour will hit an unprecedented three new tracks all in the same weekend. In the storied 25 years of the MARS Late Model tour, the series has never made stops at the Sycamore Speedway, Macon Speedway, or East Moline Speedway, but that will change this weekend as the tour hits all three in consecutive nights.
One thing that is on the forefront of schedule making on the MARS tours is that we never produce the same cookie-cutter type schedule from season to season. Drivers, fans, and teams alike all appreciate the variety of different speedways throughout the season, and this year the MARS Late Model tour was able to create a unique schedule that included 21 events at 15 different facilities throughout the Midwest. This weekend will prove to be crucial for 2024 and beyond as all three nights will feature Late Model action at racetracks that traditionally do not hold a multitude of Super Late Model events throughout the year.
Defending series champion Jason Feger leads the series north to Sycamore Speedway on Friday as the points leader after 3 top-5 finishes during our last weekend of competition. Ryan Unzicker has positioned himself into second and within striking distance of Feger at only 52 points back. Allen Weisser, Bob Gardner, and Justin Duty round out the top-5 in series standings. A whopping field of 14 drivers have continued down the road with the series throughout 2024 and will be looking to jockey themselves into a better points position as the weekends wind down on this calendar year. Allen Weisser continues to lead Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year standings, but the gap has shrunk as Molalla, Oregon native, Justin Duty, is only 34 points back in the distance. Mitch McGrath, Jake Little, and Daniel Adam round out the current top-5 in rookie standings.
Friday, August 9, the MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends will pick back up the 2024 season with a first time visit to the beautiful Sycamore Speedway in Maple Park, Illinois. This will be the furthest north the series will venture in 2024 which will be a welcomed sight for series regulars Mitch McGrath (from Waukesha, Wisconsin) and Maple Park’s own Dale Markham. Sycamore has been a staple on the DIRTcar Summer Nationals schedule since 2017 and is always one of the favorites of the drivers and teams throughout the summer. Highlights typically include one of the most team-friendly pit areas in the country as almost every pit stall is in a shaded area, Sycamore Speedway’s signature craft beer, arguably the best racetrack popcorn in all the land, and a grandstand full of hearty race fans. Friday will mark only the second appearance of the season for Super Late Models to the “Best Clay Track in the Midwest.”
Following the Sycamore event, teams will make the 3-hour trip south to the Mighty Macon Speedway in Macon, Illinois for the first 5-digit payday of the season for the tour on Saturday, August 10. Although the $10,000 paycheck and 100-lap main event is enough to bring the excitement level through the roof on the 1/5 mile, the event actually brings on an even bigger meaning than the race itself.
Saturday will mark the 10th running of the Kerbystrong 100 at the Macon Speedway where fans, teams, and the Damery family will celebrate the life of Kerby Damery and his legacy.
Kerby Damery (1965 - 2015) was born and raised in Macon, Illinois. He married Nikki Goad in 1991 and the couple raised two sons, Blake and Luke.
Kerby's passion for stock car racing started early. He was the youngest of 10 and his family spent almost every Saturday night going to the races. In fact, the Damery family helped build the walls around the Macon Speedway track.
Inspired by many old-time racers, Kerby bought his first sportsman race car at age 21. He won the 1990 Sportsman Macon Speedway Track Championship and later drove a Late Model series, which he built with the help of his dedicated racing team.
Kerby enjoyed racing at Macon Speedway as well as at several other central Illinois tracks. During his racing career, he won several Sportsman, Modified and Late Model Divisions, including the 1998 and 2001 Macon Speedway Budweiser Shoot Out, 2004 Late Model Macon Speedway Track Championship, 2006 Northern Allstars Late Model Series runners up and Rookie of the Year.
In 2007, at age 42, Kerby was diagnosed with Stage 4 Appendix Cancer. His cancer journey included numerous surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments. Racing to win the fight of his life, he remained faithful, strong, and positive despite many setbacks. With a determined spirit, he fought bravely. Giving up was never an option.
He was KerbySTRONG!
On Feb. 8, 2015, at age 49, Kerby Damery passed away. He did not lose his battle to cancer - he won it by living life to the fullest, inspiring others, and touching so many lives. His spirit will remain forever.kerby.strong!
The KERBYSTRONG Foundation will: -Provide immediate assistance to qualified patients with cancer who many need support while undergoing cancer treatments -Provide funding to help support a Cancer Navigator Program to assist patients and their families throughout the healthcare system. A cancer diagnosis brings many challenges and patients may feel overwhelmed by the choices and decisions and uncertain about the steps to take or where to seek assistance. The goal is to ensure that cancer patients receive quality diagnostic, therapeutic, and support services on a timely basis.
Saturday will mark only the third appearance of the season for Super Late Models in 2024 at Macon, and the final of the season. Ricky Thornton Jr took home the Castrol Flo Night in America series victory back in May, while Jason Feger was victorious in the DIRTcar Summer Nationals Herald & Review 100 event.
Sunday, August 11, the MARS Late Model tour will roll to the Quad-Cities area to tackle the East Moline Speedway in East Moline, Illinois for the first time in series history. As many recall, East Moline was originally scheduled to take place on opening weekend back in April, but the victory was credited to mother nature. The series is excited to make the trip as the speedway was newly reconfigured, including new dirt, when current promotor Chuck Hanna and team took over last season. Sunday marks the first true open-Late Model event at the speedway since June of 2009 when the DIRTcar Summer Nationals made a stop at the ¼ mile oval.
Friday, August 9
Sycamore Speedway
Maple Park, Illinois
$5,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends
Street Stocks
Pure Stocks
Pits open at 3:00 P.M.
Grandstands open at 5:30 P.M.
Drivers Meeting at 6:00 P.M.
Hot Laps at 6:30 P.M.
Adult General Admission $25
General Admission ages 5-10 $5
General Admission ages 4 and under FREE
Pit Pass $35
Pit Pass ages 5-13 $15
Pit Pass for children ages 4 and under are FREE
Saturday, August 10
Macon Speedway
Macon, Illinois
KerbyStrong 100
$10,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends
DIRTcar UMP Modifieds
DIRTcar Sportsman
DIRTcar Stock Cars
Pits open at 3:00 P.M.
Grandstands open at 4:00 P.M.
Drivers Meeting at 5:30 P.M.
Hot Laps at 6:00 P.M.
Adult General Admission $30
General Admission ages 10 and under $10
Pit Pass $40
Sunday, August 11
East Moline Speedway
East Moline, Illinois
$5,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends
IMCA Sport Mods
IMCA Modlites
Street Stocks
IMCA Hobby Stocks
4 Cylinders
Pits open at 1:00 P.M.
Grandstands open at 2:00 P.M.
Drivers Meeting at 4:00 P.M.
Hot Laps at 4:30 P.M.
Adult General Admission $25
Reserved Seat $28
General Admission ages 12 and under $10
Pit Pass $40
Pit Pass for children ages 12 and under $20
MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends Tire Rule for each night:
LF: Any (90) Hoosier
RF: Hoosier NLMT2 (90)
LR: Hoosier NLMT2 (90)
RR: Hoosier NLMT3 (92) or Hoosier NLMT4 (92)
LM tires allowed on the Left Front ONLY
Grooving and Siping will be permitted.
MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends Feature purse for Sycamore Speedway & East Moline Speedway: 1) $5,000 2) $2,500 3) $2,000 4) $1,600 5) $1,400 6) $1,200 7) $1,000 8) $800 9) $700 10) $600 11) $500 12) $500 13) $500 14) $500 15) $500 16) $500 17) $500 18) $500 19) $500 20) $500 21) $500 22) $500. Non-Transfer Tow Money - $85 (Friday) $90 (Sunday)
MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends Feature purse for Macon Speedway: 1) $10,000 2) $5,000 3) $2,500 4) $1,600 5) $1,400 6) $1,200 7) $1,000 8) $950 9) $900 10) $800 11) $750 12) $650 13) $600 14) $600 15) $600 16) $600 17) $600 18) $600 19) $600 20) $600 21) $600 22) $600. Non-Transfer Tow Money - $90
MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends Point Standings (Top 15)
- Jason Feger – Bloomington, IL – 443 Points
- Ryan Unzicker – El Paso, IL – 391 Points
- Allen Weisser – Peoria, IL – 381 Points
- Bob Gardner – Washington, IL – 369 Points
- Justin Duty – Molalla, OR – 347 Points
- McKay Wenger – Fairbury, IL – 325 Points
- Mitch McGrath – Waukesha, WI – 300 Points
- Kye Blight – Bunbury, Western Australia – 292 Points
- Jake Little – Springfield, IL – 291 Points
- Daniel Adam – Peru, IL – 272 Points
- Mark Voigt – Marine, IL – 249 Points
- Frank Heckenast Jr – Frankfort, IL – 200 Points
- Dale Markham – Maple Park, IL – 190 Points
- Terry Bolin – Brighton, IL – 182 Points
- Colby Sheppard – Williamsville, IL – 167 Points
MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year Standings
- Allen Weisser – 381 Points
- Justin Duty – 347 Points
- Mitch McGrath – 300 Points
- Jake Little – 291 Points
- Daniel Adam – 272 Points
- Dale Markham – 190 Points
- Terry Bolin – 182 Points
- Colby Sheppard – 167 Points
2024 MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends Statistics
Pontiac RV Heat Race #1 Winners
Colby Sheppard - 1
Mike Harrison - 1
Allen Weisser - 1
Jason Feger - 1
Brian Shirley - 1
Gordy Gundaker - 1
Dennis Erb Jr - 1
FK Rod Ends 1st Place Finisher
Jason Feger - 3
Ryan Unzicker - 1
Dillon McCowan - 1
Brian Shirley - 1
Dennis Erb Jr - 1
FK Rod Ends 5th Place Finisher
Bob Gardner - 2
Matt Bailey - 2
Allen Weisser - 1
Kevin Weaver - 1
Jake Little - 1
Fairbury Fasteners 7th Place Finisher
Kye Blight - 2
Mike Spatola - 1
Mark Voigt - 1
McKay Wenger - 1
Ryan Unzicker - 1
Justin Duty - 1
Budda by Bert Transmission 9th Place Finisher
Rich Bell - 1
Turk Letizia - 1
Daniel Adam - 1
Myles Moos - 1
Donny Walden - 1
Aaron Marrant - 1
Mitch McGrath - 1
Hooker Harness 11th Place Finisher
Kye Blight - 1
Justin Duty - 1
Darrel Moser Jr - 1
Daniel Adam - 1
Aaron Marrant - 1
Rusty Griffaw - 1
Rickey Frankel - 1
Keyser Manufacturing 13th Place Finisher
Bob Gardner - 1
Dale Markham - 1
Jason Suhre - 1
Jeffrey Ledford - 1
Allen Weisser - 1
Gordy Gundaker - 1
Jason Perry - 1
Fast Shafts 15th Place Finisher
Brian Shirley - 1
Jake Little - 1
Jordan Bauer - 1
Timmy Dick - 1
Kye Blight - 1
Trey Mills - 1
Colby Sheppard - 1
MSD Hard Charger Award Winners
Bob Gardner - 2
Frank Heckenast Jr - 1
Turk Letizia - 1
Kye Blight - 1
Dale Markham - 1
Jason Perry - 1
Wilwood Brakes Hard Luck Award Winners
Mark Voigt - 1
David Marlow - 1
Michael Kloos – 1
Frank Heckenast Jr – 1
Rich Bell - 1
Dustin Hodges - 1
Dale Markham - 1
Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Race Winners
Allen Weisser - 4
Tommy Sheppard Jr - 1
Jake Little - 1
Justin Duty - 1
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH FOR:
• SAME OLE SAME OLE: Although the first few races of the season saw different faces towards the top of series standings, the cream seems to always find its way to the top. Similar to last season, Jason Feger and Ryan Unzicker currently sit 1-2 in series standings. Current points show that Unzicker is behind by 52 points, but if you factored in the 2 drop nights to-date, Unzicker is actually much closer. If you erase his worst two finishes of 18th and 19th, along with Feger’s worst 2 finishes of 6th and 12th, Feger only holds a 24-point lead.
• CONSISTENCY IS THE NAME OF THE GAME: While he may only have a single top-5 finish to this point, Molalla, Oregon driver Justin Duty is doing what it takes to advance each weekend in points: stay consistent. In his last 4 starts his worst finish was an 8th place effort at Farmer City, which has helped him climb to 5th in season standings.
• NEW TRACKS AND NEW FACES: With three new tracks on the schedule this weekend, the fields assembled each night are more of a wildcard than they are most events. All three are racetracks that are known for putting on great Late Model shows which in-turn could produce a unique field of drivers looking to try something new. Drivers expected to pop in throughout the weekend and make their first MARS starts of the season include Titus Snead, Mike Mataragas, John Provenzano, Greg Kimmons, Ryan Miller, Bob Sidener, Cody Maguire, Matt Ryan, Brandon Lance, and many more.
• BACK IN THE 31AUS: After a short stint in the Lampley Motorsports #33 ride, the Australian native, Kye Blight, is back in the familiar 31AUS ride owned by fellow Australian Paul Stubber. Blight is fresh off his first career Late Model win in the states after picking up a $1,500-to-win special at Monett Motor Speedway.
• FIRST 5-DIGIT PAYDAY OF 2024: While the majority of the MARS Late Model tour consist of $5,000-to-win events, the KerbyStrong 100 will be the first of four 5-digit paydays for the second half of the MARS season. The Brownstown 100 will be a $10,000-to-win event at the Brownstown Bullring in September with the USA World 50 at Paducah the following night boasting a $12,000-to-win winner’s purse. The FALS Frenzy championship night for the MARS tour will finish off the 2024 season with a $12,000-to-win event as well.
If you are unable to make it to the track, you can catch EVERY MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends event in 2024 live at floracing.com.
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 2024 racing season: FK Rod Ends (MARS Late Model title sponsor), Summit Racing Equipment (MARS Modified title sponsor), Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts (Official trailer and golf cart provider of the MARS Dirt Series), Flo Racing (Official streaming provider of the MARS Late Model tour), Racing Electronics (Official communications provider of the MARS Dirt Series), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official tire manufacturer of the MARS Dirt Series), Sunoco Race Fuels (Official fuel of the MARS Dirt Series and proud sponsor of the Sunoco Rookie of the Year chase all season long on the MARS Late Model & Modified Championship tours), Illinois State Rifle Association, Pontiac RV (Official RV Dealer of the MARS Dirt Series), Allstar Performance, O’Reilly Auto Parts, DIRTcar Racing, Driscoll Motors (Official dealership of the MARS Dirt Series), Woods Basement Systems (Official Basement Contractor of the MARS Dirt Series), 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, Keyser Manufacturing, Varsitee Screenprinting, Willy’s Carb & Dyno, Trackside Racewear, Hooker Harness, Lethal Chassis, Remtek Enterprises, and QuickCar Racing Products.
MARS Championship Upcoming Events
• August 9, 2024 - Sycamore Speedway - Maple Park, IL - $5,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends
• August 10, 2024 - Macon Speedway - Macon, IL - Kerbystrong 100 - $10,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends
• August 11, 2024 - East Moline Speedway - East Moline, IL - MARS Invasion of East Moline - $5,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends
• August 23, 2024 - Tri City Speedway - Granite City, IL - Gary Gerstner Memorial - $5,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends
• August 24, 2024 - Red Hill Raceway - Sumner, IL - Red Hill Rumble - $5,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends
Article Credit: Jonathan Clayton
Submitted By: Jonathan Clayton
