12/24/2022
Iron-Man Late Model Series
Michael Chilton Captures 2022 Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Northern and Southern Series Championships
SOMERSET, KENTUCKY (December 24, 2022)- The Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Northern and Southern Series would see one driver capture both series championships in 2022 as Michael Chilton of Salvisa, KY would top the points for both series, winning $10,000 for his Northern series title and $15,000 for his Southern series title, plus the $10,000 bonus the series put up if the same driver could win both tours, allowing Chilton to take home $35,000 in championship prize money from the tours, making it one of the richest regional championships in Dirt Late Model racing history. It would be Chilton’s second series title, as he would win the tour title in 2015 and claims the 2022 titles after finishing second on the Southern series for two consecutive seasons in 2020 and 2021.
For the 36-year-old Chilton, his duel-championship winning season would come aboard a Rocket Chassis that would be powered by a Cornett Race Engine and Bullock Race Engine. Chilton’s winning entry would carry sponsorship from MKC Transport, Purvis Home Builders, Parkview Home Center, Edgewood Homes, EquipLink Auction Group, Caton’s Industrial Painting, C&C Redi-Mix, Bluegrass Radiator, Irvin Enterprises, and Wayne Bowen Racing Supply.
On the Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Northern Series, Chilton would score thirteen top ten finishes, with eight of those being top five finishes, including two series victories, with those coming at Portsmouth Raceway Park in Portsmouth, OH on June 18 and Atomic Speedway in Waverly, OH on September 17. Austin Lay of Walton, KY would finish as championship runner-up in Northern series points as the 23-year-old second generation driver would compete in his first full season of Super Late Model competition and would claim five top ten finishes along the way, with his best series feature finish being a seventh place at Lake Cumberland Speedway in Burnside, KY on May 14. Eighteen-year-old Eli Beets of Knoxville, TN would also make his mark on both tours in 2022, finishing third in the Northern division points, with six top ten finishes, with five of those being top five efforts, scoring four tour victories (Lake Cumberland Speedway May 14, May 29, July 2 and Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, KY on June 3). Second-generation racer Camaron Marlar would finish fourth in Northern series points, with the 27-year-old scoring eight top ten finishes, while four of those would be top five finishes, with Marlar’s best feature finish with the tour being a third place on two occasions (Lake Cumberland Speedway July 2 and Ponderosa Speedway October 1). The final spot in the top five in Northern Series points would go to 26-year-old Kirk Phillips of Ashland, KY, with Phillips achieving three top ten feature event finishes, with his best finish being a seventh-place effort at Lake Cumberland Speedway on July 2.
In Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Southern Series competition, Chilton would score twenty-two top ten series feature finishes, with fourteen of those being top five efforts, proving that consistent finishes will capture titles as he did not win a feature of the Southern series, with his best finish being a second place on four occasions (Lake Cumberland Speedway May 14, Tazewell Speedway in Tazewell, TN on July 3, Duck River Raceway Park in Lewisburg, TN on August 12, and Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, TN on September 14). Eli Beets would finish as the championship runner-up for the Southern Series, with the 18-year-old University of Tennessee Freshman tallying nine top ten feature finishes, with seven of those being top five feature finishes, including four feature victories ((Lake Cumberland Speedway May 14, May 29, July 2 and Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, KY on June 3). Stacy Boles of Clinton, TN would complete the podium in Southern series action as his third-place finish would see the 53-year-old veteran racer claim three top ten series finishes along the way, with one of those being a top five and his best series finish of fourth place at Lake Cumberland Speedway on May 29. Camaron Marlar would also finish fourth in Southern Series points (also finished fourth in Northern Series points) as the 27-year-old would have eight top ten event finishes, with three of those being top five scores, with his best run being a second-place finish to older brother Mike Marlar at Lake Cumberland Speedway on October 8. Fort Payne, AL native Sam Seawright would complete the top five in Southern series points, as the 19-year-old driver would have nine top ten finishes, while eight of those would be top five finishes, scoring two event victories during the season (a non-points race at Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, GA on February 5 and Duck River Raceway Park on August 12).
The Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Northern Series would see a total of 137 different drivers compete with the tour in 2022 and the average car count per event would be 22.2 entries, with the high car count being 33 at the Harold Hardgrove Memorial at Lake Cumberland Speedway in Burnside, KY on August 27. Ten different drivers would score a victory in the fifteen completed series events, with three different drivers scoring more than one series victory (Eli Beets of Knoxville, TN-4, Michael Chilton of Salvisa, KY-2, and Josh Rice of Verona, KY-2)
For the 2022 Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Southern Series season, a total of 297 different drivers competed with the tour and the average car count per event would be 26.5 entries, with the high car count being 39 at the Gobbler event at Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, GA on November 19. A total of nineteen different drivers would score series event wins in the thirty tour events completed, with seven different drivers scoring more than one victory (Eli Beets of Knoxville, TN-4, Cory Hedgecock of Loudon, TN-3, Chris Madden of Gray Court, SC-3, Mike Marlar of Winfield, TN-2, Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, GA-2, Josh Rice of Verona, KY-2, and Sam Seawright of Fort Payne, AL-2).
The Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Northern and Southern Series would like to sincerely thank all the racetracks and their staffs, the racers and race teams, and the race fans for their continued support of the Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Northern and Southern Series.
For more information about the Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Series, please contact Chris Tilley at (828) 361-5981 or visit the tour’s webpage at www.IMDIRT.net or visit the tour page Iron-Man Racing Series on Facebook and Iron-Man Series (@CTPROMOTE) on Twitter.
The Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Series would like to thank the following sponsors and marketing partners for their support of the 2022 racing season: Valvoline, Zerex by Valvoline, Brucebilt Performance Parts, Hoosier Racing Tire, E-Z-GO, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, DirtonDirt.com, MyRacePass, FloRacing, Impact Race Gear, XS Power Batteries, Vic Hill Racing Engines, American Racer Tires, Keltner Contracting, TW Taylor Trucking, Earnhardt Technologies Group, Swafford Signs, KY Clutch, Brown Haven Homes, Knowles Race Parts and Bodies, Coosa Heating and Cooling, SFP Performance Systems, KND Safety, Chattanooga Valley Auto Parts, Race Clean, Denby’s J&J Construction, Advanced Transportation, Lowe’s Tows, Reno’s Roadhouse, and Racetrack Safety Initiative.
About Valvoline™
Valvoline Inc. (NYSE: VVV) is a leading worldwide marketer and supplier of premium branded lubricants and automotive services, with sales in more than 140 countries. Established in 1866, the company’s heritage spans more than 150 years, during which time it has developed powerful brand recognition across multiple product and service channels. Valvoline ranks as the No. 3 passenger car motor oil brand in the DIY market by volume. It operates and franchises approximately 1,400 quick-lube locations, and it is the No. 2 chain by number of stores in the United States under the Valvoline Instant Oil ChangeSM brand and the No. 3 chain by number of stores in Canada under the Valvoline Great Canadian Oil Change brand. It also markets Valvoline lubricants and automotive chemicals, including the Valvoline High Mileage with MaxLife technology motor oil for engines over 75,000 miles; Valvoline Advanced Full Synthetic motor oil; Valvoline Premium Blue™ heavy-duty motor oil; Valvoline Multi-Vehicle Automatic Transmission Fluid; and Zerex™ antifreeze. To learn more, visit www.valvoline.com.
FINAL 2022 Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Northern Series Points
- Michael Chilton (Salvisa, KY)- 860
- Austin Lay (Walton, KY)- 585
- Eli Beets (Knoxville, TN)- 527
- Camaron Marlar (Winfield, TN)- 474
- Kirk Phillips (Ashland, KY)- 452
2022 Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Northern Series Schedule/Results:
April 15-Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, KY-CORY HEDGECOCK
May 14-Lake Cumberland Speedway-Burnside, KY-ELI BEETS
May 29-Lake Cumberland Speedway-Burnside, KY-ELI BEETS
June 3-Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, KY-ELI BEETS
June 18-Portsmouth Raceway Park-Portsmouth, OH-MICHAEL CHILTON
June 24-Atomic Speedway-Waverly, OH-DEVIN MORAN
June 25-Atomic Speedway-Waverly, OH-JACOB HAWKINS
July 2-Lake Cumberland Speedway-Burnside, KY-ELI BEETS
July 15-Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, KY-JOSH RICE
July 30-Portsmouth Raceway Park-Portsmouth, OH-BRANDON FOUTS
August 6-Brownstown Speedway-Brownstown, IN-DEVIN GILPIN
August 27-Lake Cumberland Speedway-Burnside, KY-JOSH RICE
September 17-Atomic Speedway-Waverly, OH-MICHAEL CHILTON
September 30-Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, KY-TANNER ENGLISH
October 1-Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, KY-MIKE MARLAR
FINAL 2022 Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Southern Series Points
- Michael Chilton (Salvisa, KY)- 1,490
- Eli Beets (Knoxville, TN)- 877
- Stacy Boles (Clinton, TN)- 643
- Camaron Marlar (Winfield, TN)- 580
- Sam Seawright (Fort Payne, AL)- 504
2022 Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Southern Series Schedule/Results:
January 29-Boyd’s Speedway-Ringgold, GA- SAM SEAWRIGHT (non-points)
March 5-Smoky Mountain Speedway-Maryville, TN-BRANDON OVERTON
March 25-Bristol Motor Speedway-Bristol, TN-CHRIS MADDEN
March 26-Bristol Motor Speedway-Bristol, TN-CHRIS FERGUSON
April 1-Bristol Motor Speedway-Bristol, TN-CHRIS MADDEN
April 2-Bristol Motor Speedway-Bristol, TN-DALE MCDOWELL
April 15-Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, KY-CORY HEDGECOCK
April 16-Tazewell Speedway-Tazewell, TN-CHRIS MADDEN
April 30-Boyd’s Speedway-Ringgold, GA-PAYTON FREEMAN
May 14-Lake Cumberland Speedway-Burnside, KY-ELI BEETS
May 29-Lake Cumberland Speedway-Burnside, KY-ELI BEETS
May 30-411 Motor Speedway-Seymour, TN-JIMMY OWENS
June 3-Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, KY-ELI BEETS
June 4-Mountain View Raceway-Spring City, TN-JADON FRAME
July 1-Boyd’s Speedway-Ringgold, GA-DONALD MCINTOSH
July 2-Lake Cumberland Speedway-Burnside, KY-ELI BEETS
July 3-Tazewell Speedway-Tazewell, TN-RICKY WEISS
July 15-Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, KY-JOSH RICE
August 6-Brownstown Speedway-Brownstown, IN-DEVIN GILPIN
August 12-Duck River Raceway Park-Lewisburg, TN-SAM SEAWRIGHT
August 13-Talladega Short Track-Eastaboga, AL-ASHTON WINGER
August 27-Lake Cumberland Speedway-Burnside, KY-JOSH RICE
September 14-Volunteer Speedway-Bulls Gap, TN-CORY HEDGECOCK
September 30-Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, KY-TANNER ENGLISH
October 1-Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, KY-MIKE MARLAR
October 8-Lake Cumberland Speedway-Burnside, KY-MIKE MARLAR
November 4-Duck River Raceway Park-Lewisburg, TN-JENSEN FORD
November 5-Duck River Raceway Park-Lewisburg, TN-GARRETT ALBERSON
November 19-Boyd’s Speedway-Ringgold, GA-DALE MCDOWELL
November 26-411 Motor Speedway-Seymour, TN-CORY HEDGECOCK
Article Credit: By Michael Despain | Photo by Chad Wells
