BROWNSTOWN, Ind. — Mike Marlar held off Darrell Lanigan to win Thursday night’s DIRTcar Summer Nationals feature at Brownstown Speedway.
Marlar started seventh and earned $5,000 for his fifth career Summer Nationals triumph.
Cade Dillard and Billy Moyer shared the front row for the 40-lap feature with Dillard taking the early lead. Meanwhile Marlar moved to second in less than 10 laps.
Dillard pulled away by a half-straightaway until Marlar closed the gap when Dillard encountered the rear of the field. Paul Stubber would run the middle of the Brownstown Speedway making Dillard chose the top line to get around him. Dillard’s decision to move up high opened the door for Marlar on the bottom.
Before both cars got around Stubber, Marlar stole the lead on the exit of corner number four. Marlar would seal the deal when he slide-jobbed both Dillard and Stubber in turns one and two. A caution flag waved one lap later for Steve Casebolt off the pace on the back straightaway.
On the Delaware double-file restart, Cade Dillard picked the outside, putting Scott James inside him. James would take second from Dillard on the restart with Lanigan from the 13th starting position working his way to fourth on the restart.
Lanigan continued his march to the front as he would pass Dillard on the bottom. Two laps later, Lanigan would pass James for the runner-up honors. Mike Marlar was the only driver separating Lanigan from $5,000.00.
Both drivers caught rear of the field allowing Lanigan to get under Marlar several times. The lapped cars forced Mike Marlar to switch grooves. That shut down Lanigan’s run down low, allowing Marlar to run away to victory.
Scott James, Bobby Pierce and Moyer filled the top five.
The finish:
Feature (40 Laps) – 1. 157-Mike Marlar [7]; 2. 29-Darrell Lanigan [13]; 3. 83-Scott James [4]; 4. 32-Bobby Pierce [10]; 5. 21-Billy Moyer [2]; 6. 96-Tanner English [11]; 7. 97-Cade Dillard [1]; 8. B5-Brandon Sheppard [6]; 9. 18J-Chase Junghans [5]; 10. CJ1-Rusty Schlenk [15]; 11. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr. [17]; 12. 2-Nick Hoffman [18]; 13. 1G-Devin Gilpin [9]; 14. 32S-Chad Stapleton [21]; 15. 3S-Brian Shirley [3]; 16. 76-Shelby Miles [16]; 17. 18-Shannon Babb [19]; 18. 25-Jason Feger [12]; 19. 31AUS-Paul Stubber [20]; 20. C9-Steve Casebolt [8]; 21. 99B-Boom Briggs [14]; 22. 87-Walker Arthur [22]; KSE Hard Charger Award: 29-Darrell Lanigan[+11]