Mars Sets Sail at Knoxville for WDRL Late Model Win
Friday, May 12, 2006
By Bob Wilson
Knoxville, Iowa - May 12 - Jimmy Mars put everyone on notice that he may be the man to beat in the Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals come late September as he swept to a victory in the WORLD Dirt Racing League PolyDome Late Model Series at Knoxville Raceway Friday night. The win paid the Menomonie, Wisconsin driver $5,000.
Mars, who started on the pole, led every lap of the twenty mile race on this historic half-mile oval. Though seven yellow banners slowed the race, Mars was always up to the challenge for the restarts and was able to keep his nearest competition at bay.
Trent Follmer, who started beside Mars on the front row, was the challenger at the outset but Kelly Boen showed his strength just four laps into the race and grabbed the runner-up spot. With six laps down and Mars driving off to a 20 car-length advantage, the first yellow was displayed. Just prior to that Brian Harris and Follmer had taken the second and third spots respectively sending Boen to fourth.
At the ten-lap mark, Harris had made up some of the distance and trailed Mars by only four car lengths, following him like a shadow. Behind Harris, Follmer and Boen were putting on quite a show as they raced each other for the third spot.
John VanDenBerg went up in smoke on lap thirteen bringing out the yellow and slowing the field. The restart was exciting as Harris dove under Mars in turns one and two but Mars retook the lead heading into turn three and secured it for good heading out of four. Another quick yellow followed on the seventeenth go around. On the ensuing restart Mars wisely dove low and had now problems with Harris making a bid.
At the half-way mark of the race, Mars was in charge by at least ten car lengths. Right away two successive yellows slowed the event but not Mars on the restarts. At this point in the race it was Harris trailing with Boen in third and 11th row starter Dan Schlieper in fourth.
Lap 26 fell to another yellow as Brian Birkhofer dropped from the event. The restart once again found Mars in control with Harris still shadowing the leader. With just ten laps to go Mars held a ten car-length lead over the runner-up position.
With laps beginning to wind down, Harris began to make a dent in the Mars lead. The front runner had been utilizing the low line in turns one and two while Harris had found a faster shot around those turns by running the cushion. Lap by lap it could be seen that Harris would get by Mars if this continued. As the front running duo flew by the flagstand to complete lap 35 they were nearly side by side. A yellow quickly brought the field to a slowdown and the final restart would be single file with only five laps to go.
Harris was not to be denied as he made a hard charge on the white flag lap heading into turn one, so much so that the Davenport, Iowa driver bobbled in turn two allowing Mars to get away from him. In the end, Mars headed across the finish line just five car lengths ahead of the second place challenger. Schlieper place an outstanding third and Kyle Berck, who started twentieth, was fourth. Boen settled for fifth. Completing the top ten finishers were Brady Smith, who started twenty first, Joe Kosiski, Chris Simpson, who started beside Schlieper, Denny Eckrich and Follmer. The attrition rate took nearly half of the field.
Heat event winners were VanDenBerg (in track record time), Mars, John Anderson, Follmer and Boen. The two B Features were won by Eckrich and Berck. Mars took the dash, again in record time. 45 cars competed during the evening.
For the complete results click onto our results page
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