Marlar Shines In Magnolia 100; McCreadie Second “Again” With Lucas Oil LM Dirt Series
Story By: JAMES ESSEX / LUCAS OIL LATE MODEL DIRT SERIES – COLUMBUS, MI – Mike Marlar charged from his fifth starting spot to win Saturday night’s GEICO Clash at the Mag – presented by Big River Steel at Magnolia Motor Speedway.
With the $15,000 victory, Marlar becomes the ninth different winner of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series tour in 2019. The 41-year-old Tennessee veteran also became the first three-time winner of the annual Clash at the Mag.
Tim McCreadie led the first three laps of the 100-lap main event until Marlar passed him for the top spot. Marlar then held McCreadie at bay for the remainder of the caution-free event to score the win. McCreadie crossed the line in second, marking his third-straight runner-up finish.
The current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series point leader, Jonathan Davenport finished in third followed by Josh Richards and Earl Pearson Jr.
In Marlar’s tenth- career LOLMDS victory, he and his crew were excited in Lucas Oil Victory Lane, remarking: “Typically, you run the bottom here, but lately you could float to the middle which is different than in past years. I had run the bottom for so long and I thought to myself if I am going to get passed it is going to be on the right side of me. I got out of line and passed some lapped cars. It was pretty close down in turn one passing some lapped cars. I had a few close calls.”
“This place is so racy, that’s why we enjoy coming down here,” Marlar added. “It’s fun to race here and it gets you excited to race here. My car owner and I were wanting to take some time off this year. I was going to drive for Kevin [Rumley] and we just couldn’t get everything together. It’s clear that he [Rumley] is doing great with McCreadie and my situation is great as well.”
McCreadie completed a successful weekend as well. “Congrats to Mikey! He was better than us tonight. All-in-all for Sweeteners Plus and Bilstein, we continue to make strides with this whole program. It’s been thrown together really quickly, and we are trying our hardest and we are gaining fast. We probably needed a caution to mix things up a little bit. We need more maneuverability and we will really have something.”
Davenport will maintain the series point lead heading into an off weekend for the series. “We didn’t really know what the track was going to do tonight. When we decided to go the car was on point. I know there were guys coming up on the outside of me. We ran the leaders down and got into lapped traffic. We got together with a car down there in turn four and I guess he didn’t see me. It towed it in pretty good and we were just hanging on from there. It was one of those what if races for sure.”
The winner’s Ronnie Delk-owned Rocket Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by: Marathon, Mark Martin Timber and Farms, Franklin Enterprises, R.S. Equipment Sales and Rentals, Integra Shocks, and VP Fuels.
Completing the top ten were Tyler Erb, Dane Dacus, Devin Moran, Bobby Pierce, and Don O’Neal.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Saturday, June 1, 2019
GEICO Clash at the Mag – presented by Big River Steel
Magnolia Motor Speedway – Columbus, MS
Lucas Oil Products Red “N” Tacky Spray Grease B-Main #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): Jimmy Owens, Shanon Buckingham, BJ Robinson, Gavin Landers, Shay Knight, Clay Fisher, Scott Dedwylder, Joey Moriarty-DNS, Colton Horner-DNS, David Payne-DNS, Nick Curole-DNS
FAST Shafts B-Main #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): Eric Cooley, Chad Thrash, Rick Rickman, Austin Arnold, Christian Hanger, Billy Moyer, Jr., Morgan Bagley, Shelby Sheedy, Robbie Stuart, Cade Dillard-DNS
Lucas Oil Feature Finish (100 Laps):
| FINISH | START | CAR # | DRIVER NAME | HOMETOWN | EARNINGS |
| 1 | 5 | 157 | Mike Marlar | Winfield, TN | $15,000 |
| 2 | 1 | 39 | Tim McCreadie | Watertown, NY | $7,700 |
| 3 | 4 | 49 | Jonathan Davenport | Blairsville, GA | $6,100 |
| 4 | 2 | 14 | Josh Richards | Shinnston, WV | $4,800 |
| 5 | 8 | 1 | Earl Pearson, Jr. | Jacksonville, FL | $4,300 |
| 6 | 7 | 1T | Tyler Erb ® | New Waverly, TX | $3,300 |
| 7 | 15 | 54 | Dane Dacus | Lakeland, TN | $2,250 |
| 8 | 6 | 1M | Devin Moran ® | Dresden, OH | $2,700 |
| 9 | 11 | 32P | Bobby Pierce | Oakwood, IL | $1,900 |
| 10 | 3 | 5 | Don O’Neal | Martinsville, IN | $2,600 |
| 11 | 9 | 2s | Stormy Scott | Las Cruses, NM | $1,700 |
| 12 | 13 | 40B | Kyle Bronson | Brandon, FL | $2,300 |
| 13 | 14 | 21xxx | Neil Baggett | Columbus, MS | $1,500 |
| 14 | 19 | 20 | Jimmy Owens | Newport, TN | $2,250 |
| 15 | 17 | 21 | Billy Moyer | Batesville, AR | $1,400 |
| 16 | 21 | 50 | Shanon Buckingham | Morristown, TN | $2,050 |
| 17 | 12 | 71 | Hudson O’Neal | Martinsville, IN | $2,000 |
| 18 | 10 | C8 | Timothy Culp | Prattsville, AR | $1,250 |
| 19 | 23 | 21JR | Billy Moyer, Jr. | Batesville, AR | $2,000 |
| 20 | 20 | 33C | Eric Cooley | Fulton, MS | $1,150 |
| 21 | 22 | 1C | Chad Thrash | Meridian, MS | $1,100 |
| 22 | 16 | 4 | Michael Arnold | Hattiesburg, MS | $1,050 |
| 23 | 18 | 90 | Brian Rickman | Columbus, MS | $1,000 |
| 24 | 24 | 33 | Scott Dedwylder | Vossburg, MS | $1,000 |
Entrants: 39
Lap Leaders: Tim McCreadie (Laps 1 – 3); Mike Marlar (Laps 4 – 100)
Wrisco Feature Winner: Mike Marlar
Margin of Victory: 1.871 seconds
Cautions: None
Series Provisionals: Billy Moyer Jr.
Miller Welders Highest Clash @ the Mag Point Provisional: Scott Dedwylder
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Dane Dacus (Advanced 8 Positions)
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Jonathan Davenport
Allstar Performance Power Move of the Race: Jonathan Davenport
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Josh Richards
Eibach Springs Rookie of the Race: Tyler Erb
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Racing Engines
Ohlins Shocks Chassis Builder of the Race: Rocket Chassis
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Philip Snellen (Tim McCreadie)
Dirty Girl Racewear Fastest Lap of the Race: Mike Marlar (Lap #4 – 15.3218 seconds)
Hot Rod Processing Tough Break of the Race: Billy Moyer Jr.
STEEL-IT Most Laps Led: Mike Marlar (96 Laps)
PFC Brakes Pole Award: Tim McCreadie
Time of Race: 35 minutes 10 seconds
