MARS DOUBLES UP WITH WDRL WIN AT SUPERIOR SPEEDWAY
Badger State driver fends off late-race challenge of Darren Miller to post win
By Tom Lathen
WORLD Dirt Racing League


Superior, Wis. (June 14, 2007) - Jimmy Mars made it two wins in as many nights Thursday, racing to a wire-to-wire victory in the Westurn Roofing and Siding 50, a WORLD Dirt Racing League PolyDome Late Model Series-sanctioned event here at Superior Speedway.

Mars, who won the series event on his home track in Menomonie, Wis., on Wednesday night, started the $10,000-to-win event on the inside pole and held off late-race pressure from Illinois driver Darren Miller to grab the victory in front of a partisan full-house crowd.

"It's a great feeling to win in front of so many fans who follow us from the Menomonie area all the way up here to Superior," commented Mars following the win. "We normally just run the specials up here, but when we can run up here and win, it's definitely a pleasure.

"Winning that heat race obviously meant a lot tonight," he added. "There was plenty of good competition here, so any time you can start towards the front, it's easier to negotiate traffic and hold your line and keep those guys behind you."

After racing to the wins in the third qualifying race and the Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation Pole Dash, Mars went to the bottom through turns one and two on the opening circuit of the evening's finale and outran Miller, who started fourth in the field, to grab the early advantage.

The race leader powered to leads of nearly a dozen car lengths in the early going before running up on slower traffic nine laps in, with Miller continuing to run in second, just ahead of Denny Eckrich, Pat Doar and Solon Springs, Wis., driver Brady Smith.

By lap 20, Miller, of Milledgeville, Ill., had cut the lead to less than five car lengths, and with Mars having difficulty shedding the lapped traffic, pulled in line directly behind the pace-setter at the race's midpoint.

As the pair darted through congestion, Mars was able to place some distance between himself and the second-place running Miller by lap 30, but the driver of the Ideal Ready Mix/Rocket/Pro Power Ford Taurus was able to close the gap to just a handful of car lengths a few laps later.

The pair raced nose to tail in front of the packed grandstands on lap 36, and on the following circuit, Miller powered to the inside of Mars out of turn two to grab a momentary lead, but Mars won the battle out of turn four to return to the point as the lap was scored complete.

"“Darren's a good friend of mine, and he's an exceptional driver," said Mars. "He's good on these slick tracks, too, so it really didn't surprise me that he was there."

Using lapped traffic to his advantage over the closing circuits, Mars' T.L. Sinz Plumbing/MasterSbilt/Pro Power Chevrolet crossed the line a half-dozen car lengths over the runner-up Miller, with Brady Smith closing quickly to finish third.

"I had an excellent car, even a dominant car, early in the race," noted Mars. "When I was coming up through those lapped cars, though, I had a guy come down and drive into the side of me and tear the right front up pretty bad, which was really disappointing.

"The car was still good after that," he added. "But it just didn't have the edge it did earlier. We had to move around a little bit and run a different line toward the end, but we got the win, so I can't complain."

Kaanta held off eastern Iowa brothers Denny and Dave Eckrich to grab a solid fourth place finish, with Scott Bloomquist finishing seventh. Ashley Anderson finished eighth, followed by 66-year old Canadian driver Tom Nesbitt and Pittsville, Wisconsin’s Eric Pember.

For the second night in a row, a WDRL event was uninterrupted by caution flags.

For more information on WDRL or the latest PolyDome Late Model Series schedule, check out the WORLD Dirt Racing League's Web site, www.worldraceleague.com.


RACE REPORT
SUPERIOR SPEEDWAY
SUPERIOR, WIS.
THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 2007


Group Qualifying: 1. Nick Anvelink; Navarino, WI (17.288), 2. Brian Harris; Davenport, IA (17.581), 3. Pete Parker; Kaukauna, WI (17.613), 4. Brady Smith; Solon Springs, WI (17.638), 5. John Kanta; Elk Mound, WI (17.671), 6. Eric Pember; Pittsville, WI (17.679), 7. Pat Doar; New Richmond, WI (17.698), 8. Darren Miller; Milledgeville, IL (17.780), 9. Dave Eckrich; Cosgrove, IA (17.840), 10. Jimmy Mars; Menomonie, WI (17.872), 11. Denny Eckrich; Tiffin, IA (17.934), 12. Rick Hanestad; Boyceville, WI (17.942), 13. Marshall Fegers; Mound, MN (17.945), 14. Scott Bloomquist; Mooresburg, TN (17.958), 15. Tom Nesbitt; Thunder Bay, ON (17.968), 16. Ace Ihm; Hazel Green, WI (18.026), 17. Darren Meierotto; Superior, WI (18.067), 18. Steve Laursen; Cumberland, WI (18.123), 19. Joel Cryderman; Thunder Bay, ON (18.157), 20. Ashley Anderson; Eau Claire, WI (18.162), 21. Andrew McKay; Edina, MN (18.243), 22. Chris Simpson; Oxford, IA (18.315), 23. Justin Fegers; Mound, MN (18.364), 24. Bill Koons; Omaha, NE (18.369), 25. Rob Moss; Iowa City, IA (18.389), 26. Jeff Lien; Zimmerman, MN (18.405), 27. Matt Furman; Iowa City, IA (18.486), 28. Gregg Hill; Eleveth, MN (18.551), 29. Tim Isenberg; Marshfield, WI (18.635), 30. Roger Paolo; Hibbing, MN (18.663), 31. Jason Utter; Columbus Junction, IA (18.794), 32. Todd Gehl; Solon Springs, WI (18.822), 33. Darrell Carlson; Superior, WI (19.000), 34. Aaron Lillo; Duluth, MN (19.119), 35. Jeff Provinzino; Hibbing, MN (no time).


First PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Miller (65.75), 2. Smith (62.25), 3. Anderson (52.0), 4. Hanestad (48.5), 5. Ihm (45.0), 6. Lien (43.75), 7. Isenberg (40.25), 8. McKay (34.5), 9. Carlson (31.0).


Second PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Denny Eckrich (63.5), 2. Doar (60.0), 3. Nesbitt (52.0), 4. Parker (50.75), 5. Simpson (47.25), 6. Moss (43.75), 7. Lillo (42.5), 8. Paolo (34.5), 9. Cryderman (did not start).


Third PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Mars (63.5), 2. Bloomquist (55.5), 3. Laursen (52.0), 4. Pember (48.5), 5. Harris (45.0), 6. Justin Fegers (41.5), 7. Provinzino (42.5), 8. Utter (34.5), 9. Furman (31.0).


Fourth PolyDome Qualifier: 1. Kaanta (65.75), 2. Dave Eckrich (57.75), 3. Marshall Fegers (52.0), 4. Anvelink (50.75), 5. Koons (47.25), 6. Gehl (46.0), 7. Meierotto (38.0), 8. Hill (34.5).


KSE Racing Products Consolation: 1. Provinzino, 2. Ihm, 3. Gehl, 4. Justin Fegers, 5. Lien, 6. Furman, 7. Utter, 8. Moss, 9. Koons, 10. Isenberg, 11. McKay, 12. Lillo, 13. Carlson, 14. Paolo, 15. Hill, 16. Meierotto.


Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation Pole Dash: 1. Mars, 2. Denny Eckrich, 3. Doar, 4. Miller, 5. Kaanta, 6. Smith, 7. Bloomquist, 8. Dave Eckrich.


Westurn Roofing & Siding 50: 1. Mars, 2. Miller, 3. Smith, 4. Kaanta, 5. Denny Eckrich, 6. Dave Eckrich, 7. Bloomquist, 8. Anderson, 9. Nesbitt, 10. Pember, 11. Doar, 12. Harris, 13. Anvelink, 14. Hanestad, 15. Provinzino, 16. Marshall Fegers, 17. Simpson, 18. Justin Fegers, 19. Ihm, 20. Isenberg, 21. Meierotto, 22. Gehl, 23. Moss, 24. Laursen, 25. Parker.


INFORMATION OF INTEREST:


Entrants: 35
Lap Leaders: Mars (1-50)
Time of Race: 16:21.521
Margin of Victory: 1.243
Fastest Lap: Mars (18.231)
Caution Flags: none
Red Flags: none
Rookie-of-the-Race: Kaanta
Hard Luck Driver: Utter
Series Provisionals: Moss, Isenberg


CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:


Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation: Mars, Denny Eckrich, Miller
QA1 Motorsports: Kaanta
BSB Manufacturing: Harris
AMSOIL: Mars
KSE Racing Products: Provinzino
The Brake Man: Miller
Champ Pans: Smith
Performance Bodies: Kaanta
V-Performance Batteries: Denny Eckrich
Fast Shafts: Dave Eckrich
Hooker Harness: Pember
Weld Wheels: Harris
Chase Race Decals: Utter