What won the race: Inheriting the lead with 10 circuits remaining in the 35-lap feature after the three cars ahead of him ran into trouble, Dillon Rupe of Broken Arrow, Okla., captured his first-ever MARS DIRTcar Series victory. Rupe was running fourth on lap 25 when leaders Jeremy Payne of Springfield, Mo., and Shane Essary of Aurora, Mo., tangled and spun and third-place Tony Jackson Jr. of Lebanon, Mo., headed pitside, vaulting Rupe into a lead he would never relinquish.

Quotable: "I can't even begin to express how excited we are. I've never even finished in the top 10 in a MARS show," Rupe said. "I was just going to play it cool, try to keep the car straight for the first 20 laps or so and not wear out my tires too bad or anything. I probably didn't have the fastest race car tonight, but I got help with the lapped traffic (and) crash, so all in all, it worked out."

Key notes: Rupe's breakthrough MARS triumph came one week after he returned from a month away from competition because of motor problems and rain. ... Race-long leader Jeremy Payne and Shane Essary made slight door-to-door contact in turn three the lap before Essary's right-front wheel climbed the left-rear wheel of Payne on the backstretch, spinning Payne's car up the track and leaving Essary with heavy nosepiece damage. ... Several early cautions slowed the action. ... Payton Looney ran among the top five but retired before a mid-race restart.

On the move: Jesse Stovall of Billings, Mo., started 10th and finished third.

Winner's sponsors: Rupe's Trak-Star Race Car carries sponsorship from A&N Trailer Parts Inc., DRP, Racenote, Super Lawn and U-Save Machine Shop.

Points chase: Despite his misfortune Saturday, Jackson ended the night with a 33-point lead (549-516) over Justin Asplin of Birch Tree, Mo.

Car count: 21

Heat race winners: Brian Schutt, Jeremy Payne, Shane Essary

Next series race: June 25, Park Jefferson Int'l Speedway (Jefferson, SD) $3,000