Editor's note: Mike Marlar was lifted to victory on Oct. 25 after apparent winner Zack Dohm's tire samples were ruled as failing to meet benchmark requirements.
JUNCTION CITY, Ky. (Oct. 14) — Overtaking polesitter Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., on lap 55 of 75, fourth-starting Zack Dohm of Cross Lanes, W.Va., led the remaining distance to earn a career-high $15,000 payday in Ponderosa Speedway’s Southern Nationals Bonus Series-sanctioned Fall Classic.
Shooting ahead of Cody Mahoney of Madison, Ind., on a lap-31 restart, Dohm moved into the second-place spot, reeling in the race leader. Challenging Marlar at the lap-40 mark, Dohm edged ahead to lead lap 53, only to fall back one circuit later. Pulling ahead for the final time on lap 55, Dohm held on to score his second career SNBS victory.
“I love these Kentucky racetracks,” Dohm said in victory lane. “I haven’t found one I don’t like yet. We was looking at the tires in the chute and my right-rear was grooved up a little tougher there than everybody else up front. I told myself if we could just maintain and hold a few of them off at the beginning, hopefully (Mike) Marlar and them guys would fade later.”
It was Marlar charging to the lead at the drop of the green flag, setting a torrid pace in the early running. With the top-two cars distancing themselves from the field, Marlar fought back Dohm’s challenges around the halfway mark, only to have disaster strike a few laps later.
Powering down the backstretch, the race leader made contact with the slowing lapped car of Justin Rattliff of Campbellsville, Ky., on lap 45. As a yellow flag waved for Rattliff, Marlar continued on with heavy damage to the right side of his No. 157 machine. Dohm would edge ahead 10 laps later, pulling away to pick up the win.
“I don’t know if I would have caught (Marlar) after that deal that happened with the lapped car," Dohm said. "I hate that that happened to him. I wish we could have raced it out. But then again, maybe I don’t wish we could have raced it out. He might have won.
“It was an awesome race. My brother kept showing me every time I’d pass a car that I was pulling away from them. That’s reassuring. All these guys, I grew up watching them all, hoping one day I could come out here and race with them. It’s just awesome."
Despite a mangled race car, Marlar held on to finish runner-up. Eddie Carrier Jr. of Salt Rock, W.Va., ran third, with Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., rallying from the 14th starting spot to finish fourth. After spinning to draw an early caution, Michael Chilton of Salvisa, Ky., charged from the tail of the field to round out the top five.
“Tough break there,” Marlar said. “Congratulations to Zack. He really done an awesome job. He was really good. I’m not sure he wasn’t as fast or faster than me without the accident. It’s just a tough deal. But you’ve got to be tough.”
After fading in the early running, Carrier charged back to a podium finish.
“I was actually driving too easy, trying to take care of some stuff,” Carrier said. “I think I fell back to sixth, seventh, somewhere back in there. I was just driving too easy, trying to be conservative. Then I just got up on the wheel and just started driving the pig out of it. I finally come around. I just didn’t drive hard enough. That was on the driver. But we was lucky to get back to third."
Notes: Dohm scored his second career Southern Nationals Bonus Series victory. His first came at Richmond (Ky.) Raceway on June 25, 2016. … The race was slowed by five cautions. … A yellow flag waved on the opening lap for a turn-two pileup involving Justin Rattliff, Michael Chilton, Vic Hill and Jeff Neubert. … Donald McIntosh spun in turn two to draw a caution on the ensuing restart. … A yellow flag flew on lap 32 when Devin Gilpin slowed off the pace. … Fourth-running Michael Chilton spun to draw a caution on lap 34. … The final yellow flag waved on lap 45 for contact between Marlar and Rattliff. … Todd Coffman of Junction City, Ky., was the winner of the Crate Late Model feature.
Preliminary lineups and results:
Consolation results
Second consolation (top two transfer): Justin Rattliff, Vic Hill, Brandon Kinzer, Ray Cook, Joey Standridge, Ernie Cordier, Jason Jameson. Scratched: Skylar Marlar, Tommy Bailey.
First consolation (top two transfer): Devin Gilpin, Greg Johnson, Connor Meade, Steve Smith, Jeff Neubert, Kenny Cobble, Daniel Dial. Scratched: Brian Smith, Kayne Hickman.
Consolation lineups
(10 laps; top two transfer)
First consolation
Row 1: Devin Gilpin, Connor Meade
Row 2: Greg Johnson, Brian Smith
Row 3: Steve Smith, Jeff Neubert
Row 4: Kenny Cobble, Kayne Hickman
Row 5: Daniel Dial
Second consolation
Row 1: Vic Hill, Justin Rattliff
Row 2: Joey Standridge, Brandon Kinzer
Row 3: Ernie Cordier, Ray Cook
Row 4: Skylar Marlar, Tommy Bailey
Row 5: Jason Jameson
Heat race results
Fourth heat finish (top four transfer): Zack Dohm, Victor Lee, David Payne, Adam Bowman, Justin Rattliff, Brandon Kinzer, Ray Cook, Tommy Bailey.
Third heat finish (top four transfer): Eddie Carrier Jr., Tripp Gerrald, Tim Dohm, Brandon Overton, Vic Hill, Joey Standridge, Ernie Cordier, Skylar Marlar, Jason Jameson.
Second heat finish (top four transfer): Cody Mahoney, Jared Hawkins, Michael Chilton, Steve Francis, Connor Meade, Brian Smith, Kayne Hickman, Jeff Neubert.
First heat finish (top four transfer): Mike Marlar, Donald McIntosh, Todd Coffman, Dale McDowell, Devin Gilpin, Greg Johnson, Steve Smith, Kenny Cobble, Daniel Dial.
Heat race lineups
(10 laps; top four transfer)
First heat
Row 1: Mike Marlar, Donald McIntosh
Row 2: Todd Coffman, Dale McDowell
Row 3: Devin Gilpin, Greg Johnson
Row 4: Steve Smith, Kenny Cobble
Row 5: Daniel Dial
Second heat
Row 1: Cody Mahoney, Connor Meade
Row 2: Jared Hawkins, Brian Smith
Row 3: Steve Francis, Michael Chilton
Row 4: Kayne Hickman, Jeff Neubert
Third heat
Row 1: Eddie Carrier Jr., Tripp Gerrald
Row 2: Tim Dohm, Jason Jameson
Row 3: Skylar Marlar, Brandon Overton
Row 4: Vic Hill, Joey Standridge
Row 5: Ernie Cordier
Fourth heat
Row 1: Zack Dohm, Victor Lee
Row 2: Tommy Bailey, Ray Cook
Row 3: David Payne, Brandon Kinzer
Row 4: Adam Bowman, Justin Rattliff
Time trial results
Driver (car no.), hometown, time
Group A
Mike Marlar (157), Winfield, Tenn., 12.932
Donald McIntosh (7), Dawsonville, Ga., 12.975
Cody Mahoney (4), Hanover, Ind., 12.975
Connor Meade (1), Clay City, Ky., 13.083
Todd Coffman (35), Junction City, Ky., 13.139
Jared Hawkins (11), Fairmont, W.Va., 13.155
Dale McDowell (17m), Chickamauga, Ga., 13.242
Brian Smith (7), Barbourville, Ky., 13.368
Devin Gilpin (1G), Columbus, Ind., 13.457
Steve Francis (15), Bowling Green, Ky., 13.532
Greg Johnson (2J), Bedford, Pa., 13.754
Michael Chilton (97), Salvisa, Ky., 13.898
Steve Smith (201), Powell, Tenn., 13.919
Kayne Hickman (H3), Soddy Daisy, Tenn., 13.965
Kenny Cobble (31), Cookville, Tenn., 14.034
Jeff Neubert (86), Rockford, Tenn., 14.277
Daniel Dial (11), Lawrenceburg, Ky., 14.681
Group B
Eddie Carrier Jr. (10), Salt Rock, W.Va., 12.752
Zack Dohm (17), Cross Lanes, W.Va., 12.851
Tripp Gerrald (4), Lexington, Ky. , 12.897
Victor Lee (6), Danville, Ky., 12.908
Tim Dohm (6), Cross Lanes, W.Va., 13.037
Tommy Bailey (11), Corbin, Ky., 13.119
Jason Jameson (12), Lawrenceburg, Ind., 13.173
Ray Cook (53), Brasstown, N.C., 13.25
Skylar Marlar (88), Winfield, Tenn., 13.277
David Payne (8), Murphy, N.C., 13.319
Brandon Overton (116), Evans, Ga., 13.451
Brandon Kinzer (18), Allen, Ky., 13.466
Vic Hill (1), Mosheim, Tenn., 13.504
Adam Bowman (77), Seymour, Ind. , 13.642
Joey Standridge (56), Tellico Plains, Tenn., 14.341
Justin Rattliff (16), Campbellsville, Ky., 14.423
Ernie Cordier (4c), Brodhead, Ky., 14.922