What won the race: Fending off early challenges from Josh Rice and late pressure from Devin Moran, polesitter Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., led all 30 laps of Friday’s Night the Stars Come Out at Atomic Speedway. Marlar finished 1.338 seconds ahead of Devin Moran in the Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series opener, earning $5,000 for his first victory since reuniting with longtime team owner Ronnie Delk.

Quotable: “I was really tight. I knew the bottom was down there, I just couldn’t get across there without pushing so I was just having to hustle it way too much. Grips not a bad thing, sometimes it’s just a little too tight,” Marlar said. “I’ve been to this place and had some get away from me, be there and about to pass them and have a caution, I think today I got them all back. A couple times there I was pretty much passed and had cautions.”

Key notes: Marlar captured his fourth overall feature victory of the season. ... It's his fourth career Iron-Man Series victory, his first since Oct. 8, 2022, at Lake Cumberland Speedway in Burnside, Ky. … A spinning Clint Keenan negated Devin Moran’s lap-14 pass attempt on Marlar after the recently crowned Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champ powered ahead on the backstretch. … Josh Rice of Crittenden, Ky., finished third in his second start aboard a JRR Motorsports entry. … The 23-minute race was slowed by three cautions: Michael Lake and Keenan tangling on lap six, Keenan's spin on lap 14, and a spinning Tyler Carpenter on a lap-14 restart attempt. … The two-day event concludes with Saturday’s 30-lap, $15,000-to-win tour finale.

On the move: Jason Jameson of Lawrenceburg, Ind., started 16th and finished 10th.

Winner's sponsors: Marlar's winning Ronnie Delk-owned Longhorn Chassis is sponsored by Delk Equipment Sales, Can-Am Auto Salvage, Langenfelder Mechanical Contractors, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Petroff Towing, CertainTeed, VP Racing Fuels, ABC Supply Co. Inc., and Longhorn Dynamics.

Points chase: After Atomic Friday: 1. Colten Burdette (1,511); 2. Rusty Schlenk (1,497); 3. Rod Conley (1,223); 4. Clint Keenan (1,159); 5. Rob Anderzack (980).

Current weather: Clear, 46°F

Car count: 27

Fast qualifier: Mike Marlar

Time: 13.487 seconds

Polesitter: Mike Marlar

Heat race winners: Mike Marlar, Devin Moran, Josh Rice

Consolation race winners: Jason Jameson

Provisional starters: Rob Anderzack, Miles Cook II

Next series race: October 25, Atomic Speedway (Alma, OH) $15,000