What won the race: Powering past Chris Madden on a lap-two restart, third-starting Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., led the rest of Friday's 40-lap Rocky Top Rumble feature for a $12,000 World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory at Volunteer Speedway. Marlar beat Ricky Thornton Jr. to the line by 0.601 of a second for his 19th career series victory and first win of 2026.

Quotable: “It’s huge. We haven’t been racing much and trying to show up here and there, no testing and none of that,” Marlar said. “Went down last week (to Golden Isles), had a bad experience down there — hit the wall in qualifying. I said, ‘Man, I’m stopping and going testing. I’m gonna get my program turned around here and my head around it,’ and it paid off tonight. It’s awesome.”

Key notes: Marlar started outside Madden, who inherited the pole after Ricky Thornton Jr. was penalized a row because officials deemed that he jumped the original start. ... Marlar earned his first WoO victory since last July 12's stop at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio. It was his first win of any kind since a $20,000-plus sweep of last Oct. 24-25's Iron-Man Series weekend at Ohio's Atomic Speedway. ... Madden led the opening lap and settled for fourth. ... Seventh-starting Bobby Pierce, who moved into the WoO points lead ahead of Nick Hoffman, took third from Madden on lap 25 and posted his sixth straight podium in WoO competition. ... Returning after cataract surgergy, Dale McDowell gained five spots and finished fifth. … Cory Hedgecock improved 11 positions and placed 11th in his return to his self-owned No. 23 entry after departing Billy Hicks Racing. … The race was marred by a 10-minute red flag when Jimmy Owens flipped on the second attempt to start the feature. Owens, who wasn't hurt, said his engine shut off entering turn three, causing Hoffman and Tristan Chamberlain to make contact the Vic Hill-owned CVR Race Car onto its roof. … Other cautions came on lap 20 when Camaron Marlar slowed from seventh and retired and lap 29 when Tyler Erb slowed from 12th but continued after a pit stop. … The 40-lapper lasted 29 minutes with 20 starters completing the distance. … Kyle Strickler was OK after a violent flip in the night’s fourth heat race; contact with Ethan Dotson sent him sideways in turn four and he was hit by Dennis Erb Jr., sending Strickler's car into the car. Dotson and Erb unloaded backup cars and utilized provisional starting positions.

On the move: Chris Ferguson of Mount Holly, N.C., started 14th and finished seventh.

Winner's sponsors: Marlar’s winning Ronnie Delk-owned Longhorn Chassis is sponsored by Delk Equipment Sales, Can-Am Auto Salvage, Langenfelder Mechanical Contractors, Petroff Towing, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Certainteed, VP Racing Fuels, Swift Springs, Midwest Sheet Metal and Capital Sign Company.

Points chase: After Volunteer: 1. Bobby Pierce (1,177); 2. Nick Hoffman (1,175); 3. Tim McCreadie (1,136); 4. Ryan Gustin (1,121); 5. Tyler Erb (1,116); 6. Drake Troutman (1,114); 7. Dustin Sorensen (1,091); 8. Daulton Wilson (1,087); 9. Ethan Dotson (1,086); 10. Dennis Erb Jr. (1,078).

Current weather: Broken Clouds, 52°F

Car count: 35

Fast qualifier: Chris Madden

Time: 12.398 seconds

Polesitter: Ricky Thornton Jr.

Heat race winners: Ricky Thornton Jr., Mike Marlar, Chris Madden, Ryan Gustin

Consolation race winners: Jake Timm, Carson Ferguson

Provisional starters: Drake Troutman, Dustin Sorensen, Ethan Dotson, Dennis Erb Jr.

Next series race: March 14, Smoky Mountain Speedway (Maryville, TN) $20,000