Unzicker’s honey hole

Peoria (Ill.) Speedway has produced so many sweet moments for Ryan Unzicker over the years that the El Paso, Ill., driver now refers to the bullring with a term of endearment.

“I call it my honey hole,” said Unzicker, who on Saturday captured his sixth special-event victory at Peoria since 2022, winning his fourth consecutive Garry Swibold Memorial on the MARS Championship Series — turning a rough-and-tumble feature into yet another showcase of his mastery at the quarter-mile oval.

“It’s pretty remarkable, honestly,” Unzicker continued, adding to his Peoria track record that includes victories in last year's $5,000 Illinois State Championship, '23-25's Swibold Memorial triumphs all worth $5,098 and the '22 Illinois State Championship worth $7,500. “I’ve always loved this place.”

His route to the $5,098 payday was anything but routine. The 42-minute feature included six cautions and a surface full of character — ruts in both ends of the racetrack — that kept drivers on their toes. Unzicker hounded early leader Ethan Dotson from the outset, pulling alongside exiting turn two on the third lap, but unable to make the move stick.

Dotson maintained control until reaching lapped traffic on lap eight, allowing Unzicker to close in. Four laps later, Unzicker again drew even with the ASD Motorsports driver, only for a caution to sabotage his momentum.

This time, however, Unzicker capitalized. On the ensuing restart, he mounted a charge through turns one and two that powered him around Dotson through turns three and four to take command. But there was no cruising from there. On lap 27, Unzicker caught a rut in turns three and four, washing up the track and briefly surrendering the lead to Frank Heckenast Jr.

Unzicker regrouped quickly, charging back around Heckenast’s outside on lap 28 to reclaim the top spot just before another caution reset the field. As it turned out, a few prerace adjustments made all the difference.

“I made some changes tonight that would’ve only worked in the rough. And it paid off,” Unzicker said. “I just can’t thank my crew enough. It’s been a hard year already, just a lot of work things going on and fighting two cars, getting (son Brody) running (in the B-mod class). Just can’t thank my crew and my sponsors enough.” — From series and staff reports

Chilton's scare

Michael Chilton’s night nearly ended before it began, just moments after the green flag dropped on the 40-lap Ultimate Heart of America Series feature at Richmond (Ky.) Raceway.

Starting outside the front row, the Salvisa, Ky., driver had the early edge in the race to the cushion. But entering the opening corner, Chilton ran out of room along the high side as his surrounding competitors squeezed him past his limit — sending him spinning in front of the 14-car field. Fortunately, he avoided significant damage, and even caught a break with a complete restart.

On the ensuing restart, polesitter Camaron Marlar — in Chilton’s words — “left me plenty of room,” opening the door for Chilton to surge into clean air and lead every lap en route to the $6,060 payday.

“He left me more room that second time than he had to, and I appreciate that,” Chilton said of Marlar, whose night ended on lap 14 with an apparent mechanical failure after slapping the wall while trying to run down Chilton earlier in the feature.

Following the four-car pileup — which also involved sixth-starting Dillard Hatchett, 13th-starting Richard Musick and 14th-starting Donnie Everman — Chilton was never seriously challenged the rest of the way, sealing a near three-second victory on a night he lapped up to seventh place.

“Yeah, that was a pretty good race there,” Chilton said. “That first start there was a little sketchy. Both of us just trying to get to that top, and, luckily, nobody else got tore up there when that happened. I was just glad that nobody got tore up. And then the second one, I got a little bit better jump there.

“(Marlar) left me more room that second time than he had to, and I appreciate that. Kind of got the lead there, and I could kind of maintain.”
Chilton knows Richmond’s 3/10-mile oval better than anyone, having won four times there on the series circuit in 2023. His fifth tour victory at Richmond pushes his career total to six, giving him sole possession atop the Ultimate Heart of America Series’ all-time wins list. Even with that track record, Chilton “kind of didn't really know where to be” on the racetrack.

“Usually, this place is right around that bottom. But I felt like I was a little better kind of diamonding off one and two, kind of floating through that middle,” Chilton said. “They put a little bit of water on that top, and it made the racetrack really good. Thanks to all them. I mean, it was a good night overall for us.”

Chilton debuted a brand-new Rocket Chassis XR2 in his second start of the 2026 Dirt Late Model campaign, praising the machine in victory lane. Chilton started second and finished fifth in his season debut April 3 in Northern Allstars Late Model Series action at Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, Ky.

“We just kind of barely tweaked on it a little bit. Their baseline's pretty doggone good,” Chilton said. “Those cars always suited my style. I felt like we got something we could work with here now. … I think we're gonna have a pretty good year this year. I hope so anyway.” — From series and staff reports

The rugged Bullring

In capturing Friday’s MARS Championship Series opener at the Brownstown (Ill.) Bullring, Ryan Gustin was winded after climbing from his car in victory lane.

“That was elbows up there,” the fifth-starting Gustin said after overtaking race-long leader Jake Little on the 24th of 40 laps. "I don't know if this ol’ fat boy had it in him, but you just kind of get up there and then turn back down and try to make it as smooth as you could.”

Gustin, who took the checkers 2.437 seconds ahead of Little in winning for the second straight Friday night, knows his team will have some work to do before Saturday’s MARS event at Peoria (Ill.) Speedway.

"It all worked out,” said Gustin, a World of Outlaws Late Model Series regular who won on the Northern Allstars circuit April 18 at Paragon (Ind.) Speedway. "We’re gonna have to have a lot of work to do on this thing. I think probably everything on the suspension is probably bent. It was feeling goofy there at the end.”

The rugged track conditions were a challenge for all 22 starters as MARS opened its season with a $5,000-to-win event after five rainouts over two weekends.

Little, the Springfield, Ill., driver who was last season’s MARS Rookie of the Year, is still looking for his first tour victory.

"I just couldn't get through the holes quite as good as Ryan could towards the end of that race,” Little said. “Man, we led half a race again. We'll get one of these eventually and win up front.”

Little regained the second spot from Tanner English of Benton, Ky., in the closing laps.

“That was a rough one,” English said. “I about killed myself twice the last two laps down here in that hole, but, all in all, the car's good.” — From series and staff reports