Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Speedy Mars makes it four in a row in Vegas
By Chris Stepan
DirtonDirt.com correspondent
Jimmy Mars won $3,000. (raceimages.net)
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Feb. 28) — Remaining undefeated at Vegas in a Jess Anderson-owned car, polesitter Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., fought off challenges from Scott James for his fourth consecutive Dirt Late Model victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway's half-mile dirt track in the opening feature of the two-night Las Vegas Dirt Classic. Mars earned $3,000 for the Western Allstars Late Model Series victory. | Slideshow
The high-running James of Lawrenceburg, Ind., driving an Oregon-based car owned by Rick Wyatt, pressured the low-running Mars much of the race and actually took the lead on the seventh lap, but a caution for A.J. Kirkpatrick erased the move and put Mars back out front for the restart. He stayed there through three more restarts the rest of the way and edged away at the finish to win the 30-lap feature by about eight lengths over his fellow front-row starter.
James was left to fend off late challenges by Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., the former World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion who piloted the Chris Sivesind-wrenched Victory Circle Chassis house car. Trevor Glaser of Tangent, Ore., recovering from a heat-race spin, rallied from 19th on the low side to finish fourth and Steve Drake of San Luis Obispo, Calif., was fifth.
Another $3,000-to-win 30-lapper is scheduled for Friday night.
Notebook
Jimmy Mars has been dominant in the MasterSbilt from Mars car owned by Jess Anderson of Gillette, Wyo. Besides his four victories at Vegas — he swept last winter's two features and also won November's Duel in the Desert — Mars has two victories in the car at Central Arizona Raceway in Casa Grande. ... The MasterSbilt was put together in Mars' Wisconsin shop and has been driven exclusively by Mars in his special trips out West. ... Sponsors include ESSI, Deppe Enterprises, Jimmy's Pub, Dagwood Lettering and Graphics. ... Fourteen finishers were on the lead lap and 17 were running at the finish. ... Five cautions slowed the feature, none for serious wrecks. ... A first-lap, first-turn scramble caused a restart. ... Ed Kosiski slowed to bring out a lap-18 caution and Jeremy Shank stalled for a lap-26 caution. ... Shank was driving a No. 17B Swartz Race Car. ... Bobby Hogge IV of Salinas, Calif., drove his regular car but added an "83" to his number to make it No. 283 in tribute to California racer Kellen Chadwick, who suffered serious neck and back injuries in a rollover modified accident the previous week at Central Arizona Raceway. ... Kenny Edwards, the younger brother of NASCAR Sprint Cup star Carl Edwards, was among those failing to make the Late Model feature event. ... Blake Miller of Yorba Linda, Calif., came from the 16th starting spot to win the USAC/CRA sprint car feature.
Finish: (1) Jimmy Mars, (2) Scott James, (3) Tim McCreadie, (4) Trevor Glaser, (5) Steve Drake, (6) Bobby Hogge IV, (7) Lonnie Parker Jr., (8) Chris Shannon, (9) Billy Griffin, (10) Greg Walters, (11) Andy Obertello, (12) Darren Coffell, (13) Ron Bartels, (14) Ricky Weiss, (15) Nick Bartels, (16) Mark Carrell, (17) Clarke Gugliemoni, (18) Ronnie Williams, (19) Jeremy Shank, (20) Delbert Smith, (21) Ed Kosiski, (22) Rob Mayea, (23) Mike Balcaen, (24) A.J. Kirkpatrick. Car count: 46. Heat race winners: Mars, James, Parker, Obertello, Drake. Consolation winners: Walters, R. Bartels.
