FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Brian Shirley Shines in Belle-Clair Speedway MARS Racing Series Weekend Opener

By Michael Despain

BELLEVILLE, ILLINOIS – May 4, 2018 – The MARS Super Late Model Racing Series would return to action with the first event of a weekend doubleheader in the Land of Lincoln as the tour would visit Belle-Clair Speedway in Belleville, Ill. and Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill. would handle a racing surface with a lot of character on the evening and score a $3,000 victory. 

The victory for Shirley would be his first of the season with the tour and his ninth career series checkered flag and it would come aboard the Bob Cullen owned Thomason Express, Kid’s Castle Learning Center, Jayco Construction, Cheap Cars, Vallejo Inc., KBC Graphics sponsored #3s Rocket Chassis, Andy Durham Race Engines powered entry. 

Rusty Griffaw would take the lead at the start of the event, shortened to thirty laps, with Brian Shirley, Tanner English, Gordy Gundaker, and Tim Manville in pursuit. Dave Jacober would draw the first of four cautions in the event on lap two to slow the action and the top five would remain the same after the restart, which only saw one more circuit scored before Jason Zobrist slowed on the backchute to draw a caution. Action would resume and Griffaw and Shirley would scoot away from third place English a bit, while eighth-place starting Daryn Klein began to pressure Manville for the fifth position. Action among the top four would heat up on lap six when Shirley pressured Griffaw for the lead and Gundaker challenged English for the third position. The front pair were already working slower traffic and Shirley would make his move on lap seven and drive past Griffaw exiting turn two in traffic. Shirley would gain a bit of a lead on Griffaw at this point when Mark Rose would draw the caution after stopping on the backstretch. The restart would see Shirley, Griffaw, and English motor away from Gundaker, who was now being challenged by Klein, with Klein grabbing the fourth spot on lap thirteen. 

As the halfway mark came, Shirley began to open his lead up once again until seventh place running Manville slowed on the backstretch to draw the final caution of the event on lap seventeen. The remainder of the contest would go caution-free and Shirley would build up a full straightaway lead over the field and would see the checkered flag first. Griffaw would settle for runner-up honors, while English would complete the podium finishers with a third-place effort. Klein would finish in the fourth position, while Gundaker completed the top five finishers. The remainder of the top ten finishers would be Myles Moos, Caleb Ashby, thirteenth starting Dean Carpenter, Charlie Cole, and fifteenth starting David Seibers.  

The MARS Super Late Model Racing Series next event Saturday May 5 at Fayette County Speedway in Brownstown, Ill., paying $3,000 to win.  

Further information on the MARS Super Late Model Racing Series can be obtained by calling Promoter/Race Director Chris Tilley at (606) 219-1723 or by visiting the official series website located at www.marsracingseries.com.

Official Summary of Results

Feature Results for MARS Super Late Model Racing Series at Belle-Clair Speedway in Belleville, Ill. on May 4, 2018
1. Brian Shirley-Chatham, Ill.
2. Rusty Griffaw-Festus, Mo.
3. Tanner English-Benton, Ky.
4. Daryn Klein-Fairview Heights, Ill.
5. Gordy Gundaker-St. Charles, Mo.
6. Myles Moos-Lincoln, Ill.
7. Caleb Ashby-Cunningham, Tenn.
8. Dean Carpenter-Coldwater, Miss.
9. Charlie Cole-Wynne, Ark.
10. David Seibers-Chapel Hill, Tenn.
11. Greg Kimmons-Pleasant Plains, Ill.
12. Mike Hammerle-St. Charles, Mo.
13. Tim Manville-St. Jacob, Ill.
14. Mark Rose-Dorchester, Wisc.
15. Dave Jacober-Highland, Ill.
16. Corey Ford-Belleville, Ill.
17. Dan Jacober-.Highland, Ill.
18. Jason Zobrist-Highland, Ill.
19. Brent McKinnon-Carlyle, Ill.
21. Jason Sohre-Highland, Ill.
22. Dave Armstrong-Wildwood, Mo.
Did Not Qualify- Rich Standridge, Michael Kloos, Matt Bailey, Dane Dacus

Time of Race: 14 minutes, 45 seconds
Margin of Victory: 2.595 seconds
Yellow Flags: 4 (lap 2, 3, 11 ,17)
Red Flags: None
Lap Leaders: Rusty Griffaw 1-6, Brian Shirley 7-30
Entries: 26
Wiles Driveshafts Top Qualifier: Tanner English 10.988 seconds
Provisional Starters: None

Heat One Finish (10 laps/top 5 transfer)- Tanner English, Tim Manville, Charlie Cole, Brent McKinnon, Dean Carpenter, Greg Kimmons, Dave Jacober, Mike Hammerle (DNS-Matt Bailey)

Heat Two Finish (10 laps/top 5 transfer)- Rusty Griffaw, Gordy Gundaker, Daryn Klein, Jason Suhre, Jason Zobrist, Dan Jacober, Rich Standridge (DNS-Michael Kloos, Dane Dacus)

Heat Three Finish (10 laps/top 5 transfer)- Brian Shirley, Myles Moos, Caleb Ashby, Mark Voigt, David Seibers, Corey Ford, Mark Rose, Dave Armstrong


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Brian Shirley Sweeps MARS Weekend with Fayette County Speedway Victory

By Michael Despain

BROWNSTOWN, ILLINOIS – May 5, 2018 – The MARS Super Late Model Racing Series would complete its doubleheader weekend of racing competition in the state of Illinois at Fayette County Speedway in Brownstown, Ill. and Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill. would sweep the weekend of the tour’s racing action, picking up another $3,000 payday.

The win for Shirley would be second of the season with the MARS tour and his tenth career series victory and would come behind the wheel of the Bob Cullen owned Thomason Express, Kid’s Castle Learning Center, Jayco Construction, Cheap Cars, Vallejo Inc., KBC Graphics sponsored #3s Rocket Chassis, Andy Durham Race Engines powered entry. 

The drop of the green flag on the 40 lap, $3,000 to win contest would see Brian Shirley shoot to the early race lead, with Tanner English, Frank Heckenast, Jr., Tim Manville, and Michael Kloss in tow. The first of three caution flags would wave as the field worked lap two when Caleb Ashby would spin his machine in turn three and be finished for the night. The restart would see the top three positions unchanged, while Kloos would challenge Manville for the fourth spot and would claim the position on lap three. Shirley would extend his lead over English by lap ten and would start working slower traffic on lap twelve. As the race neared the halfway mark, Shirley would start to encounter more traffic, however, the caution would wave again on lap twenty-two when one of the tire barriers inside turn one would get knocked out onto the racing surface. The restart would see Manville work back past Kloos for the fourth position, as Shirley would begin to work the high side of the racing surface and put some distance back to second place running English. The final caution of the event would wave on lap twenty-nine when Logan Martin would slow in turn four and pull pitside for the night. The restart would see Shirley maintain the race lead, while Heckenast, Jr. would pressure English for the second position and take it on lap thirty. Manville and Kloss would battle for the fourth spot and Kloos would take the spot for good on lap thirty-one. Shirley would maintain a comfortable advantage over the final few circuits over Heckenast, Jr. and would claim the victory, while Heckenast, Jr. would settle for runner-up honors, with English coming home in the third position. Kloos and Manville would complete the top five finishers. The remainder of the top ten in the final running order would be Kent Robinson, Gordy Gundaker, Myles Moos, David Seibers, and Dean Carpenter. 

The MARS Super Late Model Racing Series next events will be Friday May 11 at Farmer City Raceway in Farmer City, Ill and Saturday May 12 at Fairbury’s American Legion Speedway in Fairbury, Ill., with both events paying $10,000 to win.  

Further information on the MARS Super Late Model Racing Series can be obtained by calling Promoter/Race Director Chris Tilley at (606) 219-1723 or by visiting the official series website located at www.marsracingseries.com.

Official Summary of Results

Feature Results for MARS Super Late Model Racing Series at Fayette County Speedway in Brownstown, Ill. on May 5, 2018
1. Brian Shirley-Chatham, Ill.
2. Frank Heckenast, Jr.-Frankfort, Ill.
3. Tanner English-Benton, Ky.
4. Michael Kloos-Trenton, Ill.
5. Tim Manville-St. Jacob, Ill.
6. Kent Robinson-Bloomington, Ind.
7. Gordy Gundaker-St. Charles, Mo.
8. Myles Moos-Lincoln, Ill.
9. David Seibers-Chapel Hill, Tenn.
10. Dean Carpenter-Coldwater, Miss.
11. Richard Frost-Clarksville, Tenn.
12. Brent McKinnon-Carlyle, Ill.
13. Dane Dacus-Lakeland, Tenn.
14. Logan Martin-West Plains, Mo.
15. Tim Ratajczyk-Millstadt, Ill.
16. Charlie Cole-Wynne, Ark.
17. Caleb Ashby-Cunningham, Tenn.

Time of Race: 21 minutes, 48 seconds 
Margin of Victory: N/A
Yellow Flags: 3 (lap 2, 22, 29)
Red Flags: None
Lap Leaders: Brian Shirley 1-40
Entries: 17
Wiles Driveshafts Top Qualifier: Brian Shirley 13.052 seconds
Provisional Starters: None

Heat One Finish (10 laps/all transfer)- Brian Shirley, Michael Kloss, Kent Robinson, Tim Ratajczyk, Dean Carpenter, Charlie Cole

Heat Two Finish (10 laps/all transfer)- Tanner English, Tim Manville, Myles Moos, Logan Martin, Brent McKinnon (DNS-Caleb Ashby)

Heat Three Finish (10 laps/all transfer)- Frank Heckenast, Jr., Gordy Gundaker, Dane Dacus, David Seibers, Richard Frost

Current MARS Racing Series Points (after May 5)
1. Tanner English-653
2. Tim Manville-635
3. Dean Carpenter-625
4. David Seibers-621
5. Caleb Ashby-619
6. Jason Jameson-388
7. Dennis Erb Jr.-386
8. Austin Rettig-380
9. Levi Ashby-366
10. Roben Huffman-358