What won the race: Fending off a lap-37 slider from Brandon Sheppard, Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, led the final 29 laps to win Friday's MARS opener at the Brownstown Bullring. Erb, who paced the field for 30 of the 40 laps, earned his second career series victory.

Quotable: “Thank you, it was awesome,” Erb said. “It was a good race, it was really fun. Shepp slid me there and just wasn’t enough leaving turn two with the top. I kinda got the lead on the first lap and I was probably just being too nice and didn’t move up, but we all raced good. At one point I think we were three-wide and I slid him for the lead there, getting into (turn) three. It was awesome man. I had a blast.”

Key notes: The fifth-starting Sheppard, of New Berlin, Ill., briefly grabbed the lead exiting turn two on lap 37 before Erb went back ahead with a turn-three slider; Sheppard finished 0.521 of a second back. ... Shannon Babb advanced four positions and finished third. ... Brian Shirley gained five spots and finished fourth. ... Modified standout Mike Harrison, piloting a Steve Lampley-owned car, ran as high as second in the early laps before fading to finish sixth. ... Driving a car honoring Glen Thompson of Buckingham, Ill., a two-time Sportsmanship Award winner and longtime Late Model regular at Fairbury who died April 21, Blaze Burwell started and finished eighth. ... Drake Troutman led laps two through 11 before fading and finishing ninth. ... Ryan Unzicker drew the race's only caution when he slowed from fourth and retired with a flat left rear tire. ... Reigning World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series champ Dennis Erb Jr. scratched after losing an engine during his heat race. ... Friday's feature, the first race under new tour owner Matt Curl and first-year series director Jonathan Clayton, lasted 13 minutes with 12 drivers completing 40 laps. ... Fairbury (Ill.) Speedway on Saturday and Red Hill Raceway in Sumner, Ill., on Sunday complete the series weekend; both pay $5,000-to-win and are live on FloRacing.

On the move: Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., started 15th and finished fifth.

Winner's sponsors: Erb’s winning Best Performance Motorsports Rocket Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Terbo Threads, First Class Septic, Roberts Bee Company, Bulk Material Lift, Gaier’s Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram, Anthony’s Pizza, BASE Racing Fuel, JRR Trucking, Keyser Mfg., Hoosier Racing Tire, Integra Racing Shocks, Penske, Wix Filters, Walker Performance, Performance Bodies, R&R Design, Day Motorsports, Doyle Edwards Trucking, Go Lithium, KBC Graphix and Midwest Sheet Metal.

Points chase: After Brownstown: 1. Tyler Erb (75); 2. Brandon Sheppard (70); 3. Shannon Babb (65); 4. Brian Shirley (60); 5. Jason Feger (57).

Current weather: Clear, 55°F

Car count: 37

Fast qualifier: Tyler Erb

Time: 12.830 seconds

Polesitter: Mike Harrison

Heat race winners: Tyler Erb, Drake Troutman, Mike Harrison, Ryan Unzicker

Consolation race winners: Brian Diveley, Jason Suhre

Provisional starters: Bob Gardner, Tommy Sheppard Jr.

Next series race: April 29, Fairbury Speedway (Fairbury, IL) $5,000