KENT, Pa. (Oct.11) — It only makes sense that Jimmy Mars would be right at home in a series tagged with a UFO label. The Menomonie, Wis., driver, who started 12th in the $22,000-to-win Ultimate at Challenger Raceway, took the lead from polesitter Jackie Boggs of Grayson, Ky., on lap 37 and never looked back en route to a rich victory on the Unified Force Championship Series. | Saturday slideshow | Saturday's preview | Friday slideshow | Friday pre-race notes | Heat race recaps

Mars threaded his way through lapped traffic for 83 caution-free laps before a yellow with seven laps remaining erased his half-track lead in the 91-lapper and put Jeep Van Wormer of Pinconning, Mich. alongside for the double-file restart. Another caution with just four laps to go gave Van Wormer another chance to overtake Marks, but his No. 55 slipped high on the restart, allowing Davey Johnson of Latrobe, Pa., to grab the runner-up spot.

Johnson, however, couldn't gain enough momentum to catch the smooth-sailing Mars as the Wisconsin driver claimed victory in his Mars Car sponsored by Deppe Enterprises. Johnson finished second in the Bill Stile-owned No. 1J with 15th-starting Van Wormer third, 20th-starting Robbie Blair of Titusville, Pa., fourth, and Boggs fifth.

Boggs and fellow front-row starter Tim Dohm of Cross Lanes, W.Va., led the field to the green with Boggs taking early command of the field with Jared Miley of South Park, Pa., soon settling into second. Mars flexed his muscles early as he cracked the top five by the 11th lap. Shortly thereafter, the leading Boggs closed in on the back of the field with Miley and Mars in tow. While business at the front of the field was beginning to pick up, 19th-starting Steve Francis was rim-riding as he headed for the front and Blair was quietly working his way through the field.

Mars took second from Miley on lap 34 and was soon hounding Boggs for the point. After a brief side-by-side battle for the lead, Mars took command of the field on lap 37 and wasted no time pulling away from the competition.

Johnson showed his strength just after the halfway point as he grabbed third spot from Miley, then challenged Boggs for second as the duo raced through heavy lapped traffic. He finally took the spot from Boggs on lap 70, but Mars was a full straightaway ahead and stretching his lead.

Boggs fell to fourth on lap 77 as Van Wormer found the middle groove to his liking and moved into third. The Michigan driver continued his assault by overpowering Johnson for second on lap 81.

The race's first caution for UFO champion Alex Ferree of Saxonburg, Pa., on lap 83 bunched the field — Mars was a half-track ahead of Van Wormer — and lapped cars were sent to the back of the pack for a double-file restart with Mars on the inside and Van Wormer on the outside. Although Mars stormed ahead on the restart, another yellow four laps later forced another restart.

With a key chance to unseat Mars, Van Wormer drove too hard into turns one and two and Johnson was able to slip past. But Mars had too much for either pursuer as he finished off his victory in his first-ever weekend at the Pennsylvania oval.