Batesville Motor Speedway
Marlar gets the pole for Batesville's Topless 100
By Joshua Joiner
DirtonDirt.com staff writer
The pit area at Batesville Motor Speedway. (DirtonDirt.com)
LOCUST GROVE, Ark. (Aug. 16) — Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., will attempt to add another big-money victory to his resume Saturday night when he starts from the pole of the 21st annual Comp Cams Topless 100 presented by Crop Production Services.
Marlar set fast time during Friday’s Topless 100 prelims at Batesville Motor Speedway and led of the first of six heat races to earn the top start spot for Saturday’s 100-lapper. He’ll be joined on the front row by Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., who claimed Friday’s fourth heat. Notebook | Slideshow
Two-time defending Lucas Oil Series champion and 2009 Topless 100 winner Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., won the second heat race to earn the third-starting spot for the main event, while heat four winner Jesse Stovall of Galena, Mo., will look for an upset victory when he starts fourth.
Heat five winner Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., will chase his fifth Topless 100 victory when he rolls off from the fifth starting spot, while Tyler Reddick of Corning, Calif., will join him in row three after claiming Friday’s sixth and final heat race.
Eighteen of the event’s 55 entries locked into the Topless 100 feautre through Friday’s heat races. Saturday’s action will kick off with three consolation races that will each transfer two more cars into the main event. Two provisional starters will round out the 26-car field, while drivers not making the main event will run a $1,000-to-win Crop Production Services Non-Qualifiers' Dash.
Consolation race lineups
(15 laps; top two transfer to feature)
First consolation
Row 1: Jack Sullivan, Robert Baker
Row 2: Michael Asberry, Robbie Stuart
Row 3: Don O'Neal, Eddie Carrier Jr.
Row 4: Garrett Alberson, Sean Jones
Row 5: AJ Diemel, Jon Kirby
Row 6: Odie Green, Jeff Floyd
Row 7: Eric Jacobsen
Second consolation
Row 1: Stacy Taylor, Steve Francis
Row 2: Gary Christian, Brandon Smith
Row 3: Gavin Landers, Rob Litton
Row 4: Justin Asplin, Tyler Erb
Row 5: Raymond Merrill, Jay Brunson
Row 6: David Deetz, Mike Harris
Third consolation
Row 1: Mark Dotson, David Breazeale
Row 2: Timothy Culp, Tommy Weder
Row 3: Jared Landers, Kyle Bronson
Row 4: Leon Henderson, BJ Robinson
Row 5: George Jackson, Keith Craft
Row 6: Shane Harris, Eric Turner
Blog-style reports of Friday's action:
Sixth heat
Outside polesitter Tyler Reddick checked out in the sixth and final heat, winning the caution-free race by nearly a straightaway. John Blankenship topped a back-and-forth battle with Kyle Beard to claim the runner-up spot at the finish, while Beard held on to third to also make the main event. Polesitter Leon Henderson faded early in the race before regaining some ground and finishing fourth.
Finish: Tyler Reddick, John Blankenship, Kyle Beard, Leon Henderson, Tommy Weder, Kyle Brunson, B.J. Robinson, Shane Harris. Scratch: Eric Turner.
Fifth heat
Jesse Stovall led fellow front-row starter Jimmy Mars by a nose at the completion of the first lap before pulling ahead on lap two and cruising the rest of the way in heat five. Mars briefly challenged Stovall on a lap-five restart, but he again faded in finishing second, just ahead of Brian Shirley, who'll join Stovall and Mars in transferring to the main event. The lap-five caution appeared when Timothy Culp spun in turn one; he rallied from the back to finish fifth.
Finish: Jesse Stovall, Jimmy Mars, Brian Shirley, Mark Dotson, Timothy Culp, Jared Landers, Leon Henderson, Kenneth Jackson, Keith Craft.
Fourth heat
Leading every lap of another caution-free prelim, second-starting Dale McDowell pulled away to a convincing victory to earn the outside pole for Saturday’s main event. Polesitter Billy Moyer slipped back to third on the opening lap before retaking the spot from Dennis Erb Jr. midway through the race. Moyer cut into McDowell’s lead in the closing laps, but he came up short in settling for second. Erb also transferred after finishing well ahead of last year’s race winner Steve Francis in third.
Finish: Dale McDowell, Billy Moyer, Dennis Erb Jr., Steve Francis, Brandon Smith, Rob Litton, Tyler Erb, Jay Brunson, Mike Harris.
Third heat
Second-starting Scott Bloomquist pulled ahead of a three-wide battle exiting turn two on the opening lap and cruised to a convincing victory in the caution-free third heat. Built nearly a straightaway lead in just two laps after pulling ahead of polesitter Chris Wall and third-starting Earl Pearson Jr., before Pearson finally cleared Wall for second. Pearson never made up any ground on Bloomquist and settled for second, while Wall held on to finish third and also make the main event.
Finish: Scott Bloomquist, Earl Pearson Jr., Chris Wall, Stacy Taylor, Gary Christian, Gavin Landers, Justin Asplin, Raymond Merrill, Dave Deetz.
Second heat
Polesitter Jimmy Owens outdueled fellow front-row starter Chris Madden in the opening laps of heat two and pulled away in leading every lap of the caution-free prelim. Madden faded after the first two laps and had to hold off a challenge from Wendell Wallace before picking up the pace and closing on Owens in the final laps. Madden’s late charge came up short, and he settled for second with Wallace taking the final transfer position.
Finish: Jimmy Owens, Chris Madden, Wendell Wallace, Robert Baker, Robbie Stuart, Eddie Carrier Jr., Sean Jones, Jon Kirby, Jeff Floyd.
First heat
Fast qualifier Mike Marlar cruised in the first of six 12-lap heat races, leading every from the outside of the front row to beat polesitter Terry Phillips by a half-straightaway. Billy Moyer Jr. turned back an early challenge from seventh-starting Jack Sullivan to grab the third and final transfer spot. Starting on the tail of the field after he was light on the scales after qualifying, Don O’Neal powered to fifth on the opening lap. But his night went from bad to worse when he and Eric Jacobsen got together in turns one and two, sending both cars into the wall and causing a lap-four caution. Jacobsen headed for the pits, while O’Neal, who was fastest overall in qualifying before coming up 35 pounds light at the scales, continued with significant cosmetic damage.
Finish: Mike Marlar, Terry Phillips, Billy Moyer Jr., Jack Sullivan, Michael Asberry, Don O’Neal, Garrett Alberson, A.J. Diemel, Odie Green, Eric Jacobsen.
Time trials
Don O’Neal’s luck finally ran out. A weekly after surviving a spin to win $50,000 at the North-South 100, O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., was fastest in Friday’s time trials for Batesville Motor Speedway’s Comp Cams Topless 100 only to come up light at the scales.
O’Neal was disqualified for being 35 pounds light, handing fast time honors to Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., who was originally second to O’Neal in the first of two qualifying groups for the $40,000-to-win Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event.
“I hate it for anybody that ever happens to,” said Marlar, who posted a lap of 13.899 seconds around the high-speed 3/8-mile oval. “I hate that for him, but that’s how it goes. He had all the luck last week, but not so much this week.”
Hometown driver and four-time Topless 100 Billy Moyer was fastest in the second group with a lap of 14.146 seconds.
Marlar spun a two on the inversion wheel, setting up a two-car inversion for each of six heat races coming up later in the evening. The top three finishers in each heat will transfer directly to Saturday’s 100-lap main event.
Marlar was back in a Bloomquist Race Car he debuted earlier this season for the first time since wrecking the car since earlier in the summer.
“We had a wreck ... and tore it up pretty bad,” said Marlar. “It took a couple weeks to get it fixed, but we’re back in it and running well. I think Batesville suits it.”
Heat race lineups
(12 laps; top three transfer to feature)
First heat
Row 1: Terry Phillips, Mike Marlar
Row 2: Billy Moyer Jr., A.J. Diemel
Row 3: Michael Asberry, Eric Jacobsen
Row 4: Jack Sullivan, Garrett Alberson
Row 5: Odie Green, Don O’Neal
Second heat
Row 1: Jimmy Owens, Chris Madden
Row 2: Wendell Wallace, Eddie Carrier Jr.
Row 3: Sean Jones, Robert Baker
Row 4: Robbie Stuart, Jeff Floyd
Row 5: Jon Kirby
Third heat
Row 1: Chris Wall, Scott Bloomquist
Row 2: Stacy Taylor, Earl Pearson Jr.
Row 3: Gary Christian, Gavin Landers
Row 4: Raymond Merrill, Justin Asplin
Row 5: Dave Deetz
Fourth heat
Row 1: Dale McDowell, Billy Moyer
Row 2: Brandon Smith, Dennis Erb Jr.
Row 3: Tyler Erb, Rob Litton
Row 4: Steve Francis, Jay Brunson
Row 5: Mike Harris
Fifth heat
Row 1: Jimmy Mars, Jesse Stovall
Row 2: Brian Shirley, Jared Landers
Row 3: Timothy Culp, Mark Dotson
Row 4: Leon Henderson, Keith Craft
Row 5: Kenneth Jackson
Sixth heat
Row 1: David Breazeale, Tyler Reddick,
Row 2: John Blankenship, Kyle Beard
Row 3: Tommy Weder, Kyle Bronson
Row 4: B.J. Robinson, Shane Harris
Row 5: Eric Turner
Pre-event notes
Hot laps got rolling at 7:30 p.m. ... Six heat races will each transfer the top three finishers into Saturday's main event. ... Two-time defending Lucas Oil Series champion Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., leads the series standings entering the weekend as he looks for his second Topless 100 trophy. Owens, who has finished among the top five in five of the past six Topless 100 main events, won the event in 2009. ... Owens is locked in a tight points battle with the two most recent series winners at Batesville. Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., last year’s Topless 100 winner, is 25 points back with John Blankenship of Williamson, W.Va., who won Batesville’s Bad Bay 98 in May, 110 points behind. ... Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., enters the weekend fresh off his $50,000 series victory in the Sunoco North-South 100 at Florence Speedway in Union, Ky. ... Scott Bloomquist and Billy Moyer are tied for the most Topless 100 victories all-time with four apiece. Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., is the only other driver to win it more than once with two victories. ... Eric Turner of Springfield, Mo., will attempt to race with a broken left thumb after a hard wreck during Thursday’s practice. Doctors were unable to put a cast on Turner’s hand because of swelling, but Turner plans to use duct tape to fashion a splint. ... Raymond Merrill of Sallisaw, Okla., will drive the GRT Race Cars house car team’s backup car this weekend as a teammate to Jack Sullivan. ... Jeff Floyd of Walnut Ridge, Ark., is looking for his first Topless 100 feature start since 2004. ... Teammates Garrett Alberson and Dave Deetz, both of Las Cruces, N.M., have stopped off in Batesville to compete in the Topless on their way back to New Mexico from picking up a new MasterSbilt Race Car in Indiana. Alberson is in the middle of his best season with 13 Late Model victories. ... A.J. Diemel of Elk Mound, Wis., is looking to backup his solid run earlier in the month at Cedar Lake Speedway’s USA Nationals with a borrowed engine. Diemel’s only engine went down while leading Cedar Lake’s $50,000-to-win event. ... Hometown driver Gavin Landers, younger brother of Lucas Oil Series regular Jared Landers, is entered in his first Super Late Model event. The 16-year-old modified standout has won in Crate Late Model action at Batesville this season.
Qualifying (unofficial)
First group
Mike Marlar (5B), Winfield, Tenn. 13.899
Chris Madden (44), Gray Court, S.C. 13.930
Scott Bloomquist (0) Mooresburg, Tenn. 14.004
Terry Phillips (75), Springfield, Mo. 14.005
Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn. 14.099
Chris Wall (71w), Springfield, La. 14.210
Billy Moyer Jr. (21jr), Batesville, Ark. 14.276
Wendell Wallace (6m), Batesville, Ark. 14.308
Stacy Taylor (27), Jacksonville, Ark. 14.358
A.J. Diemel (58), Elk Mound, Wis. 14.365
Eddie Carrier Jr. (28), Salt Rock, W.Va. 14.366
Earl Pearson Jr. (44), Jacksonville, Fla. 14.372
Michael Asberry (360), Crossville, Tenn. 14.394
Sean Jones (24), Mansfield, Texas 14.454
Gary Christian (58x), Broken Bow, Okla. 14.493
Eric Jacobsen (5), Seacliff Beach, Calif. 14.542
Robert Baker (17m), Bryant, Ark. 14.558
Gavin Landers (26), Batesville, Ark. 14.615
Jack Sullivan (1x), Greenbrier, Ark. 14.616
Robbie Stuart (6R), DeRidder, La. 14.756
Raymond Merrill (1x), Sallisaw, Okla. 14.771
Garrett Alberson (12A), Las Cruces, N.M. 14.851
Jeff Floyd (F1), Walnut Ridge, Ark. 14.989
Justin Asplin (77A), Birch Tree, Mo. 15.029
Odie Green (15x), Fouke, Ark. 15.092
Jon Kirby (11k), Russellville, Ark. 15.112
David Deetz (43), Las Cruces, N.M. 15.288
Don O'Neal (71), Martinsville, Ind. disqualified
Second group
Billy Moyer (21), Batesville, Ark. 14.146
Jesse Stovall (00), Galena, Mo. 14.186
Dale McDowell (17m), Chickamauga, Ga. 14.230
Tyler Reddick (11), Corning, Calif. 14.233
Jimmy Mars (28), Menomonie, Wis. 14.293
David Breazeale (54), Four Corners, Miss. 14.346
Brandon Smith (115), Floral, Ark. 14.349
Brian Shirely (3s), Chatham, Ill. 14.363
John Blankenship (23), Williamson, W.Va. 14.363
Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill. 14.375
Jared Landers (5), Batesville, Ark. 14.450
Kyle Beard (86), Trumann, Ark. 14.521
Tyler Erb (91), Magnolia, Texas 14.532
Timothy Culp (c8), West Monroe, La. 14.545
Tommy Weder Jr. (02), Woodward, Okla. 14.568
Rob Litton (6x), Alexandria, La. 14.592
Mark Dotson (85D), Cameron, Mo. 14.640
Kyle Bronson (40B), Tampa, Fla. 14.656
Steve Francis (15), Ashland, Ky. 14.667
Leon Henderson (10), Laurel, Miss. 14.820
B.J. Robinson (F5), Shreveport, La. 15.095
Jay Brunson (23b), Dubberly, La. 15.165
Keith Craft (8c), Arkadelphia, Ark. 15.223
Shane Harris (0H), Sheridan, Ark. 15.309
Mike Harris (97), Doyline, La. 15.542
Kenneth Jackson (117) Beebe, Ark. 15.702
Eric Turner (33x), Springfield, Mo. no time
