Lake Cumberland Speedway
June 16, 2012
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Mike Marlar Masters 22nd Annual MAC Metals Lake Cumberland Classic at Lake Cumberland Speedway

by Michael Despain
BURNSIDE, KY (June 16) - The 22nd Annual MAC Metal Sales Lake Cumberland Classic presented by Mulligan Plumbing at Lake Cumberland Speedway would take place on Friday and Saturday evening and Mike Marlar of Winfield, TN would etch his name in the books as the winner of the Super Late Model main event and grab the $10,000 payday.  Other feature event winners included Tommy Bailey of Corbin, KY in Modifieds, Keith Decker of Somerset, KY in Super Dirt Stocks/Sportsman, and Jeremy Strunk of Bronston, KY in Front Wheel Drives.  

Brad Neat would jump to the lead at the start of the 75 lap, $10,000 to win Super Late Model main event and would pull away a bit in the early going, even with a rash of caution flags, one for second place running Aaron Ridley contact with the outside retaining on a lap 4 restart, Dustin Neat slowing with a flat right rear tire on lap 13, and a four car tangle that included Skylar Marlar, Tim Taylor, Mike Strunk, and Jeremy Rattliff on the lap 13 restart.  Once action resumed, eighth place starter Mike Marlar began to flex some muscle, getting by Michael Chilton for third on lap 15 and taking second from Victor Lee on lap 18 as Todd Coffman would battle back and forth with Michael Asberry for fifth.  A caution for a slowed Chris Combs on lap 27 would tighten the field up and Marlar would begin to pressure Neat for the lead after this restart.  The lead duo began to encounter slower traffic by lap 40 and Marlar would turn up the wick on his challenge for the lead.  Marlar would ease by Neat as the field completed 50 laps as misfortune would strike Neat in the form of a flat right rear tire on lap 51.  This restart would see Marlar begin to pull away from the pack, with Lee now second, and Asberry and Coffman stilling battling for third, while Dustin Neat had rolled his back to fifth after the flat tire on lap 13.  Asberry’s night would be finished on lap 71 when he drew the final caution of the race after suffering suspension after contact with the outside retaining wall in turn one.  Marlar would again pull away on the final restart and see the checkered flag first in the Norman Bryson owned Bryson Motorsports sponsored #5B Rocket Chassis, Clements Race Engine powered mount.  Coffman would nip Lee at the finish for the runner-up slot, while Skylar Marlar would finish fourth and restarting at the rear of the field on lap 13, with Dustin Neat completing the top five.  Brad Neat would work his way back up to sixth after his flat tire on lap 51, while Terry English, Michael Chilton, 18th starting Joey Daniel, and Johnny Wheeler completed the top ten.  Twenty-seven drivers signed in and Terry English and Aaron Ridley were the top qualifiers in A-B Group Time Trials, with English timing in at 13.422 seconds and Ridley at 13.485 seconds, with English being the overall top qualifier and earning an extra $100 from John Mulligan and Sidney Sprague.  Heat races were won by Chilton, Neat, Ridley, and Lee, while Mike Strunk and Daniel won the B-Mains.  Randy Ridner (track) and Justin Rattliff (fast time) were provisional starter, while Ridley was the winner of the $1,000 Dash for Cash for the top three qualifiers from each time trial group on Friday evening.  

The 30 lap Modified feature would also be a dandy of a race as Joe Godsey would break while leading on lap 3 and turn the lead over to Tommy Gregory, who would also have mechanical issues prior to the race returning to green.  Ben Petrey would take over as the race leader as would hold the lead as Jerry Pyles, Chris Johnson, and Tommy Bailey, who spun on lap 3 and had restarted at the rear of the field, battled two and three wide for the runner-up slot.  Bailey would win the battle for second on lap 22 and two circuits later would take the race lead from Petrey and pull away for the win in the E.J. Mills owned G&M Oil/Mills Auto/Tommy’s Auto Repair/Mountain Ridge Drilling/Jay’s Auto Parts sponsored #19 Lightning Chassis powered by a Doug Callebs Race Engine.  Petrey would take second, while Johnson, Pyles, and Cameron Marlar would complete the top five.  Eleven Modifieds would be signed in for action and Ben Petrey of would be the top qualifier at 15.049 seconds.  Two heats would be contested, with those being won by Joe Godsey and Tommy Gregory.

Keith Decker would take the lead at the start of the Super Dirt Stock/Sportsman main event and only be challenged on a pair of restarts to claim yet another win in this division aboard his unsponsored #2 machine.  Goble Bertram would recover from a lap 10 spin to claim runner-up honors, while Scott Hutchinson, Tim McMullin, and Johnny King would complete the top five.  Eight Super Dirt Stocks/Sportsman were in action and Decker would be the top qualifier at 15.491 seconds and would also win the heat.

The Front Wheel Drive main event would see a three-way battle occur in the final few laps of the event Jeremy Strunk, Adam Gregory, and Johnnie Adams, with Strunk squeezing out the race win and earning an extra $100 from Mulligan Plumbing for his efforts in the seat of the Mike Strunk owned D&M Muffler and Tire/Corder’s Engine Works/Delaney Engineering/B.A. Graphix/Head Over Heels Salon/Bodean’s Tattoos sponsored #15 Acura Integra mount.  Gregory would finish and Adams would claim third, while Brandon Holt and David Glenn would round out the top five.  Twelve Front Wheel Drives would see Adam Gregory be the top qualifier at 17.436 seconds, while the two heat race victories would fall to Gregory and Jayson Henderson.

SUMMARY-Lake Cumberland Speedway-Burnside, Kentucky-June 15, 2012

Super Late Models (27 entries)

Top Qualifiers- Terry English 13.422 (Group A and Overall), Aaron Ridley 13.485 (Group B)

Dash for Cash- Aaron Ridley, Terry English, Johnny Wheeler, Brad Neat, Michael Chilton, Chad Stapleton

1st Heat- Michael Chilton, Terry English, Michael Asberry, Caleb Ashby, Shelby Johnson, Justin Rattliff

2nd Heat- Brad Neat, Chris Combs, Tim Tungate, Skylar Marlar, Mike Strunk, Dennis Barton (DNS- David Webb)

3rd Heat- Aaron Ridley, Dustin Neat, Johnny Wheeler, Jason Barrett, Joey Daniel, Tim Taylor, Tommy Carlton

4th Heat- Victor Lee, Mike Marlar, Todd Coffman, Chad Stapleton, Scott James, Randy Ridner

1st B-Main- Mike Strunk, Shelby Johnson, Dennis Barton (DNS- Justin Rattliff, Tommy Bailey)

2nd B-Main- Joey Daniel, Tim Taylor, Randy Ridner, Tommy Carlton (DNS- Scott James)

Provisionals- Randy Ridner (track), Justin Rattliff (time)

22nd Annual MAC Metal Sales Lake Cumberland Classic presented by Mulligan Plumbing: Mike Marlar, Todd Coffman, Victor Lee, Skylar Marlar, Dustin Neat, Brad Neat, Terry English, Michael Chilton, Joey Daniel, Johnny Wheeler, Jason Barrett, Randy Ridner, Michael Asberry, Shelby Johnson, Chad Stapleton, Mike Strunk, Chris Combs, Tim Tungate, Justin Rattliff, Tim Taylor, Aaron Ridley, Caleb Ashby

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Modifieds (11 entries)
Top Qualifier- Ben Petrey 15.049
1st Heat- Joe Godsey, Cameron Marlar, Ben Petrey, Joe Patrick, Jared Reams
2nd Heat- Tommy Gregory, Tommy Bailey, Jerry Pyles, Chris Johnson, Tony Lambert
Feature- Tommy Bailey, Ben Petrey, Chris Johnson, Jerry Pyles, Cameron Marlar, Tim Patrick, Jeff Rawlings, Jared Reams, Tony Lambert, Tommy Gregory, Joe Godsey

Super Dirt Stocks/Sportsman (8 entries)
Top Qualifier- Keith Decker 15.491
Heat- Keith Decker, Tim McMullin, Scott Hutchinson, Anthony Wiseman, Johnny King, Richard Price, Goble Bertram (DNS- Sarah Patrick)
Feature- Keith Decker, Goble Bertram, Scott Hutchinson, Tim McMullin, Johnny King, Richard Price, Anthony Wiseman, Sarah Patrick

Front Wheel Drives (12 entries)
Top Qualifier- Adam Gregory 17.436
1st Heat- Adam Gregory, Rusty Light, Charles Burton, Eddie Strunk, Brandon Holt
2nd Heat- Jayson Henderson, Jeremy Strunk, Virgil Gregory, Brandon Davis (DNS- Scott Tomlinson)
Feature- Jeremy Strunk, Adam Gregory, Johnnie Adams, Brandon Holt, David Glenn, Charles Burton, Virgil Gregory, Rusty Light, Scott Tomlinson, Steven Cain (DNS- Eddie Strunk, Brandon Davis, Jayson Henderson)