Mars mounted a brilliant charge through the field in an effort to capture the $30,000 winner’s prize in the STARS season-ender and brought the MasterSbilt Chassis prepared Monte Carlo through the field from the 17th starting position. The determined effort by the Wisconsin native would yield a $7,000 payday for the 3rd place result. The podium finish in the ‘Fall Nationals 100’ followed another top-ten performance which Jimmy turned in on the opening night of the STARS weekend triple-header with a seventh-place run in the Thursday night opener.

Mars’ charge through the field in that event came from an 18th place start to claim the top-ten. Friday night’s action saw Mars qualify the ParkerStore ride 7th quickest among the 71 entries. A second-place run in preliminary heat races gave Jimmy a starting spot on the inside of the second row for the feature, but handling problems forced Mars to retire from the event after 41 laps.

Mars is a former STARS winner and champion of the ‘WinterNationals’ at East Bay Raceway, and earlier this season captured a Hav-A-Tampa Series pole award in 2000 ‘WinterNationals’ action at the 1/3 mile oval. Jimmy Mars’ talent in the stock car racing arena has seen bright success at both dirt and asphalt short-track racing facilities.

Earlier this season in the August running of the prestigious ‘Topless 100’, Mars won over $42,000 by taking the checkered flag at the Batesville Speedway (Batesville, AR). Mars is also a former champion (1997) of the $100,000 to win dirt late model "Dream" race at Eldora Speedway in Ohio and claimed the "US Outlaw Nationals" championship at Cedar Lake Speedway near St. Paul, MN, winning the event in 1996. Last season Mars stepped outside the world of major league dirt racing and claimed the NASCAR RE/MAX Challenge Series 'Rookie of the Year' honors while proving his skills on America’s short-track paved ovals.