Mars body takes a pounding in what appeared to be a motocross event

FORT WORTH, TX - Jimmy Mars of Elk Mound, WI was a survivor of the fittest in taking his first career United Dirt Track Racing Association Pro DirtCar Series victory before 10,500 fans Saturday night in the Albertson's Spring Challenge on the 4/10-mile dirt track at Texas Motor Speedway.

A rough race track led to a high attrition rate among the 24 starters with 11 cars finishing the main event that was cut from 75 to 50 laps with nine caution flags. Mars found the smoothest spot on the track right down on the bottom groove to lead on two different occasions in his Parker Store Mastersbilt/Pro Power Monte Carlo.

Mars took the lead for good on lap 15 when he powered under Shannon Babb of Decatur, IL, and then stretched out to as much as a full straightaway lead. Late in the race, Mars held off a hard-charging Bill Frye of Greenbrier, AR to post the $15,000 victory.

"I have to thank everybody here for giving us a chance to put on a good show in front of a large crowd," Mars said. "My sponsor Parker Store has been with me for quite a while. Pro Power Motors, you can beat them to death and they keep coming on. It's a very emotional win for me. It's just awesome."

Frye tried to reel in Mars in the final laps, closing to within a car-length in turn three on the final lap. Frye drove his UniFirst Uniforms GRT/Kuntz Mustang hard into the turn on the high side, banged the cushion, went up on two wheels, and had to settle for second.

"I am just proud to finish this race," Frye said. "Finishing was rough, but we ran good. We didn't have anything left for Mars, as we were just too tight, and we are tickled with second."

Marshall Green of Dalton, GA drove a steady race to finish third in the Barto Enterprises Warrior/Hatfield Monte Carlo.

"I can't even feel my arms," Green said as he pulled off the rough track and climbed out of his car. "We had a good car, but I ran out of tear-offs. The track was good, as we have run a lot rougher tracks. The track allowed for lots of passing. I started 12th and ended up third. I'm really tired because this track was physically demanding. I noticed the top two finishers are larger in size than me."

Terry English took the fourth spot in the AAA Fence Rayburn/Runyan Monte Carlo and Edwin Wells of Morrilton, AR was the JE Pistons Hard Charger of the Race after starting his Hightower Oil GRT/Custom Monte Carlo in 22nd starting spot and finishing fifth.

Winston Cup star Ken Schrader of Fenton, MO finished sixth in the Federated Auto Parts GRT/Dickens Grand Prix and UDTRA point leader Rick Eckert of York, PA came home in seventh spot driving the Raye Vest Rocket/Cornett Mustang. Duke Whiseant of Texarkana, AR was eighth in the A-1 Auto Salvage Rocket/Dickens Grand Prix.

Wendell Wallace of Batesville, AR drove his JFR Graphics GRT/Russell Baker Grand Prix to a ninth-place finish, and Steve Francis of Ashland, KY rounded out the top ten in the Valvoline/Mopar Performance Rocket/Stanton Dodge. Eckert now holds a 27-point advantage over Francis in the UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series point standings.

Steve Boley of West Liberty, IA started out the evening by setting fast time among the 56 entrants with a time of 16.169 seconds for an average speed of 89.059 miles per hour. He then won the first 12-lap Borla Performance Heat Race to put his Ron Alpen Ford Mastersbilt/Cornett Mustang on the pole position for the main event.

Boley took the lead from Mars at the start of the race, while Frye and 1997 UDTRA Champion Billy Moyer of Batesville, AR battled wheel-to-wheel for the third spot. In turn two, Frye and Moyer went wheel-on-wheel, sending the outside running Moyer into the air, and he stopped at the head of the back straightaway to bring out the first caution flag.

Moyer was done for the night with a broken left-front suspension on his Petroff Towing/J&J Steel Rayburn/Clements Grand Prix and a floor pan that was wrapped around his knees. Moyer was uninjured in the incident.

Boley grabbed the point again on the restart, but defending and four-time UDTRA Champion Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN took his Miller Brother Coal Warrior/Custom Mustang to the outside groove and took the lead on lap two. Bloomquist then pulled out to a 3 car-length lead while Boley and Mars battled for second, and Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN ran fourth in the GVS Racing Rayburn/Russell Baker Monte Carlo.

Francis brought out the second yellow flag with a flat right-rear tire on lap seven. During the caution, Boley went to the pits with a broken left-rear suspension. On the restart, Kevin Weaver of Gibson City, IL spun his Luigi's Restaurant Rayburn/ETS Monte Carlo in turn one, and during that caution period, Bloomquist gave up the lead, pitting with fuel pressure problems.

That put Mars in the lead for the restart, followed by O'Neal, Frye, and Shannon Babb of Decatur, IL in the Car City Co. Rayburn/Dickens Monte Carlo.

Babb went to the high side on the restart, and drove around O'Neal and Frye to take the second spot, and then passed Mars for the lead on lap 11. Mars retook the lead he would never relinquish on lap 15, diving under Babb in turn two. By lap 20, Mars had pulled out to a half-straightaway lead over Babb and O'Neal, who were battling side-by-side for second spot.

During a lap 23 caution for debris, Babb gave up the third spot to pit with a flat tire, and Joe Izzo of LaSalle, IL, who was running sixth, lost a left-rear tire and wheel one lap later. On the lap 24 restart, Mars led O' Neal, Frye, Green, English, and Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC in the Easy Care GRT/Cornett Mustang. Cook retired on lap 30 with a broken right-rear suspension.

Lap 33 was a pivotal point in the race. Wallace brought out the caution with a flat tire, and during the caution, Steve Shaver of Parkersburg, VA stopped on the backstretch needing medical attention. That brought out the red flag.

Shaver had inhaled smoke from the fresh air tube going into his helmet after the air pump burned up. Shaver was given oxygen, and restarted the race, but dropped out a lap later. Also during the lap 33 caution period, UDTRA and Texas Motor Speedway officials decided to cut the race from 75 to 50 laps due to the lateness of the evening.

Mars stayed glued to the inside groove for the final 17 laps, while O'Neal, Frye and Green worked the high groove in an unsuccessful attempt to challenge Mars for the win. O'Neal dropped out on lap 40, leaving eight cars finishing on the lead lap.

Other heat race winners were Mars, Frye and Moyer, while the Renegade Transporters 12-lap 1st Consolation Race went to Cook, and the 12-lap Polaris ATVs 2nd Consolation Race was won by Weaver.

The next event for the UDTRA Pro DirtCar Series will be on April 20 with a 50-lap $10,000-to-win event at Oglethorpe Speedway Park in Savannah, GA, and then on to Fayetteville, NC Motorsports Park for a 50-lap $10,000-to-win show on April 21. For the latest news, information, points, stats, schedule, track information and driver bios, visit the UDTRA web site at www.udtra.com

(Photos by David Allio)

ENTRIES: 56
LEAD CHANGES: 4 Among 4 Drivers
LAP LEADERS: Boley, 1; Bloomquist, 2-7; Mars, 8-11; Babb, 12-14; Mars,15-50
LAPS LED: Mars, 40; Bloomquist, 6; Babb, 3; Boley, 1
CAUTIONS: 9

JE PISTONS HARD CHARGER AWARD: Wells, started 22nd and finished 5^tth ALT: Eckert (Craig Scott transferred to feature, but did not start due to engine failure)

PROVISIONALS: Shaver (2) and Schlieper (2)

UDTRA PRO DIRTCAR SERIES POINT STANDINGS THROUGH 3/31/01:
1. Rick Eckert - 1211
2. Steve Francis - 1184
3. Steve Shaver - 1117
4. Billy Moyer - 1066
5. Wendell Wallace - 982
6. Dan Schlieper - 980
7. Chub Frank - 959
8. Terry English - 947
9. Scott Bloomquist - 930
10. Ray Cook - 910
11. Dale McDowell - 903
12. Jimmy Mars - 892
13. Shannon Babb - 884
14. Bill Frye - 875
15. Freddy Smith - 865
16. Dennis Erb Jr. - 842
17. Joe Izzo (R) - 818
17. Donnie Moran - 818
19. Steve Boley - 787
20. Rick Aukland - 785