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MARS Championship Tours Set for Three Nights of Racing on Memorial Day Weekend

MARS Championship Tours Set for Three Nights of Racing on Memorial Day Weekend

FAIRBURY, IL (May 21, 2025) – As summer nears, the MARS Championship Tours are set to continue one of the busiest months of the season before taking a brief pause in the action during the month of June. Memorial Day weekend is one that is near and dear to many people’s hearts, and the MARS tours are always excited to share the gift of competition every year on this special holiday weekend. Three big nights of MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends racing, and a pair of MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment shows are set to roll this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

First up on Friday, May 23 will be the single stop of the season for the MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends to the Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Illinois for a $5,000-to-win 30-lap Feature event. As most of the Midwest has continuously had their bouts with mother nature this season, this will surprisingly be the first Late Model event held at the Kevin and Tammy Gundaker owned facility in 2025. With the weather appearing as if it will cooperate this week, with a current high temperature in the low to mid 70’s, and sunny skies all day Friday, track and series officials are excited to bring Late Model action back to Granite City. Last season’s visit to the speedway was a special evening as Peru, Illinois driver Daniel Adam picked up his first career MARS Late Model victory over Shannon Babb and Jason Feger.

After Friday’s action, the MARS Late Models will make the easy two hour and forty-five-minute drive north to do battle alongside the MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment at Fairbury Speedway in Fairbury, Illinois as part of the Triple Down Shootout. This event was held last season over Labor Day weekend and will once again be held in conjunction with the Earl J. Hubert Memorial for the DIRTcar Stock Cars that pays a whopping $4,300-to-win. Last season Shannon Babb and Cole Falloway took home the MARS victories at this event. Saturday will be a good test session for many of the points racers as three additional events remain for each tour throughout the season, including the MARS FALS Frenzy Championship Weekend in October.

Both tours will round out the holiday weekend on Sunday, May 25 with the first visit of the season to the Spoon River Speedway in Canton, Illinois for the Gary Cook Jr Memorial. The evening will feature $5,000-to-win for the MARS Late Models, a special $2,564-to-win MARS Modified event, $10,000-to-win B Modifieds, plus other classes on one of the largest nights of the year for the speedway. Last season this event was claimed by mother nature which has built the anticipation even more for the yearly event to honor one of the best DIRTcar UMP Modified racers of all time.

For the first time this season, Lebanon, Missouri’s Tony Jackson Jr has taken over the MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends Midwest Sheet Metal point lead. He holds a narrow 2-point advantage over Jason Feger with Ryan Unzicker, Bobby Pierce, and Shannon Babb rounding out the top-5. All five are separated by a mere 34 points. Daryn Klein continues to lead the way in Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year standings after a strong showing at Highland Speedway. Jake Little, Brennon Willard, Steve Stultz, and Jeff Herzog round out the top-5.

Cole Falloway extended his MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment Midwest Sheet Metal point lead to 86 over Trevor Neville, Ray Bollinger, Beau DeYoung, and Michael Long. Beau DeYoung also leads Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year standings with an impressive start to his 2025 MARS campaign over Damian Kiefer, Alan Stipp, Zach Taylor, Mark Rhoades, and a whole host of others.

Event Info

Friday, May 23

Tri City Speedway
Granite City, IL

$5,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends
DIRTcar UMP Modifieds
DIRTcar Factory Stocks
B-Modifieds
DIRTcar Four Cylinders

Pits open at 3:00 P.M.
Grandstands open at 5:30 P.M.
Drivers Meeting at 6:00 P.M.
Hot Laps at 6:30 P.M.

Adult General Admission $30
General Admission for Kids 12 and under FREE

Pit Pass $40
Pit Pass for Kids ages 6-12 $15
Pit Pass for Kids ages 5 and under FREE

Saturday, May 24

Fairbury Speedway
Fairbury, IL

$5,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends
$2,000-to-win MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment
$4,300-to-win Earl J Hubert Memorial DIRTcar Stock Cars

Pits open at 12:00 P.M.
Grandstands open at 12:00 P.M.
Drivers Meeting at 5:00 P.M.
Hot Laps at 5:30 P.M.

Adult General Admission $30
General Admission for Kids 12 and under FREE

Pit Pass $40
Pit Pass for Kids ages 12 and under $15

Sunday, May 25

Spoon River Speedway
Canton, IL

$5,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends
$2,564-to-win MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment
$10,000-to-win B-Modifieds
$1,000-to-win DIRTcar Four Cylinders
Vintage Sprint Cars

Pits open at 12:00 P.M.
Grandstands open at 4:00 P.M.
Drivers Meeting at 4:45 P.M.
Hot Laps at 5:15 P.M.

Adult General Admission $30
General Admission for Kids 12 and under $10

Pit Pass $45
Pit Pass for Kids ages 12 and under $20

MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends Tire Rule for each night:

LF: Any (90) Hoosier
RF: Hoosier NLMT2 (90)
LR: Hoosier NLMT2 (90)
RR: Hoosier NLMT3 (92) or Hoosier NLMT4 (92)

Grooving and Siping will be permitted.

Event Purses

MARS Late Model Friday/Saturday/Sunday A-Main payout: 1) $5,000 2) $2,500 3) $2,000 4) $1,600 5) $1,400 6) $1,200 7) $1,000 8) $800 9) $700 10) $600 11) $500 12) $500 13) $500 14) $500 15) $500 16) $500 17) $500 18) $500 19) $500 20) $500 21) $500 22) $500. Non-Transfer Tow Money - Friday $115 Saturday $115 Sunday $120

MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment Saturday A-Main payout: 1) $2,000 2) $1,500 3) $1,200 4) $1,000 5) $800 6) $600 7) $500 8) $400 9) $300 10) $275 11) $250 12) $250 13) $250 14) $250 15) $250 16) $250 17) $250 18) $250 19) $250 20) $250 21) $250 22) $250. Non-Transfer Tow Money - $65 Saturday

MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment Sunday A-Main payout: 1) $2,564 2) $1,500 3) $1,200 4) $1,000 5) $800 6) $600 7) $500 8) $400 9) $300 10) $275 11) $250 12) $250 13) $250 14) $250 15) $250 16) $250 17) $250 18) $250 19) $250 20) $250 21) $250 22) $250. Non-Transfer Tow Money - $70 Sunday

MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends Point Standings (Top 20)

1. Tony Jackson Jr. – Lebanon, MO – 399 Points
2. Jason Feger – Bloomington, IL – 397 Points
3. Ryan Unzicker – El Paso, IL – 386 Points
4. Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – 370 Points
5. Shannon Babb – Moweaqua, IL – 365 Points
6. McKay Wenger – Fairbury, IL – 334 Points
7. Justin Duty – Molalla, OR – 327 Points
8. Bob Gardner – Washington, IL – 293 Points
9. Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 292 Points
10. Daryn Klein – Fairview Heights, IL – 285 Points
11. Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 280 Points
12. Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – 273 Points
13. Jake Little – Springfield, IL – 243 Points
14. Brennon Willard – Lebanon, MO – 235 Points
15. Steve Stultz – Peoria, AZ – 219 Points
16. Tanner English – Benton, KY – 217 Points
17. Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 209 Points
18. Jeff Herzog – Festus, MO – 209 Points
19. Guy Taylor – Springfield, IL – 195 Points
20. Chris Simpson – Oxford, IA – 194 Points

Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year Standings (Top 5)

1. Daryn Klein – Fairview Heights – 285 Points
2. Jake Little – Springfield, IL – 243 Points
3. Brennon Willard – Lebanon, MO – 235 Points
4. Steve Stultz – Peoria, AZ – 219 Points
5. Jeff Herzog – Festus, MO – 209 Points

MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment Point Standings (Top 15)

1. Cole Falloway – Owensboro, KY – 407 Points
2. Trevor Neville – Mackinaw, IL – 321 Points
3. Ray Bollinger – Kewanee, IL – 310 Points
4. Beau DeYoung – DeMotte, IN – 304 Points
5. Michael Long – Fowler, IL – 286 Points
6. Kyle Hammer – Clinton, IL – 284 Points
7. Chase Holland – Success, MS – 280 Points
8. Michael Ledford – Pontiac, IL – 273 Points
9. Damian Kiefer – Ste. Genevieve, MO – 256 Points
10. Alan Stipp – Chatsworth, IL – 220 Points
11. Zach Taylor – Springfield, IL – 204 Points
12. Mark Rhoades – West Chicago, IL – 178 Points
13. Austin Friedman – Fairbury, IL – 172 Points
14. Dave Wietholder – Liberty, IL – 162 Points
15. Mike McKinney – Plainfield, IL – 156 Points

Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year Point Standings (Top 5)

1. Beau DeYoung – DeMotte, IN – 304 Points
2. Damian Kiefer – Ste. Genevieve, MO – 256 Points
3. Alan Stipp – Chatsworth, IL – 220 Points
4. Zach Taylor – Springfield, IL – 204 Points
5. Mark Rhoades – West Chicago, IL – 178 Points

2025 MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends Statistics

Pontiac RV Heat Race #1 Winner

Brian Shirley – 2
Shannon Babb – 2
Ricky Thornton Jr – 1
Carson Ferguson – 1
Drake Troutman – 1
Allen Weisser – 1

FK Rod Ends 1st Place Finisher

Bobby Pierce – 4
Brandon Sheppard – 1
Ryan Unzicker – 1
Jason Feger – 1
Shannon Babb – 1

FK Rod Ends 5th Place Finisher

Garrett Alberson – 1
Ryan Gustin – 1
Brian Shirley – 1
Shannon Babb – 1
Tony Jackson Jr – 1
Allen Weisser – 1
Austin Howes – 1
Jordan Bauer – 1

Fairbury Fasteners 7th Place Finisher

McKay Wenger – 2
Ryan Gustin – 1
Dennis Erb Jr – 1
Daniel Adam – 1
Garrett Alberson – 1
Ryan Unzicker – 1
Bob Gardner – 1

Budda by Bert Transmission 9th Place Finisher

Jason Feger – 4
Dylan Thornton – 1
Brian Shirley – 1
Jake Little – 1
Brennon Willard – 1

Hooker Harness 11th Place Finisher

Shannon Babb – 1
Bob Gardner – 1
Derrick Stewart – 1
Chris Simpson – 1
Garrett Alberson – 1
Tony Jackson Jr – 1
Justin Duty – 1
Mike McKinney – 1

Keyser Manufacturing 13th Place Finisher

Chris Simpson – 1
Ryan Unzicker – 1
Bob Gardner – 1
McKay Wenger – 1
Trevor Gundaker – 1
Mike McKinney – 1
Daryn Klein – 1
Guy Taylor – 1

Fast Shafts 15th Place Finisher

Justin Duty – 2
McKay Wenger – 1
Mike Spatola – 1
Chad Simpson – 1
Andy Clark – 1
Mark Voigt – 1
Jake Little – 1

MD3 Hard Charger Award Winner

Tony Jackson Jr – 2
Ryan Unzicker – 2
Jason Feger – 1
Dennis Erb Jr – 1
Daryn Klein – 1
Bob Gardner – 1

Wilwood Brakes Hard Luck Award Winner

Gordy Gundaker – 1
Dylan Thornton – 1
Ryan Unzicker – 1
Frank Heckenast Jr – 1
Kayden Clatt – 1
Cody Maguire – 1
Guy Taylor – 1
Rodney Melvin – 1

Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Race Winner

Daryn Klein – 5
Jeff Herzog – 2
Austin Howes – 1

2025 MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment Statistics

Multi Fire X Fast Time Award Winner

Cole Falloway – 2
Chase Holland – 1
Michael Long – 1
Dave Wietholder – 1
Ray Bollinger – 1

Willy’s Carb & Dyno Heat Race #1 Winner

Chase Holland – 2
Cole Falloway – 1
Michael Long – 1
Trevor Neville – 1
Kyle Hammer – 1

Lethal Chassis Heat Race #2 Winner

Mike McKinney – 1
Michael Ledford – 1
Kyle Hammer – 2
Ray Bollinger – 1
Trevor Neville – 1

Allgaier Performance Heat Race #3 Winner

Cole Falloway – 3
Michael Long – 1
Beau DeYoung – 1
Adam Pockrus – 1

Shepard Synthetics 1st Place Finisher

Michael Ledford – 2
Mike McKinney – 1
Michael Long – 1
Josh Harris – 1
Trevor Neville – 1

Summit Racing Equipment 2nd Place Finisher

Cole Falloway – 5
Michael Long – 1

Fast Shafts 3rd Place Finisher

Michael Ledford – 1
Michael Long – 1
Kyle Hammer – 1
Steven Brooks – 1
Trevor Neville – 1
Beau DeYoung – 1

Keyser Manufacturing 7th Place Finisher

Tyler Nicely – 1
Beau DeYoung – 1
Austin Friedman – 1
Mike McKinney – 1
Ray Bollinger – 1
Owen Steinkoenig – 1

Hooker Harness 11th Place Finisher

Carson Friedman – 1
Trevor Neville – 1
Degan Dozard – 1
Kyle Hammer – 1
Shawn Deering – 1
Noah Sugg – 1

MD3 Hard Charger Award Winner

Dave Wietholder – 1
Damian Kiefer – 1
Degan Dozard – 1
Chase Holland – 1
Zach Taylor – 1
Cody Ventimiglia – 1

Wilwood Brakes Hard Luck Award Winner

Dave Wietholder – 2
Mike Chasteen Jr – 1
Damian Kiefer – 1
Matthew Baker – 1
Rick Salter – 1

Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Race Winner

Beau DeYoung – 3
Damian Kiefer – 2
Alan Stipp – 1

Lethal Chassis Bonus Bucks Award Winner

Trevor Neville – 3
Degan Dozard – 1
Tyler Spalding – 1
Austen Becerra – 1

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH FOR:

• NEW HEAD OF THE PACK: Rising to the top of the MARS Late Model points standings after last weekend’s events was none other than the 5X champion, Tony Jackson Jr. Last weekend he picked up a 4th place finish at Quincy Raceways followed by a runner-up finish at the World Famous Highland Speedway.

• ON THE CHARGE: After a pair of career runs, that included his first career win last Saturday at Highland, Trevor Neville boosted his way from 8th to 2nd in MARS Modified series standings. With the halfway point of the season looming ahead, can Neville find a way to cut into the gap this weekend?

• HALFWAY POINT: With the summer break nearing, this weekend will bring the official halfway point of the MARS Modified tour for 2025. With some drivers already electing to throw away their 2 drop nights, 19 drivers still meet the criteria as touring drivers. 10 drivers still hold perfect attendance.

• VARIETY IS KEY: After the first two MARS Modified seasons being largely dominated by 1 or 2 drivers, 2025 has been a pleasant surprise in the winning department… With 6 races in, only Michael Ledford has won more than a single event making it 5 different winners to-date.

• TIP OF THE CAP: A special tip of the cap goes to Camp Point, Illinois driver Justin Reed. Reed is one of the few Late Models that you will catch rolling in with an open trailer, yet Reed showed last Friday at Quincy that hauler size means absolutely nothing. After a 2nd place finish in his heat race, Justin redrew a 2 for the feature and was able to hang on to a podium finish.

If you are unable to make it to the track, you can catch EVERY MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends event in 2025 live at floracing.com.

For more information about the MARS Dirt Series, please contact Jonathan Clayton at 731-467- 1316, visit the tour’s webpage at marsracingseries.com, or visit @MARSDirtRacing on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends and MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment would like to thank the following sponsors and marketing partners for their support of the 2025 racing season: FK Rod Ends (MARS Late Model title sponsor), Summit Racing Equipment (MARS Modified title sponsor), Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts (Official trailer and golf cart provider of the MARS Dirt Series), Flo Racing (Official streaming provider of the MARS Late Model tour), Racing Electronics (Official communications provider of the MARS Dirt Series), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official tire manufacturer of the MARS Dirt Series), Sunoco Race Fuels (Official fuel of the MARS Dirt Series and proud sponsor of the Sunoco Rookie of the Year chase all season long on the MARS Late Model & Modified Championship tours), Pontiac RV (Official RV Dealer of the MARS Dirt Series), Allstar Performance, O’Reilly Auto Parts, DIRTcar Racing, Driscoll Motors (Official dealership of the MARS Dirt Series), Woods Basement Systems (Official Basement Contractor of the MARS Dirt Series), MD3, Josh James Artwork, MWD Signs & Graphix, Fairbury Fastener & Supply, Dirt Draft, Digital Copy Systems, Whelen, Multi Fire X, Budda Bert Transmission, Dyer’s Top Rods, Fast Shafts, Wilwood Brakes, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Keyser Manufacturing, Varsitee Screenprinting, Willy’s Carb & Dyno, Trackside Racewear, Hooker Harness, Lethal Chassis, Remtek Enterprises, QuickCar Racing Products, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Midwest Sheet Metal, Shepard Synthetics, and Allgaier Performance.

MARS Championship Upcoming Events

• May 23, 2025 - Tri-City Speedway - Granite City, IL - $5,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends

• May 24, 2025 - Fairbury Speedway - Fairbury, IL - Triple Down Shootout - $5,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends & $2,000-to-win MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment

• May 25, 2025 - Spoon River Speedway - Canton, IL - Gary Cook Jr Memorial - $5,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends & $2,564-to-win MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment

• May 30, 2025 – LaSalle Speedway – LaSalle, IL – Illinois Valley Showdown – Twin $5,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends Events

• May 31, 2025 – LaSalle Speedway – LaSalle, IL – Illinois Valley Showdown – $25,000-to-win MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends

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