12/31/2025
MARS - Midwest Auto Racing Series
MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends & MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment 2025 Season Statistical Review
MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends & MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment 2025 Season Statistical Review
FAIRBURY, IL (December 31, 2025) As another year has come and gone, we take one final look back on the 2025 season with a statistical review, before turning the calendar when the clock strikes midnight.
MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends
2025 Season Schedule
DATE - TRACK - CITY, STATE - CAR COUNT - WINNER
3/28 - Maquoketa Speedway - Maquoketa, IA - 45 - Bobby Pierce
3/29 - Maquoketa Speedway - Maquoketa, IA - 45 - Bobby Pierce (2)
4/4 - Paducah International Raceway - Paducah, KY - RAIN OUT - RAIN OUT
4/5 - Charleston Speedway - Charleston, IL - RAIN OUT - RAIN OUT
4/17 - Cedar County Raceway - Tipton, IA - 43 - Brandon Sheppard
4/18 - 34 Raceway - West Burlington, IA - 39 - Bobby Pierce (3)
4/19 - 34 Raceway - West Burlington, IA - 38 - Bobby Pierce (4)
4/25 - Brownstown Bullring - Brownstown, IL - RAIN OUT - RAIN OUT
4/26 - Peoria Speedway - Peoria, IL - 30 - Ryan Unzicker
5/16 - Quincy Raceways - Quincy, IL - 25 - Jason Feger
5/17 - World Famous Highland Speedway - Highland, IL - 36 - Shannon Babb
5/23 - Tri City Speedway - Granite City, IL - 31 - Ashton Winger
5/24 - Fairbury Speedway - Fairbury, IL - 50 - Jason Feger (2)
5/25 - Spoon River Speedway - Lewistown, IL - 33 - Dennis Erb Jr
5/30 - LaSalle Speedway - LaSalle, IL - 31 - Bobby Pierce (5) / Tyler Erb
5/31 - LaSalle Speedway - LaSalle, IL - 31 - Bobby Pierce (6)
7/18 - Farmer City Raceway - Farmer City, IL - 28 - Jason Feger (3)
7/19 - Federated Auto Parts Raceway @ I-55 - Pevely, MO - 28 - Ryan Unzicker (2)
7/20 - Quincy Raceways - Quincy, IL - RAIN OUT - RAIN OUT
8/8 - Sycamore Speedway - Maple Park, IL - 30 - Jason Feger (4)
8/9 - Macon Speedway - Macon, IL - 23 - Ryan Unzicker (3)
8/22 - Kankakee County Speedway - Kankakee, IL - 21 - Jason Feger (5)
8/23 - Red Hill Raceway - Sumner, IL - 19 - Tony Jackson Jr
8/29 - Farmer City Raceway - Farmer City, IL - 36 - Ryan Unzicker (4)
8/30 - Fairbury Speedway - Fairbury, IL - 35 - Ashton Winger (2)
8/31 - Spoon River Speedway - Lewistown, IL - 24 - Jason Feger (6)
9/12 - Davenport Speedway - Davenport, IA - 32 - Jason Feger (7)
9/13 - Davenport Speedway - Davenport, IA - 32 - Jason Feger (8)
9/14 - Quincy Raceways - Quincy, IL - 19 - Tony Jackson Jr (2)
9/19 - Brownstown Bullring - Brownstown, IL - 30 - Tanner English
9/20 - Peoria Speedway - Peoria, IL - RAIN OUT - RAIN OUT
10/3 - Fairbury Speedway - Fairbury, IL - 45 - Ryan Unzicker (5)
10/4 - Fairbury Speedway - Fairbury, IL - 42 - Jason Feger (9)
Nightly Award Winners
Pontiac RV Heat Race #1 Winner
Shannon Babb – 5
Tony Jackson Jr – 3
Jason Feger – 3
Ashton Winger – 3
Brian Shirley – 2
Bobby Pierce – 2
Ricky Thornton Jr – 1
Carson Ferguson – 1
Drake Troutman – 1
Allen Weisser – 1
Daryn Klein – 1
Mike Spatola – 1
Jake Little – 1
Ryan Unzicker – 1
Garrett Alberson – 1
Caden McWhorter – 1
FK Rod Ends 1st Place Finisher
Jason Feger – 9
Bobby Pierce – 6
Ryan Unzicker – 5
Ashton Winger – 2
Tony Jackson Jr – 2
Brandon Sheppard – 1
Shannon Babb – 1
Dennis Erb Jr – 1
Tyler Erb – 1
Tanner English – 1
FK Rod Ends 5th Place Finisher
Tony Jackson Jr – 5
Justin Duty – 3
Dennis Erb Jr – 2
Garrett Alberson – 2
Ryan Gustin – 1
Brian Shirley – 1
Shannon Babb – 1
Allen Weisser – 1
Austin Howes – 1
Jordan Bauer – 1
Guy Taylor – 1
McKay Wenger – 1
Ashton Winger – 1
Ryan Unzicker – 1
Chris Simpson – 1
Jeff Herzog – 1
Jason Feger – 1
Frank Heckenast Jr – 1
Michael Leach – 1
Travis Stemler – 1
Caden McWhorter – 1
Fairbury Fasteners 7th Place Finisher
McKay Wenger – 4
Jeff Herzog – 3
Jason Feger – 2
Daryn Klein – 2
Justin Duty – 2
Ryan Gustin – 2
Caden McWhorter – 2
Dennis Erb Jr – 1
Daniel Adam – 1
Garrett Alberson – 1
Ryan Unzicker – 1
Bob Gardner – 1
Shannon Babb – 1
Rusty Griffaw – 1
Dillon McCowan – 1
Ashton Winger – 1
Chris Simpson – 1
Gordy Gundaker – 1
Mike Spatola – 1
Budda by Bert Transmission 9th Place Finisher
Jason Feger – 4
Jake Little – 4
Shannon Babb – 3
Brian Shirley – 2
Michael Leach – 2
Myles Moos – 2
Dylan Thornton – 1
Brennon Willard – 1
Mike Harrison – 1
Jordan Bauer – 1
Justin Duty – 1
Tyler Erb – 1
Kayden Clatt – 1
Billy Moyer Jr – 1
Todd Rehg – 1
Ryan Unzicker – 1
Daniel Adam – 1
McKay Wenger – 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
Blaze Burwell – 1
Jeffrey Ledford – 1
Trevor Gundaker – 1
McKay Wenger – 1
Dennis Erb Jr – 1
Jeff Herzog – 1
Jason Wagner – 1
Zach Taylor – 1
Mike Provenzano – 1
Mark Voigt – 1
Paul Parker – 1
Todd Rehg – 1
Michael Leach – 1
Myles Moos – 1
Jordan Bauer – 1
Caden McWhorter – 1
Dillon McCowan – 1
Tucker Finch – 1
Brennon Willard – 1
Sam Mars – 1
Jake Little – 1
Keyser Manufacturing 13th Place Finisher
Bob Gardner – 2
Daryn Klein – 2
Zach Taylor – 2
Jeff Herzog – 2
Chris Simpson – 1
Ryan Unzicker – 1
McKay Wenger – 1
Trevor Gundaker – 1
Mike McKinney – 1
Guy Taylor – 1
Reid Millard – 1
Mike Provenzano – 1
Mike Spatola – 1
Brian Shirley – 1
Shannon Babb – 1
Tommy Sheppard Jr – 1
Mark Voigt – 1
Lee Williams – 1
Jose Parga – 1
Jeffrey Ledford – 1
Kolby Vandenbergh – 1
Michael Leach – 1
Justin Reed – 1
Justin Duty – 1
Donny Walden – 1
Fast Shafts 15th Place Finisher
Austin Howes – 4
Jake Little – 4
Justin Duty – 2
McKay Wenger – 2
Mark Voigt – 2
Mike Spatola – 1
Chad Simpson – 1
Andy Clark – 1
Myles Moos – 1
Aaron Marrant – 1
Rich Bell – 1
Daryn Klein – 1
Roben Huffman – 1
Kayden Clatt – 1
Billy Moyer Jr – 1
Mike Lofgren – 1
Zak Blackwood – 1
Todd Rehg – 1
Mike Mataragas – 1
Travis Stemler – 1
MD3 Hard Charger Award Winner
Tony Jackson Jr – 3
Ryan Unzicker – 3
Shannon Babb – 3
Jake Little – 2
Jose Parga – 2
Jason Feger – 1
Dennis Erb Jr – 1
Daryn Klein – 1
Bob Gardner – 1
Trevor Gundaker – 1
Mike Provenzano – 1
Brennon Willard – 1
Bobby Pierce – 1
Jason Wagner – 1
Greg Cantrell – 1
Greg Kimmons – 1
Todd Rehg – 1
Justin Duty – 1
Michael Leach – 1
Sam Mars – 1
Kyle Hammer – 1
Wilwood Brakes Hard Luck Award Winner
Bob Gardner – 3
Ryan Unzicker – 2
Michael Kloos – 2
Frank Heckenast Jr – 2
Gordy Gundaker – 1
Dylan Thornton – 1
Kayden Clatt – 1
Cody Maguire – 1
Guy Taylor – 1
Rodney Melvin – 1
Brian Shirley – 1
Thomas Hunziker – 1
Daryn Klein – 1
Jeremy Spoonmore – 1
Quenton Lewis – 1
Justin Duty – 1
Jon Woods – 1
Tommy Sheppard Jr – 1
Mike Harrison – 1
AJ May – 1
Dillon McCowan – 1
Nick Anvelink – 1
Brandon Queen – 1
Mike Mataragas – 1
Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Race Winner
Jeff Herzog – 10
Daryn Klein – 9
Jake Little – 9
Austin Howes – 1
MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends 2025 Final Points
- Jason Feger – Bloomington, IL – 1672 points
- Ryan Unzicker – El Paso, IL – 1531 points
- Shannon Babb – Moweaqua, IL – 1384 points
- Tony Jackson Jr – Lebanon, MO – 1265 points
- Justin Duty – Molalla, OR – 1233 points
- Jake Little – Springfield, IL – 1038 points
- Daryn Klein – Fairview Heights, IL – 1023 points
- Jeff Herzog – Festus, MO – 1020 points
- Brennon Willard – Lebanon, MO – 863 points
- Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – 779 points
- Mark Voigt – Marine, IL – 718 points
- McKay Wenger – Fairbury, IL – 713 points
- Mike Spatola – Manhattan, IL – 578 points
- Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – 520 points
- Chris Simpson – Oxford, IA – 516 points
MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends 2025 Top 11 Driver Breakdown
Jason Feger
Point Position: 1
Events Entered: 28
Wins: 9
Top 5’s: 19
Top 10’s: 27
Average Feature Finish: 4.62
9 victories over the course of 29 feature events helped the “Highside Hustler” capture his third consecutive MARS Late Model Championship title over the toughest field of travelers quite possibly of all time. The wins were nice of course, but the consistency continues to be unmatched on the tour as Feger captured top-10 finishes in all but 2 feature events the entire season. His title and driver loyalty program money totaled Feger over $30,000 in extra winnings. His victories came at Quincy Raceways, Fairbury Speedway (2), Farmer City Raceway, Sycamore Speedway, Kankakee County Speedway, Spoon River Speedway, and Davenport Speedway (2).
Ryan Unzicker
Point Position: 2
Events Entered: 28
Wins: 5
Top 5’s: 19
Top 10’s: 22
Average Feature Finish: 6.79 + 1 DNQ
After a rough patch to begin the season, including not transferring into the main event on opening night of Slocum weekend, there was a point in April that the #24 team didn’t know if their run for the MARS title would even continue. Determination prevailed as the team dug in and pulled off a stellar run with a total of 5 victories to their credit on the year, the largest being a last lap pass on Jake Little to take home the $10,000 KerbyStrong victory at Macon Speedway. Later into the year, Unzicker actually led the Midwest Sheet Metal points standings, which seemed practically impossible after the first few nights of the season. His victories came at Peoria Speedway, I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park, Macon Speedway, Farmer City Raceway, and Fairbury Speedway.
Shannon Babb
Point Position: 3
Events Entered: 28
Wins: 1
Top 5’s: 11
Top 10’s: 21
Average Feature Finish: 8.59
While not exactly the overall season that Shannon Babb expected in his first chase for a MARS Championship Tour title, 2025 was still prosperous for the Illinois native. His lone victory came in May at the World Famous Highland Speedway, while he managed to compile 10 additional top-5 finishes throughout the season. On championship weekend Babb was able to overtake Tony Jackson Jr for third in series standings to bring home a $10,000 check for his efforts after starting the weekend in his own team car and finishing out the weekend in the Lampley Motorsports ride.
Tony Jackson Jr
Point Position: 4
Events Entered: 26
Wins: 2
Top 5’s: 12
Top 10’s: 21
Average Feature Finish: 7.81
A pleasant surprise back to the MARS Late Model Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends tour in 2025 was 5X series champion Tony Jackson Jr. Steady top-10 finishes was the recipe to success for TJJR in 2025 picking up 21 of those in 27 feature events. His pair of feature wins came at Red Hill Raceway and Quincy Raceways. His main objective for this season was to work on his short-track program and ability to run the cushion throughout the night. With a notebook added onto in 2025, look for the #56 to be a contender for his 6th series title if he elects to give it a shot in 2026.
Justin Duty
Point Position: 5
Events Entered: 28
Wins: 0
Top 5’s: 7
Top 10’s: 15
Average Feature Finish: 10.28
Justin Duty’s second season on tour was another solid campaign with back-to-back years finishing in the top-5 in the overall standings. Although he compiled more top-5 and top-10 finishes versus the 2024 season, he still was unable to find that elusive first MARS victory although he had several valiant efforts. While many teams are fatigued and put up some of their worst numbers of the year at the end of the season, it was almost the complete opposite for the Oregon native as he pieced together 4 top-10 finishes in his final 5 events of the season with the tour.
Jake Little
Point Position: 6
Events Entered: 28
Wins: 0
Top 5’s: 3
Top 10’s: 9
Average Feature Finish: 12.6 + 4 DNQ
Third time is a charm… Right? After Jake Little’s attempts in 2023 and 2024 to tackle the MARS tour were shortened early due to running out of equipment, they refreshed, restocked, and hit the ground running in 2025. Although Jake missed making the feature event in 4 out of the first 5 events of the season, he did not let that lay the foundation to his season. He kept his aggression, and positivity, and turned that into a season with 3 top-5 finishes, including a second-place finish at the KerbyStrong at Macon Speedway, 9 top-10 finishes, and a Sunoco Rookie of the Year battle that went down to championship weekend. Ultimately Jake wrapped up the season with a pair of top-15 finishes that were good enough to earn him Rookie of the Year honors.
Daryn Klein
Point Position: 7
Events Entered: 28
Wins: 0
Top 5’s: 1
Top 10’s: 9
Average Feature Finish: 14.07 + 1 DNQ
Daryn Klein kicked off the 2025 season as one of the most promising prospects running for the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year title and came out of the first handful of events as the frontrunner for the honors. Klein managed to make every feature throughout the season, with the exception of an event at 34 Raceway in April and had many nights where he started towards the front of the main event. Unfortunately, the #10 could never keep the forward progress come main event time, and ended the season with 1 top-5 finish and 9 top-10’s. The Rookie of the Year battle came down to the wire where Klein landed at a respectable second-place finish.
Jeff Herzog
Point Position: 8
Events Entered: 28
Wins: 0
Top 5’s: 3
Top 10’s: 8
Average Feature Finish: 11.45 + 9 DNQ
Jeff Herzog is a true testament to a tail of two seasons. He started out as horribly as he could have possibly imagined by transferring to only 3 of the first 10 main events of the 2025 season. From there, that is when everything started to gel for the #11 team. Herzog hit a stretch where he captured 5 consecutive top-10 finishes in July and August to totally turn his season around and narrowed the gap enough to give himself a shot at the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year title by championship weekend. He ultimately finished third in rookie honors but will certainly be a driver to keep an eye on for most improved in 2026 if he elects to give the tour another run.
Brennon Willard
Point Position: 9
Events Entered: 28
Wins: 0
Top 5’s: 0
Top 10’s: 1
Average Feature Finish: 16.77 + 7 DNQ
2025 was a season of learning for Brennon Willard. Racing in the Land of Lincoln as much as he ever had in his career was challenging, as he knew it would be, but he showed up each and every night fighting with the best drivers in the Midwest. Many of Willards lackluster results were thanks to mechanical issues that seemed to plague the team all season long, but there were plenty of rays of promise throughout the season. His best finish was a top-10 at Quincy back in May.
Dennis Erb Jr
Point Position: 10
Events Entered: 14
Wins: 1
Top 5’s: 9
Top 10’s: 13
Average Feature Finish: 5.47
While obviously not following the tour in its entirety, Dennis Erb Jr hit just about every MARS event in 2025 that did not conflict with his World of Outlaws schedule. With a sensible schedule, and easy travel from his headquarters, Erb Jr took the MARS shows as a chance to test things and run closer to home than he did most of the season and was able to capitalize on it. He finished in the top-10 in all but 2 of the feature events he competed in and picked up a victory at Spoon River in May. His average finish of 5th place in 15 feature events was good enough to earn him 10th in overall points and over $3,000 in cash and awards for his efforts.
Mark Voigt
Point Position: 11
Events Entered: 27
Wins: 0
Top 5’s: 0
Top 10’s: 0
Average Feature Finish: 14.6 + 18 DNQ
Mark Voigt continued his run of being the iron-man of the MARS tour in 2025 as he hit every event on the schedule minus Peoria in April. While having a great deal of tough luck throughout the season, he continues to be one of the best competitors in our region whether it be battling for a transfer spot in the heat race or fighting for a top-10 finish in the main event. His best finish of the tour was an 11th place finish in the KerbyStrong event at Macon.
Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year 2025 Final Points
- Jake Little – Springfield, IL – 1038 points
- Daryn Klein – Fairview Heights, IL – 1023 points
- Jeff Herzog – Festus, MO – 1020 points
- Brennon Willard – Lebanon, MO – 863 points
Tidbits of the 2025 Season
• Car Count average of 33.93 cars per race.
• 10 winners in 29 Feature events.
• 10 full-time drivers.
• Winner’s shares included: (1) $25,000, (1) $15,000, (1) $12,000, (1) $10,555, (5) $10,000, (1) $5,098, and (19) $5,000 events.
• Events were contested at 18 racetracks in 3 states.
• 181 total competitors.
MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment
2025 Season Schedule
DATE - TRACK - CITY, STATE - CAR COUNT - WINNER
April 4 - Paducah International Raceway - Paducah, KY - RAIN OUT - RAIN OUT
April 5 - Charleston Speedway - Charleston, IL - RAIN OUT - RAIN OUT
April 11 - Farmer City Raceway - Farmer City, IL - 34 - Mike McKinney
April 12 - Farmer City Raceway - Farmer City, IL - 33 - Michael Ledford
April 25 - Brownstown Bullring - Brownstown, IL - RAIN OUT - RAIN OUT
April 26 - Peoria Speedway - Peoria, IL - 35 - Michael Ledford (2)
May 2 - Kankakee County Speedway - Kankakee, IL - 45 - Michael Long
May 3 - Red Hill Raceway - Sumner, IL - RAIN OUT - RAIN OUT
May 16 - Quincy Raceways - Quincy, IL - 26 - Josh Harris
May 17 - Highland Speedway - Highland, IL - 22 - Trevor Neville
May 24 - Fairbury Speedway - Fairbury, IL - 36 - Derek Losh
May 25 - Spoon River Speedway - Lewistown, IL - 24 - Tyler Nicely
July 18 - Farmer City Raceway - Farmer City, IL - 27 - Trevor Neville (2)
July 19 - I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park - Pevely, MO - 31 - Ryan Hamilton
July 20 - Quincy Raceways - Quincy, IL - RAIN OUT - RAIN OUT
August 30 - Fairbury Speedway - Fairbury, IL - 50 - Cole Falloway
August 31 - Spoon River Speedway - Lewistown, IL - 27 - Cole Falloway (2)
September 25 - Tri City Speedway - Granite City, IL - RAIN OUT - RAIN OUT
September 26 - Tri City Speedway - Granite City, IL - 45 - Mike Harrison
September 27 - Tri City Speedway - Granite City, IL - CANCELED - CANCELED
October 3 - Fairbury Speedway - Fairbury, IL - 44 - Michael Long (2)
October 4 - Fairbury Speedway - Fairbury, IL - 42 - Michael Ledford (3)
Nightly Award Winners
Multi Fire X Fast Time Award Winner
Cole Falloway – 3
Michael Long – 3
Chase Holland – 1
Dave Wietholder – 1
Ray Bollinger – 1
Derek Losh – 1
Will Krup – 1
Trevor Neville – 1
Lyndon Whitfill – 1
Michael Ledford – 1
Beau DeYoung – 1
Willy’s Carb & Dyno Heat Race #1 Winner
Michael Long – 3
Chase Holland – 2
Trevor Neville – 2
Cole Falloway – 2
Kyle Hammer – 1
Landen Miller – 1
Will Krup – 1
Mike Harrison – 1
Carson Friedman – 1
Michael Ledford – 1
Lethal Chassis Heat Race #2 Winner
Kyle Hammer – 3
Ray Bollinger – 3
Cole Falloway – 3
Mike McKinney – 1
Michael Ledford – 1
Trevor Neville – 1
Carson Friedman – 1
Blake Brown – 1
Curt Spalding – 1
Allgaier Performance Heat Race #3 Winner
Cole Falloway – 3
Beau DeYoung – 3
Michael Long – 2
Michael Ledford – 2
Adam Pockrus – 1
Derek Losh – 1
Trevor Neville – 1
Ray Bollinger – 1
Ryan Hamilton – 1
Shepard Synthetics 1st Place Finisher
Michael Ledford – 3
Trevor Neville – 2
Cole Falloway – 2
Michael Long – 2
Mike McKinney – 1
Josh Harris – 1
Derek Losh – 1
Tyler Nicely – 1
Ryan Hamilton – 1
Mike Harrison – 1
Summit Racing Equipment 2nd Place Finisher
Cole Falloway – 5
Michael Ledford – 3
Michael Long – 2
Will Krup – 1
Dave Wietholder – 1
Trent Young – 1
Ray Bollinger – 1
Mike Harrison – 1
Fast Shafts 3rd Place Finisher
Michael Ledford – 3
Trevor Neville – 2
Cole Falloway – 2
Michael Long – 1
Kyle Hammer – 1
Steven Brooks – 1
Beau DeYoung – 1
Austin Friedman – 1
Kenny Wallace – 1
Josh Harris – 1
Clint Young – 1
Keyser Manufacturing 7th Place Finisher
Beau DeYoung – 3
Zeke McKenzie – 2
Tyler Nicely – 1
Austin Friedman – 1
Mike McKinney – 1
Ray Bollinger – 1
Owen Steinkoenig – 1
Cole Falloway – 1
Michael Ledford – 1
Mike Harrison – 1
Ryan Hamilton – 1
Alan Stipp – 1
Hooker Harness 11th Place Finisher
Alan Stipp – 2
Trevor Neville – 2
Carson Friedman – 1
Degan Dozard – 1
Kyle Hammer – 1
Shawn Deering – 1
Noah Sugg – 1
Trent Young – 1
Mike Chasteen Jr – 1
Steven Brooks – 1
Dave Wietholder – 1
Jacob Steinkoenig – 1
Frank Marshall – 1
MD3 Hard Charger Award Winner
Dave Wietholder – 3
Jacob Poel – 2
Damian Kiefer – 1
Degan Dozard – 1
Chase Holland – 1
Zach Taylor – 1
Cody Ventimiglia – 1
Trent Young – 1
Ryan Hamilton – 1
Rick Conoyer – 1
Zeke McKenzie – 1
Beau DeYoung – 1
Wilwood Brakes Hard Luck Award Winner
Dave Wietholder – 2
Damian Kiefer – 2
Mike Chasteen Jr – 1
Matthew Baker – 1
Rick Salter – 1
Zac Oedewaldt – 1
Stephen Pedulla – 1
Levi Kissinger – 1
Kyle Hammer – 1
Beau DeYoung – 1
Dylan Sharp – 1
Trevor Neville – 1
Michael Long – 1
Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Race Winner
Beau DeYoung – 9
Damian Kiefer – 2
Ryan Hamilton – 2
Alan Stipp – 2
Lethal Chassis Bonus Bucks Award Winner
Trevor Neville – 9
Zac Oedewaldt – 2
Tyler Spalding – 2
Degan Dozard – 1
Austen Becerra – 1
MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment 2025 Final Points
- Cole Falloway – Owensboro, KY – 852 Points
- Michael Ledford – Pontiac, IL – 827 Points
- Ray Bollinger – Kewanee, IL – 702 Points
- Trevor Neville – Mackinaw, IL – 699 Points
- Beau DeYoung – DeMotte, IN – 638 Points
- Michael Long – Fowler, IL – 605 Points
- Alan Stipp – Chatsworth, IL – 537 Points
- Damian Kiefer – Ste. Genevieve, MO – 481 Points
- Ryan Hamilton – Fairview Heights, IL – 442 Points
- Zeke McKenzie – Claypool, IN – 429 Points
- Mark Rhoades – West Chicago, IL – 418 Points
- Kyle Hammer – Clinton, IL – 381 Points
- Jeff Curl – Fairbury, IL – 361 Points
- Dave Wietholder – Liberty, IL – 353 Points
- Chase Holland – Success, MS – 338 Points
MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment 2025 Top 11 Driver Breakdown
Cole Falloway
Point Position: 1
Events Entered: 15
Wins: 2
Top 5’s: 12
Top 10’s: 13
Average Feature Finish: 4.93
Cole Falloway has quickly climbed to the top of the ladder in DIRTcar UMP Modified racing, and 2025 may have solidified his seat at the head of the table as the top driver in the nation in the division. Although he only collected a pair of wins throughout his journey on the MARS tour, he finished on the podium in 9 of the 15 events held. Consistency wins championships and those stats were enough to win Falloway both the MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment title and the DIRTcar National Championship.
Michael Ledford
Point Position: 2
Events Entered: 14
Wins: 3
Top 5’s: 10
Top 10’s: 12
Average Feature Finish: 3.85 + 1 DNQ
Michael Ledford had to be the top story of the year for the MARS Modified tour, and for more than one reason. After kicking off the tour at Farmer City in a Royal Racecar for Mike Learman, Ledford decided to hit the road and continue with the tour after originally planning to spend the majority of his season Late Model racing. Good run after good run seemed to be the norm for the pairing, until a weekend in May threw a wrench in the season for Ledford. After being collected in an incident in his heat race event at Quincy, Ledford elected to load up and head back to his home, choosing not to take a provisional into the nights feature and to forgo the trip to Highland the following night. With the point differential ending as tight as it was, one wonders if these two nights were the difference in him winning the title versus finishing second, although at the time it was too early to see that this would result in a defining moment in the season. Even with this being the case, Ledford stormed back the rest of the season, finished out the tour, and grabbed the most checkered flags of the season on the tour with 3.
Ray Bollinger
Point Position: 3
Events Entered: 15
Wins: 0
Top 5’s: 7
Top 10’s: 12
Average Feature Finish: 7.73
2025 proved to be the best MARS season of Ray Bollinger’s career, in his second season chasing the entire tour schedule. In 15 events, Bollinger finished in the top-10 in all but 3 events, while his 5th and 6th-place finishes at Fairbury during championship weekend were enough to slide him up to third in season points. His best finish of the season was a 2nd-place finish at Mod Mania at Tri-City over a tough 45 car field.
Trevor Neville
Point Position: 4
Events Entered: 15
Wins: 2
Top 5’s: 7
Top 10’s: 9
Average Feature Finish: 8.87
Over the winter of 2024 Trevor Neville made the jump to Lethal Chassis for the new year. After a shaky start, Neville was able to get his new chassis dialed in and rattled off his first two career MARS Modified Championship Powered by Summit Racing Equipment victories. In the middle of the season, he hit a stretch with 8 straight races with top-6 finishes and looked poised to be a contender for the title coming down the home stretch. Unfortunately, his best finish in the last 4 starts was an 11th-place finish to slide him down to 4th in season standings. Look for the #777 to be a major factor on the tour come 2026 as he has grown more accustomed to the Lethal Chassis.
Beau DeYoung
Point Position: 5
Events Entered: 15
Wins: 0
Top 5’s: 3
Top 10’s: 11
Average Feature Finish: 8.93
Early in the season has consistently had an entire fleet of Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year hopefuls make the trip to race 1 hoping to make it through the season, since the inception of the MARS Modified tour. 2025 was the first time to have a rookie put up the numbers Indiana driver Beau DeYoung put up. Beau transferred into all 15 events and logged top-10 finishes in all but 4 of them. Not only was he consistent, but he was in contention to win events on more than one occasion over the course of the season. The #27 obliterated the rookie field to take home the Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year title and will sure to be one to keep an eye on in 2026.
Michael Long
Point Position: 6
Events Entered: 11
Wins: 2
Top 5’s: 6
Top 10’s: 8
Average Feature Finish: 8
Unlike the previous two seasons, Michael Long was unable to come out the gate and dominate the competition early in the season. This sent Long home to regroup and pick and choose throughout the year, and put up a successful season as a whole by the end. Although he missed 4 events, he still managed to win 2, including the Tom Pasek Memorial at Kankakee worth $5,094, and finished a respectable 6th in season points. He is one of only two drivers to finish top-10 in all 3 years of the tour’s history.
Alan Stipp
Point Position: 7
Events Entered: 15
Wins: 0
Top 5’s: 1
Top 10’s: 4
Average Feature Finish: 12.08 + 2 DNQ
2025 was the first time that Alan Stipp really spread his wings and hit the road in DIRTcar UMP Modified competition. The task proved to not be too much to handle as he collected his lone top-5 finish of the season in MARS competition in May at Quincy and bagged 3 other top-10 finishes throughout the year. Unfortunately, Stipp was collected in a nasty crash at I-55 in July that put a hamper on the remainder of the season. Nonetheless, the team toughed it out and came home 7th in season standings and in the runner-up spot in rookie points.
Damian Kiefer
Point Position: 8
Events Entered: 13
Wins: 0
Top 5’s: 1
Top 10’s: 4
Average Feature Finish: 14.08 + 1 DNQ
Kiefer started out his first season on the MARS tour strong with a pair of top-10 finishes at the Illini 100 and the leading rookie after opening weekend. Unfortunately, his strong finishes throughout the season were consistently matched with DNF’s that put a hamper on his season overall. During the middle of the season, equipment was running short and there was a brief moment he thought that he may have to forgo the rest of the tour schedule, but he willed his way to the finish line and a top-10 finish in season standings. He picked up his first career top 5 with the series at Highland in May.
Ryan Hamilton
Point Position: 9
Events Entered: 12
Wins: 1
Top 5’s: 1
Top 10’s: 3
Average Feature Finish: 13.2 + 2 DNQ
The 2025 season was a trying one for Ryan Hamilton, but there were some highs with the lows. Hamilton found himself in O’Reilly Auto Parts Victory Lane for the first time ever on the MARS tour at I-55 in July and collected a pair of top-10 finishes to go with it on the season. The race season was cut short for the Fairview Heights, Illinois racer after a nasty roll at Mod Mania at Tri-City in September. Missing championship weekend was costly for Hamilton, but he still managed to bring home a points paying top-10 position in season standings.
Zeke McKenzie
Point Position: 10
Events Entered: 9
Wins: 0
Top 5’s: 1
Top 10’s: 7
Average Feature Finish: 8.56
2025 looked a bit different for the Claypool, Indiana driver versus years past. He was able to hit opening weekend of the tour with a borrowed customer car, but then sat idle from the racetrack for a good chunk of the season due to catching up to driver’s needs on new Vanquish Chassis being built and producing parts for existing customers. Finally, during the second half of the season, Zeke was able to return to the track and put-up great finishes against loaded competition nightly. Even only attending 9 events was good enough to sneak him into the top-10 in season standings on championship weekend. He is one of only two drivers to finish top-10 in all three seasons of the tour.
Mark Rhoades
Point Position: 11
Events Entered: 14
Wins: 0
Top 5’s: 0
Top 10’s: 0
Average Feature Finish: 14.88 + 6 DNQ
Not afraid of the task at hand, Rhoades hit the road with his buddy Alan Stipp to tackle the entire MARS Modified tour in 2025. Building a notebook at many places Mark had never seen before should prove to be beneficial in 2026. After the rough start to the year and missing a handful of feature events, Rhoades had some flashes of speed and was able to log competitive laps nightly the second half of the schedule. His best finishes were 12th-place runs at I-55 and Tri-City.
Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year 2025 Final Points
- Beau DeYoung – DeMotte, IN – 638 Points
- Alan Stipp – Chatsworth, IL – 537 Points
- Damian Kiefer – Ste. Genevieve, MO – 481 Points
- Ryan Hamilton – Fairview Heights, IL – 442 Points
- Mark Rhoades – West Chicago, IL – 418 Points
Tidbits of the 2025 Season
• Car Count average of 34.73 cars per race. The largest of any DIRTcar UMP Modified series in the country.
• 10 winners in 15 events.
• 9 full-time drivers.
• Winner’s shares included: (1) $10,000, (1) $5,094, (1) $5,000, (1) $2,564, (2) $3,000, (1) $2,098, (8) $2,000.
• Events were contested at 9 racetracks in 2 states.
• 169 total different competitors.
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.
Article Credit: Jonathan Clayton
Submitted By: Jonathan Clayton