HOPE, IN (April 4, 2026) – Mike Marlar on Winfield, Tennessee captured his first Northern Allstars Late Model Dirt Series Powered by Sunoco Race Fuels main event since 2007 as he won the Inaugural Jeff Gullett Memorial on Friday night at the Ponderosa Speedway. The track now promoted by Jaime Stumpf and Joshua Messer had 106 cars on hand for the special event honoring Jeff Gullett, who passed away in September of 2024.
Marlar led the final 25 laps after taking the lead exiting turn four from Michael Chilton, who was making his debut in a Tim Logan/Danny Hatcher Longhorn Chassis. Chilton had led the first 25 laps of the 50-lap main event.
In NALMS Sunoco Victory Lane for the fourth time in his career Marlar captured his eighth special event win at Ponderosa since 2014.
“I’ve never really had this experience in a race before, but I thought about (Jeff) Gullett probably 10 times in those 50 laps. Now I got real busy in that (lapped) traffic, I was thinking about Jeff though. A lot of that race I thought it would be cool for Gullett because some old buddies were having a good time here that he would’ve loved to have seen.”
Marlar went on to win the $10,000 event by 1.396 seconds over JRR Motorsports teammates Jason Jameson and Josh Rice. Tanner English in his debut in an AK Race Cars entry was fourth with Chilton rounding out the top five drivers.
Devin Gilpin of Columbus, Indiana won the Caton Industrial Painting “Dash for Cash” for the four heat race winners earning $3,000 for the win. Gilpin, who started from the pole, was running second until a rocker arm issue knocked him out of the race.
The winner’s Ronnie Delk-owned Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Delk Equipment, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Petroff Towing, Certain Teed, Langenfelder Mechanical, and Can Am Auto Salvage.
Completing the top ten were Daniel Adam, Justin Rattliff, Trevor Landrum, Tripp Gerrald, and Camaron Marlar.
Race Summary
Northern Allstars Late Model Dirt Series Powered by Sunoco Race Fuels
Ponderosa Speedway
Junction City, Kentucky
Inaugural Jeff Gullett Memorial
April 3, 2026
Entries: 25
Florence Winwater Fast Time: Mike Marlar 13.114 seconds
Heat Race Winners: Josh Rice, Tanner English, Michael Chilton, Devin Gilpin
Caton Industrial Painting Dash for Cash Winner: Devin Gilpin
Todd Steel Buildings Hard Charger of the Race: Trevor Landrum (started 20th and finished 8th-advanced 12 positions)
Arizona Sport Shirts Rookie of the Race: Derek Groomer
Lap Leaders: Michael Chilton 1-25, Mike Marlar 26-50
Feature Finish:
Finish/Driver/Hometown/Winnings
- Mike Marlar (Winfield, Tennessee) – $10,000
- Jason Jameson (Lawrenceburg, Indiana) – $5,000
- Josh Rice (Crittenden, Kentucky) – $3,000
- Tanner English (Benton, Kentucky) – $2,000
- Michael Chilton (Salvisa, Kentucky)- $1,800
- Daniel Adam (Peru, Illinois) – $1,600
- Justin Rattliff (Campbellsville, Kentucky) – $1,400
- Trevor Landrum (Florence, Kentucky) – $1,200
- Tripp Gerrald (Versailles, Kentucky) – $1,000
- Camaron Marlar (Winfield, Tennessee – $700
- Rod Conley (Wheelersburg, Ohio) – $500
- Billy Green (Walton, Kentucky) – $500
- Derek Groomer (Bloomington, Indiana) – $500
- Cody Mahoney (Madison, Indiana) – $500
- David Webb (Nicholasville, Kentucky) – $500
- Tyler Collins (North Vernon, Indiana) – $500
- Dustin Nobbe (Batesville, Indiana) – $500
- Devin Gilpin (Columbus, Indiana) – $3,500
- Dan Ebert (lake Shore, Minnesota) – $500
- Jake Leitzman (Paragon, Indiana) – $500
- Justin Smith (Barbourville, Kentucky) – $500
- J.R. Gentry (Wooster, Ohio) – $500
- Austin Lay (Walton, Kentucky) – $500
- Kirk Phillips (Ashland, Kentucky) – $500
- Jack Franklin (Murfreesboro, Tennessee) – $500
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