May 12th, 2012 - On Saturday night the team traveled to Lake Cumberland Speedway for a $3,000-to-win, unsanctioned event. The evening began with Mike blazing to fast time honors with a 12.916 second lap around the track to earn the pole position for the first heat race. However, before any additional racing action could be held, rain showers arrived forcing the cancelation of the program. For more information, please visit www.LCSpeedway.com.

May 5th, 2012 - Mike entered a pair of $10,000-to-win, World of Outlaws (WoO) Super Late Model events in the South over the weekend. The doubleheader opened on Friday night as the tour made its first ever trip to 311 Motor Speedway (Pine Hall, North Carolina), and with thirty-three cars on hand, Mike registered the 13th fastest time in qualifications to earn the fourth starting spot for his heat race. Via heat race action he would earn the tenth starting spot for the feature, and early in the feature would advance to as high as the sixth position before bad luck found him again as overheating issues forced him pitside to a 20th place finish.

On Saturday, the team looked for better luck as they traveled to Swainsboro Raceway (Swainsboro, Georgia) for the second WoO event of the weekend. After qualifying tenth in the twenty-nine car field, Mike started fourth in his heat race before mechanical issues bit him again as he slipped back to a sixth place finish, which pinned him in the b-main. He would claim the b-main win to lock into the 19th starting spot for the feature. During the course of the 50 lap feature he advanced seven spots to a 12th place finish.

Mike is now tenth in the latest WoO standings. For complete standings as well as complete results from both of the weekend's events, please visit www.WoOLMS.com.

April 28th, 2012 - The weekend found Mike resuming action with the World of Outlaws (WoO) Super Late Model tour with a pair of events in Alabama and Tennessee. On Friday night the action opened at North Alabama Speedway (Tuscumbia, Alabama) with a $10,000-to-win event as 34 cars registered for battle. After qualifying ninth in the field Mike finished third in his heat race to lock into the ninth starting spot for the 50 lap feature. During the first half of the feature Marlar would begin marching toward the front of the field as he advanced as high as the fourth position. However, bad luck would find him just past the halfway point when a mechanical failure sent him pitside to a disappointing 19th place finish.

On Saturday night the WoO tour sanctioned a $10,000-to-win event at Tazewell Speedway (Tazewell, Tennessee). Thirty-two entries were on hand for the program, and for the second straight night Mike qualified ninth fastest in the field. He would go on to finish fourth in his heat race, which resulted in him starting thirteenth on the feature grid. Unfortunately in the main event, one groove conditions would be present, and as a result Marlar was able to advance through the field as he recorded a 14th place finish.

Mike is 9th in the latest WoO standings. For complete standings as well as complete results from both of the weekend's events, please visit www.WoOLMS.com.

April 22nd, 2012 - After originally planning to not race anywhere over the course of the weekend the team through together an old CJ Rayburn at the last minute and headed to Lake Cumberland Speedway (Burnside, Kentucky) on Sunday night for a $3,000-to-win event. The team made it to the track just in time to qualify, and Marlar would register the third fastest time. He would go on to finish second in his heat race to lock into the third starting spot for the feature. However, before the feature could be run, the program would be canceled due to track, lighting issues.

April 14th, 2012 - Looking to put Friday night's bad luck behind him, Mike traveled to Smokey Mountain Speedway on Saturday night for a $5,000-to-win, Southern All Stars Super Late Model event. Thirty cars entered the event, and mechanical woes would again plague the team early in the evening as Mike was forced to go to the backup car after hot laps. With no laps on the car, and a right front that kept digging into the track Marlar would still manage to qualify tenth fastest to lock into the tenth starting spot for the 50 lap feature. He would battle in the top ten for much of the event and was making the pass for the sixth position with three laps to go, when he hit a hole, which pushed the right front flopper into the tire forcing him to retire from the event. He was credited with a tenth place finish in the final rundown. Full results are available at www.DirtOnDirt.com.

April 13th, 2012 - Friday night was a nightmare outing for the team as they entered the preliminary festivities for the 3rd Annual Commonwealth 100 at Virginia Motor Speedway (Jamaica, Virginia). A talented field of 40 Super Late Models entered the $25,000-to-win, Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS) event, and during time trials Mike would experience engine issues, which forced him to scratch from the balance of the program. The team may enter the Southern All Stars event at Smokey Mountain Speedway (Maryville, Tennessee) on Saturday night.

April 7th, 2012 - The team entered the annual Shamrock event at Cleveland Speedway (Cleveland, Tennessee) on Saturday night. Twenty-nine cars were on hand for the $10,000-to-win, Southern All Stars, sanctioned race, and after drawing a large pill Mike was the 26th competitor to go out for time trials. He qualified twelfth fastest, which earned him the fourth starting spot for what would prove to be an interesting, third heat race. Early in the heat Marlar would race his way into the second position, only to have the caution flag nullify the pass. A late race restart saw Mike was lined up on the outside groove as the inside line was able to freight-train the outside line causing him to slip back a pair of positions. He would rebound for a fourth place in the heat, which locked him into the 12th starting spot for the feature. Marlar would battle around mid-pack for much of the event before advancing to an eighth place finish. Full results are available at www.DirtOnDirt.com.

April 6th, 2012 - Mike Marlar and the Bryson Motorsports team returned to action on Friday night with a $3,000-to-win, unsanctioned event at Boyds Speedway (Ringgold, Georgia). Thirty-three cars entered the program on the 1/4 mile oval, and after falling just short of locking into the feature via hot laps, Mike would earn the 15th starting spot for the main event via a qualifier. In the main event, Marlar would work his way into the top ten early in the race before ultimately crossing the finish line in the tenth position. Full results are available at www.DirtOnDirt.com.

March 31st, 2012 - The weekend found Mike returning to action with the World of Outlaws (WoO) Super Late Model tour at Farmer City Raceway (Farmer City, Illinois) in the annual Illini 100. With a $20,000 winner's check on the line. Fifty-four entries were on hand for the event, and Marlar qualified thirteenth fastest in the field to earn the third starting spot for his heat race on Friday evening. The heat race would produce a third place finish behind Billy Moyer and Brian Birkhofer, which locked Mike into the thirteenth starting spot for Saturday night's 100 lap finale. On Saturday the team would have hopes of a strong run, but Marlar was involved in a melee on lap 30 that sent him spinning out of turn three. The caution would not wave since he spun outside of the track, so he would opt to not rejoin the field. Mike was credited with a 24th place finish in the final rundown.

Marlar is now tied for eleventh in the latest tour standings. Full results and complete standings are available at www.WoOLMS.com.

March 24th, 2012 - After hauler issues kept the team from being able to race the week before the team was able to make repairs during the week to the transporter so that they were able to enter the 15th Annual Indiana Ice Breaker on Saturday night at Brownstown Speedway (Brownstown, Indiana). Forty-four Super Late Models entered the event, and Mike began the night by qualifying fifth in group B. However, transmission issues were discovered after qualifying, so the team quickly changed the transmission before heat race action. In his heat race, Mike would slip from his third starting spot to a seventh place finish. With only the top four cars transferring to the feature, Mike was forced to run a b-main, where he started fifth before advancing to a third place finish, which earned him the 23rd starting spot for the main event.

In the feature Mike had passed a few cars early in the event, when he was spun on lap 8. A few laps later he would retire to a 26th place finish. Full results are available at www.LucasDirt.com.

March 16th, 2012 - The team had planned to travel to Lancaster Speedway (Lancaster, South Carolina) this weekend for the inaugural Carolina Crown, but hauler issues have forced the team to stay home.

March 14th, 2012 - World of Outlaws Late Model Series Newcomer Mike Marlar Looking To Make His Mark On National Tour

Tennessee Racer Hopes To Continue Head-Turning Start To '12 In 'Illini 100' On March 30-31 At Farmer City Raceway

By Kevin Kovac, WoO LMS P.R. Director

CONCORD, NC – March 13, 2012 – Mike Marlar is confident that he has the talent, experience and racing program to make some noise as a first-time follower of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series.

But does he have the other intangibles necessary to be a season-long success on the prestigious national tour? That's what the 34-year-old driver from Winfield, Tenn., hopes to find out in 2012.

"We'd like to do the whole World of Outlaws deal this year and our owner would like for us to do it," said Marlar, who is looking to broaden his dirt Late Model horizons in his first full season driving for Norman Bryson's burgeoning team. "I also know the reality of everything. It's a tough, tough deal, with a lot of great drivers and teams.

"You can feel like you're experienced and have a lot of talent, but running up front consistently and winning races on this level comes down to a lot of different variables. Ultimately, it's going be a matter of just how hard we want to work and how bad we want it."

As the WoO LMS heads to Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway on March 30-31 for the fourth running of the $20,000-to-win 'Illini 100,' Marlar has already proven that he can be a serious contender. Last month he recorded two top-five finishes – and flirted with two more, including his first career WoO LMS A-Main victory – during the tour's season-opening six-race swing through Georgia and Florida.

While finishes of fourth (Feb. 16) and fifth (Feb. 17) at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla., were Marlar's best of the trip, he was actually in position to string together four top-fives in a row. He was solidly in the top five midway through the 60-lap 'Winter Freeze' season opener on Feb. 11 at Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvania, Ga., when a scrape sent him bouncing through the infield and out of the race (he finished 25th), and in BRP's 60-lap finale on Feb. 18 he led laps 1-42 and was bidding to regain command from Rick Eckert on the final circuit when he found himself squeezed into the turn-three wall (and left with a heartbreaking 18th-place finish).

Marlar struggled in the two WoO LMS events run during the UNOH DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit Racing Equipment at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., soldiering to a 13th-place finish on Feb. 23 and failing to qualify for the A-Main on Feb. 25 due to suspension problems. But he still left the Sunshine State sitting 11th in the points race, putting him in position to receive series travel benefits reserved for the top 12 drivers in the standings when he enters the Illini 100.

"We could've been in real good shape if we didn't drop out at Screven and didn't crash on the last lap at Ocala," said Marlar, who trails points leader Darrell Lanigan by 184 points but is less than 100 points behind fifth-place Chub Frank. "That would've been a great start for us, but we can't change things now. Hopefully we got our bad luck out of the way."

The Georgia and Florida disappointments certainly didn't dull Marlar's enthusiasm for the 2012 campaign. While he's an accomplished racer with more than 80 career dirt Late Model feature wins – including three $20,000-plus triumphs that factored into his WoO LMS Rookie of the Year application being voted down by the tour's panel of veteran drivers and media members – he considers his pairing with Bryson to be his long-awaited Big Chance for national stardom.

"I've never had the opportunity to race with a program that's a hundred percent about what we think we need to do to win races," said Marlar, who has bounced between family-owned equipment and other rides since moving to dirt Late Models in 2003 following a four-year run in the UMP Modified division that saw him win over 100 features. "I've kind of had a rocky road, but it's also been good for me. We've had a lot of tough circumstances we've had to deal with, but it's made us stronger and more experienced.

"I feel like I'm maybe a little later than some people in getting my opportunity (for a top-notch fulltime ride), but now that I've got it I feel like I'm ready for it."

Marlar hooked up with Bryson late last summer after chatting with Bryson's brother, Earl, during the North-South 100 weekend at Florence Speedway in Union, Ky. With a solid recommendation from shock guru Gary Winger of GW Performance, Bryson decided to give Marlar a shot with his growing team that already included young Georgian Chip Brindle.

It didn't take long for Marlar to flash his ability to Bryson. In his third start – and first behind the wheel of a new Rocket car – Marlar shined in the WoO LMS 'Black Diamond 125' on Sept. 3 at Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, W.Va., setting fast time, winning a heat race, finishing second in a 40-lap Qualifying Feature and placing a career tour-best third in the 45-lap 'Sweet Sixteen' finale.

Just six months later, Marlar is firmly entrenched as Bryson Motorsports' primary driver following Brindle's recent release from the team. He finds himself in an enviable situation, maintaining Bryson's quality equipment (two Rocket cars, one Barry Wright mount, three Clements engines, one Hendren powerplant) at his own Volunteer State shop with the assistance of fulltime crewmembers Brian Imler and Josh Davis. Both mechanics live within minutes of Marlar and are experienced hands – Imler has spent time working on the road with several dirt Late Model teams, and Davis has been by Marlar's side for much of the driver's career.

"We talked about basing the team at my place and Mr. Bryson was all for it," said Marlar. "He wants everybody to be in their comfort zones and that's what we're looking for too. To race and run good everybody has to have their home and family time too, not just be all racing all the time, and we're trying to do that."

Marlar speaks with reverence about the 44-year-old Bryson, whose Douglasville, Ga.-based company, SEG, provides a unique blend of maintenance and design/building services to commercial companies. Some of the firm's specialties include reconstruction of truck stops and sales, service and installation of fluid-handling equipment for petroleum in retail, commercial and industrial markets.

"It's been a blessing," Marlar said of his opportunity to race for Bryson. "He's a really, really good guy, and he's got his heart in the right place on everything. He just wants us to have the best equipment, and he's also worried about everybody's personal situations. He kind of looks out for us and has done well for us.

"We've basically built a new team with him," he continued. "He had some things to get started with, but we've just been building ever since we got together. He's really stepped up to the plate and made a lot of sacrifices to get us everything we need to race."

The future appears bright for Marlar, who sees all the elements for long-term success in Bryson Motorsports.

"There's a few teams in the World of Outlaws that are just really, really strong," said Marlar, who recently celebrated his second wedding anniversary with wife Stacy, a high school math teacher. "It's hard to just whip a team like that up overnight, especially since those guys put every waking minute into being as good as they are. But I feel like we can get there. I don't how fast, but I definitely think we have the potential.

"And Norman's definitely got his heart in it. He wants to be one of those guys. He wants to be a guy who has a top-level team."

Marlar's next opportunity to show his team's strength comes March 30-31 at Farmer City, a quarter-mile bullring that he's visited just once previously. He finished 11th in the track's 2007 DIRTcar Summer Nationals event.

"I'm looking forward to going back there," said Marlar, who entered the 2012 season with 21 career WoO LMS A-Mains starts to his credit. "I don't remember too much about the place because that was the year we ran the Summer Nationals and we raced so much it was hard to remember a lot of places, but I do remember that it seemed to be racy.

"I like Midwest racetracks and I've also heard about some really good races happening (at Farmer City), so I'm excited to run there."

March 4th, 2012 - Mike made the last minute decision to take his brand new, blue front-end Rocket to the 15th Annual Bama Bash at Green Valley Speedway (Glencoe, Alabama) over the weekend. The $15,015 to win event saw its start delayed a day by Mother Nature, and when action finally began on Saturday evening a field of 29 Super Late Models registered for action. Mike began the weekend by setting second fast time in his group before going on to claim the win in the third heat race. His heat race win positioned him in the third starting spot for Sunday evening's 75 lap, finale. As the race went green Mike would quickly work his way into the second position as he set his sights on the leader, Tim McCreadie. Marlar would chase McCreadie for the full 75 laps before settling for a second place finish. Full results are available at www.GreenValleySpeedway.com.

February 25th, 2012 - On Saturday Mike entered the finale for the 41st Annual DIRTCar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park (Barberville, Florida) as 54 cars registered for battle in the $10,000-to-win, World of Outlaws event. In time trials Marlar turned the 18th fastest lap to lock into the fourth starting spot for the third heat race. With the top four cars transferring to the feature Marlar would battle for a transfer spot for the first half of the event, before broken suspension on the front of the car ended his night early. Full results are available at www.WoOLMS.com.

February 24th, 2012 - Friday night found the Bryson Motorsports team entering a $10,000-to-win, UMP DIRTCar-sanctioned event at Volusia Speedway Park (Barberville, Florida). Sixty-eight Super Late Models entered the event, and after experiencing mechanical woes in time trials Mike would only be able to manage the seventh fastest time, which left him starting seventh in the fifth heat race. After missing the call for his heat race and b-main, Mike was able to start the main event due to a provisional. After starting at the back of the grid Mike would retire early in the event to a 29th place finish. Full results are available at www.DIRTCarNationals.com.

February 23rd, 2012 - On Thursday a $10,000-to-win, World of Outlaws Super Late Model event was held at Volusia Speedway Park(Barberville, Florida) as 79 cars registered for battle. Mike was 29th fastest in time trials, which left him starting fifth in his heat race. A quick move on the start allowed him to jump to the second spot before finishing third behind race winner, Steve Francis, and Jimmy Owens.

Via his heat race finish, Marlar started 17th on the grid for the 50 lap feature. During an early race caution Mike would duck into the pits as his crew briefly looked under the hood. He then rejoined the field before the green flag flew and survived an attrition-filled feature to record a 13th place finish. Full results are available at www.WoOLMS.com.

February 22nd, 2012 - Wednesday night's $7,000-to-win, UMP DIRTCar Series at Volusia Speedway Park (Barberville, Florida) has been rained out, and will be run as a doubleheader on Friday with the scheduled, $10,000-to-win, UMP DIRTCar event. Full details are available at www.DIRTCarNationals.com.

February 21st, 2012 - Round #2 of the 41st Annual UNOH DIRTCar Nationals was held on Tuesday evening at Volusia Speedway Park (Barberville, Florida) as a $7,000 winner's prize was again on the line. Seventy-five Super Late Models signed in for battle, and Mike struggled in time trials, which left him starting ninth on the heat race grid. On a heavy and fast track passing would be difficult, but Mike would dodge a pair of accidents to race his way to a fifth place finish. While he didn't earn a transfer spot to the feature from his finish, he did earn the fourth starting spot for a b-main. With only the top two cars moving onto the feature, Mike got a good jump on the start, however, entering turn one a car in front of Marlar slowed causing Mike to jump the cushion. He lost several spots as he fell to the back of the field. Under a caution four laps later Marlar would retire from the event, ending his night. Full results are available at www.DIRTCarNationals.com.

February 20th, 2012- Mike and Bryson Motorsports entered the opener for the 41st Annual UNOH DIRTCar Nationals on Monday night at Volusia Speedway Park (Barberville, Florida). Seventy-five Super Late Models registered for the $7,000-to-win event. Via time trials Mike started sixth in his heat race. Early in the event he would move up to battle at the front of the pack before fading to a seventh place finish. With only the top four cars moving onto the feature, Marlar was forced to run a b-main. After starting on the fourth row of a b-main, Mike charged to the second position, but a late race restart found Babb slipping by for the second and final transfer spot. As a result, Marlar saw his night come to an early end. Full results are available at www.DIRTCarNationals.com.

February 18th, 2012 - Saturday night was a wild outing for Mike as he took part in the third and final round of the three event series for the World of Outlaws tour at Bubba Raceway Park (Ocala, Florida). Marlar began the night by setting second fast-time overall to earn the pole position for the second heat race. He would finish second in the heat race to lock into the redraw for the feature. In the redraw Mike received the second starting spot alongside Pat Doar. As the race went green Marlar shot to the lead, and he would pace the event for the first 42 laps before a restart saw him jump the cushion in turn one, allowing Darrell Lanigan to slip past. One lap later, Rick Eckert would pass Marlar and Lanigan to take over the lead. Over the remaining laps Marlar would cut into Eckert's lead, and as the duo took the white flag they were side-by-side. Heading down the backstretch, Mike used a strong run on the high-side to pull even with Eckert, but as the pair headed into turn three, Eckert would crowd Marlar into the wall, bringing Mike's night to an end less than half a lap from the checkered flag. A dejected Marlar was credited with an 18th place finish. Mike is currently in 8th in the latest tour standings. Full results are available at www.WoOLMS.com.

February 17th, 2012 - The second round of the triple header for the World of Outlaws Super Late Models at Bubba Raceway Park (Ocala, Florida) was held on Friday night. With $10,000 on the line a field of 51 Super Late Models registered for action, and Mike recorded the seventh fastest time to earn a front-row-starting spot for the second heat race. He would go on to finish second in his heat race to Josh Richards to lock into the sixth starting spot for the main event. For the majority of the 50 lap feature event Mike would battle around the top five before crossing the finish line in fifth behind race winner, Josh Richards, Darrell Lanigan, Bub McCool, and Billy Moyer. The third place finish marked Mike's third straight, top five finish. Full results are available at www.WoOLMS.com.

February 16th, 2012 - After a couple of days away from the track, Mike resumed his 2012 Speedweeks with an $8,000-to-win, World of Outlaws event at Bubba Raceway Park (Ocala, Florida). A talented field of 50 Super Late Models were on hand, and Marlar began the night by qualifying second fastest to earn the pole position for the second heat race. He would quickly jump to the lead in his heat and never looked back on his way to the win, which locked him into the redraw for the feature. Via the redraw Marlar was the recipient of the fifth starting spot for the 40 lap finale, and early in the feature he would race his way into the third position. As the race progressed Marlar would continue to battle in the top five, and when the checkered flag dropped he crossed the finish line in the fourth position behind race winner, Darrell Lanigan, Josh Richards, and Shane Clanton. Full results are available at www.WoOLMS.com.

February 13th, 2012 - Mike made the last minute decision to enter the opener for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, 36th Annual Winternationals at East Bay Raceway Park (Gibsonton, Florida) on Monday night. Forty-two Super Late Models registered for action in the $5,000-to-win event, and Mike began the night by blazing to the fastest time around the 3/8 mile oval. Via his fast time, he earned the pole position for his heat race, and after a heated battle with Bobby Pierce Jr. early in the heat, he would race his way to the win to lock into the second starting spot for the 25 lap feature with Shannon Babb joining him on the front row.

As the feature went green Marlar stormed to the cushion and the lead. He led the first eight laps before Don O'Neal slipped by for the lead. A few laps later Shannon Babby would drive past for the second spot, relegating Mike to the third position. Over the remainder of the event Marlar would maintain the third spot and that's where he would cross the finish line behind race winner, Don O'Neal, and Shannon Babb. Full results are available at www.LucasDirt.com

Mike will now take Tuesday and Wednesday off as he prepares for World of Outlaws action to resume on Thursday night at Bubba Raceway Park (Ocala, Florida).

February 11th, 2012 - After winning his heat race on Friday night at Screven Motor Speedway (Sylvania, Georgia) Mike took part in the finale for the 2nd Annual Winter Freeze on Saturday night. Via the redraw Marlar was the recipient of the third starting spot for the $20,000-to-win, 60 lap finale. During the opening circuits of the race Mike would run in the top five before bad luck struck on lap 27 as a flat tire caused him to spin from contention, ending his night early. Marlar was credited with a 25th place finish. Full results are available at www.WoOLMS.com.

February 10th, 2012 - Mike took part in preliminary action for the Winter Freeze at Screven Motor Speedway (Sylvania, Georgia) on Friday night in the World of Outlaws-sanctioned event. Fifty-six Super Late Models entered the program, and Marlar began by qualifying third fastest in time trials to earn the pole starting spot for his heat race. As the race went green he would motor away from the field. Several cautions slowed the action, but Mike would out last the mayhem behind him to claim the heat race win over John Garvin and Greg Johnson. Via his heat win he locked into the redraw for Saturday night's $20,000-to-win, 60 lap finale. Full results are available at www.WoOLMS.com.

January 28th, 2012 - Mike opened his 2012 campaign on Saturday afternoon at Boyds Speedway (Ringgold, Georgia) in the Cabin Fever 40. Forty-eight Super Late Models registered for action, and in time trials Mike qualified 7th fastest to lock into the feature. In the $3,000-to-win, main event, an extremely slick track would greet the competitors, and with an open motor Marlar would slip backwards early in the event before retiring to a 20th place finish. Even though Mike didn't get the solid finish that he had hoped to get, the team was able to shake the new car down as they prepare for a busy Georgia/Florida Speedweeks schedule. Full results are available at www.DirtOnDirt.com.

November 26th, 2011 - The team traveled to Swainsboro Raceway (Swainsboro, Georgia) for the 11th Annual $20,000-to-win, Turkey 100 as Mike took part in a Crate Late Model event for the second straight week. Sixty-one entries were on hand for the program, and on Friday night he would finish fourth in his heat race, but with only the top two cars moving on to the feature, he was forced to run a b-main on Saturday evening. Saturday's program would see him win a b-main to lock into the fifteenth starting spot for the feature event, which was shortened to 50 laps. He would methodically work his way through the pack in the main event, and with ten to go he moved into the second position. Over the closing laps he would apply heavy pressure to William Thomas for the lead, but was unable to make the pass. When the checkered flag flew Mike was credited with a strong, second place finish behind race winner, Thomas. Full results are available at www.DirtOnDirt.com.

It was a great way for Mike to conclude his 2011 season, and he would like to thank all of his sponsors and fans, who have shown him great support this year! The team is already preparing for 2012 so stay tuned here for the latest team news and schedule information.

November 20th, 2011 - In what proved to be a long and trying day, Mike traveled to Cherokee Speedway (Gaffney, South Carolina) on Sunday afternoon for the annual Blue Gray 100, where he competed in his Super Late Model as well as his Crate Late Model. The $10,000-to-win, Super Late Model event, which was sanctioned by the Ultimate Series, saw Mike get into the wall in time trials, which resulted in him starting last in his heat race. He would manage a fifth place finish in his heat, which left him short of transferring to the feature. As a result, he would be relegated to a b-main, and in the b-main bad luck would strike again as the left rear tire came off the bead forcing him pitside. He would manage to rejoin the field before the green flag flew again, and despite a damaged car he would pass for the final transfer spot on the final lap. After starting at the back of the field for the 100 lap finale, Marlar would make a pair of trips to the pits early in the race before rallying to as high as the fourth position late in the race before seeing mechanical issues end his night early. He was credited with a 19th place finish.

In the Crate Late Model division, Marlar would look for better luck, but it would not be found. Twenty-two Crate Late Models entered the event, and Mike earned the 8th starting spot for the main event via time trials. In the feature Marlar would quickly find himself in the fifth position before having a left rear tire go flat. As a result, he would duck into the pits for fresh rubber before rejoining the tail of the field. In the ensuing laps he would pass several cars as he worked his way back to the tenth spot before seeing overheating issues with just three laps remaining end his run. Full results are available at www.DirtOnDirt.com.

November 15th, 2011 - Mike's wife, Stacey, is a volunteer for Operation Christmas Child, which is the world's largest Christmas project, and brings joy and hope to needy children around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the Good News of God's love. Since 1993, more than 86 million shoe box gifts have been delivered to children in more than 130 countries.

Visit OCC's website to learn more about how you can change a child's life through a simple shoe box gift, www.samaritanspurse.org/occ.  Pack a shoe box for a child and share the love of Jesus Christ.  National Collection Week is November 14-21, 2011. 

If you have questions about packing a box or finding a drop off location near you, please email marlarmotorsports@yahoo.com!  Thank you!   

November 13th, 2011 - Mike entered the 37th Annual National 100 over the weekend at East Alabama Motor Speedway (Phenix City, Alabama) as 31 Super Late Models registered for the $20,000-to-win event. After finishing second in his heat race to Scott Bloomquist, Marlar locked into the sixth starting spot for the main event. Bad luck would find Mike early in the feature though as he was battling for the fourth spot on lap 19, when contact with another car sent him off the track. The incident resulted in enough damage to end Mike's outing, and he was credited with an 18th place finish. Full results are available at www.DirtOnDirt.com.

November 5th, 2011 - The team traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina over the weekend for the World Finals at the Dirt Track at Charlotte, which was sanctioned by the World of Outlaws Super Late Model tour. A pair of $10,000-to-win, 50 lap events were slated for Friday and Saturday night, and the lineups were determined by two rounds of qualifying on Thursday night.

For Friday's program Mike started on the pole of his heat race, and snagged the lead at the drop of the green flag, but mysteriously to the team was penalized for firing early, and as a result was moved back one row to the third starting spot for the next attempt at a start. He would battle for the final transfer spot for much of the event, but fell one position short as he crossed the finish line in the fourth spot. In the b-main Mike would start on the front row as he and Vic Hill traded the top spot a few times during the 12 lap affair before Mike retook the lead late to claim the win and the 20th starting spot for the feature. In the main event Mike would advance a pair of spots to an 18th place finish.

For Saturday's $10,000-to-win program Mike again started on the front row of his heat race, but he would slip to a sixth place finish, which left him starting sixth in one of the three b-mains. Early in the b-main he was up to the fourth position, when the power steering line broke, ending his night and weekend early. Full weekend results are available at www.WoOLMS.com.

October 29th, 2011 - Another weekend and another trip to Mississippi for the #5b Bryson Motorsports team as Mike took part in the 8th Annual Southern Belle Cotton Pickin' 100 at Magnolia Motor Speedway (Columbus, Mississippi). Sixty-six Super Late Models registered for action, and in time trials on Friday night Mike recorded the ninth fastest lap to earn the third starting spot for his heat race. In the heat, he would hold down the transfer spot for the duration of the event as he crossed the finish line behind race winner, Scott Bloomquist, and Brian Birkhofer. His heat performance earned him the 18th starting spot for the 100 lap, $15,000-to-win finale. Unfortunately in the feature, Marlar would miss the setup and he would retire near the race's midway point with an ill-handling car to a 17th place finish. Full weekend results are available at www.MagnoliaDirt.com.

October 22nd, 2011 - The team traveled south to Whynot Motorsports Park (Meridian, Mississippi) over the weekend for the 17th Annual Coors Light Fall Classic. With a talented field of 60 Super Late Models entered, Mike would blaze to the fastest time in his group and overall in qualifications with a lap of 13.014 seconds around the 1/3 mile oval. As a result, he earned the pole starting position for his heat race, and he would storm to the heat race win to lock into the pole starting spot for the 100 lap, $15,000-to-win finale.

On Saturday night Marlar would be joined on the front row by Klint Byars, and as the race went green Byars would bolt to the lead with Marlar in tow. Marlar would pursue Byars until lap 21 when he drove past him for the lead. Over the next several laps Marlar and Sullivan would battle for the top spot as Bub McCool was also in the fold. Marlar would continue to lead as the field passed the halfway point, but five laps later Jonathan Davenport would slip past him for the top spot. Over the remainder of the event Marlar would battle in the top five before recording a fifth place finish behind race winner, Davenport, Dennis Erb Jr., Brian Birkhofer, and Jared Landers. Full results are available at www.WhynotMotorsportsPark.com.

October 15th, 2011 - Mike took the #5b Bryson Motorsports/Rocket Super Late Model into battle over the weekend in the 31st Annual U.S. Steel Dirt Track World Championship at Atomic Speedway (formerly KC Raceway) as a $50,000 prize was posted for the winner of the mega-event. A stout field of 90 Super Late Models entered the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS) sanctioned event, but it was Mother Nature, who would make her presence known on Friday by forcing the program to be consolidated into a single program on Saturday due to persistant rains showers.

On Saturday the action began at 4pm under sunny and windy conditions, which resulted in a race track that quickly took rubber. Mike would qualify fastest in his group to earn the pole for the first heat race with Don O'Neal to his outside. Mike would record a second place finish in the heat, which locked him into the seventh starting spot for the 100 lap finale. Once again for the feature the competitors would face a race track that lended itself to a minimal amount of passing. He would maintain his position for the duration of the feature before crossing the finish line in the eighth spot. Full results are available at www.LucasDirt.com

October 9th, 2011 - After Saturday night's bad luck, the team was hoping to get things pointed in the right direction on Sunday night at Rome Speedway (Rome, Georgia) in another $10,000-to-win, Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event. Via qualifying Mike started 8th in his heat race, and advanced to a sixth place finish. He was slated to start third in a b-main, but it was discovered that a rock had knocked a hole in the oil pan, which brought his night to a disappointing, early end. Full results are available at www.LucasDirt.com

October 8th, 2011 - On Saturday night Mike took part in the annual Dixie Shootout at Dixie Speedway (Woodstock, Georgia) with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. Fifty-one entries registered for action, and Marlar started the night by qualifying fifth fastest in his group to earn the third starting spot in the first heat race. After recording a second place finish in the heat, Mike would earn the fifth starting spot for the 50 lap, $10,000-to-win feature. Mike would quickly work his way into the top three as the feature went green and would battle there for much of the event, before contact with Shane Clanton with just 12 laps remaining resulted in a flat tire, ending his night in the 20th position. Full results are available at www.LucasDirt.com

October 1st, 2011 - Saturday night saw the finale for the 8th Annual Knoxville Lucas Oil Late Model Nationals held as a $40,000 winner's check was on the line for the winner of the 100 lap finale. Via his preliminary event performance, Mike started tenth in the thirty-one car, main event on the famed, 1/2 mile oval. In the feature Mike would survive several early race cautions as he battled around mid-pack. By the time that the checkered flag dropped he was credited with a thirteenth place finish in the year's richest Super Late Model event. Full results are available at www.LucasDirt.com