Mars and O'Neal Battle to the End! Mars Wins First Night at East Bay!
Mars Photo Finish Winner In Northern Xtreme DirtCar Series Action At East Bay Raceway Park!
by Bret Emrick
Tampa (Gibsonton),FL 2-2-04 Jimmy Mars of Elk Mound,WI opened up the 2004 Northern Xtreme DirtCar Series Monday at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa (Gibsonton),FL with a thrilling photo finish victory over Donnie Moran. Mars led every lap of the 40 lap - $5,000 to win main event but it wasn't a cake walk by any stretch of the imagination.
Mars felt constant pressure from Don O'Neal several times throughout the race and then had to contend Moran over the final five laps to secure the win in the opening night of the "28th Annual Winternationals". O'Neal rode home third with Davey Johnson fourth and Earl Pearson Jr. fifth. Rounding out the top ten finishers Steve Shaver in sixth followed by Shane Clanton, Jeff Choquette, Brian Birkhofer and Darren Miller.
"Man, was that a race of what?!", stated the very happy driver of the Stacker 2/Heeg Well Drilling/Deepe Industries No. 28M Mars Racing MasterSbilt Race Cars/Pro Power Chevrolet Monte Carlo. "I tried to protect the bottom so much that I think I messed myself up a few times. O'Neal was all over me several times and that one time I hit the inside berm too hard which washed the car up the track and Don just about got me. I was so concerned with protecting the bottom from O'Neal that I had no idea that Donnie was on the outside the last five laps. Coming in for the checkered I pinched the car because it was getting tighter and tighter and again we washed up the track and all of sudden I saw Moran underneath of me. Some how, some way we beat him back to the line."
When asked his opinion of the performance of the series mandated Goodyear tires Mars said, "If anybody doubts these tires just show them a tape of this race. The Goodyear tires have leveled the playing field and the competition the fans saw tonight just goes to show that this may very well be the most competitive season any of us have seen. Anyone can win these races now. Anyone."
Mars and Shaver brought the 24 car starting field to the green flag with Mars winning the drag race into turn one over Shaver. Mars held a two car advantage over Shaver at the end of the first lap with O'Neal, Moran and Clanton trailing.
O'Neal worked his way underneath Shaver for second on lap 3 and began to reel in Mars. Moran also passed Shaver dropping the outside pole sitter to fourth. Johnson used a nifty move in turn three to grab fifth from Clanton on lap 5 but before lap 6 could be recorded the yellow was waving for Steve Casebolt who jumped the cushion in turn four and slapped the outside wall suffering heavy damage to his race car.
Mars and O'Neal took off on the restart and began their struggle for the lead. O'Neal made a bid for the lead on lap 13 as the lead duo moved around the lapped car of Matt Miller. But, Mars held the lead when the yellow waved again on for a slowing Dennis Franklin who suffered a flat right rear tire.
Mars and O'Neal continued their torrid battle once the race restarted and behind them the battle for third on back was intense to say the least. Shaver worked his way back past Johnson on lap 16 only to have Johnson grab the spot back four laps later. At the halfway point Mars and O'Neal were nose to tail with Moran four car lengths behind the leaders with Johnson fourth and Shaver fifth followed by Pearson Jr., Clanton, Choquette, Miller and Birkhofer.
Lap 24 saw O'Neal make another bid for the lead as Mars had to give up the bottom in turn three with the lapped car of Dave Troutman directly in front of the two top runners. O'Neal shot underneath of Troutman as Mars went to the highside keeping his lead by inches over O'Neal. Pearson Jr. who had grabbed fifth from Shaver on lap 21 was now closing quickly on Johnson while Moran kept a one car advantage over Johnson. Caution on lap 28 for a slowing Troutman brought out the races third yellow flag period.
On the restart Mars was able to put a little distance on O'Neal who now had his hands full with Moran. Lap 30 saw Johnson sweep past Moran for third. Mars kept opening up more ground on O'Neal as the laps wound down but that all changed on lap 35 when the caution waved for D.J. Troutman who broke the right rear suspension. Mars and O'Neal hooked up in a torrid battle for the lead over the final five circuits but the driver on the move was Moran. Moran jumped to the top groove of the racetrack grabbing third from Johnson on lap 38. Moran kept his outside assault taking second from O'Neal with the white flag waving and began to move in on Mars. Entering turn three Mars tried to keep his car on the bottom but the car slid wide in turn four and Moran cut his car to the bottom pulling even with Mars as they exited turn four for the checkered flag. Mars stayed on the gas as did Moran with Mars just taking the win by mere inches. The $24,000 purse attracted 64 drivers to the semi-banked 1/3rd mile speedway with Moran earning the fast time award with his quick lap of 15.094 seconds. Heat race wins fell to Moran, Matt Miller, O'Neal, Clanton, Shaver and Mars. Scoring wins in the "B" Main events were Darren Miller and Steve Casebolt while Mars copped the YJ Stinger Extreme Energy Drink dash and the Donn Goodson Memorial Strawberry dash fell to Al Purkey.
