RIPLEY, WV (September 2, 2012) – Mike Marlar of Winfield, TN stormed from the 24th and last starting position to win the 44th Annual Hillbilly 100 on Sunday Night at I-77 Raceway Park. Marlar, who won the race in 2004, took the lead on lap 77 from Don O’Neal and then pulled away for the $25,000 victory in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series sanctioned event.

Marlar made the race by a LOLMDS provisional, and did not know he was in the starting line-up until five minutes before the cars rolled out on the race track. “I have to thank the Lord, it wasn’t a good day for us, we just found out we were in the race right before the grid rolled out on the race track. We bolted on the softest tire we could per the rules,” said Marlar.

O’Neal led the first 76 laps, most of it unchallenged until Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC; Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, IA; and Marlar caught up to O’Neal as O’Neal’s car started to get loose.

Marlar’s charge to the lead was dramatic as he passed Cook for second on lap 73. Marlar then quickly ran down O’Neal coming off of turn four as 77th lap was scored. Marlar had to wait through two cautions in the final 15 laps to take the victory.

“I have to thank my car owner Norman Bryson and Rocket Chassis; the car was just great, it moved around all over the place, I want thank all of my sponsors for their support.”

O’Neal finished second followed by Cook, Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL and Birkhofer.

The remainder of the top ten in the finishing order were: Jared Landers of Batesville, AR; Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN; Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, GA, track champion, Chris Garnes of Evans, WV; and LOLMDS points’ leader Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN.

In preliminary action, Doug Drown set the Red Buck Cigars Fast Time amongst the 52 entrants, with a lap of 14.087 seconds. Ray Cook set the fastest time in Group B with a time of 14.219 seconds. Don O’Neal, Tim Dohm, Ray Cook, and Brian Birkhofer won their respective Heat Races. Doug Drown and Dale McDowell won their respective B-Mains.

Next stop for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will be the USA 100 at Virginia Motor Speedway in Jamaica, VA on September 14th and 15th. For more information, log onto www.vamotorspeedway.com.

For the latest breaking news on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, log onto www.lucasdirt.com and be sure to follow the series at www.facebook.com/lucasdirt and www.twitter.com/#!/lucasdirt.