Here is my take from the recently completed Magnolia State 100 at Columbus Speedway.


To start, I want to thank Johnny Stokes for the hospitality he extended to yours truly on Saturday. Johnny is a class act all the way. Also thanks to the entire staff, from the friendly ladies at the pit gate and the ticket booth to the ladies up in the tower for all the quick results.

The announcers, wow, "Big" Ross Tingle and Ben Shelton did a fantastic job calling the races.

The crowd? From what I was told, the Friday crowd was good and the Saturday crowd was a good one, looked like standing room only. Fans came from multiple states.

The track? The usual good conditions at the "Bullring."

The racing? Wild heats with a number of wrecks, the feature had a couple of faces, the first 16 laps was nothing short of organized mayhem with action all around the track with a flurry of action. After the first yellow there was a number of yellows and cars started dropping like flies. Most cars moved upstairs for the mid-portion of the race, then at the end it got interesting.

The winner? Did not see that winner coming, a suprising Mike Marlar, wow! The show of the race was Kyle Beard, coming from the back of the B-main, back from the Last Chance Qualifyer, from the back of the 26-car field to an 8th place finish.

Overall a great night at Columbus, so what else is new?



Late Model Mark
The Red Clay Report