STARS Racing Series Report and Results: Dirt Track World Championships
21 October 1997
Pennsboro, WV - Marshall Green of Dalton, GA scored his first ever win on the STARS Racing Series as he led flag to flag in the Dirt Track World Championships at Pennsboro Speedway in West Virginia. Green put the J.M.C. Construction/Warrior Chevrolet into the lead at the start of the race and then fended off challenges from Freddy Smith over the closing laps to take the win. "Those last few laps really had me worried," Green stated after the race. "I could smell and see the smoke and I thought about parking it with five laps to go. Then when the last caution came out with four laps to go I told my crew we're done. But Dad jumped on the radio and said to floor it to the finish and we'd either win or blow. This is just unbelievable. The first time we ever make this race and we take the win." Green started the race on the outside of the front row alongside pole winner Wendell Wallace. On the fire, Green out raced Wallace into turn one and took the point that he was never to relinquish. Wallace was in second followed by Todd Andrews, Smith, and Skip Arp. The field stayed in single file for the first 20 laps, dictated by the track conditions, until Smith was able to slide past Wallace for second on lap 23. Bill Frye moved into the top five and by the halfway point in the 100 lapper he was running in fourth behind Wallace. The second half of the race saw few changes in position as the track became more and more a one groove race track, and although Smith was able to get his nose under Green on a number of occasions, he was never able to get the bite needed to make the pass. The biggest question to be answered over the latter stages of the race was whether Green's engine would last the distance, Two cautions, on lap 95 and 96 set up a four lap shootout to the finish, but Green managed to maintain the lead and cross the line ahead of Smith. Andrews was able to make a last lap pass of Wallace to nab third with Arp getting fifth as Frye fell back late in the race to finish in 15th. There were 116 Late Models on hand for the race that paid a total purse of $140,000. Wallace gained the DILS FORD Pole with a lap of 20.175 seconds around the egg-shaped half mile for an average speed of 89.219 mph. Wallace earned a $1,000 bonus for his effort. Greens lap of 20.255 seconds was enough to grab the DICK'S AUTOMOTIVE/PPG Outside Pole and a bonus of $500. Heat races were won by Freddy Smith, Jack Pennington, Mike Johnson, Bill Frye, Skip Arp and Todd Andrews while Steve baker and Davey Johnson won the twin PRO SHOCK 'B' Mains. John Kaiser -- The Auto Channel RESULTS DIRT TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS(late Model) Pos Car Driver Laps Purse Status 1. 89 Marshall Green 100 $50500 Running 2. 00 Freddy Smith 100 10100 " 3. 42 Todd Andrews 100 7100 " 4. 6M Wendell Wallace 100 6000 " 5. 31 Skip Arp 100 4600 " 6. 0 Scott Bloomquist 100 4060 " 7. 70 Jeff Smith 100 3580 " 8. F1 Mike Duvall 100 3080 " 9. B4 Jack Boggs 100 2600 " 10. 24 Rick Eckert 100 2150 " 11. 68 Tim Hitt 100 2010 " 12. 10 Paul Harris 100 1870 " 13. 4B Jackie Boggs 100 1780 " 14. 2J Mike Johnson 100 1700 " 15. 66F Bill Frye 100 1600 " 16. 71C R.J. Conley 99 1480 " 17. 75 Bart Hartman 96 1420 Tire 18. 48 Davey Johnson 84 1300 Engine 19. 28 Harold Redman 81 1160 Running 20. 84 Steve Baker 78 1120 Engine 21. 01 Jack Pennington 51 1100 Handling 22. 5 Ronnie Johnson 44 1060 Accident 23. 66 Wade Knowles 44 1080 Accident 24. 15 Steve Francis 44 1120 Accident 25. 1V Johnny Virden 41 1060 Oil Temp 26. 100 C.S. Fitzgerald 40 1060 Ignition 27. E1 Mike Balzano 17 1080 Cooling 28. 19 Gary Stuhler 16 1060 Oil Pump Time of Race: 1 hr 15 min Cautions: 12 Lap Leaders: Green