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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