It was America’s 250th birthday and the Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series Fueled by VP would visit Mudlick Valley Raceway in Wallingford, KY for the 6th Annual 4B4EVER 40 and Mike Marlar of Winfield, TN would celebrate in style by leading the final seventeen laps of the event and earning a $10,000 victory. The event would be co-sanctioned with the Coltman Farms Racing Battle of the Bluegrass DIRTcar Series presented by Slicker Graphics.
For Marlar, the 48-year-old second generation driver, it would be his first series win of the season and sixth of his career on the Iron-Man Series side of the ledger, while it would be his eighteenth career Battle of the Bluegrass Series triumph. Marlar’s victory came aboard the Ronnie Delk owned Rocket XR2 Chassis powered by a Cornett Race Engine with sponsorship from Delk Equipment, Langenfelder Mechanical Contractors, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Can-Am Storage, Petroff Towing, Spirit Fueled Racing, Capital Sign Company, FOX Shocks, VP Racing Fuel, Midwest Sheet Metal, Drive4mvt.com, and Performance Bodies and Parts.
The initial lead of the event would go to Michael Chilton at the start of the event, with Mike Marlar, Jason Jameson, R.J. Conley, and Derek Fisher giving chase. Jameson would take second from Marlar on lap two and begin chasing Chilton. The caution would wave on lap five when Corey Lewis and Miles Cook II tangled in turn one. The restart would not see a lap completed as Derek Fisher slowed on the frontchute, but would be able to continue. Chilton would control the restart, with Marlar retaking second from Jameson, with Conley still fourth, and Colten Burdette now in fifth. Chilton, Marlar, and Jameson would distance themselves from the field at this point and Marlar closed in on Chilton as the duo began working lapped traffic on lap eleven. But the caution would wave two laps later on lap thirteen when Jeff Davis looped his machine in turn two and during the caution, third place Jameson would pull his machine to the work area with overheating issues and not return.
Chilton and Marlar again shot away from the field on the restart, with Conley, Burdette, and Tristan Chamberlain now up to fifth. Caution would again slow the action on lap seventeen when Larry Martin, Jr. slowed on the bachchute and would be done for the night. Chilton again controlled the restart, with Marlar staying second, while Chamberlain would go from fifth to third, with Conley and Burdette now fourth and fifth. Jeff Davis would again draw the caution flag with a spin in turn two on lap twenty-one. The attempted restart would not see a full lap completed as eight cars would tangle on the frontchute area just past the start-finish line, with the cars of R.J. Conley, Rod Conley, Seth Daniels, Cody Mahoney, Justin Cooper, Nicky Pennington, and Shawn Martin done for the night.
Chilton again reigned supreme on the restart, while Chamberlain slid in front of Marlar momentarily exiting turn two, only to have Marlar reclaim second on exit of turn four. Chilton would maintain the lead until lap twenty-four, when his machine jumped the cushion in turn three and Marlar would work past him on exit of turn four to take the take the race lead. Marlar would stretch his lead a bit and began to work lapped traffic by lap thirty-one. Meanwhile, 21st place starting Henry Hornsby III had worked his way through the field and would take fourth from Burdette on lap thirty-six.
The caution would wave one final time on lap thirty-eight when Miles Cook II slowed with a flat right rear that he would get changed in the work area and continue. Marlar controlled the pace the rest of the way to claim the victory, with Chilton settling for second, while Hornsby III would take third coming to the white flag from Chamberlain, with Chamberlain and Derek Fisher completing the top five finishers.
The next event for the Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series Fueled by VP will be on Friday July 17 at MRP (Moler) Raceway Park for the Dustbuster 40, paying $8,000 to win and $1,000 to start (heat races pay $2,000 to win). The next event for the Coltman Farms Racing Battle of Bluegrass DIRTcar Series presented by Slicker Graphics is Friday July 31 at Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, KY, paying $5,000 to win and $500 to start.
For more information on the Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series fueled by VP, please log on to www.IMDIRT.net or call (828) 361-5981.
The Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series Fueled by VP and Coltman Farms Racing Battle of the Bluegrass DIRTcar Series presented by Slicker Graphics is brought to the fans in the region by many important sponsors and partners: Official partners include, Valvoline Global Operations (Official Oil), VP Racing Fuels (Official Fuel), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), Coltman Farms Racing (Checkered Flag sponsor and Battle of the Bluegrass DIRTcar Series title sponsor), Jail Breaker Brands (Official Potato Chip), STAKT Products, DIRTcar Racing, XS Power Batteries (Green Flag Sponsor), Todd Steel Buildings (Move of the Race Award), FloRacing (Rookie of the Year Award), DirtonDirt.com, MD3 (Hard Charger of the Race Award), Conley River Terminal (Hard Luck Award), Impact RaceGear (Official Outfitter), Allgaier Performance Parts & Racing Shocks, Domination Race Cars (Official Victory Lane Sponsor), C&W Sales, Joy Ride Transport, Curtis Towing, MAGA Lift (Official Droop Check Sponsor), Simpson Race Products (Official Safety Equipment), Swafford Signs (Official Decals & Graphics), MyRacePass (Official Website), Deatherage Racing Opticians (Middleman Award), Wayne’s Auto Repair (Official Hot Pit Sponsor), Slicker Graphics, Shane Bailey Racing, Jim & Nancy Viox, JD Enterprise & Dirt Empire Magazine.
Official Summary of Results
Mudlick Valley Raceway-Wallingford, Kentucky
Saturday July 4, 2026
Feature Finish:
1. Mike Marlar-Winfield, Tenn.
2. Michael Chilton-Salvisa, Ky.
3. Henry Hornsby III-Beckley, West Va.
4. Tristan Chamberlain-Richmond, Ind.
5. Derek Fisher-Olympia, Ky.
6. Miles Cook II-Wheelersburg, Ohio
7. Austin Lay-Walton, Ky.
8. Travis Carr-Stoutsville, Ohio
9. Colten Burdette-Parkersburg, West Va.
10. R.J. Conley-Wheelersburg, Ohio
11. Rod Conley-Wheelersburg, Ohio
12. Seth Daniels-Jackson, Ohio
13. Cody Mahoney-Madison, Ind.
14. Justin Cooper-Wheelersburg, Ohio
15. Nicky Pennington-Morehead, Ky.
16. Shawn Martin-Maysville, Ky.
17. Jeff Davis-Waverly, Ohio
18. Corey Lewis-Grayson, Ky.
19. Kirk Phillips-Ashland, Ky.
20. Larry Martin, Jr.-Maysville, Ky.
21. Jason Jameson-Lawrenceburg, Ind.
22. Jesse Puckett II-Irvine, Ky.
Henry Hornsby III (13.869 seconds) set the Slicker Graphics Fastest Hot Lap.
Michael Chilton was the fastest in VP Racing Fuels “Challenge the Clock” Time Trials with a 13.592 second lap and earned the $246 “In Memory of Dennis Selby” Fast Time Award among 22 entries
Michael Chilton won Joy Ride Transport Heat-1 ($250)
Mike Marlar won C&W Sales Heat-2 ($250)
Rod Conley won Curtis Towing Heat-3 ($250)
Henry Hornsby III won the MD3 Hard Charger Award advancing 18 positions.
Rod Conley won the Deatherage Racing Opticians Middleman (11th Place) Award.
Miles Cook II was the FloRacing Rookie of the Race.
Michael Chilton won the Todd Steel Buildings Move of the Race Award.
Rod Conley won the Conley River Terminal Hard Luck Award.
Lap Leaders: Michael Chilton 1-23, Mike Marlar 24-40
Allgaier Performance Halfway Leader was Michael Chilton.
Swafford Signs White Flag Leader was Mike Marlar.
Deatherage Racing Opticians Caution Flags: Eight (lap 5, 5 restart, 6, 13, 17, 21, 21 restart, 38)
Time of Race: 51 minutes, 38 seconds.
Provisional Starters: None
Margin of Victory: 1.885 seconds.
Heat One Finish: Michael Chilton, Jason Jameson, Cody Mahoney, Colten Burdette, Kirk Phillips, Shawn Martin, Corey Lewis (DNS-Seth Daniels)
Heat Two Finish: Mike Marlar, Tristan Chamberlain, Derek Fisher, Justin Cooper, Jesse Puckett II, Travis Carr, Austin Lay
Heat Three Finish: Rod Conley, R.J. Conley, Larry Martin, Jr., Nicky Pennington, Miles Cook II, Jeff Davis, Henry Hornsby III
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