Mike Marlar, 2018 World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion, will be among the dirt-racing aces called upon for Sunday’s Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, the first race for the NASCAR Cup Series on dirt since 1970. The race will mark Marlar’s Cup Series debut as he climbs behind the wheel of the #66 MBM Motorsports Toyota.
“This is going to be interesting, and I’m really looking forward to the challenge,” Marlar said. “This is something that would not have been possible without the help of Carl Long and Rocky and Tom Smith from Smithbuilt homes. This is such a cool opportunity for me being a dirt racer from Eastern Tennessee being able to compete in the top series of NASCAR at Bristol.”
Clinton Cram will be Marlar’s crew chief.
“He [Marlar] is a champion dirt driver. Being paired with Clinton Cram, I will be one of many people excited to watch this duo go to work,” team owner Carl Long said.
The Bristol dirt weekend will be a double-duty weekend for Marlar, as he also plans to contest the Pinty’s Truck Race for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Bristol on Saturday. He’ll drive the #56 Hill Motorsports truck in that race. Saturday’s Truck Series race will be Marlar’s second-career start in that series and his third in a NASCAR national series. He finished fourth in the Truck Series race on the dirt track of Eldora Speedway in 2019, the last time that series raced at Eldora.
Four 15-lap qualifying heat races will set the starting grid for Sunday’s Cup Series race. With 39 entry’s, all who make qualifying attempts will garner starting spots in Sunday’s main event. Marlar is slated to start second, on the front row, in the second heat.
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