What won the race: Powering by early leader Chris Madden on a lap-two restart, third-starting Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., led the rest of Friday's 40-lap Rocky Top Rumble feature for a $12,000 World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory at Volunteer Speedway. Marlar beat Ricky Thornton Jr. to the line by 0.601 of a second for his 19th career series victory and first win of the 2026 season.

Key notes: Marlar started outside Chris Madden, who inherited the pole starting position after Ricky Thornton Jr. was penalized a row for jumping the opening start. ... Marlar earned his first WoO victory since last July 12's stop at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio. ... It's his first win of any kind since a sweep of last Oct. 24-25's Iron-Man Series weekend at Ohio's Atomic Speedway, worth more than $20,000. ... Madden led the opening lap before fading to fourth. ... Seventh-starting Bobby Pierce took third from Madden on lap 25, capturing his sixth straight podium finish in WoO competition, dating back to Feb. 12's DIRTcar Nationals event at Florida's Volusia Speedway Park. … Dale McDowell gained five spots and finished fifth in his first start after successful eye surgery. … Cory Hedgecock improved 11 positions and placed 11th after returning to his self-owned No. 23 entry. … The race was marred by a 10-minute red flag when Jimmy Owens flipped on the ensuring restart after Thornton was called for jumping the opening start. Owens was OK and explained his engine shut off entering turn three, causing Nick Hoffman and Tristan Chamberlain to make contact, sending Owens upside down and on his roof in the Vic Hill-owned CVR Race Car. … Other cautions came on lap 20 when Camaron Marlar slowed from seventh and retired before Tyler Erb slowed from 12th on lap 29; Erb continued to finish 19th. … The 40-lapper lasted 29 minutes with 20 starters completing the distance. … Kyle Strickler was OK after a violent flip in the night’s fourth heat race following contact with Ethan Dotson and Dennis Erb Jr.; Dotson and Erb unloaded backup cars and utilized provisional starting positions. ... The weekend concludes with Saturday’s 50-lap, $20,000-to-win Tennessee Tipoff at nearby Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn.

On the move: Chris Ferguson of Mount Holly, N.C., started 14th and finished seventh.

Winner's sponsors: Marlar’s winning Ronnie Delk-owned Longhorn Chassis is sponsored by Delk Equipment Sales, Can-Am Auto Salvage, Langenfelder Mechanical Contractors, Petroff Towing, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Certainteed, VP Racing Fuels, Swift Springs and Midwest Sheet Metal.

Points chase: Before Volunteer: 1. Nick Hoffman (1,043); 2. Bobby Pierce (1,033); 3. Tim McCreadie (1,010); 4. Tyler Erb (1,004); 5. Drake Troutman (998); 6. Ryan Gustin (986); 7. Dustin Sorensen (981); 8. Ethan Dotson (968); 9. Dennis Erb Jr. (964); 10. Daulton Wilson (949).

Current weather: Broken Clouds, 52°F

Car count: 35

Fast qualifier: Chris Madden

Time: 12.398 seconds

Polesitter: Ricky Thornton Jr.

Heat race winners: Ricky Thornton Jr., Mike Marlar, Chris Madden, Ryan Gustin

Consolation race winners: Jake Timm, Carson Ferguson

Provisional starters: Drake Troutman, Dustin Sorensen, Ethan Dotson, Dennis Erb Jr.

Next series race: March 14, Smoky Mountain Speedway (Maryville, TN) $20,000