What won the race: Overtaking Michael Chilton exiting the turn-four cushion on lap 26, fifth-starting Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., led the rest of Friday's 50-lap Jeff Gullett Memorial at Ponderosa Speedway. Marlar beat Jason Jameson by 1.396 seconds for the $10,000 payday, his fourth career Northern Allstars Late Model Series victory and first in nearly 19 years.

Quotable: “I’ve never really had this experience in a race before, but I thought about (Jeff) Gullett probably 10 times in those 50 laps,” Marlar said of the late Dirt Late Model crew chief. “Now I got real busy in that (lapped) traffic, I was thinking about Jeff though. A lot of that race I thought it would be cool for Gullett 'cause some old buddies were having a good time here that he would’ve loved to have seen.”

Key notes: Marlar notched his second win this season, adding to his March 13 World of Outlaws victory at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn., worth $12,000. ... It's his first NALMS victory since May 10, 2007, at Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway. ... Marlar earned his first Ponderosa victory in nearly two years and captured his eighth special event there since April 18, 2014, amassing more than $100,000 in earnings over that span. ... Michael Chilton fired off the outside front row and led the opening 25 laps before fading to fifth. ... Marlar rode the turn-four cushion and beat Cwhilton to the line by 0.084 of a second to lead the 26th lap and never looked back. ... Seventh-starting Jason Jameson banged his right-rear quarterpanel off the wall to take second from JRR Motorsports teammate Josh Rice on a lap-33 restart then held off a last-lap surge by Rice, beating him by 0.081 of a second at the line. Rice trailed Marlar from laps 30-32 before settling for third. ... JRR Motorsports driver Justin Rattliff gained six spots to finish seventh. ... Tanner English finished fourth in a new AK Race Car. ... Camaron Marlar had a lap-29 flat while finishing 10th. ... The race was slowed by four other cautions, the first two involving Dan Ebert. He worked his way as high as second on lap 21 before slipping to fifth and slowing with a flat right-rear tire on lap 23, then spun from 18th on lap 26 and collected Jake Leitzman. ... Tyler Collins spun from 15th to draw the fourth stoppage on lap 30 before David Webb's flat right-rear caused him to slow from 14th a few laps later. ... Polesitter Devin Gilpin, who trailed Chilton the opening 20 laps, retired from sixth under the lap-33 caution. Earlier Gilpin earned $3,000 courtesy of Caton Industrial Painting for winning the night's four-lap dash. ... The feature lasted 30 minutes with 12 starters completing 50 laps and 16 running at the finish. ... Jack Franklin pulled off before taking the green flag. … The race honored Jeff Gullett of Harrodsburg, Ky., a near 20-year crew chief for Campbellsville, Ky.-based JRR Motorsports who died on Sept. 10, 2024, at the age of 61.

On the move: Trevor Landrum of Florence, Ky., started 20th and finished eighth.

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

Points chase: Before Ponderosa: 1. Justin Rattliff (200); 2. Mike Marlar (198); 3. Rod Conley (196); 4. Josh Rice (194); 5. Devin Gilpin (192).

Current weather: Clear, 70°F

Car count: 25

Fast qualifier: Mike Marlar

Time: 13.114 seconds

Polesitter: Devin Gilpin

Dash winner: Devin Gilpin

Heat race winners: Josh Rice, Tanner English, Michael Chilton, Devin Gilpin

Next series race: April 11, Montpelier Speedway (Montpelier, IN) $7,500