What won the race: Overtaking race-long leader Jake Little on the 24th lap, Ryan Gustin of Marshalltown, Iowa, led the rest of Friday's 40-lap MARS Championship Series season opener at the Brownstown Bullring for a $5,000 payday. The fifth-starting Gustin, a regular on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, won for the second straight Friday in non-WoO action, taking the checkers 2.437 seconds ahead of Little for his ninth career MARS triumph in rugged track conditions.

Quotable: "The boys have been busting their butts. We've put in a a bunch of hours on this thing," Gustin said, "and found some things that the car kind of likes that we ain't been doing here lately."

Key notes: Ryan Gustin's first victory of the season came a week earlier in Northern Allstars action at Paragon (Ind.) Speedway for a $10,071 payday (he required a push to victory lane at Paragon and Brownstown). ... Gustin's winning pass at Brownstown came in three-wide formation with the slower car of Mike Mataragas on the inside, Gustin in the middle and Jake Little on the outside. ... Gustin slipped briefly ahead on the 22nd lap, but Little answered with a slide-job attempt. ... Polesitter Mike Harrison, who won a week earlier at the track, retired running third after three laps. ... Shannon Babb retired after 24 laps after running in the top five most of the way. ... Five cautions slowed the action, the first on the sixth lap for Caden McWhorter's spin. ... On the ninth lap, reigning MARS champ Jason Feger and Ryan Unzicker made contact in turn three, with both spinning and collecting Myles Moos. ... Feger slowed again on the 14th lap after ripping his car's nosepiece off; he retired. ... McWhorter drew another caution on lap 25 and retired. ... The final caution appeared on the 38th lap when Moos went around exiting turn two. ... The event opened the MARS season after five rainouts.

On the move: Frank Heckenast Jr. of Frankfort, Ill., stared 10th and finished fourth; Dylan Thornton of Orcutt, Calif., started 17th and finished seventh.

Winner's sponsors: Gustin’s Todd Cooney-owned Infinity Race Car is powered by a Jay Dickens Racing Engine and carries sponsorship from Alan’s Seamless Gutters, Karl Auto Group, May Properties, Murty Farms, Mark Hambelton Ford, Schaeffer’s Racing Oil, FK Rod Ends, Swift Springs, VP Race Fuels, Bilstein Shocks, Dynamic Drivelines and Performance Bodies.

Points chase: After Brownstown: 1. Ryan Gustin (75); 2. Jake Little (70); 3. Tanner English (65); 4. Frank Heckenast Jr. (60); 5. Ryan Unzicker (57).

Current weather: Clear, 61°F

Car count: 30

Fast qualifier: Mike Harrison

Time: 12.496 seconds

Polesitter: Mike Harrison

Heat race winners: Mike Harrison, Ryan Gustin, Shannon Babb

Consolation race winners: Bob Gardner

Provisional starters: Austin Howes, Rusty Griffaw

Next series race: April 25, Peoria Speedway (Peoria, IL) $5,098