Catchfence

DuQuoin, IL (September 2, 2010)- Snapping a three race streak of finishes outside the top 20 last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, Justin Marks will march to DuQuoin State Fair Grounds this Labor Day Monday for the Southern Illinois 100 presented by Federated Car Care. Marks, 29, has one previous start at the 1-mile clay oval under his belt and is optimistic to return to the dirt after visiting a similar track at the Illinois State Fairgrounds on August 22.

The rollercoaster ride for Win-Tron Racing last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway began with an early morning engine change before qualifying on race day required a valiant team effort to complete the change before final practice. Just under an hour after they began removing the first Toyota power house, the new motor was fired up by Marks as he set out for the final 30 minutes of practice. Quick work by the team allowed Marks enough practice time to dial in the No. 32 Construct Corps Camry, and later set the fifth fastest time in qualifying. Justin would back up his starting position with a strong run solidly inside the top 10 all evening, coming home in sixth.

Marks’ last trip to the DuQuoin clay came in 2007, racing for Robby Benton in the No. 65 entry. After qualifying seventh and leading six laps that day, Marks finished the 100 lap event in the same spot he started. Two races ago at Springfield, Justin quickly got back into the groove of dirt racing and is looking to carry momentum from Chicagoland, as well as recent memory of the non-asphalt racing style, to DuQuoin on Monday.

“I’ve always loved dirt racing and it’s a lot of fun for me,” Justin commented. “We learned a lot at Springfield and I think we can really improve from that, and it helps that we were just there so it’s still fresh in our minds. We’re coming into every weekend to lay it all out on the table to win as many races as possible, and this weekend will be no exception.”

Though the team will not bring the same Construct Corps Dodge Charger that ran strong at Springfield before suffering severe damage from a chain reaction accident, a solid replacement will be unloaded Monday morning for duty. That replacement most recently raced in 2008 with driver James Buescher behind the wheel. Buescher steered the No. 32 Charger to a ninth place finish that afternoon, improving from a 12th place starting spot.

A tight battle in the championship point standings ensues this weekend at DuQuoin, with new points leader Craig Goess at the helm. Just 25 points separate the top four drivers, with Justin sitting in the sixth spot 145 markers behind first. Coverage for this weekend’s Southern Illinois 100 presented by Federated Car Care can be found on ARCARacing.com through live timing and scoring, beginning at 10 AM EST on Monday for the ARCA Racing Series practice session. ARCA Nation will also carry live coverage of the 100 mile event, beginning at 2:00 pm EST, which you can also find on ARCARacing.com.

- Win-Tron Racing Press Release