Top-3 Recap | 2026 MARS Late Models at Belle-Clair Speedway
Top-3 Recap after Sunday's 2026 MARS Late Model Championship Series stop at Belle-Clair Speedway in Belleville, Ill.
Video Transcript
That's your race leader, Dylan Thornton.
How about the job from the young man?
You got Ricky Kai down there, Ricky and Brenda Kai.
And he's got to be excited for the future of this driver.
He's gonna end up winning our Rookie of the Year presented by Sunoco, and man, he is driving not like a rookie.
What a season he is putting together.
Third in points, and leading the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings.
What a race from those two drivers, Tanner English and the 97 of Cody Overton.
Again, English coming home second, Overton third.
And his second win, he went to, victory lane at the mighty Macon Speedway for the Kirby Strong, and he gets it done here tonight as late models return to Belle Claire.
Take it to St. Louis Screw and Bolt.
How about it, race fans?
Dilly Dilly, Dylan Thornton.
Dwayne Hughlett, take it away.
Oh, we're stepping here to talk to Dylan Thornton.
Well, if there was any question of whether you could run the top at the new Belle Claire Speedway, there's not a question anymore.
Yeah, that was fun.
Man, it was really hard to drive.
The bumper and the fender and everything smashed into the tire.
I couldn't hardly turn the wheel, to the right, so that was quite exhausting.
But, man, that was cool.
This, really cool place.
I had never got to come to the old one, and, when we looked at the place today, it looked very unique and interesting and, man, it, turned out pretty cool.
Well, that first half of the race before the first caution, you were in as heavy a traffic as you could ask for.
You had Cody Overton to your inside, you had Tanner English to your inside.
You had lap cars all around you.
How crazy was that first t- 15 laps?
Oh, it was wild.
I kept looking to my left, I didn't have any sticks or nothing, so I didn't know how big a lead I had.
And, I kept looking to my left and I didn't see anybody back there, and I'm like, "Oh boy, they must be kind of close."
And, yeah, the couple of those lap cars were side by side and I was like, "Man, what do I do here?"
You know, I tried to slide the one, and I think I tried to pass one of them two or three times, and he seemed to pass me back.
So yeah, that was tough.
But you gotta do what you gotta do.
Tanner English threw a big time haymaker at the end.
Did you see him s- besides you coming off turn four to the checkered?
Yeah, I did.
I was struggling the last three laps.
I, like I said, I was got to a point where I couldn't hardly turn the wheel, with this damage up here, so I was struggling to get around there.
And luckily I knew if I could just get through the corner, I could catch that little bit of cushion on exit and be all right.
Anybody you want to thank in particular tonight in your, st- initial time here to the new Belle Claire Speedway?
Yeah, of course.
I got to thank my awesome car owners, Ricky and Brenda.
It's, been quite a long weekend for us.
We, had an unfortunate accident on Friday, so very long weekend.
So glad to have all their fantastic support and all this stuff.
And, Tyson, my crew chief, he busts his butt every night.
It's hot, third day in a row, so we all want to go home.
But, his girlfriend Megan come and help too.
But all our great sponsors, my uncle at Salty's Barbecue and Catering, Hooker Trucking, Peterson Insurance, Kai Farms, Pit Crew Barbecue, Whelan Auto Body, Tyler Matson Trucking, Vander Heiden Trucking, Swift Springs, Bilstein Shocks, VG Performance, Longhorn Chassis, Kizer Wheels.
I feel like I'm forgetting a couple, but, K1 Race Gear, just everybody that helps out.
All right, one more time, put your hands together for Dylan Thornton, your, feature winner.
I'm gonna step over here and talk to Tanner English.
Tanner, I tell you what, that haymaker you threw at the end of that thing was as big of a haymaker as you see in late model racing, and you got there, you just couldn't stay there.
Yeah, I mean, I knew I wasn't gonna get Dylan.
He had too good of a run off the corner there, and he was, he was doing a really good job and, and staying where he needed to do.
And, and, I just got a little impatient there in lap traffic and, and went low too early, and, kind of left myself open for Cody to pass me, and then I just had to fight back after that.
So, just, zig when I should've zagged, but, all in all, good night.
This track is awesome.
You know, it's, it's cool to come out here and You know, I never thought we'd use this first two, three car lengths.
I, I just thought, you know, there's no way we'd ever get out there, and, man, we did, and it, it made for a heck of a show, I think.
I hope all, all these fans enjoyed it, and I hope they're be back.
How tough is it to run 40 laps on a cushion?
You came to the bottom a little bit, but you guys got from about five feet to the wall to about a foot from the wall.
Looked like that cushion just kept moving up.
How hard is that for 40 laps in a row?
Well, it must have been pretty easy, because I can't run a cushion for nothing.
So, If, if I could do it around there, it was pretty easy, and that's You know, when there's a May- maybe right there at the end it got a little hard for me.
You know, I, I'm kind of bad when it gets real slick to a cushion, so, it had that little bit of traction strip, that was good for me, and, and, car was working really good.
Just, made a move too early.
All right, one more time, put it up, your hands together for your runner-up, Tanner English.
And it looks like our third place finisher's not out here.
Let's send it back up to you to sit at home.
Oh, there he is.
He's behind me.
Where's your car at?
Hiding.
Oh, it's hiding over there.
Cody, tell you what, did, did you know Tanner was that close?
I mean, he kind of threw a bomb at you in one and two earlier, and then that last one he threw at you, wasn't a whole lot you could do about it, was there?
No, I don't know if something's going on with my motor or what.
It, them last five laps, I was trying to give it all it had, and then it started fluttering and vibrating, so I was like, "Uh, I better chill out.
I don't know if this thing's about to blow up or it's, uh-" Dirt in the wheels, so we're just gonna have to check it out and see what it is.
But congrats to Dylan.
I didn't really mean to get into him, but I had to get payback.
I had to get my door back.
But, no, there is no hard feelings.
He's, he's trying just like we are, and, I'm not mad.
Hell, it, it happens.
We're racing.
But, I just can't thank my car owner, just all my awesome sponsors, Alan Murray, Triple Electric.
Oh, man, it's been a while.
Let's see, Buck Holm, M&S Concrete, Ben Fairhall, my girlfriend back home.
She's, she's awesome.
Ready to go back already.
And, and the good Lord.
Man, it, it's He, He's blessed me here, and, just keep it going.
We want to point out you did have Dilly on your door panel if they couldn't see it earlier.
Fun to try to have a little fun with the other racers occasionally, isn't it?
Yeah.
No, you just can't be so serious about I mean, we, you gotta be serious, but you gotta have a good time doing it.
My car owner's pretty big on me about that.
If you're not having fun, we're not doing it.
So, that's my way of having fun.
I know that we're tearing him up, but he maybe tore up 60 bucks.
Like, it's okay.
In the whole scheme of racing, 60 bucks doesn't amount to a whole lot.
Put your hands together for Cody Overton, your place finisher.
Well, thank you very much, Dwayne Hewlett.
Again, your top 10.
Clay Stucky comes home 10th.
Ninth is Daniel Adam, eighth to Billy Moyer Sr., seventh to Bob Gardner.
He was our hard charger along with Ryan Unzicker.
Fifth, Jordan Bauer.
Fourth, Rodney Melvin.
Congratulations to our top three.
Cody Overton, Tanner English, and one more time, it's Dilly Dilly time.
Once again, here at the return of Belle Claire, let's hear it for Dylan Thornton.
On behalf of the Mars Championship Late Model Series, we can't wait to see you next week, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, La Salle, Farmer City, Fairbury, and Spoon.
MarsRacingSeries.com.
Thank you to the great staff right here at Belle Claire.
Congrats to the track prep crew.
They put on an amazing show.
Great job with the racetrack, and a great job by you awesome race fans.
Thanks for coming out.
We can't wait to see you back here September 11th with the KKM Midgets, Micros, Mods, Vintage.
And it kicks off a great NASCAR week.
From all of us here at the Mars Championship Series, once again, thank you to FK Rod Ends and Summit Racing Equipment.
My name is Mike Norris.
We'll catch you next time.
See you at La Salle Speedway, and thanks for being a part of the Mars Championship Series.
Good night, everybody.
