Marks, driver of the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, withstood a rain-soaked challenge from Sam Hornish Jr. on the final restart, but Marks showcased his road-racing skills when it counted most and stretched his lead to 3.7 seconds when the checkered flag flew.
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“These are as tough conditions as you can put drivers in,” said Marks from a makeshift victory lane. “It’s just really hard on everybody when it’s dry and wet and you don’t really know what to do, so strategy plays a big role in it. You know, my specialty is road racing in the rain in these stock cars and I don’t get much of an opportunity to do it so when that opportunity presents itself, you have to really take advantage of it and I about threw it away today.
“I knew if the race ended in the rain that we would have a real shot at winning it. I wish my family was here. I’m just really happy.”
Marks dedicated the win to former Chip Ganassi Racing driver Bryan Clauson who passed away last Sunday night from injuries suffered in a sprint car accident during the Belleville Midget Nationals in Kansas.
“Bryan’s short career in stock-car racing came with Chip Ganassi Racing, so it’s great to be able to put this thing in victory lane to honor him and think about him,” Marks said. “He’s a real American hero race car driver, Bryan was. They don’t make them like that anymore.”
Hornish settled for second in a limited schedule driving the No. 2 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. “All in all, a good day,” he said. “My hats off to Justin Marks. I generally held myself as a pretty decent rain racer and even given the opportunity there at the end, I couldn’t do anything with him. I would have had to take massive chances with our car to be able to do anything and you still gotta pass him to keep up with him.
“I’m proud of what the guys gave me on the No. 2 car today. I wish we would have gotten a little more out of it. In the dry, I feel like we could win, but Justin just went out there and was just a monster in the wet.”
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Hornish won the pole on Friday in dry conditions, but as the field took the green at the 2.25-mile, 13-turn road course, Mother Nature moved in and sent the team to pit road for an optional change of tires from slicks to wets on Lap 3.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Owen Kelly, in his XFINITY Series return, took the lead on the restart, but spun shortly thereafter in Turn 6 sending Hornish back to the top spot. Hornish, however, would get his first glimpse of Marks on Lap 12 when the Chip Ganassi Racing driver took the lead for the first time.
Mid-Ohio Challenge Results: 1. (16) Justin Marks, Chevrolet 2. (1) Sam Hornish Jr, Chevrolet, 3. (3) Ryan Blaney(i), Ford, 75. 4. (7) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet 5. (11) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet 6. (6) Erik Jones #, Toyota 7. (15) Andy Lally, Chevrolet 8. (12) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet 9. (4) Elliott Sadler, Chevrolet 10. (17) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet 11. (8) Ryan Reed, Ford 12. (13) Blake Koch, Chevrolet 13. (22) Alon Day, Dodge 14. (21) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet 15. (10) Darrell Wallace Jr, Ford 16. (2) Owen Kelly, Toyota 17. (24) Ryan Preece, Chevrolet 18. (29) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet 19. (19) Brandon Jones, Chevrolet 20. (27) Stanton Barrett, Ford 21. (26) Dakoda Armstrong, Toyota 22. (23) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet 23. (5) Daniel Suarez, Toyota 24. (36) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet 25. (32) David Starr, Chevrolet 26. (30) Mike Bliss, Toyota 27. (38) BJ McLeod, Ford 28. (37) Joey Gase, Chevrolet 29. (31) Timmy Hill, Chevrolet 30. (33) Ray Black Jr., Chevrolet 31. (35) Jordan Anderson, Chevrolet 32. (28) TJ Bell, Chevrolet 33. (39) Roger Reuse, Dodge 34. (14) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet 35. (20) JJ Yeley, Toyota 36. (18) Kenny Habul, Chevrolet 37. (34) Tim Cowen, Ford 38. (9) Nelson Piquet Jr., Ford 39. (40) Mario Gosselin, Chevrolet 40. (25) Jeff Green, Toyota
