LEXINGTON, Ohio – Justin Marks splashed through the rain at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday for his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory.
The 35-year-old Marks pulled away on a restart with two left to go in the 75-lap race on the 2.085-mile, 13-turn road course, finishing 3.7 seconds ahead of pole-sitter Sam Hornish Jr.
“These are as tough conditions as you can put drivers in,” Marks said. “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. 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.”
Marks dedicated the victory to late Chip Ganassi driver Bryan Clauson, the 27-year-old dirt racer who died last Sunday night from injuries in a sprint car accident in Kansas. All of the cars had “BC” decals.
“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.”