Brent Marks

Brent Marks earned his second win of the season and first at Williams Grove, passing Kyle Reinhardt and holding off Greg Hodnett in the 25-lap event. (Paul Chaplin | pchaplin@pennlive.com)

MECHANICSBURG: There is a different kind of mood swirling around Brent Marks and his team the last few weeks.

Marks and Co. were in the dumps a bit the first three or four months of the season. They were fast at times, but the results didn't match the speed.

It's changed over the last four weeks. Marks capped Pennsylvania Speed Week with a win at Selinsgrove, qualified for the Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway and finished second against the World of Outlaws last week.

And it keeps getting better.

Marks kept the good vibes flowing Friday night. He tracked down early leader Kyle Reinhardt before taking the lead and speeding away to his second win of the season in the 25-lap Sprint Car feature at Williams Grove Speedway.

"It's been a tough year," Marks said, "but things are starting to go our way. The car is good and a joy to drive.

"It makes our job easier. The guys are positive, and it shows that all the hard work is paying off."

Marks looked like a different driver in the cockpit. He was patient and calculating. As for the car, it handled well around a tricky cushion.

Kyle Reinhardt took the lead at the start over Ryan Bohlke and Marks, who rim-rode around the top to move from sixth to third by the completion of lap 1.

Marks continued his march on lap 2. He charged to the top of Turn 1 and gained momentum to blast around the top of Turn 2 and take second.

"The big thing is confidence," Marks said. "We are good everywhere we go. We have a competitive car, and that carries over to the next place.

"It's the kind of car I like and that you can maneuver around. It makes everyone's life on the team easier."

Marks pulled a slider on Reinhardt through Turn 4 on lap 7. The pass was negated when Danny Dietrich turned over between Turns 1 and 2 and Lance Dewease rolled to a stop coming out of Turn 4.

Doug Esh owned the restart. He took fifth and caught Justin Barger for fourth one lap later. By lap 12, Esh had slid his way past Bohlke and into the third position, while Greg Hodnett moved into fifth.

Reinhardt changed his entry into the corner to block, but he was no match for Marks. The winning move came on lap 16, when Marks split the lapped car of Kyle Pruitt and Reinhart entering Turn 3 and took the top spot.

"It was my plan coming off Turn 2," Marks said. "Kyle missed the entry in the first and second corner, and I had momentum.

"I wasn't too sure how fast we were coming up on Kyle Pruitt. I was lucky to squeeze by. If he was up two more feet, my left rear hits him. But everything is going our way, and that was an opportunity I had to take."

Reinhardt's run came to an end on lap 17. He went low in Turn 3 and made contact with the lapped car of Jordan Givler before spinning across the track and slapping the guardrail.

Marks muscled out front on the restart. Hodnett, who started 12th, drove through the middle of the first and second corner to dispose of Esh for second.

Don Kreitz Jr. entered the picture on lap 18. He took third from Esh on the low side of Turn 2 and started to track down Hodnett.

The race for the lead was over. Marks stretched his advantage to a half straightaway and left Hodnett and Kreitz in a battle for second.

"I thought the bottom was rubbering up," Marks said. "I didn't know where to run, so I pushed extra hard.

"I looked over my shoulder to see if anyone was there. I wasn't going to try [the bottom] and have someone go by me."

Didn't happen.

Marks was never challenged and scored the victory. Hodnett fought off repeated challenges by Kreitz for second. Esh and Aaron Ott completed the top five.

"I was trying to run different lines," Hodnett said. "I knew I could run the top and keep my momentum up.

"Even if I caught up to him, I had to do something different. Kreitz showed me the bottom, and I went down there. The top was better for me but by that time, I wasn't going to catch him."

Doug Hammaker passed early leader Leah Starner and captured his first career Williams Grove victory in the 20-lap 358 Sprint Car feature.

Kevin Nouse charged from 11th to second, with Starner finishing third. Chris Arnold and Chandler Leiby completed the top five.