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MARS Late Model race takes violent turn as driver goes into oncoming traffic, flips rival

JHby:Jonathan Howard•07/19/25•

Jondean25

MARS Late Model insane wreck
Screenshot credit: FloRacing via X.com

Friday night got wild at Farmer City Raceway in Illinois. The MARS Late Model heat races took a wild turn for the worse. Bob Gardner felt he was done wrong by Daryn Klein. So, he took matters into his own hands, causing a dangerous situation.

Bob Gardner made perhaps the most insane move I’ve ever seen on a race track. In the MARS Late Model heat race, the driver was put into the wall and spun out. Instead of moving on from the situation, he flipped his car around and started to drive into oncoming, green flag traffic.

Officials threw the caution flag and got the field slowed down. But things only escalated from there. Gardner chased Daryn Klein down and put him into the wall. He kept after Klein and eventually flipped him onto his roof.

Fans are calling for Gardner to be banned not only from MARS, but from all racing. After you watch this video, you might understand why.

You can watch the MARS Late Model series on FloRacing. These are usually fun events and dirt racing is a spectacle in and of itself. These cars are designed to slide and get sideways and the racing is fun. Gardner took things to a level they should never reach on the race track.

It is unfortunate that the heat race turned into a demo derby. Just another wild night in short track racing, folks.

MARS Late Model retaliation goes too far

Retaliation is a legit thing in racing. There are acceptable ways to do it and unacceptable ways to do it. Everyone would prefer drivers to use their fists and not their wheels, but that’s not always what happens.

Drivers have to keep cool behind the wheel. At all levels, the calmest, coolest drivers are usually the ones who do the best. Retaliation that endangers another driver or a whole field is unacceptable. Bob Gardner went way too far. Bump a guy so he hits the wall with his right side, that’s one thing. To drive into green flag traffic is borderline insanity.

Surely a punishment will be announced. Series officials can’t allow that to happen and go unpunished. It would set the wildest precedent in motorsports outside of the lawn mower derby at your county fair.