Brent Marks turned a season filled with near misses into a breakthrough victory Monday night at Fremont Speedway, leading all 35 laps of the Hollywood Casino High Stakes Showdown.
Starting from the pole, Marks controlled the Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing feature from the opening green flag and successfully navigated a slick, technical racing surface and heavy traffic to earn his first series victory of the 2026 season.
Justin Peck charged from seventh to finish second, while Aaron Reutzel advanced 10 positions to complete the podium. Kerry Madsen and Giovanni Scelzi rounded out the top five at “The Track That Action Built.”
The victory also moved Marks into the championship lead for the Roto-Rooter Midweek Series.
Marks Converts Speed Into a Victory
Marks entered Fremont as one of the most consistent drivers on the High Limit tour, but victory had remained just out of reach.
The driver of the No. 19 had already accumulated five runner-up finishes and six top-five results across seven High Limit events in June. On Monday, he finally converted that consistency into a trip to victory lane.
Marks won his heat race before advancing from second to first in the FK Rod Ends Dash, earning the pole for the 35-lap main event.
Once the feature began, Marks never surrendered the lead.
With the racing surface becoming increasingly slick, Marks had to carefully manage his car while choosing the correct lines through traffic. The conditions required patience and precision, particularly as the leaders encountered slower cars.
Marks remained composed throughout the race and completed the flag-to-flag performance ahead of Peck.
The win was Marks’ first career victory at Fremont Speedway and his first High Limit triumph of the season.
Peck Charges to Second
Justin Peck produced one of the strongest drives among the front-running contenders.
After winning the opening heat race, Peck started seventh in the feature and steadily worked his way toward the front. He gained five positions during the 35-lap event and finished second behind Marks.
Although Peck could not prevent Marks from completing the wire-to-wire victory, his runner-up finish continued a strong night that began with a heat-race win.
Reutzel Rallies From 13th to the Podium
Aaron Reutzel delivered one of the evening’s most impressive charges.
Reutzel started 13th and climbed 10 positions to finish third, giving him the largest gain among the drivers who finished inside the top five.
The No. 87 moved through the field as the track became increasingly technical, eventually passing Kerry Madsen and Giovanni Scelzi to secure the final position on the podium.
Madsen maintained his fourth-place starting position to finish fourth, while Scelzi slipped from the outside of the front row to fifth.
Larson Recovers From Heat-Race Trouble
Kyle Larson’s night became considerably more difficult after the third heat race.
Larson qualified third in his group but fell from the pole to 10th in his heat, forcing the No. 57 into the B Feature. He finished second behind Cole Macedo in the consolation race to earn a transfer into the main event.
Starting 22nd, Larson charged forward 14 positions and finished eighth.
Larson’s drive was the largest advancement among the top-10 finishers and allowed him to salvage a strong result from a night that could have ended before the feature.
Abreu and Courtney Rally Into the Top 10
Rico Abreu and Tyler Courtney also overcame starting positions outside the top half of the field.
Abreu moved from 14th to sixth, advancing eight positions and finishing directly behind Scelzi. Courtney started 20th and gained 11 spots to finish ninth.
Brock Zearfoss placed seventh after starting fifth, while Fremont regular Kalib Henry completed the top 10.
Henry had shown speed earlier in the program, leading his qualifying group and recording the fastest overall time during hot laps. He ultimately finished two positions behind where he started in the feature.
2026 High Limit Racing at Fremont Speedway Top 10
- Brent Marks — No. 19
- Justin Peck — No. 26
- Aaron Reutzel — No. 87
- Kerry Madsen — No. 55
- Giovanni Scelzi — No. 77
- Rico Abreu — No. 24
- Brock Zearfoss — No. 17GP
- Kyle Larson — No. 57
- Tyler Courtney — No. 7BC
- Kalib Henry — No. 101
Biggest Movers
Kyle Larson: 22nd to Eighth
Larson gained 14 positions after transferring through the B Feature. His recovery kept him inside the top 10 despite the costly setback during his heat race.
Aaron Reutzel: 13th to Third
Reutzel advanced 10 positions and reached the podium, completing one of the strongest drives of the feature.
Tyler Courtney: 20th to Ninth
Courtney quietly moved forward throughout the race and earned a top-10 finish after beginning the feature from the 10th row.
Rico Abreu: 14th to Sixth
Abreu climbed eight positions to finish just outside the top five, adding another notable charge through the field.
Cap Henry: 26th to 13th
Cap Henry started near the rear of the 27-car field and advanced 13 positions, narrowly missing a top-10 finish.
Tough Nights at Fremont
Craig Mintz experienced the largest decline in the feature after starting 11th and finishing 27th.
Tanner Thorson also endured a difficult main event, falling from 12th to 25th. Jy Corbet started third following a strong dash performance but slipped to 11th by the finish.
Zane DeVault began the race from sixth and finished 15th, while Brenham Crouch dropped from ninth to 19th.
For several drivers, the slick Fremont surface rewarded patience but quickly punished mistakes or lost momentum.
What the Fremont Victory Means
Marks’ victory was more than another addition to his career total.
After repeatedly finishing near the front during the opening half of the season, the win demonstrated that the No. 19 team had developed the speed and consistency needed to close out a High Limit event.
Leading all 35 laps against a 47-car field also made the performance especially convincing.
Marks now carries increased momentum and the Roto-Rooter Midweek Series point lead into the heart of a major week of Ohio sprint car racing.
Meanwhile, the recovery drives from Larson, Reutzel, Courtney and Abreu showed how quickly the running order could change on Fremont’s demanding surface.
Marks, however, never gave anyone the opportunity to take the top spot.
From the pole to the checkered flag, the Hollywood Casino High Stakes Showdown belonged to the Myerstown, Pennsylvania driver.
