Mike Marlar is going all in with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series this season.

That’s right, the Winfield, Tenn., veteran whose philosophy has almost always revolved around a freelance schedule will be chasing a second career national title and a would-be maiden title on the FloRacing-streamed tour in 2024.

There are specific reasons behind the 45-year-old’s change of course this season, one being that he’s able to race within four-and-a-half hours from home 15 of the tour’s 47 race nights following Georgia-Florida Speedweeks.

“For what I normally do, my pick-and-choose schedule, I was actually going to be gone (away from closer to home) more doing that,” Marlar said. “The way the Lucas deal is scheduled, logistics of where I live and everything, it’s going to allow me to race for good money and sleep in my bed way more times for sure. That was part of the decision.”

Almost every touring event outside a five-hour radius from Marlar’s headquarters are of prestigious or lucrative value.

That robust list accounts for 24 events: the backend of Illinois Speedweek on May 10-11 at Farmer City (Ill.) Speedway and Fairbury (Ill.) Speedway, the Show-Me 100 at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo., the Firecracker 100 at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa., the Silver Dollar Nationals at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D., the Topless 100 at Batesville Motor Speedway, Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway’s $50,000-to-win Rumble by the River, the Hillbilly 100 at Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, W.Va., the Lucas Oil Knoxville Nationals, the Pittsburgher, and then East Bay Raceway Park’s $50,000-to-win grand finale.

So, when added up, 39 of the 47 races that proceed Georgia-Florida Speedweeks are either within Marlar’s preferred four-and-a-half hour reach or an event that pays a minimum of $30,000-to-win for the grand finale.

“One part of the decision is that we’re probably going to run 60-75 percent of the Lucas races anyway,” Marlar said. “Then the other deciding factor is Greg (Bruening’s) long-term vision for the team. I want to help Skyline (Motorsports) get to where they want to be with the team, too. A lot of variables there, but it makes the most sense this season for sure.”

Marlar last completed a touring season from start to finish in 2018 when he won the World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series title. In 2021, he did start 40 of the 45 events on the Lucas Oil Series, but missed three of the final four events because his new house that was being built urgently required his attention.

“What happened was, it got to late fall on us and I had to pull off and miss a few races,” Marlar said. “So I didn’t run it all then. … I’m looking forward to getting to do it. Both series have done a good job. There’s really not one better than the other. I think it boils down to logistics and that side of it. Usually a year for me is slightly more Outlaw races than Lucas races, but if you add it all up, I basically run a series anyway.”

Actually, since the Lucas Oil Series inception in 2004, there’s only been two seasons — 2012 and ’18 — that Marlar’s logged more WoO events. In terms of percentage, Marlar did run 37 percent of the WoO races last year (14 of 38) as opposed to 35 percent of the Lucas Oil Series events (22 of 62).

“I enjoy racing with the Outlaws,” Marlar said. “It just wasn’t the right fit. I have no preference over one or the other.”

Marlar signing on with the Lucas Oil Series for logistical purposes is also why his Skyline Motorsports teammate Tyler Bruening will continue to follow the WoO. For Bruening of Decorah, Iowa, he’ll be within five hours on 16 of the tour’s 53 race nights.

“Depending on where you live and what you’re trying to accomplish, it’s different for everybody,” Marlar said. “But for our particular Skyline team, it just works out better for one half to be in Lucas and the other to be in WoO.”

Marlar also keeps the workload of his three-man travel crew in mind. Cody Smith, Jerry Sprouse, and Josh Davis all live within an hour or so of Marlar’s residence. The trio of mechanics are as tight-knit as can be, with Davis having worked for Marlar since 2008, Sprouse since ’15, and Smith rejoining the team after previously having a role in ’10.

“As I said, what Greg wants to accomplish with his team, it’s good for this year and for the greater good of his team also, you know?” Marlar said.

Outside the Lucas Oil Series, Marlar will make it a priority to be at Eldora Speedway’s Crown Jewels in Rossburg, Ohio — the Dream and World 100 — as well as WoO’s marquee events, July 26-27’s Prairie Dirt Classic at Fairbury, Aug. 1-3’s USA Nationals at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis., and Nov. 6-9’s World Finals at the Dirt Track at Charlotte.

Other events will then of course be added to his tentative schedule. Marlar said he rounded to this decision to set out with the Lucas Oil Series about a month ago, around Christmastime, and admits he’s still rewiring his mind to think in the way of points racing. In his 30 years of racing, Marlar’s raced for points on only four occasions.

Though he finished 16th in Thursday’s opener, he felt the pressure of striving for a good standing from the outset, needing to hustle from outside a transfer spot in the B main to lock into the main event without having to lean on a provisional.

When Marlar had been asked after the 40-lap feature if he’s really serious about following the tour this year, he quipped, “Did you see how hard I was running in that B main?”

Yes, Marlar is that serious about his intentions to follow the tour.

“Although I still didn’t want to commit to doing a series, the way it was going to work out, they have some off weeks during the summer, and I might actually get to take (my wife) Stacy on vacation this year,” Marlar said. “She and I, everywhere we’ve ever wanted to go, we’ve gone during the winter. Now we’re going to have to get away to some of these places in the summer.

“The way it worked out with them, there’s a few more off weeks mid-summer to let the guys get away and we can get away from it. I just like the way it all worked out.”