You may recognize the Delk name from the sides of the super late models Mike Marlar races, and Jared Delk is related. Jared, the son of Ronnie Delk, of Delk Equipment, has embarked in his own racing exploits. He’ll compete this Saturday at I-75 Raceway in the Save A Lot American All-Star Series Presented by PPM Racing Products.
The 20-year-old started racing just three years ago, beginning with a Crown Vic. In 2024, he earned his first win in his first late model race ever. It came in the B Sportsman class at I-75 Raceway. Jared’s a quick learner, to say the least. Sure, he’s garnered some wisdom from Mike Marlar. However, Jared credits his father, Ronnie, a former racer, for some of the best advice he’s received in his short career.
“He’s been around watching [racing] for so long,” Jared, of Jamestown, Tennessee, said. “He doesn’t know adjustments, but he knows what the car should and shouldn’t do. I can’t see outside the car. It’s nice to have somebody tell you, ‘Hey, you probably need a little work in that area.’”
When it comes to setup knowledge, Jared prefers to dive in himself on his Longhorn Chassis.
“The best thing that’s helped me is just working [on the car] and doing it myself,” Jared said. “Like just getting in there, making the changes and figuring out every little thing, what it does and what it feels like to me [from the driver’s seat].”
It seems to be working. Jared Delk rarely finishes outside the top 10.
He’ll look to continue that streak Saturday, May 30, at I-75 Raceway, in the Save A Lot American All-Star Series Presented by PPM Racing Products. Based on his past record, he may be primed to become a first-time winner on the tour. It wouldn’t be the first time for Jared to pull off a surprise victory.
Outside Groove Note of Transparency: Outside Groove is a sponsor of the American All-Star Series. The American All-Star Series paid for the production of this article. The content is not subject to the approval of the American All-Star Series. The race date was changed to Saturday (2026-05-28).
The Outside Groove Executive Editor has covered motorsports since 2000. His many awards include the 2019 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Jim Hunter Writer of the Year and the 2013 Russ Catlin Award for Excellence in Motorsports Journalism.
