Mark Dobmeier & Chris Shirek represent NOSA at the Knoxville Nationals.
Chris Shirek #1K of Thompson, ND battles Logan Schuchart of Hanover, PA during Saturday afternoon's Non-Qualifiers event at Knoxville Raceway. Photo by Mike Spieker
By Mike Spieker
KNOXVILLE, IOWA (August 9) - With 110+ drivers competing for the $150,000 check at the most famous dirt track in the world, the Knoxville Nationals is the one race every Sprint Car driver wants to win. This year Chris Shirek and Mark Dobmeier made the near 600 mile haul to represent the Northern Outlaw Sprint Association on Sprint Car racing's biggest stage.
After Wednesday's Casey's General Store Qualifying Night was washed out, Chris Shirek hit the track Friday night along with 51 other drivers from across the country. Shirek timed 36th quick in his R&R Contracting #1K and ended the night with a 19th place finish in the B-main. Shirek then ran the Non-qualifiers event on Saturday afternoon where he set himself up to race in the D-main for the big show on Saturday night.
Mark Dobmeier has run weekly at Knoxville Raceway for the past several years and has picked up a Knoxville Nationals preliminary night victory and has a career best finish of 6th at the Nationals. All of that track time and experience paid off once again for Dobmeier as he turned in another impressive performance at the Sprint Car Capital of the World.
Dobmeier qualified on Thursday night where he timed in 14th quick out of 53 cars and wheeled his way to a third place finish in the A-main. That put "Dynamite" Dobmeier into the 11th starting position for the 50 lap, $150,000-to-win main event on Saturday night. The Grand Forks, ND driver battled against 24 of the best drivers in the world and brought his Sioux Falls Ford #13 home in eighth place.
"We were happy to make it into the A-main. My goal was a top five and I think it was a realistic goal," said Dobmeier after Saturday night's race. "We started 11th and picked up a couple spots right away, but it was an unusual track for the Knoxville Nationals. It had more moisture than usual so it was a tough track to move from a ways back to up to the front. We are satisfied with our run, but it's never good enough unless you win it," continued Dobmeier. "All in all it was a solid Knoxville Nationals; fourth in the 360 Nationals and eighth in the 410 Nationals so we're pretty excited."
Mark Dobmeier has run weekly at Knoxville Raceway for the past several years and has picked up a Knoxville Nationals preliminary night victory and has a career best finish of 6th at the Nationals. All of that track time and experience paid off once again for Dobmeier as he turned in another impressive performance at the Sprint Car Capital of the World.
Dobmeier qualified on Thursday night where he timed in 14th quick out of 53 cars and wheeled his way to a third place finish in the A-main. That put "Dynamite" Dobmeier into the 11th starting position for the 50 lap, $150,000-to-win main event on Saturday night. The Grand Forks, ND driver battled against 24 of the best drivers in the world and brought his Sioux Falls Ford #13 home in eighth place.
"We were happy to make it into the A-main. My goal was a top five and I think it was a realistic goal," said Dobmeier after Saturday night's race. "We started 11th and picked up a couple spots right away, but it was an unusual track for the Knoxville Nationals. It had more moisture than usual so it was a tough track to move from a ways back to up to the front. We are satisfied with our run, but it's never good enough unless you win it," continued Dobmeier. "All in all it was a solid Knoxville Nationals; fourth in the 360 Nationals and eighth in the 410 Nationals so we're pretty excited."
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