GRAND FORKS, N.D. (July 5, 2019) – In what was a wild Buffalo Wild Wings NOSA Sprint Car feature, Austin Pierce emerged as the victor after 25 trips around the high-banked three-tenths mile oval. Pierce started on the outside of the front row and grabbed the lead on the opening lap.
After pulling out to a big lead early, Pierce nearly lost it all when he almost spun on his own in turn one. The defending River Cities Speedway co-champion was able to reel his No. 2A machine back in, however, and get back up to speed in the lead.
“I started driving pretty hard,” said Pierce after the race. “My front end all of a sudden turned and pulled me into the wall. I drove up it and came back down and just about spun it out. I thought I was a goner but somehow the car just grabbed and I was able to drive it out of there.”
“Since we won our first one here in 2014, we’ve won one every year,” said Pierce. “Last year, we waited until the last night (of the season) to win. It feels better to get in July than in September.”
The race was red flagged around the midpoint after a steering component broke on the No. 31 of Shane Roemeling, which sent him hard into the outside retaining wall and catch fence in turn four. Roemeling came to an abrupt stop in what was a vicious incident, but he climbed from his mangled machine uninjured.
Nick Omdahl, Chris Ranten, Jade Hastings and Jordan Adams rounded out the top five.
Lap Leaders: Austin Pierce (1-25)
Hard Charger: Chris Ranten, Jordan Graham & Sabrina Hockenson (+4)
RESULTS:
A Feature (25 Laps): 1. 2A-Austin Pierce, [2]; 2. 0-Nick Omdahl, [1]; 3. 27-Chris Ranten, [7]; 4. 8H-Jade Hastings, [4]; 5. 20A-Jordan Adams, [3]; 6. 13T-Ty Hanten, [5]; 7. 26-Blake Egeland, [6]; 8. 55-Nick Ranten, [8]; 9. 8C-Jack Croaker, [9]; 10. 99-Jordan Graham, [14]; 11. 47-Sabrina Hockenson, [15]; 12. 41T-Travis Strandell, [13]; 13. (DNF) 11M-Brendan Mullen, [16]; 14. (DNF) 31-Shane Roemeling, [11]; 15. (DNF) 1AJ-Trevor Mell, [12]; (DNS) 12-Brayden Pengilly, ; (DNS) 14-Tom Egeland,
Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 0-Nick Omdahl, [1]; 2. 20A-Jordan Adams, [2]; 3. 13T-Ty Hanten, [4]; 4. 27-Chris Ranten, [6]; 5. 8C-Jack Croaker, [5]; 6. 31-Shane Roemeling, [3]; 7. (DNF) 99-Jordan Graham, [7]; 8. (DNF) 47-Sabrina Hockenson, [8]; (DNS) 12-Brayden Pengilly,
Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 2A-Austin Pierce, [2]; 2. 8H-Jade Hastings, [1]; 3. 26-Blake Egeland, [3]; 4. 55-Nick Ranten, [6]; 5. 14-Tom Egeland, [4]; 6. 1AJ-Trevor Mell, [7]; 7. 41T-Travis Strandell, [8]; 8. (DNF) 11M-Brendan Mullen, [5]