Mark Dobmeier swept the third Annual Buffalo Wild Wings King of the Wings last weekend, culminating in a $5,000 victory last Saturday night, his 192nd career series victory.
Scott Thiel and Jake Neuman led the field to green Thursday night at Norman County Raceway in Ada, MN for the 25-lap main event. It was a rocky start to the main event with cautions on laps one and three.
Thiel led the first five laps before spinning to a stop in turn four, relinquishing the lead to Jake Neuman. This also moved Mark Dobmeier and the Buffalo Wild Wings No. 13 into second and Jake Blackhurst to third.
Neuman pulled out to about a ten-car length lead while Blackhurst and Christopher Thram battled for the third spot. Dobmeier began reeling in Neuman as the pair worked lapped traffic near the midway point.
With 11 laps to go, Neuman slipped up at the top of turn four, allowing Dobmeier to capitalize and take the lead which Dobmeier consolidated with two more green flag laps before the final caution with eight to go.
Dobmeier set sail from there and already had a straightaway lead before the flagman put five fingers in the air to signify five laps remaining.
Dobmeier had to work traffic in the final three circuits but remained un-phased as he went on to win over Neuman and Christopher Thram who took the third spot in the closing laps from Blackhurst.
Friday night’s 30-lap feature began with a four wide salute with the missing man for series co-founder Jeff Leebrick.
When the race went green Austin Hartmann and Nick Omdahl led the field to green, though a pile-up and turn two that ended Ryan Bowers's night, set up a complete restart.
Hartmann led in turns one and two before Nick Omdahl, in his CMS No. 0, got a good bite off of the cushion and took the lead on the second start attempt, which was also erased by a caution. Hartmann's best of the three starts saw him lead the opening lap over Omdahl and Gage Pulkrabek.
Caution number four on the third lap set up a single file restart where Mark Dobmeier took third from Gage Pulkrabek’s AgServe No. G5 coming off of turn four. After a spirited three-lap battle, Dobmeier took second from Nick Omdahl leaving the latter to battle for third with Pulkrabek before another caution on lap eight which saw Logan Julien's night come to an end.
Dobmeier gained momentum for three laps as he stalked Hartmann for the lead, eventually taking it with a slide job off turn four to complete the 11th lap. Hartmann came back at him, and they nearly finished the next circuit side-by-side, but Dobmeier began to build his lead from that point.
With eight laps to go, Nick Omdahl who was running second, saw his night come to end with engine issues. With five laps left, Scott Thiel began to close in on Hartmann for second. Thiel took second from Hartmann two laps later as Dobmeier continued on for the checkers. Andy Pake took third in the closing lap to complete the podium with Dobmeier and Thiel.
The beginning of the 35-lap on Saturday night saw Dobmeier start on the pole with Laela Eisenschenk to his outside. Eisenschenk, becoming just the second driver in 20 years to start on the front row in a feature with both NOSA and the NLRA Late Models in the same season, brought the King in the Wings finale to green.
Dobmeier led from the start as Logan Julian, Eisenschenk in her Kost Materials No. 15, and Brendan Mullen in his Home of Economy No. 11M, fought for the second spot. Five laps into the race, Dobmeier started working lap traffic and put a pair of lapped cars between him and Julian as the latter continued to be attacked by both Eisenschenk and Mullen again in a three-car battle for second.
Dobmeier continued to lead past a caution on lap 13 and until Jake Neuman had a fire in turn two with 17 to go. Save for a few scary moments, Neuman exited his car okay.
When the race resumed, Mullen and Julian went side-by-side for the second spot. Julian again fought off those charges for the second spot until 12 to go when it appeared something broke on Julien’s car going into turn three, causing hard contact with the outside fence posts on the outside of the Bullring. Julian's night was over, but he was okay.
On what proved to be the final restart, Mullen pulled even with Dobmeier in turns one and two, but Dobmeier again showed his strength and continued to lead. Gage Pulkrabek held off Nick Omdahl, who eventually had to try and keep the fourth spot away from Andy Pake.
Lapped traffic was a factor again in the closing five laps, but Dobmeier continued on to complete the sweep over Mullen and Pulkrabek.
“I can't be prouder of where this team is sitting at right now,” Dobmeier said after completing the sweep. “We've been through a lot of ups and downs. We've always had speed, but we've been kind of on a roll lately and I haven't been this comfortable for probably four years in a Sprint Car. We've really got a good balance on the car and things are working. I’ve got a badass crew that's working all the time and we put a lot of effort, a lot of nights and weekends, a lot of everything on this one. It feels really good to be sitting in the spot where we have a comfortable car, and things are just rolling again like they used to.”
Racing action continues Friday night, July 26th, at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks during their Big Motor Mania event.
Thiel led the first five laps before spinning to a stop in turn four, relinquishing the lead to Jake Neuman. This also moved Mark Dobmeier and the Buffalo Wild Wings No. 13 into second and Jake Blackhurst to third.
Neuman pulled out to about a ten-car length lead while Blackhurst and Christopher Thram battled for the third spot. Dobmeier began reeling in Neuman as the pair worked lapped traffic near the midway point.
With 11 laps to go, Neuman slipped up at the top of turn four, allowing Dobmeier to capitalize and take the lead which Dobmeier consolidated with two more green flag laps before the final caution with eight to go.
Dobmeier set sail from there and already had a straightaway lead before the flagman put five fingers in the air to signify five laps remaining.
Dobmeier had to work traffic in the final three circuits but remained un-phased as he went on to win over Neuman and Christopher Thram who took the third spot in the closing laps from Blackhurst.
Friday night’s 30-lap feature began with a four wide salute with the missing man for series co-founder Jeff Leebrick.
When the race went green Austin Hartmann and Nick Omdahl led the field to green, though a pile-up and turn two that ended Ryan Bowers's night, set up a complete restart.
Hartmann led in turns one and two before Nick Omdahl, in his CMS No. 0, got a good bite off of the cushion and took the lead on the second start attempt, which was also erased by a caution. Hartmann's best of the three starts saw him lead the opening lap over Omdahl and Gage Pulkrabek.
Caution number four on the third lap set up a single file restart where Mark Dobmeier took third from Gage Pulkrabek’s AgServe No. G5 coming off of turn four. After a spirited three-lap battle, Dobmeier took second from Nick Omdahl leaving the latter to battle for third with Pulkrabek before another caution on lap eight which saw Logan Julien's night come to an end.
Dobmeier gained momentum for three laps as he stalked Hartmann for the lead, eventually taking it with a slide job off turn four to complete the 11th lap. Hartmann came back at him, and they nearly finished the next circuit side-by-side, but Dobmeier began to build his lead from that point.
With eight laps to go, Nick Omdahl who was running second, saw his night come to end with engine issues. With five laps left, Scott Thiel began to close in on Hartmann for second. Thiel took second from Hartmann two laps later as Dobmeier continued on for the checkers. Andy Pake took third in the closing lap to complete the podium with Dobmeier and Thiel.
The beginning of the 35-lap on Saturday night saw Dobmeier start on the pole with Laela Eisenschenk to his outside. Eisenschenk, becoming just the second driver in 20 years to start on the front row in a feature with both NOSA and the NLRA Late Models in the same season, brought the King in the Wings finale to green.
Dobmeier led from the start as Logan Julian, Eisenschenk in her Kost Materials No. 15, and Brendan Mullen in his Home of Economy No. 11M, fought for the second spot. Five laps into the race, Dobmeier started working lap traffic and put a pair of lapped cars between him and Julian as the latter continued to be attacked by both Eisenschenk and Mullen again in a three-car battle for second.
Dobmeier continued to lead past a caution on lap 13 and until Jake Neuman had a fire in turn two with 17 to go. Save for a few scary moments, Neuman exited his car okay.
When the race resumed, Mullen and Julian went side-by-side for the second spot. Julian again fought off those charges for the second spot until 12 to go when it appeared something broke on Julien’s car going into turn three, causing hard contact with the outside fence posts on the outside of the Bullring. Julian's night was over, but he was okay.
On what proved to be the final restart, Mullen pulled even with Dobmeier in turns one and two, but Dobmeier again showed his strength and continued to lead. Gage Pulkrabek held off Nick Omdahl, who eventually had to try and keep the fourth spot away from Andy Pake.
Lapped traffic was a factor again in the closing five laps, but Dobmeier continued on to complete the sweep over Mullen and Pulkrabek.
“I can't be prouder of where this team is sitting at right now,” Dobmeier said after completing the sweep. “We've been through a lot of ups and downs. We've always had speed, but we've been kind of on a roll lately and I haven't been this comfortable for probably four years in a Sprint Car. We've really got a good balance on the car and things are working. I’ve got a badass crew that's working all the time and we put a lot of effort, a lot of nights and weekends, a lot of everything on this one. It feels really good to be sitting in the spot where we have a comfortable car, and things are just rolling again like they used to.”
Racing action continues Friday night, July 26th, at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks during their Big Motor Mania event.
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