Mark Dobmeier Claims Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin’ Challenge from 23rd

Mark Dobmeier (13) drives by Casey Mack (8) for the lead on lap 11 of 35. Mike Spieker photo.

By Mike Spieker

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (September 9, 2017) – The 11th annual John Seitz Memorial at River Cities Speedway concluded with the third running of the Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin’ Challenge, featuring the NOSA Sprint Cars.

To start the night, Austin Pierce picked up the dash win and earned the 24th starting position for the Blazin’ Back Row Challenge. Jade Hastings, who finished second in the dash, opted to decline the back row challenge and start on the front row for the 35-lap main event. That allowed Mark Dobmeier a chance at the final back row starting spot, which he immediately accepted.


As the green flag waved over the 24-car starting field, outside front row starter Casey Mack took the point while Hastings and Omdahl battled for second.

In the early going, Thomas Kennedy was the highest running Blazin’ Challenge competitor. Kennedy started 19th and cracked the top 10 on lap four. Kennedy, who won the previous night’s main event reached as high as fifth before he slid of the embankment in turn two to bring out a yellow.

Mark Dobmeier was the man on the move after that. The Grand Forks, N.D. driver wheeled his way up to second by lap nine before moving by Mack for the lead on lap 11.

Once out front, Dobmeier couldn’t be touched.

In the late going, the track started to take rubber, but that didn’t slow Dusty Zomer. Zomer also took the Blazin’ Challenge and started 22nd on the field and reached the second position with six to go.

However, he couldn’t do anything with Dobmeier in the final laps as River Cities Speedway’s winningest driver cruised to the biggest NOSA payday in the series’ 23-year history.

Zomer, Mack, Omdahl, and Tom Egeland rounded out the top five.

RESULTS:
A Feature 1 (35 Laps): 1. 13-Mark Dobmeier, [23]; 2. 82-Dusty Zomer, [22]; 3. 8-Casey Mack, [2]; 4. 0-Nick Omdahl, [3]; 5. 14-Tom Egeland, [9]; 6. 20G-Lee Grosz, [4]; 7. 17B-Ryan Bickett, [6]; 8. 6N-Greg Nikitenko, [5]; 9. 8H-Jade Hastings, [1]; 10. 26-Blake Egeland, [17]; 11. 31-Shane Roemeling, [16]; 12. 99-Jordan Graham, [7]; 13. 91M-Jackson Moffett, [11]; 14. 24-Jon Sorenson, [19]; 15. 1AJ-Trevor Mell, [15]; 16. 9N-Wade Nygaard, [12]; 17. 6-Zach Wilde, [13]; 18. 13T-Ty Hanten, [8]; 19. 21K-Thomas Kennedy, [20]; 20. 4M-Cale Mack, [14]; 21. 10TRB-Bob Martin, [10]; 22. 22-Tanner Wisk, [18]; 23. 2A-Austin Pierce, [24]; 24. 27-Chris Ranten, [21]
B Feature 1 (8 Laps): 1. 31-Shane Roemeling, [6]; 2. 26-Blake Egeland, [5]; 3. 22-Tanner Wisk, [2]; 4. 24-Jon Sorenson, [1]; 5. 2K-Kevin Ingle, [7]; 6. 8C-Jack Croaker, [3]; 7. 12-Brayden Pengilly, [4]
Dash 1 (8 Laps): 1. 2A-Austin Pierce, [2]; 2. 8H-Jade Hastings, [1]; 3. 13-Mark Dobmeier, [3]; 4. 82-Dusty Zomer, [5]; 5. 8-Casey Mack, [8]; 6. 0-Nick Omdahl, [7]; 7. 27-Chris Ranten, [6]; 8. (DNF) 21K-Thomas Kennedy, [4]
Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 82-Dusty Zomer, [4]; 2. 13T-Ty Hanten, [1]; 3. 17B-Ryan Bickett, [2]; 4. 6-Zach Wilde, [6]; 5. 20G-Lee Grosz, [3]; 6. 8C-Jack Croaker, [7]; 7. 2K-Kevin Ingle, [8]; 8. 24-Jon Sorenson, [5]
Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 8-Casey Mack, [3]; 2. 99-Jordan Graham, [2]; 3. 0-Nick Omdahl, [4]; 4. 26-Blake Egeland, [8]; 5. 14-Tom Egeland, [1]; 6. 4M-Cale Mack, [5]; 7. 22-Tanner Wisk, [6]; 8. 12-Brayden Pengilly, [7]
Heat 3 (10 Laps): 1. 27-Chris Ranten, [4]; 2. 9N-Wade Nygaard, [6]; 3. 91M-Jackson Moffett, [1]; 4. 6N-Greg Nikitenko, [3]; 5. 31-Shane Roemeling, [8]; 6. 1AJ-Trevor Mell, [5]; 7. 10TRB-Bob Martin, [2]; (DNS) 3M-Marcus Rothenbacher,