By Brian Liskai
BRANDON, S.D. (Sunday, Aug. 14, 2011) – Mark Dobmeier has
been around long enough in sprint car racing to know when things are going
well you don’t question it, you just ride it as long as you can. He did
just that Sunday at Huset’s Speedway, wrestling the
lhttp://allstarsprint.com/mailinglist/lt.php?id=N0UAAFBTCgMEGgQCBUgCVQ%3D%3D
away from Justin Henderson at the half-way point and then withstood
challenges from Tim Shaffer in traffic over the next eight laps then raced
virtually uncontested during the final 7 laps to win the All Star Circuit
of Champions event.
Coming off a qualifying night feature win during the 51st Annual Goodyear
Knoxville Nationals and a sixth place run in sprint car racing’s “Super
Bowl” the previous night, Dobmeier would record his 41st victory at the
track and his first ever All Star victory. He now sits second on Huset’s
all-time win list with 41 victories, behind Terry McCarl. It was also his
fifth win of the year at the track where he leads the point’s standings as
he battles for his fourth track championship.
“This team is as strong as it’s ever been…we’re just going to keep this
deal rolling,” said Dobmeier beside his Lunstra/Dobmeier Racing #13. “When
I see lapped cars I want it because that’s when we can gain spots. This car
is just working so strong. I have to thank my crew, Dave Lunstra and my dad
for putting this team together and all my great sponsors.”
“I took this race with a whole different approach than I did for the first
All Star race here. I was pretty aggressive that first All Star race we
had…I think we would have won that one too but I was too aggressive and
tapped the wall. I really had to retrain myself on this one. I was being
very patient until we got about half-way through the race then we turned
our wick up,” continued Dobmeier beside his Senski & Son Transfer/Right
Choice Electric/Big Trucks by Jimco machine.
Henderson would grab the lead at the drop of the green with Dobmeier and
David Gravel in pursuit. Gravel would get around Dobmeier for second, but
would then tag the turn 3 wall, ending his night. On the restart Henderson
would rocket away using the top groove and would soon catch the rear of the
field. Once in traffic, Henderson’s lead evaporated as Dobmeier quickly
closed. Dobmeier would execute a slider in turn four on lap 13 to briefly
take the lead but Henderson would drive back into the top spot. On the next
lap Dobmeier would drive under Henderson for the lead.
Meanwhile, two-time All Star champion Tim Shaffer would make a charge,
using traffic to move into the second spot as Henderson began to fade.
Dobmeier would struggle with heavy traffic allowing Shaffer to close. But
once past the traffic, Dobmeier would rocket away his first career All Star
win.
Shaffer – coming off a 19th to fourth run at the Knoxville Nationals –
would come home second and build on his point lead in the All Star’s Great
Plains Region and its $10,000 payday. He would also pad his point lead for
the All Star’s National title.
“It’s all about putting a great show on for the fans and this was a fun
place tonight,” said Shaffer beside his Aaron Call/Janet Holbrook owned
machine.
“Earlier you could run the bottom and the top both and then when lapped
traffic comes into play…that’s when it really gets exciting. It works out
however it works out…we don’t know, we’re just hanging on to these things,”
quipped Shaffer. “I have to thank Kistler Engines, Kistler Racing Products,
VRP Shocks and all my crew for their hard work all season long.”
Three-time All Star champ Dale Blaney would come home third to stay within
striking distance of Shaffer for the All Star’s national title.
“The track was really different than what it was a couple of weeks ago. If
we would have gained a row in the dash we might have had a shot. It was a
pretty good race there for awhile,” said Blaney beside his George Fisher
Racing/Ti22 backed #2.
Now it’s on to AMSOIL Speedway in Superior, Wisconsin on Tuesday and Red
River Valley Speedway in Fargo, N.D. on Wednesday to close out the All Star
Circuit of Champions’ “Thunder Through the Plains.”
All Star Circuit of Champions (30 Cars)
[#]-Starting Position
Qualifying – Kistler Engines
1. 1-Stevie Smith, 10.867
2. 89G-David Gravel, 10.876
3. 83-Tim Shaffer, 10.939
4. 11-Roger Crockett, 10.943
5. 35-Justin Henderson, 10.983
6. 2-Dale Blaney, 10.984
7. 13-Mark Dobmeier, 11.004
8. 12-Lynton Jefferies, 11.012
9. 1Z-Jessica Zemken, 11.021
10. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 11.032
11. 4-Danny Smith, 11.096
12. O4-Cap Henry, 11.100
13. 8-Casey Mack, 11.149
14. 2B-Bryan Dobesh, 11.191
15. 3TW-Donnovan Peterson, 11.220
16. W20-Greg Wilson, 11.265
17. 4C-Cody Hanson, 11.281
18. 3-Pete Miller III, 11.359
19. 83JR-Tim Kaeding, 11.322
20. 44W-Austin Wheatley, 11.373
21. 33-Robbie Wolfgang, 11.541
22. 14-Jody Rosenboom, 11.543
23. 6-Thomas Barber, 11.669
24. 1H-Sye Anderson, 11.684
25. 4X-Eric Schulz, 11.920
26. 101-Chuck McGillivary, 11.979
27. 97-Alan Gilbertson, 12.010
28. 92-Mitch Mack, 12.091
29. 1J-Justin Glaser, 12.404
30. 13JM-Jordan Martens, 12.835
Heat 1 – Kears Speed Shop (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the
A-feature)
1. W20-Greg Wilson[1]
2. 5W-Lucas Wolfe[3]
3. 13-Mark Dobmeier[4]
4. 83JR-Tim Kaeding[7]
5. 8-Casey Mack[2]
6. 14-Jody Rosenboom[8]
7. 1-Stevie Smith[6]
8. 11-Roger Crockett[5]
9. 92-Mitch Mack[10]
10. 4X-Eric Schulz[9]
Heat 2 – All Pro Heads (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 4C-Cody Hanson[1]
2. 2B-Bryan Dobesh[2]
3. 35-Justin Henderson[5]
4. 89G-David Gravel[6]
5. 4-Danny Smith[3]
6. 12-Lynton Jefferies[4]
7. 44W-Austin Wheatley[7]
8. 101-Chuck McGillivary[9]
9. 1J-Justin Glaser[10]
10. 6-Thomas Barber[8]
Heat 3 – MSD Ignition (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. O4-Cap Henry[3]
2. 3TW-Donnovan Peterson[2]
3. 2-Dale Blaney[5]
4. 3-Pete Miller III[1]
5. 1Z-Jessica Zemken[4]
6. 83-Tim Shaffer[6]
7. 1H-Sye Anderson[8]
8. 33-Robbie Wolfgang[7]
9. 97-Alan Gilbertson[9]
10. 13JM-Jordan Martens[10]
Dash – Outerwears Performance Products (6 Laps, finishing order determined
first 6 starting positions of A-feature
1. 35-Justin Henderson[26]
2. 89G-David Gravel[22]
3. 13-Mark Dobmeier[30]
4. 12-Lynton Jefferies[2]
5. 83-Tim Shaffer[4]
6. 2-Dale Blaney[6]
B-Main – University of Northwestern Ohio (12 Laps – Top 6 finishers
transfer to the A-feature)
1. 11-Roger Crockett[2]
2. 1-Stevie Smith[1]
3. 44W-Austin Wheatley[3]
4. 101-Chuck McGillivary[7]
5. 1H-Sye Anderson[6]
6. 1J-Justin Glaser[9]
7. 6-Thomas Barber[5]
8. 92-Mitch Mack[8]
A-Main – (30 Laps)
1. 13-Mark Dobmeier[3]
2. 83-Tim Shaffer[5]
3. 2-Dale Blaney[6]
4. 12-Lynton Jefferies[4]
5. 35-Justin Henderson[1]
6. W20-Greg Wilson[16]
7. 83JR-Tim Kaeding[19]
8. 1-Stevie Smith[11]
9. 5W-Lucas Wolfe[8]
10. 4-Danny Smith[9]
11. O4-Cap Henry[10]
12. 44W-Austin Wheatley[20]
13. 11-Roger Crockett[12]
14. 14-Jody Rosenboom[21]
15. 1Z-Jessica Zemken[7]
16. 4C-Cody Hanson[17]
17. 8-Casey Mack[13]
18. 3TW-Donnovan Peterson[15]
19. 1J-Justin Glaser[24]
20. 3-Pete Miller III[18]
21. 1H-Sye Anderson[22]
22. 2B-Bryan Dobesh[14]
23. 101-Chuck McGillivary[23]
24. 89G-David Gravel[2]
Hard Charger: 83JR-Tim Kaeding[+12]