From J&J
McKENIZE, TN (Aug. 31) – During the final weekend of August, J&J Auto Racing teams continued winning Sprint car races and a pair of teams also earned track championships. Mark Dobmeier won twice while Donny Schatz, Tim Shaffer, Terry Gray, Andre Layfield, Scott Broty and Alan Ambers were all winners. Dean Jacobs and Carl Bowser clinched track championships while competing last weekend.
WORLD OF OUTLAWS
Four-time World of Outlaws champion Donny Schatz started the week right for J&J Auto Racing by leading every lap of Tuesday’s WoO A-Feature at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, S.D. The driver of the Tony Stewart Racing No. 15 STP/ Armor All J&J won his third straight race in Rapid City after winning at the track in 2006 and 2007. The reigning Knoxville Nationals champion led all 25 laps to pick up his sixth WoO A-Feature triumph of 2011.
RIVER CITIES SPEEDWAY
Mark Dobmeier is having an incredible month of August collecting wins versus the All-Stars, a World of Outlaws win at Knoxville, and a number of top-five finishes to go with those victories. The Grand Forks, N.D., racer has also continued his winning ways at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks. Dobmeier once again raced the Lunstra/Dobmeier No. 13L J&J to victory.
Dobmeier assumed control after early-leader, Wade Nygaard, driver a new No. 9 J&J, had a mechanical problem. The final 15 laps went non-stop and Dobmeier collected his 14th victory of the season on a very fast track.
“The track was way heavier than usual,” Dobmeier said. “But the nice thing about it, the track was smooth. The track was about 15 mph faster than usual.”
KNOXVILLE RACEWAY
Since his preliminary night victory at the Knoxville Nationals, Mark Dobmeier has been smiling. The look on his face didn’t change on Saturday night after his performance at the legendary half-mile, dirt oval. Dobmeier started third in the Lunstra/Dobmeier No. 13L J&J and took the lead on lap 12. He led the rest of the way to pick up his ninth career win at the track.
“I can’t say enough for my guys,” said Dobmeier in Victory Lane. “We had a rear-end go out in the heat and had it changed in about ten minutes. Everyone was fast at the beginning, and we came into play when it slicked off a little.”
Rager Phillips finished eighth in the No. 10 J&J, while Dusty Zomer came home 11th in the No. 91 J&J.
ALL-STARS – MERCER RACEWAY PARK
Just because defending All-Star Circuit of Champions winner Tim Shaffer was racing close to home on Saturday night, things certainly didn’t come easy. The driver of the CH Motorsports No. 83 Kistler-powered J&J took the lead late in the 30-lap race to score his seventh All-Star triumph of 2011 and 42nd of his career.
Shaffer had to find a way around early-leader Daryn Pittman. He was successful in doing so.
“We were pretty good there early, and I kept telling myself that we needed to find something different,” admitted Shaffer. “If you follow the guy and run the same line he is, it makes it hard to get past.”
David Gravel put on a late charge in the DDR Motorsports No. 89g J&J and finished second. “The car was awesome,” explained Gravel.
Danny Holtgraver made it three J&J’s in the top-four by finishing fourth in his No. D4 J&J. Ed Lynch, Jr. (No. 2L J&J) was seventh and Aaron Ott (No. 77 J&J) came home 10th.
USCS –
Defending United Sprint Car Series (USCS) champion Terry Gray raced to his fourth win of the season on Saturday night in the USCS Senoia Summer Nationals II at New Senoia Raceway. Gray won an opening lap drag race with Lance Moss (No. 23 J&J) to gain control of the race. He led the entire distance, but a number of J&J cars fought it out behind him. Gray’s teammate, Morgan Turpen (No. 80 J&J), worked her way up to second while Matt Linder (No. 1x J&J) and Johnny Bridges (No. 07 J&J) all battled inside the top-five. Moss was in third when he got caught up in an accident on lap 16. Gray led the rest of way and led a brigade of J&J’s to the finish line: Gray, Turpen, Linder and Bridges. Eric Riggins, Jr. (No. 47 J&J) finished sixth, while Brian Thomas (No. 67 J&J) finished ninth.
WAYNE COUNTY SPEEDWAY
Andre Layfield made it two wins in two weeks behind the wheel of the No. 21 J&J. After earning the feature win at Skyline Speedway, Layfield raced to victory at Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio, on Saturday night. Layfield started ninth and used the high-line to perfection racing his way into the lead. He withstood a spirited challenge from Andrew Parker, but came out victorious to earn his second victory of the year at Wayne County.
UMSS
Scott Broty had his J&J working perfectly for super-fast track conditions last Saturday night in the Upper Midwest Sprintcar Series (UMSS) 1st Annual Rumble on the Range. A rain storm just before the feature delayed the program by three hours and made the track lightning fast.
“It was important to get a good starting spot tonight with the heavy and fast track,” said Broty. “My car was the best it has been all season long. I was out of tear-offs with a few laps to go, so I was wiping mud as best I could off my faceshield. I’m really pumped up to win my first UMSS race. I’m still in the points battle, and this win will give us more confidence and momentum as we continue to get dialed in. Thanks to my crew, the sponsors and to the UMSS for allowing area sprint car racers the chance to compete at a variety of tracks. It’s great to win the first Rumble on the Range at Hibbing.”
JACKSON 305 NATIONALS
Alan Ambers was victorious in the recent Jackson 305 Nationals. Ambers drove Shaun Goodno’s Stivers Ford/Goff Trucking/Q Mills Family Racing J&J to a third-place finish in Friday night’s opening race, and then came back the following night and started sixth in the 20-lap race. Ambers made a pass for the lead on lap 18 to secure the win.
TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS
Dean Jacobs finished fifth in Friday’s main event at Attica Raceway Park and clinched the 2011 Attica 410 Sprint car track championship in the Northwest Ohio Towing & Recovery/NAPA Truck and Auto Center sponsored No. 97 J&J. Jacobs became only the seventh driver to capture the title since the track opened in 1988.
Carl Bowser used three victories during the season at Lernerville Speedway to clinch the Sprint car division championship at the famed Western Pa. Track.