By Bill W
September 3, 2014 – Mark Dobmeier recorded career win #205 last Friday night aboard the Lunstra/Dobmeier #13 at the River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It was his 107th win on the exciting bullring. Bad luck at the Jackson Nationals in Minnesota preceded some more at Huset’s Speedway near Brandon, South Dakota on Sunday. This weekend, the Grand Forks driver will compete at River Cities on Thursday, the Jerry Richert Memorial at Cedar Lake Speedway on Saturday and at Season Championship night at Huset’s, where he will try to grab his sixth track title.
Things went much more smoothly at River Cities on Friday than it had the previous week. “We were able to win the heat, and we started in the second row outside in the feature,” says Mark. “We were able to jump out to an early lead. I took off running the cushion. The track was a little drier than usual.”
Mark was able to lead the distance. “It actually started laying rubber towards the end,” he says. “It was a slow-pace track with a curb around the top. The week before I hit the cushion and spun out. This week, I was trying to be a little more careful, and it paid off.”
After heavy rains, the Jackson Nationals were all about the draw. Mark was fortunate to draw the pole of his heat. “The heat race was interesting,” he says. “Jason Johnson was on the outside of me and jumped two times and they called him on it. The third time, he started second row outside and managed to jump the start again. He passed me going into the first corner. We ended up finishing the race second. An after-race decision by ASCS put him back two spots, which was rightfully so. That put us in the Dash draw.”
He would draw a starting spot inside row three for the feature. “We were running pretty well there in fourth,” says Mark. “We busted a camshaft a few laps in, and the car shut off. We lost power, pulled off and got out of the way.”
The adventures continued on Sunday at Huset’s. “We tipped it over in the first corner of the heat race,” says Mark. “It was a heavy racetrack to start with. That put us in the back of the feature.”
Mark would start sixteenth. “It got really interesting from there,” he says of the main event. “I’m a big fan of a back row challenge, but to do it twice in one race is kind of difficult. We were able to get up to fourth at one point, and a slower car spun in front of me. That knocked the front end out of the car.”
The Lunstra Racing team made quick repairs. “My hat’s off to my crew,” says Mark. “They snapped on a couple radius rods and a draglink. They got it ready in no time. We went back to the tail with about eleven laps in, and we were able to drive back up to third. We had a great car…I think the one to beat. We just had to pass way too many cars.”
Mark trails Terry McCarl by three points heading into Sunday’s Season Championship at Huset’s. “We feel good going into the last race,” he says. “I feel like every night at Sioux Falls we’ve had a car to beat. We’ve had a couple of DNF’s and some tough luck. I’m looking forward to this week. I really appreciate Dollar Loan Center putting up the $10,000 to win too.”
The Lunstra/Dobmeier team would like to thank Senske and Son Transfer, Big Trucks by Jimco, Sioux Falls Ford, Steffe’s Auctioneers, Dammer Trucking, ACME Tool, Strong Box and Tire Boss for all their help!