This message was edited on
June 22, 2012 at
07:53:06 AM by LDM13
Mark Dobmeier – Heartbreak at Home with the Outlaws!
Lunstra/Dobmeier Motorsports
June 21, 2012 – Mark Dobmeier and his Lunstra/Dobmeier Motorsports car was the car on the move all night long last Friday at his home track of River Cities Speedway with the World of Outlaws. The night included a quick time, second place finish in the dash, and leading the first part of the feature before a bizarre incident relegated him to the back.
The night could not have started out better for the Senske & Son/J&J #13 as they drew a good pill and laid down the quickest lap of the night at 10.516 seconds around the 3/10 mile oval. It marked the first time in his career he was quick time with the Outlaws. Then, Dobmeier would charge to finish second in the first heat race, passing Cody Darrah for a dash position on the last corner, even though he was already in the dash for being quick time.
A young fan would draw the 8-pill, relegating Dobmeier to start the dash in that position. The bad starting position would not be a hinder, as “Dynamite” would use a couple of cautions to his benefit in charging to finish in the second spot, which would mean a front row starting spot in the night’s ‘A’ Main.
“You couldn’t have scripted a better start to the night,” Dobmeier said. “It was pretty cool to get my first quick time ever with the Outlaws, and then to follow it up by charging to second in the dash. We were in a great position to get that coveted win at home with the Outlaws.”
After a little track work during intermission, it was time for the 40 lap battle royal around the tight bullring. It didn’t take long at all for Dobmeier to slide into the lead position on the start past pole sitter Kerry Madsen aboard his Right Choice Electric #13 in turn three. A couple of early red flags in the first three laps halted the race, but Dobmeier would continue to dominate the early stages of the race by rolling around the cushion.
He entered lapped traffic on lap nine, and that is when “The King” Steve Kinser peaked his nose underneath Dobmeier. Mark tried his best to keep the 20-Time Champion behind him, but Kinser snuck by on the thirteenth lap utilizing the bottom side of the track. Madsen and Dobmeier would battle hard for the second position after that, and would eventually lead to contact entering turn three on lap 16. Madsen tumbled over the banking while Dobmeier’s wing post broke causing his wing to barely hang on by the other wing post. The crew would change the wing under the red, but Dobmeier would be starting as the last car on the lead lap in fourteenth on the restart.
“Kerry’s a hard racer and a lot like me,” admitted Mark. “I wasn’t going to lift going into three and he wasn’t going to lift either. It’s unfortunate it ruined both our chances of winning, but that was the outcome.”
Still, “Dynamite” would pick his way from that fourteenth spot to finish a respectable sixth on the racy track that saw one of the best features ever contested on it. It wasn’t the result the team was looking for, but Dobs put on a show the entire night slicing through the field all night long. And of course, the hometown and home track fan support did not go unnoticed for the driver who has 90 career wins at the track.
“I have the best home track advantage with the fans anywhere on tour here at River Cities,” states Dobmeier. “It was a fun night of racing, but it was a frustrating sixth. At least the Outlaws know now that this Lunstra/Dobmeier team is one to reckon with if they didn’t know before.”
The team packed up and headed south throughout the night to Dave Lunstra’s shop just outside of Brandon, SD as they would play the waiting game with the weather. Eventually the team started to head south for Knoxville Raceway to try to wrangle the points lead away from the absent-to-be Brian Brown. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had another idea as the races were called before 5pm when the team was just outside of Des Moines. The team was too far down the road to turn around and get back to Fargo for the Outlaws race at Red River Valley Speedway. It was the first Saturday night off from racing since April 21 and meant some time to relax.
That also meant a day off from having to maintenance, so the team had some fun out at Thunder Road to pass sometime before heading to Huset’s Speedway outside of Brandon, SD on a very warm and windy Sunday. Time trials were scrapped off the racing card as the track wanted to save the track, since the water truck broke down during the day. A draw for the heats saw Mark start 7th in his nine car heat and work his way up to 3rd in order to make the redraw for the night’s ‘A’. He would draw the four and would lineup outside row two.
Rubber was imminent on the dry surface so a quick start was needed. After outside pole sitter Austin McCarl was called for getting out of line on the initial start, Dobmeier saw himself starting outside the pole. He didn’t get the start he was looking for and struggled with the cushion early, before settling in the fourth position. The rubber was getting laid about five laps in and he maintained his position throughout the 25 lapper that went non-stop, finishing there in the unexciting finale to the weekend.
“There’s not much you can do when the track was like it was tonight,” said Mark. “It was hot, humid, and windy, and the water truck broke on top of that so it is what it is and we’ll come back next week ready to roar.”
Still, it was a fun weekend for the entire team and they are looking forward to this upcoming weekend. Plans for Friday night include the regular trio of tracks, kicking things off at their home track of River Cities Speedway on Friday. Then they will wrap up the back half of the weekend with usually trips to Knoxville on Saturday and then finishing it all off again at Huset’s on Sunday.
2012 STATS: 21 Starts, 6 Wins, 15 Top Fives, 18 Top Tens, 7 Heat Race Wins, 2 Fast Times, Average Finish of 4.667, 94 Cars Passed in A Main Action, and a Plus/Minus of 82 positions.
APPAREL: The new Mark Dobmeier shirts and hoodies have arrived and can purchased at the trailer following the races!
SPONSORS: Lunstra/Dobmeier Motorsports would like to thank all of their sponsors for their continued support into 2012: Senske & Son Transfer, Right Choice Electric, Big Trucks by Jimco, DeKalb Seed, IQ Bid Auctioneers, Dahlstrom Motors, Forx Radatior, Dammer Trucking, Anderson Brothers Body Shop, Forks Mobile Wash, Disabled American Veterans, Xtreme Polishing, Willow Ridge, Rose Creek Farms, Rendezvous Region Construction, and Visit Grand Forks.
WEBSITE: Of course you can follow along at Mark’s new and improved website at MarkDobmeier.com
SOCIAL MEDIA: Like us on Facebook and get updates from the track at: Facebook.com/pages/LunstraDobmeier-Motorsports/127617420603580
Also, Follow Mark on Twitter at: Twitter.com/DobmeierRacing
EMAIL: If you would like to receive Mark’s weekly release, or have any other questions, drop an email at [email protected] and we will add you to the list.
PHOTOGRAPHERS: If you would like your photo of Dobmeier in this weekly release, please email us at [email protected] with your photos and we will gladly use it.
4 Wide in front of the Large Crowd at River Cities Speedway!
(Rob Kocak Photo)
Official Lunstra/Dobmeier Motorsports Public Relations
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