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LePier Wins First of the
Season, Dobmeier, Balcaen, & Snare Visit
Rydell Auto Victory Lane
By Mike Orness
Race Date: 6/1/07
On the
first night of June when it didn’t look very promising
because of weather, Mother Nature was kind once again to
River Cities Speedway, its race fans, and race teams. Two
cars short of eighty-eight teams entered the back gate with
the program getting a late start because of a short sprinkle
of rain.
The three Unicel Street Stock heat races were
ran first with the current track points leader, Jim Geringer
winning the first heat race from the outside pole starting
spot. Aaron Olson came from the fourth spot to take the win
during the second heat race with Wittner, and Snare close
behind. Kyle Leake looked to be the fastest and bested the
rest of the field for the final heat race of Street Stocks.
The two
Dempsey Truck Service Midwest Modifieds were the next class
to run their heat race qualifying sessions. Ryan Schroeder
picked up his first ever heat race win after starting on the
pole and crossing the checkered flag before Gary Sonstelie,
Kraling, and SanGrait. Dustin Strand started outside the
front row next to Ron Olafson and was able to grab the lead
first and hold on for his third RCS heat race win over Olson
and Olafson.
Next up
were the Atek Parts DTRA Late Models. With twenty one
drivers attending, they were split into three heats.
Edmore, ND native, Cody Skytland won the first heat
race over Mike Balcaen. Balcaen looked to take the lead over
in the closing laps, but Skytland held him off to cross the
line first. Troy Olson passed early race leader, Brady
Dyrdahl, to pick up his first RCS heat race win in 2007.
Howie Schill snuck under Dyrdahl to pick up second from the
fifth starting spot. After 2 cautions during the third heat
race, James SanGrait added another heat race win over Joey
Pederson after starting fourth.
Jeff
Vonasek looked like he was going to be able to hold off the
rest of the field during the first Eide Motors NOSA Sprints
heat race. Vonasek, who started on the pole, was passed by
eighth starting Dobmeier late in the race to pick up the
win. Jason Linnell added a heat race win and set the new
track record during the second NOSA heat race. Actual time
recorded was 9.66 seconds and placed him in the record books
for the time being. Scott McDonald was second after starting
fourth. Tom Egeland was the fastest and crossed the ND Eye
Clinic finish line ahead of Roemeling and Mack for the final
heat race. Officials threw the only yellow early in the race
and charged it to Brenden Wilde for a jump start.
Because
of threatening weather a very brief intermission was taken
to allow for driver redraws and the Hugos/Nestle candy toss
under the flagstand for the kids.
Officials quickly lined up the first feature and rolled them
out on the track with all twenty-one Unicel street stocks taking the
green flag. Leake and Anderson made up the front row with
Mutcher and Snare in the second row. On the start it was
Leake that grabbed the lead first with Anderson, Snare and Olson
racing hard for the second spot.
Anderson
briefly had the second spot until Snare took it away.
Anderson and Olson then raced for the third spot with
Wittner entering the picture from the fifth starting spot.
The race went green until late in the race when Kerry
Austreng Jr. rolled his car off turn two. The red was
displayed and track personnel attended to the accident.
Austreng was not seriously hurt and within five minutes
officials had the field lined up and ready to go back to
green. Snare had taken the lead away from Leake before the
red flag, and continued to lead the field throughout the
final laps.
Anderson
suffered a left rear tire failure which forced him pitside.
Aaron Olson had just taken over the second spot from Leake
with Geringer looking to enter the top five after starting
ninth. Snare won his second feature of 2007 at RCS with
Olson, Leake, Wittner, and Geringer finishing in the top
five.
The
Dempsey Truck Service Midwest Modified feature was next with
all twenty drivers making the call to start the eighteen lap
feature. In a race with only one caution, the race for the
lead was between LePier and Strand
with Kraling and Dyrdahl racing to stay in the top five.
Olson and Sonstelie were also racing hard for a top five
finish when the white flag was displayed. LePier was able to
hold off the current point leader, Dustin Strand, for the
win. Dale Kraling was third with Dyrdahl coming from the
eighth spot to finish fourth. Olson finished fifth, just
ahead SanGrait who had got past Sonstelie for the sixth spot
late in the race.
Twenty-two Atek Parts DTRA Super Late Models started their
feature with Brady Dyrdahl and Joey Pederson on the front
row. With a race that only had two cautions for the twenty
laps, Dyrdahl grabbed the lead early in the race, but
Pederson was able to get under him with Cody Skytland and
Howie Schill running just behind them. The first caution
came out when two cars mad contact on the front stretch, one
of them was Matt Aukland who was not able to continue. On
the restart, Pederson extended his lead a little with
Dyrdahl and Skytland close behind. Seng and Schill raced for
the fourth spot and Balcaen making his way forward from the
tenth starting spot. After the second and last caution, the
race was on for the lead. Balcaen started picking off cars
lap by lap and soon was looking to overtake Pederson for the
lead. With just three laps left, Balcaen completed the pass
for the lead and went on to win his second feature this year
at River Cities Speedway. Pederson and Balcaen are just a
point or two apart in the point standings and this would
keep them just as close going into next week. Cody Skytland
was able to finish third ahead of Howie Schill who had one
of his best runs this year at RCS. Brad Seng added a top
five finish to his list, with Doyle Erickson making his way
though the field to finish sixth after starting fourteenth.
Eide
Motors NOSA Sprint Cars started all twenty-five cars for
their twenty-five lap feature with Vonasek and Nick Shirek
on the front row. After one lap was complete the yellow flag
was thrown for three cars involved in contact on the
backstretch. Vonasek was not able to continue and officials
restarted the field with McDonald having to start near the
back instead of sixth, where he was scheduled to start. The
red flag would fly before a lap was complete for Bob Martin
who rolled his car on the back stretch avoiding another car.
On the same lap, Roemeling caught a rough spot in the track,
saved the car from rolling, but two other cars were trying
to avoid Roemeling and collected Kennedy in the process,
ending his night as well. From that point on the race when
green to checkered with Nick Shirek starting to lead the
field after the last red flag, with Linnell in tow. Linnell
was able to get past Shirek for the lead, but lap traffic
would play a part in the outcome of the race. Dobmeier who
had started tailend had made his way through the field to
take the lead in the closing laps. Linnell looked as if he
could get back the top spot, but Dobmeier looked to get
through traffic a bit better and took the checkered flag at
the end. Chris Shirek started ninth and finished in the
second spot, after passing Linnell towards the end. Dave
Glennon finished up the night with one of his better runs
just behind Linnnell in fourth after starting fourteenth.
Nick Shirek was able to hold on to fifth after starting
outside pole. Sitzmann Jr, must have followed Dobmeier to
the front and finished a respectable seventh ahead of Mack.
River
Cities Speedway will have a full
race program this coming Friday with the sprints running the
first leg of their 3 day weekend labeled as the Roughrider
Sprint Car Classic. The other two nights will be at Nodak
Speedway in Minot,
ND. Remember the midweek race
special June 12th with the World Of Outlaws Late
Models. Tickets for this special can be purchased by calling
218-773-3002. Use the same phone number to order your World
of Outlaws Sprint Car Tickets coming June 29th!
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