RIVER CITIES RECAP: DOBMEIER AND PIERCE DEFEND HOME TURF

Pake Doubles-up in Red River Series Debut
Sobolik and Lizakowski split Renegade Mains Truscinski stops Dvergsten's Streak on Night Two

To say it was an action-packed debut of the Bullring's all-Sprint weekend would be an understatement. From the home team defending home turf, to the next generation of a speedway Hall-of-Famer scoring his first pair of wins, to the Lightnings answering a call to stop the top dog of their series…

Last weekend's all-Sprint weekend had all the storylines one could ask for with Austin Pierce rounding out the NOSA vs. IRA weekend by winning his 50th career feature, Andy Pake sweeping the Red River Sprint Series debut here, a former Midwest Mod winner getting his first win over the classes' young phenom that won from 18th just one night prior, or seeing an 8-race win streak snapped in the Lightning Sprints... We saw it all at the Bullring last weekend.

The top two in last season's highly contested point races in both the NOSA series and River Cities points battle's brought night one of the Buffalo Wild Wings King of the Wings to green last Friday night.

Following a Red for Danny Schlafer on the initial start, Mark Dobmeier led Jade Hastings through lap one of the first 30 lap King of the Wings feature of the double header. 

Dobmeier took the lead on the second lap, while Hastings held off Iowa native Josh Schneiderman for second. The lead pair broke away from the rest of the field as Dobmeier caught up to the end of the field shortly thereafter.

Dobmeier started working lapped traffic just five laps into the race, and even built a stronger advantage working through the traffic before a caution flag flew on the ninth lap. The caution was for a slowing Hastings, who slowed on the back stretch.

When the field came back to green, Dobmeier led Schneiderman and NOSA regulars Mullen and Pierce, who eventually won the battle against Mullen for the third spot. Dobmeier again started to work traffic just five five laps into the most recent green flag run before another caution slowed the pace.

Dobmeier continued to lead on the ensuing restart, but it was Pierce that moved in the second past Schneiderman just before the races’ midway point.

Pierce caught up to Dobmeier in lapped traffic as the race came down to ten laps to go. Dobmeier, for the second time in the race, was able to build a stronger lead despite the traffic, until the final caution with five circuits remaining. Dobmeier caught lap traffic just two laps into the final green flag run, allowing Pierce to make one last ditch effort for the victory.

Pierce pulled even in turns three and four when the leaders were shown the white flag, but Dobmeierwas able to hold him off for the win

Pierce was second with Brenham Crouch third, Josh Schneiderman fourth, and Josh Myers, Jr. fifth.

Austin Pierce and Jack Croaker led the field green on the second night of the doubleheader, with Croaker leading the first lap. Croaker caught the rear of the field earlier than the night before, and began working lapped traffic on lap four.

Croaker, just like Dobmeier had the night before, was able to build a better lead than he had in clean air while working lap traffic through eight laps.

Two laps later, Texas native Brenham Crouch was able to reel in and pass Croaker as the lead duo worked traffic to take the lead.

Crouch led the field back to green while Austin Pierce moved past Croaker at the top of turn two on the second green flag lap after the slowdown to take second. From there, Pierce reeled in Crouch in clean air before the lead duo reached lap traffic again. The leader pair again caught the tail end of the field and began working lap traffic with 12 laps to go.

Crouch was spared from having to work lapped traffic by a caution with 11 laps to go, and went on to build another advantage in clean air until he again reached lap traffic just three laps into the next green flag stint.

Pierce got a run off of turn four as the field aimed for the flagstand for six to go, but Pierce was able to beat Crouch back to the start finish line before the last caution of the race.

Under IRA rules, and their ‘split yellow’ format, Pierce was able to hold the lead on the ensuing single file restart. That's all Pierce needed, as he went on to lead the final five laps unchallenged to go on to his 50th career feature win over Crouch, Mullen, Dobmeier, and Croaker.

In other open-wheel action, Felton, Minnesota native Andy Pake was able to keep the family tradition alive, sweeping the Superior Customs Red River Sprint Series debut at the ‘Bullring’.

Pake dominated for his second win of the weekend on night two, but he had to rebound from a spin to win on the opening night, in true Pake form. He became the second Pake in track history to recover from an early race to spin to win a feature at River Cities after his father Brad, a River Cities Hall-of-Fame, came back from an early spin to beat Matt Folstad on August 27, 1999. The elder Pake went on to become the first track champion in River Cities history since the track was renamed earlier that spring.

Red River Series point leader Tye Wilke joined South Dakota hot shoe Koby Workmeister as drivers that finished in the top ten on both nights. Pake (on night one) and Workmeister (on night two) earned Keith Berger Realtor Hard Charger honors. 

In Western Renegade Non-Wing Sprint Car action, Adam Sobolik and Jeremy Lizakowski split the weekend set. Sobolik rebounded from brake issues in his heat race on the opening night to charge from 18th to the win over Minnesota Iron-Ranger Ken Hron, and former Winnipeg Super Truck ace Eric Guyot.

Lizakowski led every lap on night two to score his first career sprint car win, and first win at the Bullring since his WISSOTA Midwest Mod triumph on Sept. 1, 2017. Guyot and former Street Stock regular Brandon Palm were second and third.

In the POWRi Minn-Kota Lightning Sprints, Dexter Dvergsten continued a stranglehold over the division on night one, winning his seventh feature-in-a-row over Alex Truscinski and youngster Matthew Taves.

With a bounty on his head on night two, Alan Truscinski answered the call, ending Dvergsten’s streak, and collecting the added payday over Dvergsten and Dylan Langevin.

Racing action continues this Friday night with the annual running of 'Big Motor Mania' featuring the NOSA Sprints, NLRA Late Models, and Moonshine Mod Tour A-Mods.