Wade Nygaard Claims Second Consecutive Season Opener Win

Wade Nygaard takes the checkered flag from the Valley Sunrise Properties flag stand to take the NOSA Sprint Car win. Photo by Mike Spieker (Speedway-Shots.com).

By Mike Spieker

​GRAND FORKS, ND (April 29) - A three-generation Sprint Car rivalry was renewed to start the 25-lap, 24-car Northern Outlaw Sprint Assocation A-main as Mitch Mack and Thomas Kennedy lined up on the front row. 

Mack and Kennedy battled side by side for the lead on the opening lap, but the race was quickly halted for a spin in turn three.

The second attempt at a complete restart resulted in Mack sliding across the track after contact with Lou Kennedy broke something in the steering of Mack's FM Truck Sales #92. Jordan Graham, Alex Larson, Jordan Adams, Shane Roemling, and Tom Egeland were all collected in the melee.

The revised line up now had Wade Nygaard on the pole with Thomas Kennedy to his outside. Kennedy, running his Jamie Moyle 360c.i. motor, jumped out to the lead once the race went back to green. On lap seven, Trent Stengl flipped the #7 machine right in front of Kennedy, who stomped on the binders and made slight contact with Stengl. Kennedy slid to a stop on the topside of turn three but since he was considered to be apart of the incident, he was sent to the tail of the field for the Evergreen Insurance restart. Stengl walked away uninjured, but was done for the evening. 

Dusty Zomer lined up to the inside of Nygaard on the ensuing double file restart. Nygaard jumped on the throttle and grabbed the lead as Zomer and Mark Dobmeier fought for second. Dobmeier took the position and then set his sights on the eight-time NOSA champion. 

Once Nygaard entered lapped traffic Dobmeier and Zomer closed in to make it a three car battle for the point. However, Nygaard was able to execute a couple of timely sliders in traffic to open up a comfortable lead once again. 

With two to go Nygaard got held up by Casey Mack, which would have opened up the door, but Dobmeier simultaneously bicycled after hitting a hole in turn one. Nygaard came around to take the white flag, maneuvered passed a couple of lapped cars, and took the first checkered flag of 2016. Zomer edged out Dobmeier at the line for second as Chris Ranten and Lou Kennedy rounded out the top five. Thomas Kennedy came back to finish sixth. 

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