Mark Dobmeier – Third at Spencer & Two Hard Chargers!
Lunstra/Dobmeier Motorsports
June 13, 2012 – Mark Dobmeier and the Lunstra/Dobmeier Motorsports #13 had a week to remember with a podium finish Friday with the Outlaws in Spencer, Iowa, a hard charger on Saturday with them at Knoxville, and putting on a show from last to second Sunday at Huset’s.
A good pill draw Friday at Clay County Fairgrounds Speedway equated into sixth quick with the Outlaws. Unfortunately, that meant missing a front row starting spot for the heat race by one position, but Dobmeier was able to go third to first to win his heat and qualify for the night’s dash. In the dash, Mark would fall from third to seventh at the checkers, where he would end up starting the night’s ‘A’ Main.
That is when the charge to the front would begin in the 30 lap main event. Patiently working his way to the front, Dobmeier found his way to the third spot at the midway point chasing the front two guys after dicing his way to the position. He would end up finishing in that third position behind Brad Sweet and Jason Sides in a good battle. Still, it was a podium finish with the Outlaws.
“We were able to move up to third there, and just couldn’t find a way to get around Jason and Brad,” Dobmeier said. “Jason was on the bottom and Brad on the top, and we just couldn’t get it to stick to get around either of them. Still, it was a good run coming forward to finish third and congrats to Brad on his first career win.”
The team followed the Outlaws down to Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa as 43 cars signed in for the night’s action after a hot, cloudless day in Southern Iowa. After coming out in the middle of time trials, “Dynamite” would end up qualifying a disappointing 26th overall and ending up in a stacked heat race. The second heat race included the names Madsen, McCarl, two Kinsers, Brown, and Wolfe. Dobmeier would drive the Senske & Son J&J from seventh to the transfer position of fifth after numerous cautions and double-file restarts to get locked into the feature.
Even with being locked into the feature, Dobmeier would have to start inside row twelve in the 23rd position. A very slicked off raceway saw Mark maneuver on the very narrow cushion in the first five laps all the way up to the 12th position before the field got in line as the bottom of the track began to lay rubber. Still, that resulted in being the night’s hard charger, but also wishing it hadn’t laid rubber.
“I was able to pick guys off up on the cushion those first five laps or so,” he said. “It was a hot day and a lot of laps were put on the track so it was expected after how good the heats and the ‘B’ were. It was a good run, but we still need to continue to work on our qualifying for the Nationals in August.”
After dodging rain showers on Sunday, the races at Huset’s Speedway outside of Brandon, SD would go on. Second quick in time trials would set up rear start in his heat race where trouble would happen. Contact down the backstretch with another car resulted in getting into the infield retaining wall. The crew would have to change out rear ends before the night’s ‘A’ Main. “My crew never gets enough credit,” he says. “They work their tails off every night and especially last Sunday having to get the car fixed, and I can’t thank their effort enough.”
The mishap in the heat meant starting last, fifteenth, in the feature. And Dobmeier put on a show for the local crowd in the 25 lapper. His Right Choice Electric #13 was a rail from the start of the green slicing his way to the top five by the midway point.
After a caution with about ten to go, Dobmeier worked his way into the second position with five to go and having to catch up a lot of ground on race long leader Jody Rosenboom. He would erase a straightaway deficit on the white flag when he went for a winning slide job in turn one but missed it. He settled in for second, much to the approval of the Huset’s faithful.
“I wanted to be really cautious early on and not wreck anything,” Dobmeier stated. “Getting into turn one was really tricky, but we were able to get going really well there late, but just ran out of time to get around Jody. All in all, it turned out to be a good run after the misfortune in the heat.”
Up next for the Lunstra/Dobmeier team is the first invasion of the Outlaws at Dobmeier’s home track at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, ND. The team would love nothing more than to pick up the win. “Outside of the Nationals, there is nowhere else I want to beat the Outlaws more other than in Grand Forks,” he says. “We’ll be ready for them and hope the weather holds off for our great fans back home!”
After that, preliminary plans are to head back to Knoxville on Saturday to try to take over the points lead, and then to stop at Huset’s on the way back to build on their points lead there. New shirts and sweatshirts are in and will be available at the trailer following the races as well.
2012 STATS: 19 Starts, 6 Wins, 14 Top Fives, 16 Top Tens, 7 Heat Race Wins, 1 Fast Time, Average Finish of 4.632, 94 Cars Passed in A Main Action, and a Plus/Minus of 84 positions.
EMAIL: If you would like to receive Mark’s weekly release, or have any other questions, drop an email at DobmeierPR13@hotmail.com and we will add you to the list.
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
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PHOTOGRAPHERS: If you would like your photo of Dobmeier in this weekly release, please email us at DobmeierPR13@hotmail.com with your photos and we will gladly use it.
- Kole Faragher on Jun 15, 2012
- Article Date: 6/15/2012 by Kole Faragher