by Bill Wright

KNOXVILLE RACEWAY, Knoxville, IA, August 11, 2011 – Mark Dobmeier won a battle with Jason Meyers to take night #2 of the 51^st Annual Goodyear Knoxville Nationals on Thursday night.  The Grand Forks, North Dakota driver piloted the Lunstra/Dobmeier #13 machine by Meyers on lap 14 and never looked back for his eighth career win at the famous half-mile.

Misfortune hit the pole-sitter for the main event, when Wayne Johnson had something break in his front end, sending him into the turn one wall before the green could be thrown.  He was uninjured, but done.

Terry McCarl assumed the pole and led lap one, but Meyers took control on the next go-around.  On lap three, McCarl and Stevie Smith made contact on the frontstretch sending McCarl spinning to the infield and leaving Smith with a torn up nose wing.  Both would restart after brief repairs in the work area.

Meyers led Dobmeier, Brian Brown, Dale Blaney and Justin Henderson back to green flag racing.  Both Dobmeier and Brown kept pace with the leader until a lap seven caution for Smith, who stopped with more nose wing problems in turn four.

The lead trio remained the same on the restart, with Henderson having overtaken Blaney for fourth.  Lance Dewease and Craig Dollansky had moved into the top ten from deep in the pack.  Dobmeier seemed to have the momentum to shoot by Meyers going down the backstretch on the restart, but checked up behind him and remained in pursuit, while Blaney and Dewease moved by Henderson into fourth and fifth.

On lap fourteen, Dobmeier squeezed by Meyers at the flagstand, and shortly thereafter, Billy Balog came to a stop in turn four.  The final restart of the event saw Dobmeier leading Meyers, Brown, Blaney and Dewease with eleven laps to go.  Dollansky shot by two cars on the restart to move into fifth, and two laps later, took fourth from Blaney.  It would be for not in the end, as he retreated to seventeenth with an oil leak.

Dobmeier increased his lead in the final stages to win the cheers of the local faithful.  Meyers maintained second ahead of Brown.  Dewease and hard-charger, Jason Johnson completed the top five.  Blaney, Brooke Tatnell, Kraig Kinser, Daryn Pittman and Henderson rounded out the top ten.

“We’ve probably got one of the hardest working teams out here,” said Dobmeier in Victory Lane.  “We’re just a group of guys who likes to have fun on the weekend, and that’s what we’re doing.  I really should have got (Meyers) on the first restart there, but I hesitated.  I had to relax there for a while and look for my spot and we took it.”

Meyers thought his car worked well under green flag conditions, but was frustrated with the cautions periods.  “I keep getting on wrong end of those yellow flags.  Mark must have been good out there.  After the week we had and me getting sick, the guys put a great racecar under me.  These heats are really tough, and they gave me a great car.”

“I want to congratulate Mark Dobmeier,” said Brown.  “That’s a heck of a run for us local guys.  Jason’s a heck of a racer.  I wasn’t that good at the end.  I was cruising and decided to take third rather than stick it in the fence.”

Cody Darrah set quick time over the 54-car field with a lap of 15.153 seconds.  Dewease, Jason . Solwold, Kraig Kinser, Ricky Logan and Billy Alley won heat races.  Cap Henry took the C main and Paul McMahan won the B main.

Dale Blaney was the top point getter on the night with 479, followed closely by Meyers.  Both will start in row two of the championship event Saturday night behind pole-sitter Sammy Swindell and Brad Sweet.

Tomorrow night will be the Friday program for qualifiers outside of the top 50.  In addition, the Premier Chevy Dealers World Challenge will be run, along with the First Annual Race of Champions.  Both features pay $10,000 to the winner!  Tickets are available at the box office, online at www.KnoxvilleRaceway.com or by calling 641 842-5431!

410 Results

Time Trials (Qualifying Order), 2 laps: 1. 91, Cody Darrah, Red Lion, PA (2) 15.153; 2. 2, Dale Blaney, Fowler, OH (5) 15.350; 3. 27, Daryn Pittman, Owasso, OK (13) 15.390; 4. 1zz, Jessica Zemken, Sprakers, NY (12) 15.434; 5. 83, Paul McMahan, Nashville, TN (46) 15.451; 6. 7, Craig Dollansky, Elk River, MN (47) 15.452; 7. 92, Kerry Madsen, St. Marys, NSW, Aust. (41) 15.455; 8. 39, Greg Hodnett, Thomasville, PA (10) 15.470; 9. 21, Brian Brown, Grain Valley, MO (52) 15.474; 10. 14, Jason Meyers, Clovis, CA (7) 15.509; 11. 13, Mark Dobmeier, Grand Forks, ND (28) 15.513; 12. 22H, Randy Hannagan, Pittsboro, IN (21) 15.523; 13. 55, Terry McCarl, Altoona, IA (33) 15.526; 14. 22, Kenny Jacobs, Holmesville, OH (4) 15.538; 15. 83JR, Tim Kaeding, San Jose, CA (17) 15.558; 16. 2L, Ed Lynch Jr., Apollo, PA (34) 15.576; 17. 1s, Kevin Swindell, Charlotte, NC (43) 15.582; 18. 41, Jason Johnson, Eunice, LA (3) 15.584; 19. 1z, Stevie Smith, Broken Arrow, OK (42) 15.588; 20. 6M, Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, OH (50) 15.600; 21. 01, Wayne Johnson, Knoxville, IA (22) 15.601; 22. 35, Justin Henderson, Sioux Falls, SD (18) 15.615; 23. 04, Cap Henry, Bellevue, OH (39) 15.624; 24. 91x, Dusty Zomer, Sioux Falls, SD (14) 15.628; 25. 59, Brooke Tatnell, Sans Souci, NSW, Aust. (26) 15.653; 26. 33, Danny Lasoski, Dover, MO (6) 15.654; 27. 28, Ian Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW, Aust. (36) 15.665; 28. 6, Kraig Kinser, Bloomington, IN (1) 15.698; 29. 17B, Bill Balog, Eau Claire, WI (53) 15.727; 30. 2M, Dustin Daggett, Portland, MI (25) 15.733; 31. 2B, Ben Gregg, Glendale, AZ (27) 15.775; 32. 55x, Jason Solwold, Mount Vernon, WA (44) 15.787; 33. 6H, Danny Heskin, St. Michael, MN (37) 15.798; 34. 23w, Scott Winters, Butterfield, MN (23) 15.833; 35. 11c, Roger Crockett, Medford, OR (40) 15.834; 36. 30c, Lance Dewease, Fayetteville, PA (50) 15.837; 37. D4, Danny Holtgraver, Pittsburgh, PA (45) 15.842; 38. 23, Seth Bergman, Snohomish, WA (35) 15.857; 39. 10P, Ricky Logan, Little Rock, AR (32) 15.859; 40. 7AB, Billy Alley, Bennet, NE (16) 15.888; 41. 7K, Robby Wolfgang, Sioux Falls, SD (38) 15.897; 42. 53, Jack Dover, Springfield, NE (48) 15.910; 43. 49, Josh Schneiderman, West Burlington, IA (9) 15.923; 44. 8, Kaley Gharst, Decatur, IL (15) 16.131; 45. 19D, Donovan Peterson, Brookings, SD (11) 16.145; 46. 17x, Marty Perovich, Denham Court, NSW, Aust. (49) 16.210; 47. W20, Greg Wilson, Benton Ridge, OH (31) 16.270; 48. 21M, Brian Montieth, Phoenixville, PA (54) 16.280; 49. 56JC, Johnn Cressman, Sioux Falls, SD (29) 16.389; 50. 45, Mark Johnson, Des Moines, IA (19) 16.390; / 51. 7TAZ, Tasker Phillips, Pleasantville, IA (20) 16.490; 52. 1K, Chris Shirek, Thompson, ND (30) 16.791; 53. 23x, Russel Borland, Kewaskum, WI (8) 16.889; 54. 19, Bob Weuve, Newton, IA (24) NT.

Heat one (started), 10 laps, NT: 1. Lance Dewease (1) 2. Ben Gregg (2) 3. Wayne Johnson (4) 4. Mark Dobmeier (6) / 5. Danny Lasoski (3) 6. Craig Dollansky (7) 7. Ed Lynch Jr. (5) 8. Cody Darrah (8) / 9. Marty Perovich (10) 10. Robby Wolfgang (9)

Heat two (started), 10 laps, NT: 1. Jason Solwold (2) 2. Justin Henderson (4) 3. Ian Madsen (3) 4. Dale Blaney (8) / 5. Danny Holtgraver (1) 6. Kevin Swindell (5) 7. Kerry Madsen (7) 8. Randy Hannagan (6) / 9. Jack Dover (9) 10. Greg Wilson (10)

Heat three (started), 10 laps, 2:45.4: 1. Kraig Kinser (3) 2. Terry McCarl (6) 3. Daryn Pittman (8) 4. Seth Bergman (1) / 5. Danny Heskin (2) 6. Greg Hodnett (7) 7. Jason Johnson (5) 8. Brian Montieth (10) / 9. Josh Schneiderman (9) 10. Cap Henry (4)

Heat four (started), 10 laps, 2:46.6: 1. Ricky Logan (1) 2. Bill Balog (3) 3. Brian Brown (7) 4. Stevie Smith (5) / 5. Scott Winters (2) 6. Dusty Zomer (4) 7. Kenny Jacobs (6) 8. Jessica Zemken (8) / 9. Kaley Gharst (9) 10. Johnn Cressman (10)

Heat five (started), 10 laps, 2:48.0: 1. Billy Alley (1) 2. Jason Meyers (7) 3. Roger Crockett (2) 4. Brooke Tatnell (4) / 5. Jac Haudenschild (5) 6. Tim Kaeding (6) 7. Paul McMahan (8) 8. Dustin Daggett (3) / 9. Mark Johnson (10) 10. Donovan Peterson (9)

C main (started), 10 laps, 2:54.6: 1. Cap Henry (1) 2. Robby Wolfgang (2) / 3. Kaley Gharst (5) 4. Tasker Phillips (9) 5. Josh Schneiderman (4) 6. Chris Shirek (12) 7. Greg Wilson (8) 8. Mark Johnson (10) 9. Marty Perovich (7) 10. Russel Borland (11) 11. Jack Dover (3) 12. Donovan Peterson (6) DNS – John Cressman, Bob Weuve

B main (started), 12 laps, 3:35.9: 1. Paul McMahan (3) 2. Craig Dollansky (4) 3. Kerry Madsen (5) 4. Jason Johnson (12) / 5. Greg Hodnett (6) 6. Tim Kaeding (9) 7. Cody Darrah (1) 8. Kevin Swindell (11) 9. Jac Haudenschild (13) 10. Jessica Zemken (2) 11. Danny Lasoski (15) 12. Kenny Jacobs (8) 13. Dusty Zomer (14) 14. Randy Hannagan (7) 15. Brian Montieth (20) 16. Scott Winters (18) 17. Danny Holtgraver (19) 18. Ed Lynch Jr. (10) 19. Cap Henry (21) 20. Danny Heskin (17) 21. Robby Wolfgang (22) 22. Dustin Daggett (16)

A main (started), 25 laps, NT: 1. Mark Dobmeier (4) 2. Jason Meyers (5) 3. Brian Brown (6) 4. Lance Dewease (17) 5. Jason Johnson (24) 6. Dale Blaney (8) 7. Brooke Tatnell (10) 8. Kraig Kinser (12) 9. Daryn Pittman (7) 10. Justin Henderson (9) 11. Kerry Madsen (23) 12. Terry McCarl (3) 13. Stevie Smith (2) 14. Paul McMahan (21) 15. Ian Madsen (11) 16. Ben Gregg (14) 17. Craig Dollansky (22) 18. Jason Solwold (15) 19. Roger Crockett (16) 20. Billy Alley (20) 21. Seth Bergman (18) 22. Ricky Logan (19) 23. Bill Balog (13) DNS – 24. Wayne Johnson (1). Lap Leaders: T. McCarl 1, Meyers 2-13, Dobmeier 14-25.

Total  Combined Points