Wade Nygaard Wins Second Consecutive River Cities Season Opener

GRAND FORKS, ND (April 29) – Race number three of the 2016 season took the Nygaard Motorsports team to Wade’s hometrack, River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks. Expectations coming into the night were high for the eight-time and defending NOSA Sprint Car champion, who was looking to get the drive for championship number nine off to a good start on NOSA’s first points paying event of the season.

A tough draw put Nygaard in a stacked heat race that included Mark Dobmeier, Dusty Zomer, defending RCS track champion Austin Pierce, and the always tough Casey Mack. Wade started outside the fourth row, but thanks to a fantastic start he would come around to lead the opening lap. Unfortunately Wade’s stint in the lead didn’t last long as Dobmeier found his groove and moved by the C&M Ford #9 to take the lead. Nygaard rode in the runner-up position until the final lap when Zomer nipped him at the line.

As a result, Wade rolled off third on the grid for the 24-car, 25-lap main event. After a six car pile occurred on lap two that collected pole-sitter Mitch Mack, Wade moved up to the front row for the double file restart with Canadian runner, Thomas Kennedy, to his outside.
Nygaard slid into second behind the #20K of Kennedy and rode within striking distance until lap five when Kennedy was collected in an incident amidst lapped traffic. Nygaard was able to capitalize on the misfortune and assume the race lead with 20 circuits remaining. With Dobmeier and Zomer hot on his tail, Wade bobbed and weaved through the dense lapped traffic and unlike the heat race, he was able to hold off the young guns to claim his 54th career River Cities Speedway win and 252nd overall win.

“A little bit of it is timing and little bit of it is luck,” said Nygaard about his drive through lapped traffic in the closing stages. “But you just never know until you see that checkered flag. Anything could happen, a yellow flag could easily come out and you’d have to do it all over again. The win feels great, hopefully we can keep clicking them off.”

Season Stats:
Races: 3
Wins: 1
Top 5: 1
Top 10: 3
Heat Wins: 0

Upcoming Events:
May 6th – River Cities Speedway
May 13th – River Cities Speedway
May 14th – Devils Lake Speedway