River Cities Speedway Set to Open 2019 Season
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (May 17, 2019) – It has been a long, cold and wet spring, but it is finally Race Day at River Cities Speedway. America’s No. 1 Bullring kicks off their 2019 racing season tonight at 7pm. Fans can save $3 per ticket by purchasing them at the advance ticket outlets along the Gateway Drive corridor; Home of Economy, University Station, Gateway Cenex, Stamart, El Roco Bar and Grill, and Northdale Oil Inc.New this year, kids 15 and under are FREE! Students (high school and college) get in for just $10 with a valid student I.D.
Premier Racing Series action tonight features the Buffalo Wild Wings NOSA Sprint Cars, NLRA Late Models, Wissota Midwest Mods and Wissota Street Stocks.
Tonight’s opener starts a season-long grind. Drivers from across the upper Midwest will battle each and every Friday night in hopes of being crowned the River Cities Speedway track champion by season’s end. Adam Burrows (Street Stocks), Lance Schill (Midwest Mods), Dustin Strand (Late Models), and Austin Pierce and Wade Nygaard (Sprint Cars) all come in as the defending champions in their respective classes.
Mark Dobmeier, the King of the Bullring, has racked up the most feature wins in the history of River Cities Speedway. Dobmeier enters tonight seeking his third consecutive and 13th career opening night victory.
The last two times Dobmeier didn’t win the Sprint Car opener in 2016 and 2015, he finished third and second, respectively. Wade Nygaard visited RydellCars.com Victory Lane both of those years.
Since 2003, there have only been four Sprint Car drivers to take the checkers on opening night at River Cities. Along with Dobmeier and Nygaard, Lou Kennedy Jr. and Casey Mack are the only other drivers to win a season opener during that span. Mack’s win came in 2011, while Kennedy’s win came back in 2007.
Fans will notice a few minor changes at the track this year. Updates and upgrades can be seen to the main grandstands.
“The contractors are out of there. They have done their work and have done a great job,” said River Cities Speedway promoter, Darren Evavold, in an interview with Mark Askelson of KRJB FM’s Racing on the Radio. “Things are going to be as they always are at River Cities Speedway. People will recognize some of the ironwork that’s been done and some of the new sheeting underneath the grandstands. We are looking forward to the fact that things will remain as is and glad we can keep that historical perspective here at the legendary bullring each and every Friday night.”
Fans will also hear a new, but familiar voice calling the play-by-play this year. Long-time trackside announcer Jon Roberts will be up in the booth this year calling all of the action. Veteran River Cities Speedway announcer, Bob Hultgren, retired from the mic over the offseason. All of us at River Cities thank Bob for his professionalism, time, effort and friendship over the years at the speedway!
