2017 Recap

Sept 7th to 9th, 2017
The Late Model racing season came to a thundering end last night at River Cities Speedway, ending the John Seitz Memorial weekend with the 92 lap, $9200 to win feature race. With a feature race starting just before midnight, and about 11 or so yellow flags, the action was fast and crazy. Here's Joey to talk about the weekend's racing action:

"The John Seitz Memorial weekend was a great time in memory of an old friend. The stars seem to be lining up for us as we finished 2nd in our heat. This was good enough to lock us into the 92 lap feature and put us into the dash. Started 11th and finished 9th in the dash. Though the result of the dash left us a little disappointed our laps time were solid. This finish would start us 9th on the grid for the feature. After a few more adjustments to the car we were set for the feature. The 1st 35 laps the car felt tight and was a handful but we managed to advanced from 9th to 4th by the fuel stop. After many re-starts In the later stages of the feature we continued to maintain 4th-5th and as the race wound down I found myself on the heels of Weiss in 3rd. With 5 laps to go I decided to try run slightly higher on the already narrow cushion entering turn 1 with hopes to get a better run on Weiss and make the pass for 3rd. This plan didn't work out as I slid off the track and brought out the last caution of the race. I restarted at the tail of the field and brought home an 11th place finish. Was a heart breaker to put forth all the effort for the weekend and be in a position to bring home another top 5 in this big event and not capitalize on it. Instead of playing it safe I made the decision to go for it and it didn't work out. I can't thank the crew enough for being there all weekend long and the 2017 season. Thanks Adam Dahl, John Votava, Frank Noreikis and Co-Owner Steve Moen. Would also like to thank all of our great sponsors for the 2017 Season: Shawn Horn Realtor, Dahlstrom Motors, MarKit County Grain LLC, Northdale Oil Inc., Invision Ag, Channel Seed and Red River Bean Co., Citizens Community Credit Union, R&R Farms Inc., Ad Monkeys, B&E Meats, Big Jim's East Side Tire, Votava Trucking, Dynamic Welding & Machine, Advantage Lawn Care, Northern Valley Fertilizer, Phil Thompson & Associates, Custom Stripes, Lind Electric, Energy Release, Sky-Vu Drive In and Steve Moen/Moen Farms."

Sept 1st, 2017
With next week being the John Seitz Memorial race weekend and the $9200 Late Model feature race, competition in the Late Model class has building over the last couple of weeks at RCS. While Mother Nature didn't rain out the race program Friday, recent weather may have played havoc with the track conditions. Joey sums up the night's racing action:
"Track conditions were a little tough to navigate last night at the Bullring. We started fourth in the heat race, then after falling back nearly a full straightaway at the halfway point due to a ill handling race car and greasy track conditions, I was able to change my line a little bit and make the best of it. At the flag, we ran down first and second but had to settle for third place. Starting 6th in the feature race, even after making some adjustments, the car still did not like the increasingly slimy track conditions. I Fell back to ninth place initially, but as the race progressed several cars suffered mechanical failure and pulled off. That, in addition to last lap carnage in the front of the field, allowed me to pull off a 4th place finish. I'm happy to say I was one of only a few to load at the end of the night with no damage. The car was a handful to say the least. Next up, the John Seitz Memorial weekend starting Thursday night."

Aug. 25th, 2017
Friday brought a exciting night of racing at RCS where Joey started in and ended in 1st place in his Heat race and then starting 2nd in the Feature race, it allowed him to get into the lead quick, but not without some competition from a good cast of Late Model drivers that are gearing up for the $9200 John Seitz Memorial weekend in 2 weeks. Here's Joey to sum up the night's action:
"Friday night couldn't of went better for us. In the heat race we lined up on the front row next to Brad Seng. Brad and I battled hard for the lead for the first half of the heat race. After a mid race caution I was able to idle around and pack the top side of the track in little better. On the restart I was able to run the top side of the track for the remainder of the heat and pulled off the win. Due to it being Track Championship night and winning the second heat race, this allowed me to start outside the front row of the feature. I managed to take the lead on the opening lap and pull out to a little bit of a gap between myself and the rest of the field. This didn't last for long though as there were multiple cautions throughout the feature which reset the field each time. These cautions set the stage for a hard fought battle with a few different drivers. The first being Bill Mooney. Bill and I battled hard for several laps until ultimately we made contact and I was spun around. Bill was tagged for the caution. In the later stages of the race, Dustin Strand and I also battled for the lead for several laps and at one point Strand took the lead. As I battled back into the lead in the closing laps, the race wasn't over. I continued to feel the pressure of Strand hot on my heels all the way to the checkers. For me the race was full of excitement and I was thrilled to come out of it with the victory."

Aug. 18th, 2017
Last night's racing at RCS didn't end as good as had hoped....with racing in the Late Model class getting tougher each growing week in anticipation of the John Seitz Memorial race in a couple of weeks and its $9200 prize, Joey and the Phil Thompson & Associates 7P Late Model started 8th in the Heat race and after moving forward and back, settled in for a 4th place finish. The Feature race, however, was a different story....starting 7th against the likes of Donny Schatz, Strand, Seng and 26 late model cars in total, Joey again moved back a bit and then back up a bit, but ultimately a flat tire during lap 13 of 25 ended the evening unfortunately.

Aug. 11th, 2017
An interesting evening of racing at River Cities Speedway, that even included a transistor blowing in the pits (can't make it up....), saw Joey as well as his son Tucker (Street Stocks) and Kelsi (Lightning Sprints), battle the usual stiff competition as the Late Models begin to gear up for the 11th annual John Seitz Memorial in 4 weeks. Joey had a relatively easy path to a checkered flag in the Heat race and managed to grab a short-lived in the Feature race before a yellow flag took that away. Joey sums up the night's action:
"Pulled off the heat win after a little bit of a white knuckle 1st lap. I knew my only chance to clear the 2 of Bill Mooney for the lead was to not lift the throttle, and that's what I did. Luckily it stuck. The feature brought tricky track conditions that included streaks of moisture and dry. I Started 8th and briefly took the lead at the half way point only for a caution to fly which put me back to 3rd. As the race neared the end I chose the wrong line a few times and faded to 5th. All and all a good night."

Aug. 4th, 2017
The strong Late Model class was on display Friday night at RCS. The Advantage Lawn Care 7P took another Heat race checkered flag holding off a couple of the better drivers and faced those same drivers in the Feature race starting 5th, slipping back to about 9th and then working back up through the pack for another 5th place finish. Joey sums up the evening:
"Another respectable Friday for the 7P. We started 3rd in the heat race and after a good battle with Tom Corcoran, we managed to get the heat win over Corcoran , Balcaen and Seng. Starting 7th in the feature, we got shuffled back a few spots in the 1st few laps but rebounded to a 5th place finish. Had fun racing hard for position with Brad Seng and Shane Edgington. Not the feature results we are looking for but all and all a solid week."

July 28th, 2017
Friday night brought another tough night of racing action at RCS in the Late Model class with a few yellow flags and even a red flag in the feature race. All in all a decent night for Joey allowed him to move up to a tie for 2nd place in the Late Model season points race at RCS, behind the leader by 20 points. Joey comments on the night's action:
"Friday brought a twist to the racing action at River Cities Speedway with the new dirt that was added to the racing surface. Despite RCS making a valid effort to tame the surface through the night it still contributed to many DNF's. I had a great battle for the lead with Brad Seng in the heat race and managed to pull of the heat win. After starting 8th in the feature race, I made it as high as 3rd place. All and all it was a good night for us and was happy to load the car in one piece."

July 7th, 2017
The Late Model class at RCS is strong and that was evident again this past Friday's racing action. In his Heat race, Joey and the B&E Meats 7P started 8th racing against the likes of Strand and Mooney and captured a 2nd place finish. In his Feature race, with Stand, Seng, Joey and Mooney making up 4 of the top 5 starting positions, Joey managed a 5th place finish behind the aforementioned. Joey discusses this week's action:
"Our heat went ok finishing 2nd to Strand. Hoping to find some more speed in the feature race, we decided to test a new set up, but unfortunately it didn't pay off. We managed to pull off a 5th place finish. Congrats to Brad Seng on the win!"

June 30th, 2017
A cool summer evening last night brought forth competitive racing action last night at RCS, especially with it being an NLRA Late Model tour date. The night started out well with Joey and the Ad Monkeys 7P late model getting the pole position in the Heat race and leading that to take the checkered flag. The Feature races, last nights and a make up from June 16th, were a bit different story with Joey ending in a 8th and 9th place finish in a very competitive late model Feature races. Joey adds his comments:
"26 total Late Models were on hand last night at RCS. With all the rain earlier in the week, the track conditions allowed for fast lap times in all four race divisions. We had a good start to the night by winning our heat convincingly. Unfortunately, in the 1st and 2nd feature races we struggled with some problems and managed to hang on for a 8th and 9th place finish respectively."

June 23rd, 2017
Yesterday brought a cool and windy evening to River Cities Speedway where 21 NLRA late models participated in racing action. The Feature race was stiff competition with alot of the main racers in the top spots and within seconds of each other. Joey sums up the evening:
"The Finish wasn't what we were hoping for last night at River Cities Speedway but the racing was definitely full of action. I had a handling issue in the heat race and got shuffled back on the start. I managed to battle back to a 4th place finish. In the feature race, I started 12th and kad several good battles with Strand, Balcaen and Edginton as the race progressed. It Seemed like 2nd on back were changing lanes (high/low) nearly every lap trying to advance. I managed to advance from 12th to 6th in what was an action packed but frustrating feature for the Channel Seed and Red River Bean Co. 7P late model."

June 9th, 2017
Friday night brought some interesting weather in the area for Grand Forks and RCS, with most of the race program getting through. Joey and the Citizens Community Credit Union 7P late model had a decent night with a 2nd place heat race and a 4th place feature race. The evening also included some school bus racing action Joey participated in. Here's Joey's take on the night's action:
"Had a good heat race, started 7th and managed to pass our way up to second at the finish. We started fourth in the feature and ran second for a while until the right rear tire started to come apart, managed to hang onto a fourth place finish. Congrats to Zach Naastad on his win. Also drove the Sacred heart bus to a third place finish in the heat but too far back to count in the feature. Haha. The bus I drove last night is really starting to show its age, the engine is tired, been overheated one too many times. I'm told RCS is planning to retire the old girl after last night. Looking forward to a new bus ride in 2018!."

June 16th, 2017
With volatile weather in the area the last week, Friday night at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, ND was no different. With this being the NLRA Late Models season opener date, competition was at a premium in the Late Model class. In his heat race, Joey and the R & R Farms, inc. 7P started 5th and managed to take the checkered flag, but unfortunately, Mother Nature took over and after the rain delay, it was too late so the late model feature race was postponed and will be made up at a later date.

June 9th, 2017
Friday night brought some interesting weather in the area for Grand Forks and RCS, with most of the race program getting through. Joey and the Citizens Community Credit Union 7P late model had a decent night with a 2nd place heat race and a 4th place feature race. The evening also included some school bus racing action Joey participated in. Here's Joey's take on the night's action:
"Had a good heat race, started 7th and managed to pass our way up to second at the finish. We started fourth in the feature and ran second for a while until the right rear tire started to come apart, managed to hang onto a fourth place finish. Congrats to Zach Naastad on his win. Also drove the Sacred heart bus to a third place finish in the heat but too far back to count in the feature. Haha. The bus I drove last night is really starting to show its age, the engine is tired, been overheated one too many times. I'm told RCS is planning to retire the old girl after last night. Looking forward to a new bus ride in 2018!."

June 2nd, 2017
With temperatures hovering around 95 degrees in Grand Forks this past Friday night, it added an extra level of difficulty that the RCS drivers had to deal with. Joey was able to steer the Invision Ag 7P car to a 3rd place heat finish and 4th place feature finish. Joey sums up the night's racing:
"In a stacked heat we were able to advance from 5th to 3rd. The first half of the Feature, I advanced from 7th to 2nd behind Strand and was optimistic on our chances of a win. Unfortunately, after a restart the handling of the car faded and we fell back to 4th at the checkers."

May 26th, 2017
While the weather at Grand Forks last night brought a beautiful evening for local dirt track racing at RCS, the same wasn't said for track conditions which lead to numerous caution flags for all four car divisions. The late model feature alone had 4 yellows in the first 6 laps. Joey was able to steer the Northdale Oil Inc. 7P late model to a first place Heat race finish, but the feature race didn't end as well as we wanted. Here's Joey to sum up last night's action:
"We got the win in the heat race despite track conditions being less than ideal. The feature didn't end so well though. As track conditions continued to deteriorate all classes experienced caution after caution and the LM's were no exception. In the feature I advanced from 7th to 4th but then also got collected in a wreck. We did continue, but only to later run over more debris and cut the left rear tire. That ended our night. Hoping the RCS track prep crew took notes on what they did this week so they know what not to do again. Lots of damage to cars in all divisions."

May 19th, 2017
Starting in the pole position in both the heat and feature race allowed Joey and the Markit County Grain LLC 7P late model to capture the first Feature race win of the young RCS season. Beginning with a Heat race that included Brad Seng and Dustin Strand, two very strong drivers, Joey captured the checkered flag to set a pole position in the Feature race where he led all 20 laps for the win. Here's Joey with some comments:
"With my last win coming in June 2015 it sure felt great to end the drought and pick up a win last night. We were fortunate to have great starting positions all night and a good handling car, especially in the feature. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come! Big thank you to all of the sponsors who make all of this possible for team 7P! Like to also thank the crew, Adam Dahl, Frank Noreikis, John Votova, Steve Moen and Derek Albaugh."

May 12th, 2017
Friday brought another beautiful night of dirt track racing at RCS in Grand Forks. In Late Model racing action, Joey got a 3rd place finish in both his Heat race and also in a competitive Feature race with cars riding the high line, low line and in the middle. Joey sums up the evening's action:
"The Dahlstrom Motors Inc. 7P brought home a 3rd place Finish at River Cities Speedway. After starting 6th we raced all over the track as we advanced to 3rd. Track conditions were great!"

May 5th, 2017
The Late Model racing season opened at River Cities Speedway this past Friday. The Shawn Horn Realty 7P car began the season with a 1st place Heat race finish and in a exciting Feature race with the top 5 drivers all within 4 seconds of each other, Joey finished a solid 5th place:
""We kicked off the season at River Cities Speedway Friday night. Had a great battle in the heat with Troy Schill for the lead and eventually won the heat. Started 8th in the feature and fought hard to bring home a 5th place finish. The competition appears as strong as ever. It great to be back at the track, looking forward to a great summer!"