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GRAND FORKS Mark Dobmeier had no concerns about climbing back into his No. 13 black and yellow sprint car Friday night.

Not even after surviving a fiery sprint car incident in Arizona two months ago that badly burned his legs.

But after hospitalization, surgery and physical therapy, Dobmeier was back in his sprint car for the first time since that incident. And he looked as if nothing had happened.

Dobmeier won the River Cities Speedway season opener, taking the 30-lap feature that also served as the first leg of the Wayne Anderson Cup.

Dobmeier grabbed the lead from Jack Croaker with 12 laps to go and wound up taking the checkered flag by 0.698 seconds.

"It felt great to be out there," said Dobmeier in Victory Lane. "The last couple of months have been a little rough on us but I've got a great family and a great crew that stands behind me and gets me back to where we need to be."

Dobmeier, the track's winningest driver, said he had no concerns racing two months after suffering the burns during a 360 race in Arizona.

"I felt comfortable with my body and I knew I had to make some adjustments," he said. "I don't have the range of motion in my right ankle like I had before so we had to change the heel riser in the car to where it was comfortable."

It was a typical Dobmeier race. He started eighth in the 15-car field. Croaker led the first 18 laps before Dobemier went low in Turn 3 to make the pass for the lead. He held on the rest of the way as there were a handful of caution flags and a red flag.

"River Cities did a great job prepping this track," he said. "They tilled it up before the race and it changed a lot during the race."

Croaker, with a strong run turned in the fastest lap at 10.749 seconds.

Jade Hastings finished third, followed by Jordan Graham and Blake Egeland.

Dobmeier will race again Sunday night at Huset's Speedway in Sioux Falls. He plans to make a run at a season title at that track as well.

"We hope to give it a good run but had some bad luck right away with some motors," he said.

Three other classes were on the schedule Friday night.

Seth Klostreich captured the streets feature. Lance Schill, the dominant Midwest modified driver last season, captured the track's first feature this season as well, finishing 0.924 seconds ahead of Jory Berg.

Tyler Peterson won the modified feature.

Late models did not race Friday night at RCS. They'll be back on the schedule next week.

Auto racing

Fridays results

Streets

Heat 1. Greg Jose; 2. James Meagher; 3. Tucker Pederson

Feature 1. Seth Klostreich; 2. John Halvorson; 3. Weston Ramsrud

Midwest modifieds

First heat 1. Jamie Dietzler; 2. Nathan Raasakka; 3. Tanner Theis

Second heat 1.Lance Schill; 2. Jory Berg; 3. Justin Olson

Feature 1. Schill; 2. Berg; 3. Olson; 4. Nate Reynolds; 5. Dietzler

Modifieds

First heat 1. Aaron Holtan; 2. Dustin Strand; 3. Ward Imrie

Second heat 1 Joseph Thomas; 2. Rick Delaine; 3. Tyler Peterson

Feature 1. Peterson; 2. Delaine; 3. Thomas; 4. Imrie; 5. Duray

Sprints

First heat 1. Brenden Mullen; 2. Zach Omdahl; 3. Nick Omdahl

Second heat 1. Jade Hastings; 2. Mark Dobmeier; 3. Jack Croaker

Feature 1 . Dobmeier; 2. Croaker; 3. Hastings; 4. Jordan Graham; 5. Blake Egeland

Nick Nelson / Grand Forks Herald

Nick Nelson / Grand Forks Herald

Nick Nelson / Grand Forks Herald

He has been with the Grand Forks Herald since 1995, serving as the UND football and basketball beat writer as well as serving as the sports editor.

He is a UND graduate and has been writing sports since the late 1970s.

Follow him on Twitter @waynenelsongf. You can reach him at (701) 780-1268 or wnelson@gfherald.com.

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After recovering from fiery sprint car incident, Mark Dobmeier back in ... - Grand Forks Herald