Austin Hartmann Wins King of the Wings

From Wisconsin to Victory: Hartmann’s Trek

The Wisconsin crew hauled a hauler and sprint car across the country for a three‑night swing of races, battling tires and time to reach Grand Forks. Three truck tires blew en route, stretching a normally nine‑hour drive to 14½ hours, but Hartmann says the effort was worth the $3,000 payday. At 25, the veteran of seven seasons finally broke through with his first career win, leading most of the night and holding off Jack Dover, Mark Dobmeier and Jack Croaker.

Hartmann started on the front row and built a lead that survived a series of cautions, a red‑flag period and heavy lapped traffic. The margin to Dover at the flag stand was 0.630 seconds, a narrow gap that underscored the fierce competition. The driver described the closing laps as “pretty hectic,” noting the difficulty of navigating a one‑lane track with cars stacked behind him.

Series Overview and Key Competitors

The King of the Wings sprint series spans six nights across South Dakota and Minnesota tracks, wrapping up Saturday at Buffalo River Speedway near Glyndon. It blends drivers from the Northern Outlaw Sprint Association and the Midwest Sprint Touring Series, drawing 33 teams to River Cities Speedway on Friday alone. Dover entered the night leading the points chase; his second‑place result keeps him atop the standings heading into the finale.

Other NotableFinishers

Dobmeier, who captured Thursday’s event at Ada’s Norman County Raceway, began 12th and charged to third, crediting a strong car. Croaker, another local standout, paced early laps, stayed on Hartmann’s bumper and posted the fastest lap of the feature—10.470 seconds on lap 10. He also praised the handling in traffic, calling it “a good night.”

Other Sprint Classes Shine

Myles Tomlinson of Turtle Lake, ND, secured the wingless sprint feature, edging Jeremy Lizakowski by 0.251 seconds for his first RCS victory. Tomlinson hailed Grand Forks as the “sprint capital of North Dakota” and said the win erased past struggles at the venue. Matthew Taves from Detroit Lakes, MN, took the 305 sprint, starting second and beating pole‑sitter Ty Hanten by 0.211 seconds. Luke Hendrickson of Mekinock, ND, rallied from fourth to win the lightning sprint, separating from Dexter Dvergsten by 1.124 seconds.

Full Night Results

• 410 Sprints: 1. Austin Hartmann, 2. Jack Dover, 3. Mark Dobmeier, 4. Jack Croaker, 5. Brendan Mullen
• Wingless Sprints: 1. Myles Tomlinson, 2. Jeremy Lizakowski, 3. Ken Hron, 4. Nick Shirek, 5. Eric Guyot
• 305 Sprints: 1. Matthew Taves, 2. Ty Hanten, 3. Marcus Rothenbacher, 4. Cole Venderheiden, 5. Jerzee Rosinski
• Lightning Sprints: 1. Luke Hendrickson, 2. Dexter Dvergsten, 3. Emmitt Isane, 4. Brady Heilman, 5. Arlen Rygg