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NLRA EVENT PREVIEW: 14th PRELUDE TO THE JOHNNY AT RIVER CITIES

9/6/2023

Brody Troftgruben (14), Shane Edginton (5E), and Brad Seng (12S) battle at River Cities last Friday night.
Speedway Shots photo.

Kicking off the three-day 17th annual John Seitz Memorial at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks will be the 14th running of the 'Prelude to the Johnny' which gives the series the opportunity to crown its champion on home turf while the field of around 50 drivers get a night of racing at the high-banked quarter-mile Bullring under their belts before the qualifying heat races on Friday night.

Event Preview: Silver Season Kick-off Features Three Big Events

6/2/2022

Tom Corcoran (T1), Shane Edginton (5E), and Dustin Strand (71) battle three-wide at River Cities last Friday.
Speedway Shots photo.

The NLRA is set to kick off its silver anniversary season this weekend with three big events. It all kicks off on Friday night, June the 3rd, At the River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, ND, where the series will co-headline with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. Race two of the weekend features the Dick Johanneck Memorial King of the Dirt at the Sure Step I-94 Speedway in Fergus Falls, MN, before wrapping up with the first of two more scheduled visits to the Sheyenne Speedway in Lisbon, ND.

Diemel Wins The Battle; Super Rookie Wins The War

9/10/2021

AJ Diemel (Left) and Mike Greseth (right) celebrate their victories Thursday night. Speedway Shots photos.

AJ Diemel took the point from race long leader Don Shaw with two laps remaining to win the 'Prelude to the Johnny' at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks Thursday night. The win was Diemel's second career NLRA series triumph, and his first since the 2015 running of the 'Prelude,' which kicks off John Seitz Memorial weekend. Dustin Strand, Brad Seng, and Mike Greseth rounded out the top five. Greseth's fifth place finish gave him enough points to earn the 2021 NLRA series championship. Greseth, in his rookie season in a Late Model, earned the nickname "Super Rookie" after his first career series win at Grand Rapids Speedway in May. From then, Greseth has won six more features, including five in NLRA competition. Greseth won by 24 points over Shane Edginton. Brody Troftgruben was the hard charger, finishing sixth after starting 18th.

Full Results
Final Points

NLRA Event Preview - 'Prelude to the Johnny' at River Cities

9/9/2021

Mike Greseth (17) and Shane Edginton (5E) are separated by just 8 points heading into the 'Prelude.' Speedway Shots photo.

Thursday night, September the 9th, the NLRA will wrap up its 24th season of racing with the 11th running of the "Prelude to the Johnny" at the River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, ND. The event kicks off the 15th annual John Seitz Memorial weekend, which honors four-time series champion John Seitz who passed away in 2007.

John Seitz Memorial Recap

9/14/2020

The fourteenth annual John Seitz Memorial at the River Cities Speedway is in the books, and the big winners were Lance Schill, driver of the No. 17 Schill Construction MB Custom, who collected his first career NLRA series feature win during the 'Prelude to the Johnny.' Dustin Strand, driver of the No. 71 Q&Z Plumbing & Heating Millenium SRT won his fourth NLRA series championship. And Aaron Turnbull, driver of the No. 21 Mack Auctions MB Custom, who won the 'Go Hard or Go Home' pole dash, and his second consecutive John Seitz Memorial championship.

Lance Schill Scores First NLRA Victory; Dustin Strand Wins Fourth Title

Lance Schill with his family and crew in victory lane after winning the 'Prelude to the Johnny.'
Speedway Shots photo.

On Thursday night at River Cities, Steffen Snare lined the No. 71S Todd's Electric Bloomquist on the pole, with Lance Schill to his outside. After a caution on the initial start, Schill took the lead, as Joey Pederson moved to second in the No. 7P Dahlstrom Motors Victory.

Seitz Memorial Recap

9/17/2019

Aaron Turnbull and Shane Edginton battle for the lead at the John Seitz Memorial. Mike Spieker photo.

It was another exciting John Seitz Memorial at the River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, with Jake Redetzke winning the 'Prelude to the Johnny' on Thursday night, while Brad Seng captured his fourth NLRA championship, and the pole for the 92-lap finale on Saturday night by winning Friday's 'Go Hard Or Go Home' Pole Dash. But is was Estevan, Saskatchewan's Aaron Turnbull that came away as the weekend's big winner, by scoring his first John Seitz Memorial victory.

Weiss Dominates Seitz Weekend; Strand Captures Third Series Title

9/12/2018

Ricky Weiss won all three features contested at River Cities on the John Seitz Memorial weekend.
Dustin Strand won the pole dash, and clinched his third series title with a fourth place run on Saturday afternoon.
Mike Spieker photos.

It was a big weekend for two-time series champion Ricky Weiss, driver of the No. 7 Keewatin Truck Service Bloomquist, as he won all three main events contested during the 12th annual John Seitz Memorial weekend at the River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks.

NLRA Event Preview - 8th Annual 'Prelude To The Johnny'

9/5/2018

Mike Spieker photo.

This Thursday night, September the 6th, the 21st season of NLRA action comes to a close with the annual running of the 'Prelude to the Johnny' at the River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, which will kick off the twelfth annual John Seitz Memorial weekend. This Thursday's event will be the 37th time the Speedway has hosted the series since 1999.

Seitz Memorial Recap

9/13/2016

Another John Seitz Memorial is in the books as the tenth running of the event took place at the River Cities Speedway last week. Thursday night was marred by rain delays, but produced a new track record holder in Wissota national point leader Dustin Strand, and a new three-time NLRA series champion in Brad Seng. Friday saw the original Seitz memorial pole sitter, Steve Laursen, earn the pole once again. Saturday saw Elk Mound, Wisconsin native AJ Diemel join Brad Seng as the only two-time champions in the events' history.

NLRA Event Preview - Sixth Annual 'Prelude to the Johnny' at River Cities

9/6/2016

On Friday night, September the 8th, the NLRA will but a ribbon on its' 19th season with the sixth running of the 'Prelude to the Johnny' at the River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, ND. The event kicks off the three day, tenth annual John Seitz Memorial.

Last season, Elk Mound, Wisconsin's AJ Diemel, became the fourth native of the dairy state to win the Prelude in its' five years history. Adam Hensel of Barron, John Kaanta of Elk Mound, and Pat Doar on New Richmond, were winners of the event in 2011, 2012, and 2013 respectively. Ricky Weiss became the first non-Wisconsinite to win the race in 2014.