News

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.

NLRA Event Preview - Labor Day Double At Viking

8/29/2017

Brad Seng (12S) and Don Shaw (42S) racing for the lead at Lisbon. The pair have become the ones to beat at Viking of late. Mike Spieker photo.

The NLRA is set to invade the Viking Speedway in Alexandria, MN, for one of the staples on the series schedule, the Labor Day Double Header. The Viking Speedway is the biggest and fastest track, the only remaining half mile on the tour. The track sits on the Douglas County Fairgrounds, and will host the series for the 40th and 41st time, the record holder for any track the series has visited

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.

NLRA Event Preview - Labor Day at Viking and River Cities

8/29/2016

For the ninth time in series history, the NLRA will spend its' Labor Day weekend at the Viking Speedway in Alexandria, MN. The regulars of the NLRA series will take on the 51-year-old half-mile oval on the Douglas County Fairgrounds for the 38th time in series history.

Last season, for the first time ever, Viking aces Jeff Wildung and Zach Johnson were held out of the win column. Brad Seng, driver of the No. 12S S&S Transport MB Custom, and Don Shaw in the Shaw Trucking No. 42S, became just the third and fourth drivers not named Wildung or Johnson to win on Labor Day weekend in Alexandria.

NLRA Postseason Report 2

10/22/2015

The late model season has officially come to an end, with and a few NLRA series regulars racing their final races of the 2015 season over the last two weekends. Dustin Strand, driver of the No. 71 Q&Z Plumbing & Heating Moyer Longhorn, and Cole Schill, driver of the No. 44 Rivinius Ranch MasterSbuilt by JMR, ran at the Fall Classic at the Viking Speedway in Alexandria, MN on October 9th and 10th. Strand finished seventh in the main event, with Cole Schill finishing eleventh. The race was won by two-time series winner this season Don Shaw.

Seitz Memorial Recap

9/14/2015

Thursday: Diemel Wins The Race; Strand Wins Second Series Title

Defending Seitz Memorial champion AJ Diemel of Elk Mound, WI kicked off his title defense in style with a win Thursday night at the 'Prelude to the Johnny' at the River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, ND.

Diemel and Joey Pederson, driver of the No. 7P Dahlstrom Motors MB Custom, shared the front row at the start, in a rematch of last years' finale at the Seitz Memorial, as the pair was separated by just .114 seconds last September.

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

9/8/2015

The 2015 NLRA season comes to a close this Thursday night, September the 10th, when the series kicks off the 9th annual John Seitz Memorial weekend with the fifth running of the 'Prelude to the Johnny'. Thanks to Todd and Susan LaHaise of Buffalo Wild Wings, the feature winner will receive no less than $1,500, with the feature paying $300 to start. The race is scheduled to be the series' 25th appearance at the three-tenths mile oval on the Grand Forks County Fairgrounds. The race kicks off the three-day 9th annual John Seitz Memorial race weekend, culminating with the $9,200 to win 92 lap feature on Saturday night. The weekend of racing honors four-time NLRA series champion, and 26 time series feature winner John Seitz, who passed away in the winter of 2007.

NLRA Event Preview - Minnesota Speedweek

6/23/2015

The busiest stretch of the NLRA season continues this week with a demanding run of five races in as many nights. The action starts on Wedesday night, June the 24th and Thursday night, June the 25th at the Norman County Raceway in Ada, MN. On Friday night, June the 26th, the drivers will head south to make the series first appearance at the I-94 Speedway in Fergus Falls, MN. Saturday night, action continues for the second time this season at the Viking Speedway in Alexandria, MN, before the five race swing ends on Sunday night at the Buffalo River Race Park near Glyndon, MN.

Seitz Memorial Recap

9/18/2014

Thursday -
Ricky Weiss won his third NLRA series feature of the 2014 season, and his 13th series win overall, which ties him with Mitch Johnson for fourth on the all time list. Weiss passed race long leader Brad Seng in lapped traffic on the 26th lap, and lead the remaining four laps to take the 30 lapper. Brad Seng lost his chance at a series record 27th win, but he did clinch his second title in three years. AJ Diemel, Don Shaw, and John Kaanta rounded out the top five. Jeff Provinzino finished sixth, with Adam Hensel seventh, Jeff Wildung eighth, Bill Mooney ninth, and Pat Doar rounded out the top ten.

Thursday Night winner Ricky Weiss

Wildung And Skytland Spilt Pair At NCR, Rain Claims Two More

7/1/2014

Jeff Wildung and Cody Skytland were feature winners at the Norman County Raceway last week, while rain claimed what was to be the series debut at the I-94 Speedway in Fergus Falls, MN, and the third appearance of the season at the Viking Speedway in Alexandria, MN.

Jeff Wildung, in the No. 50 Veit Companies Rocket started fourth and took the lead from Ricky Weiss on lap seven, leading the remainder of the 30 lapper. The win is his eleventh NLRA series victory, and first away from the Viking Speedway. The win also ties him with Zach Johnson and Ricky Weiss for fifth on the NLRA all time wins list.