Jacob Bleess won the USRA Modified main event at the Sports Park Raceway in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on Friday, May 8, 2020. (Tyler Rinken Photo)

Sports Park Raceway appears to be in good hands as a strong showing of socially-conscious race fans and competitors broke free from their coronavirus chains Friday and launched the 2020 racing season at the dynamic dirt oval south of Fort Dodge, Iowa.

The track was destined to have the doors closed in 2020 until Andy Jones and his staff came on board to resurrect the facility. Family fun, entertainment and fantastic racing is the new normal in Fort Dodge. 

Five months with hundreds of labor hours and tons of new and shifted clay later, Friday’s opener had a stout field of Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series racers with national, state and local guidelines surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic in place to protect attendees.

Action in the USRA Modified division saw many of the region’s top talent in attendance to test the new racing surface and it was a pair of young guns from Chatfield, Minnesota, stealing the top two positions.

Jacob Bleess, who had the best finish in the country last year with victories in the Featherlite Fall Jamboree and Grant Junghans Memorial. Bleess stole the lead early from polesitter Jerid Ratzke and when on to run away from the field.

Meanwhile, 2016 USRA Modified national champ Lucas Schott came from his sixth starting spot to take second while two-time Hamilton County Speedway track champion J.D. Auringer of Waterloo rebounded from a poor showing in his heat race and passed 10 cars en route to a third-place finish.

USMTS regular Adam Kates of Tonganoxie, Kansas, finished fourth and Tony Konold of Clear Lake, South Dakota, held on for a top-five finish.

In the American Racer USRA Stock Car main event, Decorah’s Dillon Anderson wheeled his machine into the winner’s circle. Anderson—the 2012 USRA Hobby Stock national champion—edged Myles Michehl of Fort Dodge for the win while USMTS boss Todd Staley took third.

Devin Smith of Lake City claimed the fourth spot and another Fort Dodge speedster, Bill Crimmins, crossed the finish line in the fifth position.

Two-time Christie Door Company USRA Iron Man Challenge titlist Dan Hovden of Decorah put on a show for the fans by coming from the outside of the fourth row to win the USRA B-Mod feature race over fellow crowd-pleaser Jim Chisholm of Osage who raced from 11th to second in the 20-lapper.

Webster City’s Ty Griffith climbed from ninth to third, Josh Appel of Mason City recorded a fourth-place finish and Doug McCollough of Webster City pocketed a fifth-place paycheck.

Not to be outdone, the Mensink Racing Products USRA Hobby Stocks saw three Hobby Stock household names ern spots on the podium at race’s end.

Ninth-starting Dustin Gulbrandson of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, added another win to his mile-long racing résumé as the five-time USRA national champion picked up the win over the defending champ Eric Stanton of Carlisle, who started 12th on the grid.

Jeremy Crimmins of Fort Dodge shared the sixth row with Stanton for the start of the race and followed him to a third-place finish with Levi Vander Weide of Sioux Falls and Riley Crimmins of Fort Dodge rounding out the top five.

Oliver Monson of Humboldt bested 2018 USRA Tuner national champion Ryan Bryant of Mason City to take home the trophy in the USRA Tuner division with John Gill of Marshalltown, Jade Lange of Humboldt and Indianola’s Bruce Hower rounding out the top five.

Racing is set to continue next Friday, May 15, at the Sports Park Raceway with USRA Modifieds, USRA Stock Cars, USRA B-Mods, Pickett Salvage USRA Hobby Stocks and USRA Tuners back in the spotlight.

The Sports Park Raceway is located 0.9 mile north of US 20 on US 169, then 0.5 mile east on 230th in Fort Dodge, Iowa. If you have any questions, visit SportsParkRaceway.com or email info@sportsparkraceway.com. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Racing Association
Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series
Sports Park Raceway, Fort Dodge, Iowa
Friday, May 8, 2020

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver and hometown.

USRA B-MODS

Heat #1:
1. (2) 16 Dan Hovden, Decorah, Iowa
2. (1) 62 Cory Pestotnik, Boone, Iowa
3. (5) 12 Doug Smith, Lake City, Iowa
4. (3) 25P Justin Patterson, Fort Dodge, Iowa
5. (6) 7+ Jared Timmerman, Norwalk, Iowa
6. (7) 2 Andrew Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
7. (4) 59 Jed Regnier, Crooks, S.D.

Heat #2:
1. (1) 4 Jason Bass, Fort Dodge, Iowa
2. (2) 5 Dustin Lynch, Boone, Iowa
3. (4) 9J Jeremiah Reed, Otho, Iowa
4. (6) 511 Matt Grall, Fort Dodge, Iowa
5. (5) 25 Joe Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
6. (7) 7 Danny Fye, Boxholm, Iowa
7. (3) 40 George Gilliland, Lehigh, Iowa

Heat #3:
1. (1) 56 Ty Griffith, Webster City, Iowa
2. (4) 1 Doug McCollough, Webster City, Iowa
3. (3) 24C Jim Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
4. (6) 65J Josh Appel, Mason City, Iowa
5. (5) 49 Nate Whitehurst, Mason City, Iowa
6. (2) 52 Ryan Sams, Fort Dodge, Iowa
7. (7) D1 Damion Elliott, Webster City, Iowa

Feature:
1. (8) 16 Dan Hovden, Decorah, Iowa
2. (11) 24C Jim Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
3. (9) 56 Ty Griffith, Webster City, Iowa
4. (1) 65J Josh Appel, Mason City, Iowa
5. (5) 1 Doug McCollough, Webster City, Iowa
6. (12) 4 Jason Bass, Fort Dodge, Iowa
7. (15) 49 Nate Whitehurst, Mason City, Iowa
8. (13) 7+ Jared Timmerman, Norwalk, Iowa
9. (2) 5 Dustin Lynch, Boone, Iowa
10. (17) 7 Danny Fye, Boxholm, Iowa
11. (3) 25P Justin Patterson, Fort Dodge, Iowa
12. (18) 52 Ryan Sams, Fort Dodge, Iowa
13. (7) 511 Matt Grall, Fort Dodge, Iowa
14. (19) 59 Jed Regnier, Crooks, S.D.
15. (20) 40 George Gilliland, Lehigh, Iowa
16. (21) D1 Damion Elliott, Webster City, Iowa
17. (14) 25 Joe Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
18. (16) 2 Andrew Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
19. (4) 9J Jeremiah Reed, Otho, Iowa
20. (6) 12 Doug Smith, Lake City, Iowa
21. (10) 62 Cory Pestotnik, Boone, Iowa

MENSINK RACING PRODUCTS USRA HOBBY STOCKS

Heat #1:
1. (7) 7B Eric Stanton, Carlisle, Iowa
2. (1) 42T Tyson Overton, Carlisle, Iowa
3. (6) 15 Jeremy Crimmins, Fort Dodge, Iowa
4. (3) 112 Drew Barglof, Sioux Rapids, Iowa
5. (2) 10 John Ades, Rippey, Iowa
6. (5) 88 Daniel Smith, Lake City, Iowa
7. (4) 91 Chris Krug, Emmetsburg, Iowa

Heat #2:
1. (6) 6 Dustin Gulbrandson, Sioux Falls, S.D.
2. (1) S1X Rick Vander Weide, Sioux Falls, S.D.
3. (2) 8 Levi Vander Weide, Sioux Falls, S.D.
4. (4) 12K Eric Knutson, Slater, Iowa
5. (5) 22 Mike Smith, Lake City, Iowa
6. (3) 90K Chad Krug, Emmetsburg, Iowa

Heat #3:
1. (2) 10X Danny Sassman Jr., Fort Dodge, Iowa
2. (1) 35 Riley Crimmins, Fort Dodge, Iowa
3. (5) 8T Adam Tiernan, Granger, Iowa
4. (3) 16C David Crimmins, Fort Dodge, Iowa
5. (6) 14 Joseph DeBoer, Fort Dodge, Iowa
6. (4) 48J Bryant Johnson, Graettinger, Iowa

Feature:
1. (9) 6 Dustin Gulbrandson, Sioux Falls, S.D.
2. (12) 7B Eric Stanton, Carlisle, Iowa
3. (11) 15 Jeremy Crimmins, Fort Dodge, Iowa
4. (1) 8 Levi Vander Weide, Sioux Falls, S.D.
5. (3) 35 Riley Crimmins, Fort Dodge, Iowa
6. (5) S1X Rick Vander Weide, Sioux Falls, S.D.
7. (8) 42T Tyson Overton, Carlisle, Iowa
8. (17) 90K Chad Krug, Emmetsburg, Iowa
9. (4) 12K Eric Knutson, Slater, Iowa
10. (7) 10X Danny Sassman Jr., Fort Dodge, Iowa
11. (13) 10 John Ades, Rippey, Iowa
12. (18) 48J Bryant Johnson, Graettinger, Iowa
13. (6) 16C David Crimmins, Fort Dodge, Iowa
14. (10) 112 Drew Barglof, Sioux Rapids, Iowa
15. (16) 88 Daniel Smith, Lake City, Iowa
16. (2) 8T Adam Tiernan, Granger, Iowa
17. (15) 14 Joseph DeBoer, Fort Dodge, Iowa
18. (19) 91 Chris Krug, Emmetsburg, Iowa
19. (14) 22 Mike Smith, Lake City, Iowa

USRA MODIFIEDS

Heat #1:
1. (1) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn.
2. (6) 23 Adam Kates, Tonganoxie, Kan.
3. (3) 73 Ryan Nelson, Madison, Minn.
4. (5) 2 Jerid Ratzke, Williams, Iowa
5. (7) 1BC Tony Cox, Boone, Iowa
6. (2) 97 Cole Anderson, Northfield, Minn.
7. (4) 5D Devon Havlik, Iowa Falls, Iowa

Heat #2:
1. (1) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
2. (4) 57 Duke Erickson, Sioux Falls, S.D.
3. (5) 15 Tony Konold, Clear Lake, S.D.
4. (3) 45H Jason Hickingbottom, Duncombe, Iowa
5. (7) 15L Chris Loberg, Elma, Iowa
6. (6) 6 Casey Skyberg, Rapid City, S.D.
7. (2) 00J J.D. Auringer, Waterloo, Iowa

Feature:
1. (4) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
2. (6) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn.
3. (13) 00J J.D. Auringer, Waterloo, Iowa
4. (8) 23 Adam Kates, Tonganoxie, Kan.
5. (2) 15 Tony Konold, Clear Lake, S.D.
6. (12) 6 Casey Skyberg, Rapid City, S.D.
7. (5) 73 Ryan Nelson, Madison, Minn.
8. (7) 57 Duke Erickson, Sioux Falls, S.D.
9. (9) 1BC Tony Cox, Boone, Iowa
10. (11) 97 Cole Anderson, Northfield, Minn.
11. (3) 45H Jason Hickingbottom, Duncombe, Iowa
12. (10) 15L Chris Loberg, Elma, Iowa
13. (1) 2 Jerid Ratzke, Williams, Iowa
DNS – 5D Devon Havlik, Iowa Falls, Iowa

AMERICAN RACER USRA STOCK CARS

Heat #1:
1. (1) 74C Cole Mather, Oelwein, Iowa
2. (2) 21X Myles Michehl, Fort Dodge, Iowa
3. (4) 44 Dillon Anderson, Decorah, Iowa
4. (7) 14 Todd Staley, Webster City, Iowa
5. (5) 43 Calvin Lange, Humboldt, Iowa
6. (6) 27B Aaron Benz, Humboldt, Iowa
7. (3) 19 Reid Keller, Webster City, Iowa

Heat #2:
1. (2) 35 Bill Crimmins, Fort Dodge, Iowa
2. (4) 81 Devin Smith, Lake City, Iowa
3. (5) 21 Andrew Borchardt, Plymouth, Iowa
4. (1) 5A Tyler Pickett, Boxholm, Iowa
5. (6) 59 Jeff Lyon, Duncombe, Iowa
6. (3) 04X Mike House, Panora, Iowa

Feature:
1. (3) 44 Dillon Anderson, Decorah, Iowa
2. (6) 21X Myles Michehl, Fort Dodge, Iowa
3. (4) 14 Todd Staley, Webster City, Iowa
4. (2) 81 Devin Smith, Lake City, Iowa
5. (1) 35 Bill Crimmins, Fort Dodge, Iowa
6. (12) 59 Jeff Lyon, Duncombe, Iowa
7. (7) 21 Andrew Borchardt, Plymouth, Iowa
8. (5) 74C Cole Mather, Oelwein, Iowa
9. (10) 27B Aaron Benz, Humboldt, Iowa
10. (13) 04X Mike House, Panora, Iowa
11. (8) 5A Tyler Pickett, Boxholm, Iowa
12. (9) 43 Calvin Lange, Humboldt, Iowa
DNS – 19 Reid Keller, Webster City, Iowa

USRA TUNERS

Heat #1:
1. (6) 37 Ryan Bryant, Mason City, Iowa
2. (1) 43 Jade Lange, Humboldt, Iowa
3. (3) 88 Bruce Hower, Indianola, Iowa
4. (2) 13J Justin Nielson, Lu Verne, Iowa
5. (4) 230 Michael Heun, Manson, Iowa
6. (5) 38 Des Sells, Fort Dodge, Iowa

Heat #2:
1. (2) 543 Oliver Monson, Humboldt, Iowa
2. (3) 41 Matt Oberhelman, Fort Dodge, Iowa
3. (1) 99 Chris Wilson, Britt, Iowa
4. (5) 02 John Gill, Marshalltown, Iowa
5. (4) 40M Gavin Maass, Mankato, Minn.

Feature:
1. (3) 543 Oliver Monson, Humboldt, Iowa
2. (5) 37 Ryan Bryant, Mason City, Iowa
3. (8) 02 John Gill, Marshalltown, Iowa
4. (4) 43 Jade Lange, Humboldt, Iowa
5. (2) 88 Bruce Hower, Indianola, Iowa
6. (9) 230 Michael Heun, Manson, Iowa
7. (10) 40M Gavin Maass, Mankato, Minn.
8. (11) 38 Des Sells, Fort Dodge, Iowa
9. (1) 41 Matt Oberhelman, Fort Dodge, Iowa
10. (7) 13J Justin Nielson, Lu Verne, Iowa
DNS – 99 Chris Wilson, Britt, Iowa