SPRING VALLEY, Minn. -- The Iron Man Challenge featuring the USRA Karl Chevrolet Stock Cars made their maiden voyage to the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., Saturday night and the drivers in the 24-car main event did not disappoint the nearly 2,000 race fans in attendance.

Jake Masters started on the pole for the 20-lap main event around the 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval, but retired from the race with mechanical problems almost as quickly as it began.

With two-time USRA Karl Chevrolet Stock Car National Champion Tom Schmitt leading, Kevin Donlan was making his way to the front of the field from his 13th starting spot.

At the midway point of the race, Donlan powered underneath of Schmitt to take the lead and never looked back en route to capturing his first Iron Man Challenge feature win and the $700 that came with it.

Schmitt held on for second while USRA and USMTS promoter Todd Staley came from 12th to finish third in just his seventh race ever behind the wheel of a racecar.

Thursday night’s winner Nathan Wood came from 17th to take the fourth spot and Lynn Panos rounded out the top five finishers.

Tory Reicks was involved in an eight-car melee with just four laps to go, went to the rear of the field and charged into the sixth spot by the time the checkered flag waved.

Ken Tietz, Ryan Goergen, Justin Temeyer and Arlen Hoy finished sixth through tenth.

Jeff Joldersma flipped his mount at the entrance of turn 1 during the second heat race, but returned two hours later to take the green flag in the main event.

The Iron Man Challenge returns to action on Sunday, June 12, at the Nobles County Speedway in Worthington, Minn., followed by stops on Monday, June 13, at the Mineral City Speedway in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and Wednesday, June 15, at the Cresco Speedway in Cresco, Iowa.

All three events will feature both the USRA Karl Chevrolet Stock Cars and USRA Karl Performance Parts B-Mods racing along with the Modifieds of the USMTS Casey’s General Stores National Tour powered by Swan Energy.

Seventeen dates at twelve dirt ovals comprise the 2011 schedule for the second season of the Iron Man Challenge. Each of the main events will pay a minimum of $700 to win and $125 to start for the Stock Cars, with no less than $500 to win and $75 to start the B-Mod feature races.

Iron Man Challenge points for both classes factor in a driver’s best ten nights in determining the series champion. The points fund for the Stock Cars carries a $2,000 top prize with the tenth-place finisher earning $200. In the B-Mod class, the points champion will earn $700 with tenth-place taking home $100.

To learn more about the USRA, visit www.usraracing.com or call 515-832-6000. You can also like us on Facebook, join us on MySpace or follow us on Twitter.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
American Racer USRA Weekly Racing Series
Iron Man Challenge
Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn.
Saturday, May 28, 2011

USRA KARL CHEVROLET STOCK CARS

Heat #1:
1. (6) 97 Lynn Panos, Protivin, Iowa.
2. (1) 37 Loren Kuennen, Ossian, Iowa.
3. (3) 121g Arlen Hoy, Marble Rock, Iowa.
4. (5) 110 Ken Tietz, Belle Plaine, Minn.
5. (2) 33 Kevin Donlan, Decorah, Iowa.
6. (8) 56T Justin Temeyer, Independence, Iowa.
7. (4) 11 Shay Curtin, Waukon, Iowa.
8. (7) 47 Mike Mauer, Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Heat #2:
1. (2) 14A Chris Adams, Stacyville, Iowa.
2. (1) 2j Steve Jackson, Polk City, Iowa.
3. (8) 18 Tom Schmitt, Independence, Iowa.
4. (3) 14 Todd Staley, Webster City, Iowa.
5. (5) 04 Roger Verdoorn, Sibley, Iowa.
6. (7) 52 Nathan Wood, Sigourney, Iowa.
7. (6) 23 Brian Gjere, Mabel, Minn.
8. (4) 66 Jeff Joldersma, McClelland, Iowa.

Heat #3:
1. (1) 11 Jake Masters, Graettinger, Iowa.
2. (4) 42 Dan Christopher, Decorah, Iowa.
3. (2) 30 Mark Massey, Worthington, Iowa.
4. (8) 11L Jake Lampert, Caledonia, Minn.
5. (3) G12 Ryan Goergen, Stacyville, Iowa.
6. (6) 67 Darin Toot, Albert Lea, Minn.
7. (5) 27T Tory Reicks, Waucoma, Iowa.
8. (8) 48 Casey Sebastian, Cresco, Iowa.

"A" Main (20 laps):
1. (13) 33 Kevin Donlan, Decorah, Iowa, $700.
2. (4) 18 Tom Schmitt, Independence, Iowa, $600.
3. (12) 14 Todd Staley, Webster City, Iowa, $500.
4. (17) 52 Nathan Wood, Sigourney, Iowa, $400.
5. (2) 97 Lynn Panos, Protivin, Iowa, $300.
6. (20) 27T Tory Reicks, Waucoma, Iowa, $250.
7. (11) 110 Ken Tietz, Belle Plaine, Minn., $200.
8. (15) G12 Ryan Goergen, Stacyville, Iowa, $170.
9. (16) 56T Justin Temeyer, Independence, Iowa, $150.
10. (9) 121g Arlen Hoy, Marble Rock, Iowa, $140.
11. (21) 47 Mike Mauer, Cedar Falls, Iowa, $130.
12. (5) 37 Loren Kuennen, Ossian, Iowa, $125.
13. (7) 14A Chris Adams, Stacyville, Iowa, $125.
14. (19) 11 Shay Curtin, Waukon, Iowa, $125.
15. (6) 2j Steve Jackson, Polk City, Iowa, $125.
16. (3) 42 Dan Christopher, Decorah, Iowa, $125.
17. (22) 66 Jeff Joldersma, McClelland, Iowa, $125.
18. (8) 11L Jake Lampert, Caledonia, Minn., $125.
19. (14) 04 Roger Verdoorn, Sibley, Iowa, $125.
20. (10) 30 Mark Massey, Worthington, Iowa, $125.
21. (1) 11 Jake Masters, Graettinger, Iowa, $125.
22. (18) 67 Darin Toot, Albert Lea, Minn., $125.
DNS – 23 Brian Gjere, Mabel, Minn., $75.
DNS – 48 Casey Sebastian, Cresco, Iowa, $75.

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USRA OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Awesome Race Suits, Intercomp, Karl Chevrolet, Karl Performance Parts, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, NITROQUEST, RACEceiver, RHS – Racing Head Service, Western Flyer Race Cars.

USRA PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Boubin Tire & Automotive, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, DAY Motor Sports, DirtKnights.com, SpeedNet Direct.

USRA CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: COMP Cams, Dirthead.com, Eibach Springs, Forty9Designs.com, Genesis Shocks, Hooker Custom Harness, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, New Vision Graphics, PBM Performance Products, Real Racing Wheels, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products.