SPRING VALLEY, Minn.—USRA Stock Cars shared the spotlight Thursday night at the Deer Creek Speedway as the Iron Man Challenge joined the co-sanctioned USMTS/USRA Modifieds for opening night of the 4th Annual World Modified Dirt Track Championship presented by Red Tail Tackle.

A wild 20-lap main event that saw drivers jockeying for positions throughout the tightly-bunched field ended with Lynn Panos holding off last year’s series champ Mitch Hovden for his first Iron Man victory of the 2014 campaign.

Tom Schmitt, who added an Iron Man title to his résumé in 2012 to go along with his pair of USRA Stock Car national championships, took the lead at the onset from the outside of the front row from polesitter Andy Altenburg.

While Schmitt settled in to a rhythm up front, the action was intense behind the leader with drivers challenging the high-banked clay oval three and, sometimes, four wide.

USMTS boss Todd Staley started tenth but found himself in second and chasing Schmitt near the halfway point of the race. After a quick caution, contact with another car left Staley’s left rear tire flat and his chance at his first USRA Stock Car win evaporated.

Shortly thereafter, Panos came charging to the front. He snuck by Schmitt with five laps to go and then cruised the rest of the way to the finish line to pocket the $750 top prize.

Shawn Peter followed Hovden beneath the checkered flags to finish third while Schmitt faded to fourth in the closing laps. Shay Curtin, Steve Jackson, 19th-starting Kevin Donlan, Ned Kalis, Brian Webb and Danny Sacquitne rounded out the top 10.

The Iron Man Challenge will be back in action on Friday with the USRA B-Mods taking center stage along with the co-sanctioned USMTS/USRA Modifieds as part of night #2 of the 4th Annual World Modified Dirt Track Championship presented by Red Tail Tackle.

Both USRA Stock Cars and USRA B-Mods will be at the Fayette County Speedway in West Union, Iowa, on Wednesday, July 30.

To learn more about the USRA, visit www.usraracing.com or call 515-832-6000. You can also like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usraracing, follow us at www.twitter.com/usraracing on Twitter and check out our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usratv.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Racing Association
USRA Weekly Racing Series/Iron Man Challenge
Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn.
Thursday, July 24, 2014

USRA STOCK CARS

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver, hometown and money won. All drivers advanced to the “A” Main with the top 8 in heat race passing points redrawing for starting positions 1-8.

Heat #1 (8 laps):
1. (2) 69 Jake Ludeking, Decorah, Iowa.
2. (7) 97 Lynn Panos, Calmar, Iowa.
3. (4) 00 Andy Altenburg, Truman, Minn.
4. (3) 14 Todd Staley, Webster City, Iowa.
5. (1) 86 Philip Wernert, Galesville, Wis.
6. (5) 121g Arlen Hoy, Marble Rock, Iowa.
7. (6) 33 Kevin Donlan, Decorah, Iowa.

Heat #2 (8 laps):
1. (4) 2J Steve Jackson, Polk City, Iowa.
2. (5) 27 Shawn Peter, Mable, Minn.
3. (2) 6 Danny Sacquitne, Decorah, Iowa.
4. (3) 15 Mitch Hovden, Decorah, Iowa.
5. (6) 10 Bryan Webb, Decorah, Iowa.
6. (1) 16K Kevin Vogt, Adams, Minn.

Heat #3 (8 laps):
1. (3) 18 Tom Schmitt, Independence, Iowa.
2. (1) 14Z Ned Kalis, Wells, Minn.
3. (5) 11x Shay Curtin, Waukon, Iowa.
4. (4) 21R Brandon Vogt, Rose Creek, Minn.
5. (6) 5x Luke Sathoff, Jackson, Minn.
6. (2) 48 Casey Sebastian, Cresco, Iowa.

Feature (20 laps):
1. (4) 97 Lynn Panos, Calmar, Iowa, $750.
2. (11) 15 Mitch Hovden, Decorah, Iowa, $550.
3. (3) 27 Shawn Peter, Mable, Minn., $450.
4. (2) 18 Tom Schmitt, Independence, Iowa, $325.
5. (5) 11x Shay Curtin, Waukon, Iowa, $275.
6. (7) 2J Steve Jackson, Polk City, Iowa, $225.
7. (19) 33 Kevin Donlan, Decorah, Iowa, $170.
8. (8) 14Z Ned Kalis, Wells, Minn., $150.
9. (13) 10 Bryan Webb, Decorah, Iowa, $140.
10. (9) 6 Danny Sacquitne, Decorah, Iowa, $130.
11. (1) 00 Andy Altenburg, Truman, Minn., $125.
12. (6) 69 Jake Ludeking, Decorah, Iowa, $125.
13. (14) 5x Luke Sathoff, Jackson, Minn., $115.
14. (18) 48 Casey Sebastian, Cresco, Iowa, $110.
15. (12) 21R Brandon Vogt, Rose Creek, Minn., $105.
16. (15) 86 Philip Wernert, Galesville, Wis., $100.
17. (16) 121g Arlen Hoy, Marble Rock, Iowa, $100.
18. (10) 14 Todd Staley, Webster City, Iowa, $100.
19. (17) 16K Kevin Vogt, Adams, Minn., $100.

Next Race: Wednesday, Aug. 27, Marshalltown (Iowa) Speedway.
Points Standings: Schmitt 1091, Jackson 872, Hovden 823, Wernert 807, Kyle Falck 719, Staley 558, Donlan 546, Sacquitne 462, Webb 447, Jake Masters 365.

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USRA OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, BRODIX Cylinder Heads, COMP Cams, Day Motor Sports, Intercomp, KEVKO Oil Pans & Components, MSD, Nitroquest Media, RACEceiver, RacinDirt.com, Radical Race Gear.

USRA PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Boubin Tire & Automotive, ElbowsUp.com, Erson Cams, New Vision Graphics.

USRA CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, ASi Racewear, Beyea Custom Headers, BSB Manufacturing, COMP Cams, Edelbrock, Forty9 Designs, Genesis Racing Shocks, Hooker Custom Harness, KSE Racing Products, Marsh Racing Wheels, PBM Performance Products, QA1 Performance Products, Quarter Master, Real Racing Wheels, Sybesma Graphics, Tiger Rear Ends, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products.

USRA PARTICIPATING TRACKS: Battleground Speedway, Bloomfield Speedway, Bronco Raceway Park, Buena Vista Raceway, Callaway Raceway, Cedar County Raceway, Central Missouri Speedway, Chateau Raceway, Cresco Speedway, Dallas County Speedway, Deer Creek Speedway, Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Dodge County Speedway, El Paso Speedway Park, Fairmont Raceway, Fayette County Speedway, Gator Motorplex, Hamilton County Speedway, Hancock County Speedway, Heartland Park Topeka, Humboldt Speedway, Huset’s Speedway, I-35 Speedway, I-90 Speedway, Lakeside Speedway, Lucas Oil Speedway, Marshalltown Speedway, Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Monett Speedway, Mountain Creek Speedway, Nevada Speedway, North Central Arkansas Speedway, Randolph County Raceway, Rapid Speedway, Red River Speedway, Royal Purple Raceway, Salina Highbanks Speedway, South Texas Speedway, Southern New Mexico Speedway, Southern Oklahoma Speedway, Springfield Raceway, Superbowl Speedway, Texana Raceway park, Tri-State Speedway, Upper Iowa Speedway, Valley Speedway, West Siloam Speedway.