DECORAH, Iowa - Following two cancellations due to rain and/or poor track conditions, Decorah’s Upper Iowa Speedway finally had a chance to roar back to life this past Saturday night to get the 2009 season underway.

Though the track was not perfect, it was very good and a wide array of shiny new racecars rolled on to it for the first night of what will undoubtedly be another fantastic year of competition at the Decorah bull ring. Let’s take a look back at the feature action from each division –

USRA Hobby Stocks – Chris Hovden started right where he left off last season by grabbing the early lead in the feature after starting outside pole.

Scott Spilde and Kyle Anderson would battle for second until things got real interesting when Josh Anderson got sideways and rolled his #99 coming out of corner four.

In an attempt to avoid hitting Anderson, Chris Dahl swerved but ended up making hard contact with the wall.

Following the re-start, it was Hovden again showing the way with Anderson in second. Another caution then flew for a backstretch incident.

Following that re-start, Danny Sacquintne moved his #6 to second.

However, he would get loose coming out of corner four on the final lap, dropping to third while Brandon Hare moved to the second spot and Hovden took the win.

USRA Karl Chevrolet B-Mods - Brian Mahlstedt started third but quickly moved to the lead in the feature.

Eric Verthein and Matt Jones battled for second as a caution flew for an incident involving Chris Fretheim.

Greg Mitchell would work past all and find his way to the front.

Soon after, a second caution would fly, this time for a mishap involving Taylor Bass.

Following the re-start, Junior Boyer had his #42 on the move as he grabbed the second spot and set his sights on the lead.

Boyer would try the high side, but could find no grip, losing some positions in the process.

A second Fretheim incident would then bring out another caution.

Boyer would make it back to second place and Verthein to third, but the win would go to Mitchell.

USRA Karl Chevrolet Stock Cars – Travis Falck started pole in the feature and would show the way early on until a 4-5 car mishap brought out the first caution on lap three.

Falck led after the re-start with Danny Cole Jr. and Mitch Hovden close behind.

Cole and Hovden would tangle, bringing out another caution.

Falck was again leading after the re-start with Jake Ludeking making his way to second.

Ludeking used a low side pass to take the lead, but would soon after relinquish it to a hard charging Kurt Krauskopf.

The leaders would get together in the closing laps, with Kevin Donlan taking full advantage as he grabbed the lead and held on for the win.

Austin Curtin, in his first Upper Iowa Speedway Stock Car feature event, came home second.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
American Racer USRA Weekly Racing Series
Upper Iowa Speedway, Decorah, Iowa
Saturday, May 16, 2009

USRA HOBBY STOCKS

Feature: Chris Hovden, Brandon Hare, Danny Sacquintne, Adam Cline, Scott Spilde, Kyle Anderson, Dan Hovden, Keith Schwartzhoff, Steve Holthaus, Steve Larson.

USRA KARL CHEVROLET B-MODS

Feature: Greg Mitchell, Junior Boyer, Eric Verthein, Matt Jones, Brian Freilinger, Jimmy Brosziet, Shane Panos, Andrew Kelly, Luke Howard, Brain Mahlstedt.

USRA KARL CHEVROLET STOCK CARS

Feature: Kevin Donlan, Austin Curtin, Kyle Falck, Cody Cook, Dale Halverson, Kurt Krauskopf, Jake Lampert, Jake Ludeking, Dan Christopher, Danny Cole Jr.