Decorah drivers sweep Upper Iowa Speedway opener

Dan Hovden won the USRA B-Mod main event.

Dan Hovden won the USRA B-Mod main event.


It was a slow start to the night with rain showers falling upon Upper Iowa Speedway in Decorah, Iowa, but things eventually got going and no one in attendance left un-entertained.

In the Medieval USRA Stock Car feature race, hometown driver Dillon Anderson led every lap up until the final one when fellow Decorah racer Mitch Hovden got underneath him coming out of turn four to take the checkered flag and giving Anderson the runner-up finish. After picking up his first win of the season Friday night (Fayette County Speedway), the win makes it two straight for Hovden.

Kevin Donlan, who also pressured Anderson throughout the majority of the feature, took third. Waucon’s Brady Link ended up fourth, while pole-sitter Chris Hovden of Cresco had his best finish since moving up to the Stock Car division by finishing fifth.

The Hovden brothers made it a clean sweep in their own backyard as Dan Hovden was victorious in the USRA B-Mod feature. From his second-place starting spot, Hovden led all 20 laps of the race to pick up the win.

Postville’s Josh Roney took second place, with Cresco driver Jason Schlangen finishing third. Keagen Einck of Decorah finished fourth, while Taylor Skauge of Caledonia, Minnesota, rounded out the top five.

In the USRA Tuner feature, it came down to the last lap. After setting the pace for the majority of the race, Ben Horsfall (Cresco) experienced mechanical difficulties coming to the checkered flag, which allowed Decorah’s Tommy Hansen to cross the line first and pick up the first feature win of his career.

Hard-charging Justin Anderson of Holmen, Wisconsin, advanced eight spots to take second, while Horsfall was able to limp to a third-place finish. Jeremiah Anderson of La Crosse, Wisconsin, took fourth, while Katie Stahl of Castalia took fifth.

Josh Ludeking made it four-for-four for Decorah drivers in the Mensink Racing Produts USRA Hobby Stock main event, as he grabbed an early lead and didn’t look back in the 16-lapper. Calmar’s B.J. Dahl finished second, while Steve Larson of Decorah finished third. Paul Seabrooke of Elgin finished fourth, while Scott Spilde of Cresco completed the top five finishes.

Racing will return to the 1/3-mile Upper Iowa Speedway next Saturday night, May 22.