Kurt Bohnsack gets back in the saddle at Hawkeye Downs

CEDAR RAPIDS — After a season off to move from the countryside to the edge of Cedar Rapids, 23-year racing veteran Kurt Bohnsack returned in the Hornet class for opening night at Hawkeye Downs.

"I took off the year because we down-sized and got rid of everything," Bohnsack said. "Once we got settled into the new house I bought the car."

Bohnsack's wife Brenda wasn't the biggest fan of the purchase, but he was able to find a 2005 Chevy Cavalier with a 2.2 ecotech motor and five-speed transmission.

A driver near Omaha who was looking to retire from the sport wanted $3,000 but Bohnsack left with it for $2,500.

"It's what I was looking for when buying the car," Bohnsack said. "It was a dirt car that was stored in my shed until two weeks ago, but we've got it set up for asphalt now."

This season Bohnsack is planning to ease back into the sport he loves, while getting his car to where it needs to be to compete in the future.

"It's a lot different driving style," said Bohnsack who has raced in the Hobby Stock, Super Stock, Sportsmen and Stock Car divisions in the past. "You have to go out farther and dive more into the corners than a rear wheel car. I've got to get used to that."

Along with adjusting to the car, Bohnsack wasn't totally certain how the car would run.

"I was really nervous because Wednesday at practice was the first time I drove the car since I bought it," Bohnsack said. "I wasn't sure if it was even going to run because all we had done was start it up and put it on the trailer."

Bohnsack is admittedly taking things slow in his return, focusing more on keeping the car clean while picking up speed.

"I don't like to bump and bang," Bohnsack said. "I do like to run the high side since everyone always wants to go low. If you can get to the outside and get it to handle, then you can move right up and win the race."

While he works on his car’s setup in his new class, Bohnsack will also decorate his No. 4 plain-white ride as the season progresses as his car will be used to feature the sponsors of Checker's Tavern's hard-charger award.

"Hopefully next year we can get a full season in," Bohnsack said. "It's going to take a lot of work to be able to run with these guys."