Slick track at Hawkeye Downs doesn’t slow Kurt Bohnsack

CEDAR RAPIDS - While it was a clear and sunny evening Friday at Hawkeye Downs Speedway, race officials didn't expect to be that lucky.

Storms plagued Eastern Iowa earlier Friday morning, creating some slick conditions on the track and in the infield - which caused several accidents during the first heats of the night.

The slick spots didn't faze Kurt Bohnsack, though, who cruised to victory in Hobby Stock.

'It feels awesome because at the beginning of the year when I was building the car I was just hoping to finish in the top five,” Bohnsack said. 'The second win of the year, I'm just ecstatic right now. It's awesome.”

Bohnsack, who started at the back of the pack, jumped his way to the front after just three laps to take command of the race. By the fifth lap, he had slid his way on the inside to the front of the pack, and just took off.

On the move to the front, though, Bohnsack hit a patch of water sitting just inside the track - one that had given drivers trouble all night long. Had it not been for his first few heats before the feature race, he said, the water might have given him trouble.

'I ran through the water (a few times in practice), so I knew what my car would do,” Bohnsack said. 'That's what I did, and I got around a couple cars down low, and then I just kind of stayed up high out of the water, and had fun.”

The win was Bohnsack's second of the season, after picking up his first just three weeks ago. He now sits atop the standings of the Hobby Stock, just ahead of Jim Hanson.

Hanson, who picked up a win in Week 2, was pushing Bohnsack for the last 10 laps in a two-person race. Though he came within a pair of car lengths of Bohnsack, the veteran was able to hold him off.

And now that he's leading the pack - even though it's still at the beginning stages of the season - Bohnsack said he's tweaked his goal slightly. He's got his sights set just a little bit higher.

'I'd like to win it all,” Bohnsack said. 'That's the goal isn't it? That'd be awesome.”

Other racing action Friday brought multiple second-time champions as well.

Caleb Adrian held on in the final race of the night for his second win in Late Models.

Derek Parrott grabbed his second win in Hornets.

Cory Houdek grabbed his third win of the year in Sportsman.

Dave McCalla picked up his first win of the season INEX Legends.

l Comments: ryan.young@thegazette.com