1965 – 8,500 See Derr Win in Knoxville

Ernie Derr

Knoxville, Iowa (May 1, 1965) – Ernie Derr of Keokuk drove a 1965 Dodge to victory Saturday in the Hawkeye 200 stock car race before 8,500 fans. His winning time was 1 hour, 31 minutes, and 39.51 seconds.

The next two finishers – Ramo Stott and Ron Hutcherson – were also from Keokuk. Stott drove a 1965 Dodge and Hutcherson piloted a 1964 Ford.

Stott, who had the fastest qualifying time of 26.07 seconds, started the race in the fourth row, but had the lead by the end of the first lap of the 200-lap, 100-mile contest.

Stott kept the lead until the 114th circuit, then Derr took over and stayed in front the remainder of the way.

Twenty cars were in the field.


Results –


1. Ernie Derr, Keokuk
2. Ramo Stott, Keokuk
3. Ron Hutcherson, Keokuk
4. Bob Jusola, Mound, Minn.
5. Bill Thomas, Lake Elmo, Minn.
6. Don Hensley, Holden, Mo.

1972 – Walkup Captures Hulman Classic

Bruce Walkup

Terre Haute, Ind. (April 30, 1972) - Bruce Walkup survived a wreck-prone start Sunday to win the rain-delayed Tony Hulman Classic for United States Auto Club sprint cars at Action Track.

The purse exceeded $22,000, according to reports at the track race day. Walkup was a happy winner as he spoke to the crowd following the 40-lap feature race.

The race on the half-mile oval was postponed Saturday by rain only to be stopped on the second lap Sunday when defending USAC national sprint car champion Gary Bettenhausen of Tinley Park, Ill., flipped three times after colliding with Carl Williams of Kansas City.

Bettenhausen had moved from 16th to ninth in only two laps. He was not injured. Walkup held the lead intermittently through the event but outdueled George Snider of Bakersfield, Calif., on the final lap. Sam Sessions of Nashville, Mich., was third.

Dick Tobias of Lebanon, Penn., also crashed but escaped injury. He flipped several times on lap 18.

Snider took last year’s initial running of the Classic by running past Don Nordhorn – just as the white flag waved – on the final lap. The same script was nearly followed Sunday before a good-sized crowd.

Walkup had led 17 laps and then Snider took the lead. He kept it until lap 23 when young USAC sprinter Billy Cassella ran into some traffic, slowing Snider just enough for Walkup to slip by for the top spot.

Walkup maintained the top spot until the third turn of the 40th and final circuit, when Snider passed him – just a few yards from where he made his 1971 move.

But Walkup wasn’t to be denied the victory, and he passed Snider in the final turn and held last year’s winner off by a hair to triumph.

The St. Paul, Ind., resident didn’t have a great 1971 season but if Sunday’s results were any indication, 1972 will be a different story for Walkup.


Results –


1. Bruce Walkup
2. George Snider
3. Sam Sessions
4. Lee Kunzman
5. Larry Cannon
6. Jim McElreath
7. Tom Bigelow
8. Don Nordhorn
9. Bill Puterbaugh
10.Larry Dickson
11.Carl Williams
12.Bill Cassella
13.Dick Tobias
14.Duane Carter
15.Gary Bettenhausen

1984 - Gennetten Tops Springfield

Gene Gennetten waves to the crowd after winning the USAC National Midget Series 40-lap feature at Lil’ Springfield. – Bryan Gapinski Photo

By Bryan Gapinski

Springfield, Ill. (April 28, 1984) – Gene Gennetten won the 40-lap feature in the USAC National Midget Series program, Saturday night at the Springfield Speedway.

Polesitter Don Tyler, set the early pace followed by Gennetten, Alan Brown, and Steve Knepper.

The evening’s first caution was displayed when Art Knepper’s car stalled. On the restart, Tyler and Gennetten pulled away from the field and waged a torrid battle for the lead, until lap 14 when Russ Gamester spun in turn four.

Only one lap later another yellow flag appeared when Sam Isenhower’s car stalled in turn three. Tyler’s bid for his first-ever USAC win, ended when he retired with mechanical problems. One lap later, the final caution occurred when a infield tire was knocked from the racing surface.

The final 22 laps saw Gennetten pull away from the field, finishing straightaway ahead of Kevin Olson, who was looking for a clean sweep after setting fast time, and winning his heat. Olson staged a brilliant charge from the back of the field, after pitting to change a tire under caution.

Steve Knepper, Brown, and Jerry Nuckles rounded out the top five.


Results –


1. Gene Gennetten
2. Kevin Olson
3. Steve Knepper
4. Alan Brown
5. Jerry Nuckles
6. Sherwin Armstrong
7. Mack McClellan
8. Dick Pole
9. Kenneth Nichols
10.Sherman Armstrong

1972 – Stott Cops Grand Memorial

Ramo Stott 

Cedar Rapids, Iowa (April 28, 1972) – A pair of red flags were about the only serious moments Ramo Stott had Friday night, en route to capturing the 50-lap Iowa Grand Memorial Race of Champions at Hawkeye Downs.

An estimated 4,000 braved chilling temperatures and the threat of rain to see the season-opener for late model stock cars at the Downs.

Ramo didn’t disappoint them…

The Keokuk dandy – the biggest name in the star-studded field – took the lead in his 1970 Dodge on the initial lap and was never headed as he copped the top prize of $600.

However, Stott, the two-time ARCA national champion, who will begin racing full-time on the USAC stock car circuit starting Saturday night at Knoxville, Iowa, had his anxious moments.

Like, when the first of two red flags halted the action on the recently resurfaced half-mile dirt oval. To that point, Ramo had a comfortable lead over second-running Fred Horn of Marion in a ’70 Plymouth Roadrunner.

With Horn on Stott’s rear bumper on the restart, it was a question of who could outrun who. Not for long, though.

Eight laps later, Horn went out when he lost a header and Ed Sanger of Waterloo charged into second place in his ’70 Monte Carlo that he drove to four track titles last season.

Another red flag, this one on lap 26, brought the field together again, but Ramo wasted no time in putting some daylight between him and Sanger.

“I didn’t know if he (Sanger) was going to turn it on or not,” Ramo drawled. “So, I stuck my foot into it. I wanted to stretch my lead, but still keep the same pace.”

Ramo said the track, “held up better than I thought it would. In fact, it held up beautifully.”

Sanger pocketed $450 for his runner-up finish. Another car from Sanger’s stable, a ’69 Chevy driven by Red Dralle of Evansdale, took third place and $300.

Ron Perdock of Washington, in a Monte Carlo, finished fourth and Ron Prymek of Iowa City, was fifth piloting a Ford Torino.

Stott, Dr. Al Mayner of Winthrop, Cal Swanson of Reinbeck, and Glen Martin of Independence won heat races. Bill Zwanziger of Waterloo won the 20-lap semi-main.


Results –


1. Ramo Stott, Keokuk
2. Ed Sanger, Waterloo
3. Red Dralle, Evansdale
4. Ron Perdock, Washington
5. Ron Prymek, Iowa City
6. Cal Swanson, Reinbeck
7. Bill Barthelmes, Troy Mills
8. Phil Reece, Des Moines
9. Don Hoffman, Des Moines
10.George Barton, Ankeny

1975 – Sessions Set Salem Mark

Sam Sessions

Salem, Ind. (April 27, 1975) – Sam Sessions, driving the Gene Hamilton sprinter, captured the 40-lap USAC sprint car feature at the high-banked Salem Speedway on Sunday afternoon.

Sessions started on the outside of the front row and charged into the lead on the first lap’s first turn. He took a commanding lead over Bill Cassella, Joe Saldana and Larry Dickson and stayed in front all the way to the checkered flag. The 40 laps were run caution free and Sessions was able to establish a new track record of 12 minutes and 4 seconds, for a speed of 99.425 mile per hour.

Cassella, Saldana, Dickson and Bill Engelhart were locked into a tight battle the entire distance with Dickson slowly picking off each one to take runner-up honors. Cassella was running fourth on lap 39 but lost an engine with less than half a lap to go. He would coast across the finish line in eighth place.

The win for Sessions was his first since July of 1974 when he copped a feature win at New Bremen, Ohio. The win moved Sessions into fifth place in the point standings.

Dickson, with his second-place finish, catapulted to first place in the point standings with 147 points to Joe Saldana’s 146.

Defending point champion Pancho Carter, who passed up Salem in favor of a race in Trenton, N.J., fell from second to fourth in the standings.


Results –


1. Sam Sessions
2. Larry Dickson
3. Bill Engelhart
4. Joe Saldana
5. Sheldon Kinser
6. Chuck Gurney
7. Bruce Walkup
8. Bill Cassella
9. George Snider
10. Bob Frey

1986 - Fenn, Banks, Spilman Win at Eldon

Denny Banks of Washington is joined by his 5-month-old son Brandon after winning the IMCA modified feature at Eldon Raceway. Ron Potts presents the checkers. – Kathy Root Photo

Eldon, Iowa (April 26, 1986) – Kenny Fenn, Denny Banks, and Mike Spilman opened the 1986 racing season at Eldon Raceway with victories in their respective divisions.

Fenn, of Washington, put his late model out front at the drop of the green flag and held on to capture the feature win. Chasing him hard the entire way was Sonny Findling of Kirksville, Mo. Fenn and Jim Brown of Ottumwa were heat winners.

Denny Banks of Washington continued his winning ways of last year when he scored nine feature wins at the “Super Half-Mile.” Banks survived four red and yellow flags to win the 12-lap feature, Nipping at Banks’ heels was Randy Schroeder of Sigourney. Banks and Schroeder were heat winners.

Mike Spilman of Hedrick, the 1985 street stock champion, opened up a successful defense of his title with a feature win over Aaron Brown of Fremont. Spilman and Allen Reed of Washington were heat winners.


Results –


Late Model –

1. Kenny Fenn, Washington
2. Sonny Findling, Kirksville, Mo.
3. Keith Allen, Eldon
4. Harley Harrelson, Brashear, Mo.
5. Lynn Monroe, Memphis, Mo.
6. Jim Brown, Ottumwa
7. Daryl Hemm, Eldon
8. Jerry Asher, Kirksville, Mo.
9. Ted Pallister, Wapello


IMCA Modified –

1. Denny Banks, Washington
2. Randy Schroeder, Sigourney
3. Dan Jay, Centerville
4. Bill Shipman, Oskaloosa


Street Stock –

1. Mike Spilman, Hedrick
2. Aaron Brown, Fremont
3. Kim Spees, Selma
4. Mike Payne, Sigourney
5. Marion Sherman, Tracy

Veteran Kenny Fenn won the late model season opener at Eldon Raceway. Flagman Ron Potts joins Fenn in victory lane. – Kathy Root Photo

1981 – Dirt Champs Make Debut at Eldora

Steve Kinser

Rossburg, Ohio (April 26, 1981) – A first time ever was recorded with the appearance of the United States Auto Club’s Dirt Championship Cars.

Well known racer Tom Bigelow turned in a fast-qualifying time of 17.113 seconds, which will stand as track record for future races at Eldora Speedway. The 24 entries were broken into two heat races, won by Tom Bigelow and the King of the Outlaw's, Steve Kinser.

A change in rules now makes it possible for drivers who are not sanctioned with USAC to compete on the Dirt Champ circuit.

The 100-lap feature was dominated by Steve Kinser, who took the lead with the drop of the green flag and held it the entire 100 laps.

The red flag was brought out on the 41st lap when Bobby Olivero hit the cement retaining wall in the fourth turn, sending his sprinter end over end, until finally coming to rest back on its wheels at the bottom of the track. Olivero escaped injury.

Larry Rice and Larry Dickson were also taken out of the action by separate accidents.

Sheldon Kinser, who was in the tangle with Rice, managed to escape damage, but was forced to return to the tail of the field, where as he was in second position.

Gary Bettenhausen, the defending Dirt Champ qualified his car, but put Steve Chassey in his place for the feature race, which meant by USAC rules that Steve would also start on the rear.

The end result of the feature was Steve Kinser in victory lane, then came Jack Hewitt, Steve Chassey, Paul Pitzer, and cousin to the winner, all-time favorite Sheldon Kinser.

By securing the second position, Jack Hewitt now leads the Silver Crown Series in points.

At the close of the activities Sunday, promoter Earl Baltes was given an award in appreciation of all he has done for this area's racing and in recognition of the fact that over $1 million dollars has been handed out in prize money since 1965.


Results –

1. Steve Kinser
2. Jack Hewitt
3. Steve Chassey
4. Paul Pitzer
5. Sheldon Kinser
6. Leland McSpadden
7. Steve Cannon
8. Chris Cumberworth
9. Bill Compton
10.Tom Bigelow
11.Larry Dickson
12.Bud Wilmot
13.Bobby Olivero
14.Billy Vukovich
15.Greg Leffler
16.Joe Saldana
17.Larry Rice
18.Lennie Waldo
19.Bill Tyler
20.Bill Engelhart