Topeka, Kan. (May 29, 1964) – Ramo Stott made one bobble Saturday afternoon in the Memorial Day 50-lap late model stock car race at the Mid-America Fairgrounds, and Dick Hutcherson took advantage of it to grab the lead and make off with the victory.
A crowd of 6,200 at through the speed, and wreck-filled program and quickly learned why Hutcherson, Stott and Ernie Derr have dominated the late model stock car division of the IMCA Circuit for so long.
Stott had his 1964 Plymouth on the pole position by virtue of his record time trial and jumped into the lead. But coming out of turn four, Stott skidded just a little bit and Hutcherson leaped alongside him. Entering turn one as lap five began, Hutcherson sneaked past Stott and was off to the races.
Hutcherson finished the race in 22 minutes and 54 seconds, nearly two minutes faster than the old record.
Lennie Funk, in a 1963 Ford, passed Derr at the start of lap 21 when the axle on Derr’s 1964 Plymouth gave way, and was content to sit in third for the final two laps. Before going out with a broken axle, Derr was pushing hard on Stott’s rear bumper.
Funk made a final bid to catch Stott but the wheat farmer failed by just three-fourths of a car length at the checkered flag.
An unofficial record was broken by Bill Gibson who left a tire mark at the top of the west wall when his 1962 Pontiac tried to get out of the park. Gibson managed to get his car back on the track without any problem.
In the consolation event, Gibson gave his pit crew a thrill when the steering box broke on his car as he entered the pit area at full bore. He got the car stopped in time with only a water can getting damaged.
Results –
Fast Time: Ramo Stott (26.01 – new track record)
First Heat: Ramo Stott
Second Heat: Dick Hutcherson
Third Heat: Bump Willert
Match Race: Dick Hutcherson
Feature:
1. Dick Hutcherson
2. Ramo Stott
3. Lennie Funk
4. Gil Haugan
5. Bob Jusloa
6. Johnny Jones
7. Bill Thomas
8. Roland Wilson
9. Bump Willert
10. Dave Steffens
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
This Week in Racing History
1990 – Steve Kosiski continued his winning ways by picking up the NASCAR Busch All-Star Tour victory at the Mid-Continent Raceways on Saturday, May 26. The triumph, Kosiski’s second in two nights, was worth $3,000 and came before a huge crowd on hand for the Busch Tour’s first appearance at the Doniphan, Neb., dirt oval. Kosiski waged a strong battle with his brother Joe for much of the 50-lap chase, but finally overtook the defending series’ champion on the 30th circuit. Another Kosiski brother, Ed, joined the family parade by finishing third. Earlier in the evening, Ed scored his first-ever pole award, setting fast time in 20.04 seconds. Steve Fraise of Montrose, Iowa and Gary Webb of Davenport, Iowa, took fourth and fifth respectively.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
2002 – This Bud’s For You; The Open Late Model Shootouts
Cedar Rapids, Iowa – One of the most popular racing events in Iowa was the Budweiser Open Late Model Shootouts. Promoted by Keith Simmons Promotions, the highly-competitive series featured the Midwest’s finest late model drivers.
It was 10 years ago this Memorial Day Weekend, that Simmons held a special four-day, four-event at some of the Midwest’s most popular late model venues. Farley Speedway, West Liberty Raceway, Dubuque Speedway and the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds in Davenport would play host to the four late model slugfests. Simmons would put up a massive purse of $100,000 for the four-race event, with the winner of each 50-lap feature receiving $6,000.
The “Palace of Speed” would be the opening act on Friday night, May 24th with 48 late models taking part in festivities. Steve “Ace” Ihm of Hazel Green, Wis., Darren “The Thriller” Miller of Chadwick, Ill., Denny Eckrich of Tiffin, Mitch Johnson of Fargo, N.D., and Dave Eckrich of Oxford would snare heat wins while Matt Furman of Iowa City and Dan Galant of Clinton would take consolation victories. Chris Smyser of Lancaster, Mo., took the non-qualifier’s feature over Monte Ohrt of West Branch.
Darren Miller would score the win in the fast dash and sit on the pole for the 50-lapper. Miller would lead early in the event before giving way to Denny Eckrich. Eckrich used the wide track to his advantage, getting through lapped traffic with little difficulty and built a healthy lead in the process.
Meanwhile, Eckrich’s brother Dave was in a tough battle with Rob Toland of Hillside, Ill., for the second spot. Eckrich and Toland swapped that position for last 10 laps of the event.
A late caution would bunch up the field but neither Dave Eckrich nor Toland had anything for Denny Eckrich, as he sped to an easy victory and a $6,000 payday. Jeff Aikey of Cedar Falls, Iowa would finish fourth and Curt Martin of Independence, Iowa, would round out the top five.
The following night, May 25, would see a new race track and a new winner. West Liberty Raceway had a full house and 52 late models for their Saturday night show. Hometown hero Steve Boley brought the crowd to their feet by winning the first heat. Brian Harris of Davenport, Friday night’s feature winner Denny Eckrich, Darren Miller and Rob Toland were the other heat winners. Matt Furman and Todd Davis of Iowa City took consolation prizes and Mark Burgtorf of Quincy, Ill., was the non-qualifier feature winner.
Once again, it was Darren Miller winning the fast dash to take the pole position. Once again, Miller would hold the top spot for just a few circuits before yielding it to someone else. This night it was Ray Guss Jr. of Milan, Ill., who took over from Miller and went on to provide the fans with a dominating performance.
Guss was masterful in working traffic in the 50-lapper. The only challenge came on lap 27 after a caution flag was thrown for Rusty Zook’s stalled car. Denny Eckrich, running in second at the time, would make a couple attempts at Guss on the ensuing laps, but Ray proved to be too strong. He again pulled away from the field, negotiated lapped traffic and stood in victory lane hoisting the $6,000 check.
Eckrich would hold on for runner-up honors while Gary Webb of Blue Grass would finish third. Rob Toland would score his second straight top-five finish with a fourth place showing and initial race leader Darren Miller would hold on for fifth.
Steve Boley, Darren Miller, Clint Hines of Andalusia, Ill., and Curt Martin would score heat wins while Terry Neal of Ely would win one of the consolations. The other consolation winner was Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, who was forced out of his heat race with oil filter problems.
Darren Mish of Cassville, Wis., would take fast dash honors and start on the pole for the 50-lap main event but it would be Steve Boley taking the lead as the green flag waved and he would maintain the top spot for the first 36 caution-free laps. Gary Webb would hound Boley throughout the contest and the two veterans knifed through traffic until the first yellow flag waved on lap 36.
The restart had Boley out front with Webb, Darren Miller and Denny Eckrich. Brian Birkhofer, who had started 22nd had worked his way to the seventh spot and two laps later, passed two more cars and now had only Boley, Webb, Miller and Eckrich to deal with.
The final 12 laps of the race is still considered as one of the most exciting finishes ever at Dubuque as Boley, Miller, Webb and Birkhofer all took turns being in the lead, but when the smoke cleared, it was Brian Birkhofer taking the victory and the $6,000 payday.
Webb would settle for the runner-up position while Miller took third. Eckrich hung for fourth and Boley, after leading the majority of the race, was shoved back to fifth spot.
The fourth and final Budweiser Open Late Model Shootout would head to Davenport, Iowa, on Monday, May 27. Another full grandstand and 45 late models were signed in for the Memorial Day event on the historic half-mile.
Chris Smyser, Dan Galant, Birkhofer, and Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., would claim heat wins while Monte Ohrt and Joe Izzo of Bridgeview, Ill., would take consolation wins. Brian Harris would win the non-qualifier feature.
Brian Birkhofer would win the fast dash and put himself on the pole position for the 50-lap A-main, but would trail Jay Johnson of West Burlington for the first seven laps of the event. Johnson, however, would jump the cushion and make contact with the retaining wall, sending him to the pit area for repairs.
Birkhofer would take the point on the restart and lead the remaining 43 laps to score his second straight Budweiser Shootout win and add another $6,000 to his bank account.
Ray Guss Jr., who started 15th, would have the drive of the day, working his way steadily through the field and taking second just ahead of Kurt Stewart of Ainsworth, who turned in a fine performance himself. Gary Webb would pass the most cars, starting in 25th and finishing in the fourth position and Darren Miller would round out the top five.
Four days, four races and four tracks; The Budweiser Open Late Model Shootout on Memorial Day Weekend of 2002 will go down as one of the most exciting late model events in Iowa racing history.
It was 10 years ago this Memorial Day Weekend, that Simmons held a special four-day, four-event at some of the Midwest’s most popular late model venues. Farley Speedway, West Liberty Raceway, Dubuque Speedway and the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds in Davenport would play host to the four late model slugfests. Simmons would put up a massive purse of $100,000 for the four-race event, with the winner of each 50-lap feature receiving $6,000.
The “Palace of Speed” would be the opening act on Friday night, May 24th with 48 late models taking part in festivities. Steve “Ace” Ihm of Hazel Green, Wis., Darren “The Thriller” Miller of Chadwick, Ill., Denny Eckrich of Tiffin, Mitch Johnson of Fargo, N.D., and Dave Eckrich of Oxford would snare heat wins while Matt Furman of Iowa City and Dan Galant of Clinton would take consolation victories. Chris Smyser of Lancaster, Mo., took the non-qualifier’s feature over Monte Ohrt of West Branch.
Darren Miller would score the win in the fast dash and sit on the pole for the 50-lapper. Miller would lead early in the event before giving way to Denny Eckrich. Eckrich used the wide track to his advantage, getting through lapped traffic with little difficulty and built a healthy lead in the process.
Meanwhile, Eckrich’s brother Dave was in a tough battle with Rob Toland of Hillside, Ill., for the second spot. Eckrich and Toland swapped that position for last 10 laps of the event.
A late caution would bunch up the field but neither Dave Eckrich nor Toland had anything for Denny Eckrich, as he sped to an easy victory and a $6,000 payday. Jeff Aikey of Cedar Falls, Iowa would finish fourth and Curt Martin of Independence, Iowa, would round out the top five.
The following night, May 25, would see a new race track and a new winner. West Liberty Raceway had a full house and 52 late models for their Saturday night show. Hometown hero Steve Boley brought the crowd to their feet by winning the first heat. Brian Harris of Davenport, Friday night’s feature winner Denny Eckrich, Darren Miller and Rob Toland were the other heat winners. Matt Furman and Todd Davis of Iowa City took consolation prizes and Mark Burgtorf of Quincy, Ill., was the non-qualifier feature winner.
Once again, it was Darren Miller winning the fast dash to take the pole position. Once again, Miller would hold the top spot for just a few circuits before yielding it to someone else. This night it was Ray Guss Jr. of Milan, Ill., who took over from Miller and went on to provide the fans with a dominating performance.
Guss was masterful in working traffic in the 50-lapper. The only challenge came on lap 27 after a caution flag was thrown for Rusty Zook’s stalled car. Denny Eckrich, running in second at the time, would make a couple attempts at Guss on the ensuing laps, but Ray proved to be too strong. He again pulled away from the field, negotiated lapped traffic and stood in victory lane hoisting the $6,000 check.
Eckrich would hold on for runner-up honors while Gary Webb of Blue Grass would finish third. Rob Toland would score his second straight top-five finish with a fourth place showing and initial race leader Darren Miller would hold on for fifth.
Round three of the Budweiser Open Late Model Shootout would take place on the high-banked 3/8-mile Dubuque County Fairgrounds on Sunday, May 26th. Another capacity crowd and 43 late models checked in for the evening.
One late model hot shoe that was unable to attend the first two events at Farley and West Liberty made himself available for the final two stops and he would prove to be the top gun in both contests.
Darren Mish of Cassville, Wis., would take fast dash honors and start on the pole for the 50-lap main event but it would be Steve Boley taking the lead as the green flag waved and he would maintain the top spot for the first 36 caution-free laps. Gary Webb would hound Boley throughout the contest and the two veterans knifed through traffic until the first yellow flag waved on lap 36.
The restart had Boley out front with Webb, Darren Miller and Denny Eckrich. Brian Birkhofer, who had started 22nd had worked his way to the seventh spot and two laps later, passed two more cars and now had only Boley, Webb, Miller and Eckrich to deal with.
The final 12 laps of the race is still considered as one of the most exciting finishes ever at Dubuque as Boley, Miller, Webb and Birkhofer all took turns being in the lead, but when the smoke cleared, it was Brian Birkhofer taking the victory and the $6,000 payday.
Webb would settle for the runner-up position while Miller took third. Eckrich hung for fourth and Boley, after leading the majority of the race, was shoved back to fifth spot.
The fourth and final Budweiser Open Late Model Shootout would head to Davenport, Iowa, on Monday, May 27. Another full grandstand and 45 late models were signed in for the Memorial Day event on the historic half-mile.
Chris Smyser, Dan Galant, Birkhofer, and Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., would claim heat wins while Monte Ohrt and Joe Izzo of Bridgeview, Ill., would take consolation wins. Brian Harris would win the non-qualifier feature.
Brian Birkhofer would win the fast dash and put himself on the pole position for the 50-lap A-main, but would trail Jay Johnson of West Burlington for the first seven laps of the event. Johnson, however, would jump the cushion and make contact with the retaining wall, sending him to the pit area for repairs.
Birkhofer would take the point on the restart and lead the remaining 43 laps to score his second straight Budweiser Shootout win and add another $6,000 to his bank account.
Ray Guss Jr., who started 15th, would have the drive of the day, working his way steadily through the field and taking second just ahead of Kurt Stewart of Ainsworth, who turned in a fine performance himself. Gary Webb would pass the most cars, starting in 25th and finishing in the fourth position and Darren Miller would round out the top five.
Four days, four races and four tracks; The Budweiser Open Late Model Shootout on Memorial Day Weekend of 2002 will go down as one of the most exciting late model events in Iowa racing history.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
1970 - Want to race? Then buy the race track…
Cedar Rapids, Iowa (May 22, 1970) – What do you do when you want to go racing, but there’s no one holding a race nearby?
Well, if there’s a race track available, you might buy the track for one night and schedule your own race.
That’s just about what the brothers Cahill – Kenny and Larry – did when they arranged for an IMCA sprint car show to be held Saturday night, May 30, at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids.
The Cahill’s, a couple of Iowa City, Iowa farm boys, will sponsor the program through their Burger King Restaurant chain, in conjunction with National Speedways, Inc.
“It all came about when we found out there was no race scheduled here that night,” said Larry Cahill, who like his brother used to drive midgets and sprint cars.
“We wanted one here, so we talked with Al Sweeney (NSI president) and he gave it the okay. It cost us $5,500, which goes to IMCA, and they pay the $3,500 purse. If there’s a good turnout, we may hold another one later this year.”
The brothers also sponsor a car on the IMCA circuit and naturally, it’s called the Burger King Special. They bought it from Buzz Rose a year ago and Rose is now the pilot.
“I guess once racing gets in your blood you can’t stay away,” said Larry. “We had been out of racing for six years, but we still were great fans.”
“We saw Buzz at Knoxville, Ill., last year and he had a new car be wanted to sell, so we bought it. We just wanted to be around racing; we both enjoy working on a race car.”
Larry said they got out of racing to begin with because they were too preoccupied with their restaurants. They now have five, including one in Cedar Rapids. And the race car is not used as a tax deduction. It’s a separate corporation and the Burger King name is on the car strictly for advertising.
The black sprinter with a Chevy engine hasn't seen any competitive racing since last September. That’s when it was totaled out, as Rose flipped eight times at Topeka, Kan. It’s taken all winter to get it back together. “We got fast time the day it was wrecked,” remembers Larry.
The brothers tried to qualify the car for this Saturday’s Little 500 at Anderson, Ind. Buzz wasn’t able to make the trip so Kenny renewed his driver’s license. Their plans had to be aborted, though, because the drive twisted off the end of the crank shaft and they couldn’t run.” But there’ll be no problem having it ready for the May 30 race,” promised Larry.
That’s good. But when the public address announcer says “Here comes the Burger King Special”, please don’t look frantically for someone carrying a hamburger, fries and malt.
Well, if there’s a race track available, you might buy the track for one night and schedule your own race.
That’s just about what the brothers Cahill – Kenny and Larry – did when they arranged for an IMCA sprint car show to be held Saturday night, May 30, at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids.
The Cahill’s, a couple of Iowa City, Iowa farm boys, will sponsor the program through their Burger King Restaurant chain, in conjunction with National Speedways, Inc.
“It all came about when we found out there was no race scheduled here that night,” said Larry Cahill, who like his brother used to drive midgets and sprint cars.
“We wanted one here, so we talked with Al Sweeney (NSI president) and he gave it the okay. It cost us $5,500, which goes to IMCA, and they pay the $3,500 purse. If there’s a good turnout, we may hold another one later this year.”
The brothers also sponsor a car on the IMCA circuit and naturally, it’s called the Burger King Special. They bought it from Buzz Rose a year ago and Rose is now the pilot.
“I guess once racing gets in your blood you can’t stay away,” said Larry. “We had been out of racing for six years, but we still were great fans.”
“We saw Buzz at Knoxville, Ill., last year and he had a new car be wanted to sell, so we bought it. We just wanted to be around racing; we both enjoy working on a race car.”
Larry said they got out of racing to begin with because they were too preoccupied with their restaurants. They now have five, including one in Cedar Rapids. And the race car is not used as a tax deduction. It’s a separate corporation and the Burger King name is on the car strictly for advertising.
Buzz Rose behind the wheel of the Burger King Special - Coastal 181 Photo
The black sprinter with a Chevy engine hasn't seen any competitive racing since last September. That’s when it was totaled out, as Rose flipped eight times at Topeka, Kan. It’s taken all winter to get it back together. “We got fast time the day it was wrecked,” remembers Larry.
The brothers tried to qualify the car for this Saturday’s Little 500 at Anderson, Ind. Buzz wasn’t able to make the trip so Kenny renewed his driver’s license. Their plans had to be aborted, though, because the drive twisted off the end of the crank shaft and they couldn’t run.” But there’ll be no problem having it ready for the May 30 race,” promised Larry.
That’s good. But when the public address announcer says “Here comes the Burger King Special”, please don’t look frantically for someone carrying a hamburger, fries and malt.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
1973 - Watson claims Tri-County ARCA 100 after Clemens disqualified
Bill Clemons would cross the finish line first, but later be disqualified for an illegal carburetor
West Chester, Ohio (May 20, 1973) – A tornado with rain blowing parallel to the earth the night before, plus cloudy skies early in the morning hours, didn’t dampen the drivers at Tri-County Speedway.
Bill Clemens was the first car out to tour the track and set a one-lap qualifying record of 19.24 seconds or an average speed of 93.55 miles per hour in his 1973 AMC Javelin.
Tires were the topic of the day. Promoter Frank Canalle ordered all Firestones with the number 26 off of all the race cars. It caused a beehive of activity in the pits with crews scurrying to find a tire that was suitable to run in the race. This caused problems for Larry Moore as he couldn’t locate a suitable set of tires.
Clemens started on the pole position and took off as the green flag waved. He would lead the first 12 laps of the contest until Bruce Gould blew by Clemens into the top spot. Gould would hold the lead until lap 45 when a broken wheel sent his car into the guardrail in turn two.
Gould drove around the track on his rim with his oil pan dragging causing the entire car to erupt in flames as it entered the pit area. The on-board fire extinguisher proved its worth.
With Gould gone, Clemens went to the lead with Larry Moore in pursuit. Moore was closing ground when a tire blew entering turn three. He managed to get to the pit and change his tire, but lost several spots.
From there, Clemens, with the pressure off, put it on cruise control and glided into winner’s circle. Bobby Watson followed behind for second with Frank Lamp, Ron Hutcherson and Delmar Clark rounding out the top five.
After the race was completed, Watson and A. Arnold each put up a protest fee. John Marcum, ARCA boss, had issued a directive to car owners and their drivers that they couldn’t run more than a four-barrel carburetor. The winner, Bill Clemens, was found running a four-barrel carburetor to win the 100-lap feature.
Frank Canalle refused to change the results of the race. After much thought, Marcum decided that Clemens’ carburetor was indeed illegal and awarded the victory to Watson.
Results –
1. Bobby Watson
2. Frank Lamp
3. Ron Hutcherson
4. Delmar Clark
5. Len Blanchard
6. A. Arnold
7. Larry Moore
8. Dave Dayton
9. Dave Kulmer
10. Wayne Wattercutter
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