1963 – Record Illiana Sprint Car Drive by McCune

Schererville, Ind. (May 19, 1963) – The hot-running chauffeurs of IMCA went on another record-busting run on Sunday afternoon and this time it was a youthful Jim McCune of Toledo, Ohio, in the Bob Price Chevy who walked away with the lion’s share of honors at Illiana Motor Speedway.

McCune started the day by rewriting the one-lap qualifying mark when he turned the half-mile oval in 22.02 seconds. That erased from the books the mark of 22.22 seconds set by Mickey Shaw in May 13, 1962.

The Ohio driver didn’t get that honor all by himself as Jerry “Scratch” Daniels of St. Paul, Minn., later duplicated the feat to share the record with McCune.

Five other drivers bettered the old mark and another tied it as Gene Van Winkle and the National Speedways’ gang conducted their third straight program in which the record book took a terrific beating.

Gordon Woolley, Johnny White, and Arnie Knepper all turned in one-lap times of 22.04 seconds and Ray Duckworth drove 880 yards in 22.12 seconds. Hard-charging Bob Coulter equaled Shaw’s old time.

In the feature, McCune jumped into the lead at the start and then out-dueled Johnny White in a wheel to wheel battle for 25 laps to set the second record of the day.

McCune’s time for the 12.5-mile jaunt was 9 minutes and 25.79 seconds as compared to the track record of 10 minutes and 27.43 seconds set last season by Johnny Rutherford.

As hot as the McCune-White duel was for top money, Woolley and Pete Folse stage one just as warm for the show spot  with Woolley nipping the three-time IMCA national champion at the wire.

Daniels, running a close fifth at the time, spun completely around in turn four on the 21^st lap, but recovered beautifully and closed fast to nab eighth place money.

Johnny White won the trophy dash while McCune, Jerry Blundy and Buzz Gregory were heat winners. McCune’s time of 3 minutes and 1.07 seconds in the first heat was a new IMCA record for an eight-lap heat on a paved half-mile. Arnie Knepper won the 10-lap semi-main over Woolley and Dick Atkins.

Feature results –

1.       Jim McCune

2.       Johnny White

3.       Gordon Woolley

4.       Pete Folse

5.       Steve Stapp

6.       Jerry Blundy

7.       Bill Horstmeyer

8.       Jerry Daniels

9.       Jim Nelson

10.   Jigger Sirois

11.   Don O’Riley

12.   Buzz Gregory

May 18, 1958

May 17, 1965

This Day in Racing History - May 16, 1991

1949 - Accident Mars Midget Inaugural Before 8,846 Fans

Davenport, Iowa (May 15, 1949) - A serious accident marred the opening midget auto race Sunday at the Mississippi Valley Amusement Park track, as 8,846 race fans watched the Midwest Association drivers shatter four track records.

Paul Allen of Matteson, Ill., suffered serious injuries when he lost control of his car on the east curve and plunged over the embankment His car rolled over several times.

Attendants at Mercy Hospital give Allen’s condition as “critical”. He reportedly suffered a skull fracture, a fractured back and multiple facial lacerations.

Allen was driving the entry owned by D. W. Doty of Davenport. The accident occurred during the second qualifying heat. Allen is 23-years-old, married and the father of a two-year-old daughter.

The records at the Valley track took an awful drubbing, with three drivers shattering the former time trial mark and records in the first heat, handicap and semi-main event falling by the wayside.

Dick Ritchie of Cedar Rapids driving the Ernest Frederickson entry from Kenosha, Wisconsin won the feature event of the day after a stiff duel with Ray Hall.

Hall got off to an early lead, but Ritchie caught him on the 12^th lap and managed to stay out in front until the finish. Ray Hall and Clyde “Cowboy” Young staged a vicious duel for second place, with Hall getting the decision. Time for the event was 5 minutes and 36.81 seconds.

Tony Russo clipped a full 10 seconds off the former record in winning the semi-main. Russo grabbed ah early lead and outdistanced Walt Raines to the finish line. Art Wheeler finished in third place. Time for the race was 4 minutes and 10.72 seconds.

Russo also set a new mark in the handicap, turning the 14-lap event in 3 minutes and 49.41 seconds. He again grabbed an early lead and outstripped the pack. Lloyd Thurston, driving the #56 Mensing entry, finished second, a nose ahead of Johnny Hobel, driving the Al Willey #12 car.

Ray Hall piloting the #11 Kaminky Special, opened the competition of the day with a win in the first qualifying heat. His time of 2 minutes and 45.41 seconds set a new track record for the event, shattering the old one held by Danny Kladis. Hall, driving in the pole position, took an early lead and beat Dick Ritchie to the finish. Johnny Hobel grabbed third money.

Lloyd Thurston won the second heat, driving the #56 Mensing car, but only after a terrific struggle with Clyde Young, driving Eric Lund's famous #39. George Miller finished third. Time for the event was 2 minutes and 48.35 seconds.

Bud Koehler, driving his own #71, was the winner in the third heat but only after a great battle with Paul Newkirk and Red Hoyle.

The time trials gave an indication of the speed to come, when three drivers shattered the old time trial record of 16.55 seconds, held by Danny Kladis. Fastest time turned was by Dick Ritchie, who now holds the record with 16.27. Paul Allen also shattered the old record with 16.30, while Red Hoyle also bettered the old mark with 16.52. Eight of the drivers in the field turned time trials in the 16 seconds bracket.

One oddity occurred in the time trials, when Tony Russo turned three laps in identical times of 16.81 seconds. Officials at the track said that this was the first time such a coincidence has occurred on the oval.

1977 - Slow track can’t stop Rice at Fairgrounds

Des Moines, Iowa (May 14, 1977) - Bill Rice of Des Moines learned Saturday night that a race driver does not depend altogether on a fast track for a victory.

All Rice did was come from behind to claim the 25-lap late model feature before a crowd of 7,000 at the State Fairgrounds, then take time out to belittle the condition of the track.

“Boy, was that track slow and terrible,” said Rice, owner of a wholesale tire store. “It was like running in a Sunday afternoon race.”

Above-normal temperatures at this time of year played a big part in the rough condition of the track, said promoter George Barton.

“They would make a better show if they watered down the track early in the day and then once more before starting time,” answered Rice, who drove a 1977 Camaro.

Rice, who started inside on the second row after winning the third heat, went high on the fourth turn lap 20 to overtake leaders Curt Hansen of Dike and Ed Sanger of Waterloo and seemed to gain momentum.

“I was staying inside on the turns and the only way anybody was going to pass me was if they went to the outside,” said Hansen, who won last week’s feature race. “My tires got hot and lost some weight on the turns.”

“But, hey, once Rice got by me there wasn’t anyone going to get him,” added Hansen, who captured the first heat.

Sanger, wheeling a 1977 Camaro, also passed Hansen on the twentieth lap and finished second. Hansen, in a 1972 Camaro, settled for third followed by Joe Merryfield, defending late model season point champion here.

Bill Davis of Des Moines continued his winning ways in the sportsman feature, taking his third victory in as many attempts. Davis led from start to finish in the race delayed by six caution flags. He also had some unkind words about the track.

“It was a real dry and slick but my car ran good,” explained Davis, who, in his 1972 Camaro, also took the first heat.

Bill Carter of Des Moines was second, Rocky Hodges of Des Moines third and Denny Rosenberg of Grimes made a flashy comeback to finish fourth.

Rosenberg started in the sixth row of the fourth heat but had to pull out after three laps when his 1971 Camaro overheated.

He then was declared the winner of the 10-lap consolation when he was the first driver to cross the white flag before a red flag was waved.

Three cars collided in the late-model consolation, resulting in the one-week suspension of Lefty Robinson for what Barton termed “intentional roughness involving the chance of personal injury.”

Robinson’s 1977 Camaro clipped Roger Tapper’s 1977 Camaro on the fourth turn of the tenth lap. Robinson lost control, bounced off the retaining fence along the straightaway and hit the incoming Arnie Braland of Boone.

Wayne Workman of Ames, coming in full force, collided with Braland and Workman’s 1976 Monte Carlo went spinning 50 yards. Tapper, a full lap behind the leaders, won the race.

Sanger won the 6-lap trophy dash, involving the top six drivers in the late model standings. Don Hoffman of Des Moines was second.

Feature Results –

1. Bill Rice, Des Moines
2. Ed Sanger, Waterloo
3. Curt Hansen, Dike
4. Joe Merryfield, Des Moines
5. Karl Sanger, Waterloo
6. Stan Stover, Reinbeck
7. Verlin Eaker, Cedar Rapids
8. Fred Knapp, Des Moines
9. Don Hoffman, Des Moines
10. Arnie Braland, Boone
11. Bill Wrich, Kenard, Neb.
12. Jack Mitchell, Cedar Falls
13. Al Druesdow, Omaha, Neb.
14. Roger Tapper, Webster City
15. Duane Errett, Harlan

May 13, 1972