The IMCA Sprint Cars at the Knox County Fair

Jerry Blundy in victory lane at the Knox County Fair. Blundy would score wins at the historic half-mile in the 1950's, 60's and 70's.

 

 

By Kyle Ealy
Cedar Rapids, Iowa – Right off of Interstate 74 on exit 51 in Knoxville, Ill., is the Knox County Fairgrounds; an historic half-mile that lies dormant except for maybe once a year when the fair is in town. It’s just one of those tracks that fell on hard times and now is nothing more than a memory.

While I’ve never attended a race there personally, I’ve heard plenty of stories about some of the great stars who have competed there and fantastic races that have taken place over the years and of course, my historical-hungry brain took over and I decided to do a little investigating on whom, what and when.

So, here goes…

As it turns out, the International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) played a big part in shaping the history of the track. Starting in 1957, IMCA big cars (sprints) became part of IMCA’s regular fair circuit and when the Knox County Fair came around every August, so did the big cars.

On August 2, 1957, a driver quite familiar in that area grabbed top honors in the 15-lap feature. Jerry Blundy of nearby Galesburg, Ill., fought off a determined Duke Hindahl in what would turn out to be his only big car victory of the year on the IMCA circuit. The 15 circuits were completed in 6 minutes and 5 seconds before a standing room only crowd.

In 1959, the IMCA returned to town on August 6. Pete Folse of Tampa, Fla., driving Hector Honore’s legendary “Black Deuce” took the 20-lap headliner as he dueled Blundy for much of the race.

Big car races were quickly proving to be so popular attraction there, so Al Sweeney, promoter of National Speedways, Inc. and organizer of the event, decided to make it a two day show starting in 1960. On August 5, Pete Folse and Harold Leep of Wichita, Kan., got in a side-by-side battle with Folse gaining the upper hand to take the win. The next night, August 6, Folse took the 20-lap feature with that local guy Blundy right on his bumper again.

The 1961 Knox County Fair sprint car races saw two new faces in the winner’s circle. Harold Leep, after coming so close the year before, outran Emmett “Buzz” Barton of Tampa, Fla., on August 4 for his first win of the season but Barton came back on August 5 to claim the 20-lap main over Leep and a young man by the name of Jay Woodside.

Harold Leep would win IMCA sprint car races at the Knox County Fair three consecutive years (1961, 62, 63).

 

With scheduling issues, the race was cut back down to one day in 1962 but that didn’t drive the crowds away. On August 3, over 3,000 race fans saw Harold Leep, piloting the Red Lempelius Offy; win the 20-lap feature event. Leep and Jerry Blundy put on quite the show for the fans before Leep prevailed again, earning himself $215 in first place money.

Spin-outs and multi-car pile-ups highlighted the action on Thursday, August 1, 1963, as Leep would win his third Knox County Fair race in a row. Driving the No. 25 Chevrolet, Leep took an early lead in the main event and stayed on top the rest of the way. Jerry Blundy stayed in close pursuit but settled for the bridesmaid role once again.

Friday night’s main event, August 2, saw the 1962 IMCA sprint car national champ, Johnny White of Warren, Mich.; take top honors, out running Leep to the checkers.

That same program also saw one driver being suspended for the rest of the season after two days of what National Speedway, Inc officials termed “rough driving”. Bob Coulter of Lakewood, Calif., who was involved in four accidents during the two-night race program, hit Jerry Blundy from the rear to cause the Galesburg driver to start a spinout. Blundy was leading the field at the time.

Al Sweeney, president of National Speedways, Inc., and starter of the two races, recommended a suspension of not less than 30 days. However, on the basis of Sweeney’s testimony and that of several other track officials and drivers, the IMCA ruled to keep Coulter off IMCA tracks for the rest of the year.

Jerry “Scratch” Daniels of St. Paul, Minn., would capture the 25-lapper on August 7, 1964 and on the very next night, August 8, the defending national champion, Gordon Woolley of Waco, Tex., would claim the 30-lap finale.

On August 6, 1965, Jim Moughan of Springfield, Ill., took the win over Tom Bigelow of Whitewater, Wis., Don Brown of San Fernando, Calif., Jerry Blundy and Gordon Woolley.

Jerry Richert of Forest Lake, Minn., would earn a hard-fought 30-lap feature victory over Moughan, Bill Puterbaugh, Dean Elliott and Gordon Woolley on August 6, 1966.

As the 60’s started to come to an end, hometown favorite Jerry Blundy finally started winning the Knox County Fair sprint car races. He also became a top contender for the national title as well.

On Thursday evening, August 4, 1967, Blundy edged Tom Corbin of Carrollton, Mo., to take the 20-lap feature and then followed that win with another trip to victory lane the very next night, again beating Corbin and Chuck Lynch of Springfield, Ill., to the stripe. At the end of the season, he would finish third in nationals points.

 

Ron Perkins grabbed Knox County Fair wins in 1968 and 1969.

 

On August 2, 1968, Ron Perkins of Bethalto, Ill., grabbed Thursday night honors, winning the 25-lap main over Jerry Daniels. However, the following night, Blundy roared back in the 30-lap big money main event and took home the top prize over Lee Kunzman of Guttenberg, Iowa and Perkins. Once again, Blundy would tally enough points at season’s end to take third in the national standings.

August 1, 1969 saw Ron Perkins back in the winner’s circle again, winning the 25 lapper over Blundy and Darl Harrison of Tiffin, Ohio. Harrison would come back the next night, August 2, and take home the bacon with stellar drivers such as Benny Rapp of Toledo, Ohio, Blundy, Jay Woodside and Buzz Rose of Cedar Rapids, Iowa trailing behind. Harrison would go on and win the IMCA national championship that same season.

The Knox County Fair would only see one race in 1970 but it was a meaningful one. Jerry Blundy, driving the L & M Motors Chevrolet, would grab the lions share of the $1,260 purse that day, beating another star-studded line up of Benny Rapp, Dick Sutcliffe of Kansas City, Jim Moughan and Jay Woodside.

After sliding down to ninth in IMCA sprint car points in 1969, this was the year Jerry Blundy put it all together and won his first IMCA national championship. His seven victories were tops on the circuit for the year and he beat out four-time and defending champion Jerry Richert in the process.

The two-day show returned on August 6, 1971 with Blundy once again in victory lane. He grabbed the 25-lap feature win over Dick Sutcliffe with Ron Larson of White Bear Lake, Minn. in third. The next night, August 7, Sutcliffe turned the tables and scored the win in the 30-lap finale with Chuck Amati of Greenfield, Tenn., taking runner-up honors and Ron Larson again taking third. Blundy would go on to claim his second straight national championship at the end of the season.

A month before the 1972 Knox County Fair sprint car races were to take place, Jerry Blundy was involved in an accident in Webster City, Iowa. It not only ended any chances of winning at his hometown track but also wiped out the chance to win three consecutive IMCA national championships.

 

Ray Lee Goodwin would win the Knox County Fair race in 1972 en route to winning the IMCA national championship.

 

Ray Lee Goodwin of Kansas City, Mo., was trailing Blundy by only 10 points in the national standings when he pulled into the Knox County Fairgrounds on August 4, 1972. When he headed out of town later that evening, Goodwin was the new point’s leader.

Weaving his way through the middle of the field, Goodwin scored a come-from-behind victory in the 25-lap feature event. The hard-charging Goodwin throttled his Chevy-powered sprinter into the lead with four laps to go and coasted to victory behind the wild cheers of area race fans. Goodwin would take his point’s lead and never look back, winning the IMCA national championship.

1973 would see a new winner to Knoxville. Ralph Blackett of Des Moines, Iowa led from start to finish in winning the 25-lap feature on August 3. More than 2,500 area race fans turned out to see the hard-charging Blackett survive three yellow flags and a late come-from-behind effort by Bill Utz of Sedalia, Mo. Thirty-five drivers from 12 states took part in time trials with Buzz Rose of Mt. Vernon, Iowa, had the quick time of the evening with a half-mile clocking of 26.66.

It was “Missouri night” on August 3, 1974 as two talented drivers from the “Show Me” state showed the field and the crowd some quick and steady driving in the 17th annual and final running of the IMCA sprint cars at the Knox County Fairgrounds.

Bill Utz of Sedalia, runner-up in last year's sprints at the Knoxville half-mile, grabbed the lead from Sonny Smyser on the eighth lap of the feature and was never headed.

Another Missourian, Gene Gennetten, could possibly have won the feature had it gone a few laps longer. Starting in the 10th position because he did not finish his heat race, Gennetten steadily moved through the pack, passing Larry Kirkpatrick of Bushnell, Ill., for second place on lap 16 and pressing Utz hard when the final checkered flag dropped.

The IMCA sprint car circuit would press on for two more years, but with other sprint car organizations sprouting up, the days of the fair circuit were pretty much dried up and so were the annual IMCA sprint cars programs during the Knox County Fair.

Several other sanctions made appearances over the years including the now-defunct National Speedway Contest Association and most recently, the Sprint Invaders but nothing packed them in from near and far like the IMCA sprint cars. 

Team Racing: Remembering The Playland 300

by Lee Ackerman
Omaha, Neb. - While planning for the 1958 racing season at Council Bluffs’ Playland Park, General Manager Keith Chambers was trying to come up with something different. All the talk in racing was about the Indianapolis 500. “An idea occurred to me about having a Playland 500 on the 4th of July,” said Chambers. “After much thought, I decided to make some changes. First, since there was to much racing in the area around the 4th of July, run it later in the month, and secondly, 500 laps maybe to many laps to ensure a good field of cars or a good finish. So let’s have a 300 lap race and make it a team race.”

On July 25 through 27, 1958, one of the biggest racing events in the then 10 year history of Playland Park Speedway took place in the inaugural running of the Playland 300. Always keen to the idea that the purpose of the stadium (racing, boxing and wrestling) was also to help promote the amusement park income, Chambers decided on a three day event with time trials over the first two days and the race on Sunday, July 27. This would provide for additional amusement park traffic and increase the income for the overall complex.

The purse for the event would be $2,000 plus lap money and manufacturers’ awards with $500 going to the winning team. The race would be limited to twenty teams of two cars each. (In the early years of the race, one of the team cars would exit the track and go into the pits, once he was in the pits his teammate could go onto the racetrack. In later years, the pits were moved to the infield for the event).

When the smoke had cleared after two days of qualifying on the quarter-mile asphalt surface, a pair of Buds and fan favorites had grabbed the pole. Bud Burdick turned the fastest lap in qualifying in his famous yellow V8 with a lap of 16.07 putting him and teammate Bud Aitkenhead on the pole for the event. Bob Adams and Peter Huffman would start outside pole after a lap of 16.22. Nineteen teams qualified to participate in the inaugural event.

Four thousand, two hundred and fifty-seven fans were on hand for the first Playland 300 which was led by just two different teams. Bud Burdick and Bud Aitkenhead escaped a host of crashes and the challenges of two top teams to win the 75 mile contest in 1 hour 17 minutes and 59 seconds. A burned-out wheel bearing doused the hopes of the chief challengers, the Don Pash-Ernie Bonney team. They were the only other team than the winners to lead the race.

Pash, was running a close second after 221 laps when he was forced to the pits with bearing trouble catching his teammate Bonney by surprise. Before Bonney could get into the race, Burdick hand pulled to a comfortable lead and the second starting team of Adams and Huffman were back in second place. At the end Burdick led by a lap and half over Adams with Pash back on the track 3 laps down in third.

The race had been a Burdick-Pash duel at the start with Burdick leading the first 84 circuits before pitting and handing it over to Aitkenhead. This gave the third starting Pash a lap lead until he pitted after the halfway point of the race giving the lead to Aitkenhead who led until he handed it back to Burdick on lap 212.

 

Bud Burdick and his famous V-8 at Playland

 

 

The first thing to fall in the second year of the Playland 300 was Bud Burdick’s qualifying record. The old record was broken three times and equaled by Burdick himself. Once qualifying was over Burdick and new teammate Don Pash of Avoca were setting on the pole as a result of Pash’s lap of 15.87 seconds. Their main competition would come from a couple of outstate Nebraska chaueffers in Cliff Sealock of Hastings and Norm Robertson of Oxford, who had also broken the track record in qualifying.

On race day, 4,151 fans would be in attendance for the second annual 300 lap marathon. Sixteen teams would start the affair with 14 still running at the end of the event, a testimonial to the drivers and their mechanics. The race itself would be totally dominated by the Burdick-Pash tandem. Pash led the first 102 laps before handing a half-lap lead off to Burdick. Burdick extended the lead until lap 180 when the team had a scary moment when Burdick blew a front tire. Burdick was able to limp into the pits and Pash returned to the event still holding a comfortable margin.

Pash continued to add to the ever growing lead before handing it back to Burdick for the final 54 circuits. The pair was followed to the line by Sealock-Robertson team who maintained a substantial lead over third place Bobby Parker and Bud Aitkenhead. Sealock had made a successful Playland Park debut the week before by winning the feature. One of the two teams forced to retire from the race was the team of former IMCA Champion and NASCAR star Johnny Beauchamp and Jim Vana.

The third annual Playland 300 had only 12 teams starting the race with 11 running at the the end of the affair. Defending race winners Bud Burdick and Don Pash returned and started where they left off by grabbing the pole. Bud Aitkenhead teamed with George Odvody of Morse Bluff, Nebraska and would start third. Bob Parker would team with Pete Huffman and Cliff Sealock, a runner-up the year before would find a new teammate in Holdrege, Nebraska’s Wilbert Hecke.

3,629 fans saw Bobby Parker take the lead when early race leader Don Pash headed to the pits on lap 13 with mechanical woes. It was also the future Nebraska Hall of Famer would need as he built a comfortable margin by lap 152 when he handed the lead to Huffman. Despite frantic efforts from runner-ups Aitkenhead and Odvody, Huffman was never headed as he and Parker took home the win. Omahans Jim Vana and Dan Kosiske (brother of Bob) drove a solid race to finish third.

In later years, the Playland 300 returned to the quarter-mile oval as Promoter Jerry Slusky brought back the marathon concept. 1967 saw brothers-in-law John Earnest and Bob Jura take the lead with 55 laps and go on to win the event. In 1968 Jura would team with Roger Schram and the team would lead the final 268 laps for the win. In 1969 Ron Tilley and Dave Blowers picked up the win.

Racing continued at Playland Park through the 1977 season. In 1978, the wrecking ball showed up and took away one of the areas most memorable racing venues. The list of legends that raced at Playland Park reads like a who’s who of Midwest racing. The facility hosted many different types of races, and other performances but one of the interesting events was certainly the Playland 300.

 

Playland Park in later years

 

 

Merry Christmas from Midwest Racing Archives

1969

1972

1973

1976

1977

1980

The IMCA Stock Cars at the North Iowa Fair

By Kyle Ealy
Mason City, Iowa – County fairs and the International Motor Contest Association.

Back in the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s, one of the main attractions of many county fairs in the Midwest was a visit from the IMCA stock cars or sprint cars.

You made darn sure you got there early on the day of the race to grab a good seat; because this was the only opportunity you’d get to see the stars and cars of IMCA. People came from near and far to see the big boys of auto racing competing at their hometown track.

One of the traditional stops for the IMCA stock cars was the North Iowa Fair in Mason City. Starting in 1951 and continuing until 1964, the half-mile provided plenty of chills and thrills for speed hungry spectators.

 

Art Combs would win at Mason City on August 19, 1951.

 

 

On August 19, 1951, Art Combs, a 29-year-old farmer from Emporia, Kan., driving a 1950 Oldsmobile, waged a terrific battle with Dudley Froy and Chuck Magnison for the last 80 circuits of the scheduled 200-lap race before emerging as the winner.

For the last 40 miles, it was Combs, Froy, an Englishman from Tucson, Ariz., and Magnison, a Minneapolis pilot, electrifying a crowd of 6,000 plus as they ran bumper to bumper, exchanging the lead numerous times. With about 10 laps remaining Magnison, driving a 1951 Hudson, fell behind the other two and Combs appeared a certain winner when, with several laps left, Froy blew out a tire on his ‘49 Plymouth.

However Magnison seemed to come from nowhere and pulled up on the leader to make a final bid on the last turn. Riding high, he pushed the throttle in a desperate attempt to overtake Combs, but scraped the fence and momentarily lost control of his car and finished second. Only 11 of the 21 starters finished the grueling 100-miler.
 

Wally Dahl of Minneapolis, driving a 1951 Hudson, would take top honors in the 100-mile stock car endurance on August 17, 1952. Dahl, in winning, set a new track record for the event as he covered the 200-laps in 1 hour and 52 minutes, nearly 8 minutes faster than the previous record.

Dahl drove his battered Hudson to the triumph, but it might be added that he had a new motor put into the car only days before Dahl was never worse than second place in the race and didn't make any pit stops in taking the event in record time. His victory was worth $500, a quarter of the total prize pot of $2,000.

Ralph Dyer of Shreveport, La., finished in second place, good for $400 in prize money. His finish was on the spectacular side. Completing lap 199 and entering turns one and two, his front right tire blew out but he three-wheeled his car around for the final three-quarters of the lap and hung on for second.

 

Shorty Perlick

 

Shorty Perlick, also of Minneapolis, was the tough luck driver of the day. Perlick led the event for 58 miles and appeared to be in command when he lost a front wheel coming down the homestretch and skidded into the pit area. He didn’t get back into action until 29 laps later and eventually withdrew when he saw no chance to finish in the money. 

As the 1953 season was winding down, Ernie Derr of Fort Madison was at the top of the IMCA stock car national point’s standings. He would solidify that spot after winning at the North Iowa Fairgrounds on August 15.

Ernie Derr beat out his brother-in-law, Don White, by just about a car length in the 100-mile race Saturday afternoon before an estimated 3,500 spectators. Derr drove a1952 Olds to beat out White, who wheeled a 1953 Olds.

Each was going hard for the first place money of $500 and as the race moved along they kept going faster and faster while lapping other cars in the field. Their speed was such that during the last half of the race they each were weaving through the field and covering each lap of the track in less time than the best qualifying time posted prior to the grueling race.

When the program started, it appeared it would be a bad day for racing. The track was wet and slippery and the cars could get no traction for about the first 25 miles during the light drizzle of rain. The field of 19 drivers eventually packed the wet stuff and it was a lightning quick surface the remainder of the way. Halfway through the race Derr held first spot and White was second with Herschel Buchanan of Shreveport, La., the only serious challenger. Buchanan placed third at the final flag in his 1953 Nash.

Johnny Beauchamp of Anita, Iowa, a relative newcomer to stock car racing, finished fourth in the race. However, a protest was raised that he did not have a regular stock engine in his 1952 Hudson. He refused to submit to a tear down of his motor and therefore forfeited his place in the race with all other finishers moving up a notch. Bill Bailey of Encino, Calif., driving a 1952 Hudson, inherited Beauchamp’s fourth place money.

Unfortunately, their were newspaper accounts of the 1954 race at Mason City, which prevents me from getting into details of the race. Thanks to Lee Ackerman, I discovered that Don White would earn the victory in the 200-lap, 100-mile endurance test on August 14.

 

Herschel Buchanan

 

The 1955 race was billed just like the previous affairs before; 200 laps and 100 miles. But it would finally be called after 101 circuits on August 13. Numerous accidents, terrible track conditions and lack of light curtailed the event and the end couldn’t come soon enough for the 4,500 fans in attendance.

Herschel Buchanan of Shreveport, La., was flagged the winner of the event but his share of the purse was withheld because of a protest. Buchanan, driving a ’59 Thunderbird, had been locked in a duel with Bob Potter of Duluth, Minn., driving a 1955 V-8 Chevrolet.

Potter got the jump to lead at the beginning of the marathon and Buchanan would challenge Potter throughout, his front bumper never straying too far from Potter’s rear fender. On lap 66, Potter suddenly shot into the fence on the northeast curve of the half-mile oval.

Buchanan inherited the lead and was out front when the checkers dropped a lap after the midway point. Tiny Lund of Harlan, in a ’55 Chevrolet, was scored in second, Bill Harrison of Topeka, Kan., grabbed third in a ’54 Dodge, Roxy Dancy of Shreveport, La., in a ’54 Hudson took fourth and local favorite Ted Zieman, driving a ’55 Chevrolet, rounded out the top five.

But hold on a minute…

Potter would enter a protest that Buchanan was the cause for him going through the fence, bumping him from behind. Observers from the infield by the northeast turn backed up Potter’s omission, saying they witnessed Buchanan giving Potter a shove with the use of his front bumper. After some heated discussion, officials from IMCA would still declare Buchanan the winner of the race, despite adamant protests from Potter and others.

The program got off to a sour start and it would go downhill from there. A seven car pile-up ensued shortly after the green flag dropped in the feature, taking out notable such as Newt Bartholomew of Carlisle, Iowa, Dick Houdek of Wichita, Kan., and Bob Hilmer of Dysart. There was nearly an hour delay while crews repaired the fence and re-graded the racing surface. The yellow flag would wave eight more times before the race finally came to a finish.

 

Johnny Beauchamp of Harlan showed why he was the leader in the IMCA stock car national point standings earning his 19th feature win of the season on August 12, 1956.The “Flying Frenchman” dominated the 200-lap contest and won by nearly two laps over his nearest competitor, Lennie Funk of Otis. Kan.

An overflow North Iowa Fair crowd of between 4,000 and 5,000 with hundreds more watching the 100-mile race from the infield after all space was taken in the grandstand and bleachers.

Beauchamp was driving a 1956 Chevrolet while Funk was behind the wheel of a ’56 Dodge. Beauchamp’s winning time was 1 hour, 51 minutes and 20 seconds, which established a new record previously owned by Wally Dahl in the ’52 race. Even a multi-car pileup on the west turn early on in the feature couldn’t slow down the record-breaking effort.

The accident claimed four top contenders and certainly made Beauchamp’s march to victory lane that much easier. Knocked out of the running were; Chub Liebe of Oelwein, Bernie Hentges of Anoka, Minn., Don White of Keokuk, and Ted Zieman of Mason City. They had four of the five fastest times in qualifying, with Beauchamp no better than fourth in the group. White had won the night before in Burlington and Liebe was well in command of the race that day when the mishap occurred.

After that, Beauchamp and Funk were well ahead of the rest of the pack. To show how dominate Beauchamp was in the race; the last five laps he ran in the race were actually faster than his qualifying laps in time trials.

The Mason City Globe Gazette reported that the field of cars was not as big as expected and the program was delayed an hour. “That was probably due to the fact that many of the drivers were detained in their trip by the highway patrol. Many drivers were pulled over and ticketed for illegal towing of their race cars. One of the drivers had to pay a wrecker $25 to pull him from Iowa Falls in order to compete. At least eight others didn’t arrive in time even with the late start.” 

Beauchamp would give a repeat performance on August 10, 1957, not only winning the race, but regaining the lead at the top of the IMCA stock car standings. Beauchamp took advantage of early race mishap by Bob Burdick to claim his second straight North Iowa Fair victory.

Burdick, driving out of Omaha and the national point’s leader entering the program, was the victim of an early accident, which took him out of action. As he wheeled through the thick dust into the west turn on lap 9, Burdick piled into Don Lewis of King, Wis., and damaged his 1957 Ford so badly, he was unable to continue.  

Despite the dust, another record crowd of 5,200 saw the Saturday afternoon race, making it one of the larger crowds to witness a sports event in Mason City.

Promoter Al Sweeney called the scheduled 200-lap race at 101 circuits, citing the racing surface was too dusty and too dangerous to continue. Beauchamp’s winning time for the 50.5 miles completed was outstanding; 55 minutes and 11 seconds.  

Taking second in the race was Lennie Funk of Otis, Kan., who like Beauchamp was driving a 1957 Chevrolet. Funk was lapped by Beauchamp on the 100th turn of the race. Close behind and taking third and fourth in covering 99 laps were Don White of Keokuk and Darrell Dake of Cedar Rapids. White and Dake both drove Fords.

Anyone of the estimated 4,000 racing fans who saw the 100-mile MCA stock car race at the North Iowa Fair on August 9, 1958, had something to brag about afterwards. They could have boasted they witnessed the fastest 100-miler in the history of the International Motor Contest Association (up to 1958). That covered lot of territory back then - from Florida to Canada.

 

The man who performed the act was Don White, the IMCA national stock car point leader. He smashed the listed mark by nearly a minute - a little more than 50 seconds to be exact. The Keokuk speedster was driving a 1958 Ford.

White whizzed the 200 laps at better than a 60 mile per hour clip on the fast track as he went inside, outside and up the middle in easily whipping all but two other drivers. His time was 1 hour, 38 minutes, and 3 seconds. The old mark, set at the Minnesota State Fair in 1956, was 1 hour, 38 minutes, and 53 seconds set by Johnny Beauchamp of Harlan.

White was so dominant, he took a 30-second pit stop to take on more gasoline and didn’t even miss his place in line. But at the time he held a 2-lap lead over his brother-in-law Ernie Derr and Bob Burdick of Omaha.

Derr and Burdick finished second and third respectively, each covering 199 laps. In the fourth position was Scott Cain, a newcomer from Santa Monica, Calif., and he covered 192 laps of the half-mile dirt oval.

White also set a local record in the half-mile qualifying with a mark of 28.56 seconds. The old mark was held by Beauchamp last year at 29.81 seconds.

Another record of sorts was set as well that afternoon. According to promoter Al Sweeney of National Speedways, Inc., no caution flags flied that afternoon, the first time that had ever (or never) happened in a 100-mile race, Sweeney remarked.

Again, for a lack of information, I don’t have much in the way of details for the race that occurred on August 15, 1959. Ernie Derr won the 200-lapper with a fast improving Bob Kosiski of Omaha earning second and a rising star by the name of Dick Hutcherson taking third. Thanks again to Lee Ackerman for the that information.

There would be no IMCA stock car races at the fair in 1960. Modified stock cars (rained out) and Aut Swenson’s Thrillcade would be the feature auto attractions that year.

The IMCA stock cars would return to Mason City in 1961. On Saturday, August 19, Ernie Derr would solidify his bid for a fourth national championship. The talented driver with the good handling car (a 1961 Pontiac) doubled down, winning the 25-lap feature in the afternoon and then scoring the victory in the 100-lap nightcap.

A crowd estimated at 2,000 saw the afternoon sprint show. The evening affair, which was under the lights at the Mason City fairgrounds for the first time, drew an estimated 4,500 racing enthusiasts.

In the 50-mile nighttime finale, the fans almost witnessed an upset. Derr posted quick time in qualifying (28.48) and the Keokuk star proceeded to take the early lead. Chub Liebe would press Derr and on lap 25, the Oelwein veteran nudged ahead of Derr and was off to the races.

Liebe had his car hooked up on this day, building up a commanding lead on Derr and the rest of the field. Unfortunately, Liebe’s bid for first prize would fall 8 laps short. The rear end on his car would break, slowing Liebe to a snail’s pace and allowing Derr and the rest of the field to catch up. Derr would pass Liebe as he pulled into the infield.

Derr collected $415 for the victory, his eighth of the ’61 season. Bob Reynolds of Edmonds, Okla., took second, Mert Williams of Rochester, Minn., grabbed third, Eddie Harrow of Corpus Christi, Tex., finished fourth and Buzz McCann of St. Paul, Minn., rounded out the top five.

Derr set a track record for the 50-mile race of 46 minutes and 6 seconds, more than five minutes under his own mark set in May of this year of 51 minutes and 19 seconds. Derr also set a qualifying time of 28.48 seconds to start the afternoon. To show how fast they were going at night, Liebe actually turned one lap in the 50-mile race of 26.91 seconds. The Friday night rains helped the track and it was in near perfect shape by Saturday night.

For any of you old-timers out there who were fortunate enough to follow the IMCA stock car series back in the 50’s and 60’s, you know as well as anyone it was big news across the Midwest when someone from Keokuk, Iowa, DIDN’T win a race. It was that rare…

So, on Sunday evening, August 12, 1962, some major news was produced when the “Big Three”, Ernie Derr, Ramo Stott and Dick Hutcherson, all showed up at the North Iowa Fair, raced their cars that evening, and none of them were in victory lane at the conclusion of the race.

 

 

The winner of the feature race of the day’s doubleheader was Mert Williams of Rochester Minn., a five-year veteran on the circuit who always did well but not enough to dent the monopoly held by the Keokuk trio.

It appeared that it would be another typical “Big Three” day. Derr was the winner in a 25-lap sprint affair during the afternoon. In the evening, he won a 10-1ap preliminary race in the record time of 4 minutes and 43 seconds to snap a mark he had set a year ago. And Stott, in the afternoon, had set a new qualifying mark of 28.15 seconds for the half-mile oval.

Under the lights, Stott led the 100-lap, 50-mile feature until the 36th lap when mechanical failure forced him from the race. Chub Liebe, who almost won the year before, also dropped out. That left Derr alone – almost - with the lead and Williams close behind.

Like Liebe the year before, Derr looked like he had the race in the bag. Although Williams was still in his rear-view mirror, the always smooth driving Derr looked to be in total command. But on the 94th lap, Ernie would start to slow with differential trouble. To the delight of the race fans, Williams sped his 1962 Pontiac by the ailing Derr and a few laps later, was in victory lane. Williams, no stranger to the Mason City track, was the toast of the town.

Gil Haugen of Sioux Falls, S.D., in a 1961 Plymouth was second and Eddie Harrow, the Texas champ from Corpus Christi in a 1962 Ford, was third, Jerry McCredie of Keokuk, took fourth and Derr managed to limp home in fifth.

There would be no IMCA stock cars for the 1963 North Iowa Fair and unbeknownst to everyone at the time, when the popular series rolled into Mason City on August 16, 1964, it would be for the last time.

It would be only fitting that the most dominant driver in IMCA stock car series history win the very last North Iowa Fair race. And Ernie Derr would go out with a bang…

The “Keokuk Komet” would have another field day that Sunday and when he had finished his afternoon and evening series of wins and record smashing, Derr loaded his 1964 Plymouth on his truck and banked $870 in prize money from promoter Frank Winkley.

It was your typical Ernie Derr day at the office; in the afternoon he led off by setting a new qualifying record of 26.03 seconds. This was well under the mark of 26.8l set by Dick Hutcherson. Hutcherson, the point leader on the IMCA circuit, did not compete in the Mason City races.

Also on the afternoon program, Derr set a pair of dash records in winning. The first came over five laps at 2 minutes and 21.85 seconds and the next when he took the 25-lap feature in 11 minutes and 33.87 seconds.

But his day wasn’t finished. During the evening show, before about 3,200 racing fans, Derr copped a 10-lap heat event to get loosened up for the big 100-lap feature race. Then the record smasher went out and took the windup in 44 minutes and 40 seconds, not a record but still an excellent performance.

Lennie Funk, the Otis, Kan., farmer, gave Derr a good run. He was second to Derr in the qualifying, won a heal race and placed second to Derr in the feature in the afternoon. He was set to challenge Derr in the 50-miler.

And that’s what Funk did – for a while. Derr, starting on the pole position, led for 19 laps with Funk right on his tail. Derr hit loose dirt high on the southwest corner of the track and Funk shot in front.

Driving a 1964 Ford, he held the lead until the 44th lap when he got into some loose dirt himself on the northeast corner and Derr recaptured the lead. It was Derr all the way from that point and Funk had to go to the pits on the 83rd lap because of low oil, lost three laps and finished seventh.

Ole Brua of Albert Lea, Minn., took second in the 50-miler and actually gave Derr a run for his money in the last 10 laps. Bob Jusola of Mound, Minn., finished third, Dick Steffens of Minneapolis took fourth and Jim Washburn of Keokuk rounded out the top five.

Even though the modifieds and hobby stocks would be the headliner at the North Iowa Fair starting in 1965 and for years to come, the IMCA stock cars would always be remembered for bringing star power to the half-mile in Mason City.

1965 – Race Track in Burlington Becoming a Reality

Burlington, Iowa (November 16, 1965) - A new racing oval, stymied by anti-race fans and lack of zoning ordinances, is finally a reality.

A three-eighths mile oval has been built by Samjac, Inc., near Middletown. The track has been laid out, but other work, such as construction of the grandstand and lighting is yet to come.

Samjac, operated by At Samberg, Gene, Ken, Rich and Mel Jackson, plans to have the track in operation by late April or early May.

Samberg tried unsuccessfully to place a track elsewhere in the county. He met with opposition from persons who claimed the autos would make too much noise, and raise too much dust.

The county Board of Supervisors refused to legislate in the case since Des Moines County has no zoning ordinances. Samjac has leased ground on the Don Guegeler property, just east of Middletown and about one mile north of highway 34.

The track operators plan to erect a grandstand to seat 3,100 people. In addition, a retaining wall of railroad ties and steel will be built in front of the stands.

A board fence will be placed around the track and the usual “out buildings” such as ticket offices and concession stands will be ready to do business by spring. Six light towers will be placed around the track perimeter.

Races are tentatively planned for Saturday nights in two classes.  There will be a modified division for more experienced drivers and a cadet section for rookies.

Modified cars may not have motors larger than 325 cubic inches and car bodies must retain their original styling. Cadet drivers will be required to face a claim situation.

While definite rules haven’t been ironed out, the track operators said under the claim rules, a winning car must be sold to anyone who claims it for a specified number of dollars.

“At some tracks the claim price is $150,” Mel (Sox) Jackson said. “We are thinking about raising the price. It is hard to build a race car for $150.”

Only cars manufactured between 1928 and 1948 will be permitted. If interest warrants, programs may be held twice a week, with cadets running one night and modifieds another.

Samberg said it is possible that motorcycle races will be staged Sunday afternoon. Also in the planning stage are late model stock car races. “We might be able to get hooked up with USAC (United States Auto Club); at the winter fair convention in Chicago,” Samberg said.

Another possibility is the three-quarter (TQ) midgets, a small car which uses a tiny engine such as the old Crosley passenger car.

The track was built on an old gully which was lined, with trees. All trees have been removed and the track has been graded.

The oval sets so that the first turn is northwest and the final turn is southeast. The grandstand will be built on the northeast side of the track. Pit area will be on the southwest side.

Cars will not be permitted on the infield during a race.

“The only things we will have out there are an ambulance, a fire truck and a couple of wreckers,” Samberg said. Spectators will have ample parking near the grandstand.

The five men, involved in the program, all have racing backgrounds. Samberg was president of the Mississippi Valley Speed Club jalopy circuit for several years. Ken and Gene Jackson were top drivers on the MVSC and Rich and Mel helped build and maintain the race cars.

Iowa International 300

by Lee Ackerman

Omaha, Neb. - In modern dirt late model racing, 100 laps is about as long a feature race as you will find. These features usually ran as the conclusion to a two or three day event. Back when the International Motor Contest Association was in its prime, 200-lap feature events were very common and sometimes races were even longer.

 

One of the most famous of these races was the Iowa 300 held at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, usually around the Fourth of July. IMCA first sanctioned a 4th of July race at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in 1950, a 200 lap event won by Don White. From 1951 until 1956 the distance was increased to 250 laps with two wins by Ernie Derr and Jimmy Ward and the other two going to Shreveport’s Herschel Buchanan and Harlan, Iowa’s Johnny Beauchamp.

 

Beauchamp who totally dominated IMCA in 1956 and 1957 won the 1956 Iowa 250 before 23,000 fans. In fact the crowd was so large that National Speedway Promoter Al Sweeney ran out of tickets. After some anxious moments, he was saved by the promoter of a thrill show who happened to be in the infield and had a supply of tickets.

In 1957 the race was increased to 300 laps and was often called the Iowa International 300 as sports cars were allowed to compete against the stock cars. The three things I find fascinating about this race was the distance, the inclusion of sports cars, and the size of the crowds. This story will concentrate on the years from 1957 thru 1973 when the race was 300 laps in distance. One thing that is interesting to note about the Iowa 300 is that while he won the race twice at a shorter distance, Ernie Derr, the dominate force in IMCA stock car racing did not win the 300 in the first nine years of its running, however, when he finally won in 1966 he won it six years in a row. Some of the more exciting Iowa 300’s are recalled below:

On July 14, 1957, the first 300-lap Iowa International was ran at the Iowa State Fairgrounds before a crowd of 10,000 fans. Bill Chennault driving a Chevy set a new track record in qualifying at 29 seconds flat. Forty-one cars turned out for qualifying with the fastest 33 making the race. Four sports cars entered the International with only 2 making the race and neither of those would be a factor. Omaha, Nebraska’s Bob Burdick driving his dad’s Ford won the first Iowa 300 holding off two time defending IMCA champion Johnny Beauchamp and former IMCA champion Don White. Burdick pocketed a huge amount for those days, taking home $1,000 in winnings.

1958 saw a first, as Loyal Katskee of Omaha, Nebraska drove his Ferrari to fast time of 28.86 seconds and went on to finish fourth in the race. Katskee would later become the only sports car driver in IMCA stock car history to win a series race when he drove his Ferrari to the win on the mile at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia in August, 1958. As for the race itself, it turned into an accident filled event with only 15 of the original 33 starters finishing the race. The race was filled with spectacular spin-outs, broken axles and spindles, blown tires but fortunately no serious injuries. The two most serious being Bud Burdick with a badly sprained ankle as a result of his car hitting the first turn after a blown tire, and Bob Potter being forced to the pits with heat exhaustion. Frank Richards, forced out earlier in the race, drove relief for Potter in his 57’ Chevy Convertible and came home in fifth position.

The most spectacular event of the afternoon happened on lap 154, when second place runner and former IMCA champion Johnny Beauchamp’s Chevy caught on fire after being hit by a pierce of metal from the track, which severed the gas line and caused flames to shot up all over. Beauchamp showed tremendous courage in bringing the car to pit lane and avoiding an incident on the track. At the end of 300 laps and after 14 yellow flags, it was Don White driving his Ford into victory lane. The combination of White’s driving skills and Paul Newkirk’s mechanical genius, made the pair unbeatable. Defending race champion Bob Burdick was second a lap down followed by Frank Lies of Wichita, Kansas.

In 1959, Darrell Dake put an end to his long string of bad luck by driving his convertible to a win before 13,500 fans. Dake gradually worked his way through traffic from his eighth starting position and took the lead on lap 154 from Lenny Funk who had battled Bob Kosiski for the first fifty laps for the lead before Kosiski’s Thunderbird retired with overheating problems. Funk held on for second and future NASCAR star Dick Hutcherson was third. Perennial IMCA champion Ernie Derr qualified poorly and then retired on lap 124 with a punctured oil pan.

The 1963 edition of the race proved plenty of excitement for the more than 14,000 fans in attendance. First of all there was the much anticipated return to Iowa of Daytona 500 winner Tiny Lund. The brand new Zecol 63' Ford brought in for Lund, however failed to qualify and Lund drove Darrell Dake’s car for the first part of the race challenging leader Ramo Stott throughout the first 116 laps for the race lead before relinquishing the ride back to Dake on a pit stop. Stott seemed in control until he lost a wheel 32 laps later and retired. Pole sitter Dick Hutcherson, like Stott, a member of the Keokuk Connection, set quick time but blew an engine on lap three, and Ernie Derr the other member of the Keokuk Connection missed the race after totaling his car at Topeka a couple days before. This gave the lead and the race to IMCA regular Chub Liebe of Oelwein, Iowa as he picked up the biggest win of his career.

For reasons unknown to the author, the 1965 Iowa 300 was an exception to the rule, in that it was held on May 23, instead of the traditional July date. Future ARCA champion and Daytona 500 pole sitter Ramo Stott picked up $1,100 in winning the 2 hour and 35 minute affair over (who else) rival Ernie Derr.

 

Ernie Derr in victory lane at Des Moines, 1969

 

The 1969 version of the race is most noted for the sweltering heat, as 10,500 fans sweated their way through a nearly 2.5 hour event. Tiny Lund had returned again from NASCAR and was aboard Dick Johnson’s 67' Ford and after starting toward the back of the 30-car field made it to fourth before hitting the wall and retiring from the event. IMCA veteran Ole Brua, along with Ron Hutcherson and Fred Horn pushed Ernie Derr all the way to the finish, but in the end, the cagey veteran Derr prevailed with Horn second and Brua finishing third.

 

Ramo Stott breaks while leading the 71' Iowa 300

 

On July 11, 1971 more than 11,000 fans were treated to a classic battle between two old rivals and members of the Keokuk Connection. After Governor Robert Ray waved the green flag as the honorary starter, Ernie Derr and Ramo Stott put on one of their many classic battles. For 250 laps the two rivals ran wheel to wheel until Derr hit the wall between turns 3 and 4 and was forced to pit to change a tire. Stott built up a four lap lead and had the race in hand until lap 295 when he broke the whole left front wheel assembly and was sidelined with only four laps remaining. Ernie Derr would come back and win his sixth straight Iowa 300. Derr and Stott were so far ahead of the competition that Stott still managed to finish second in the 35-car field. Michael Petrucci of St. Paul, Minnesota rounded out the top three.

On July 9, 1972 IMCA sanctioned its last Iowa 300 at Des Moines and it was a day Gerry Harrison of Topeka, Kansas would just a soon forget. Harrison blew a tire on lap 288 while leading the event and handed the win to Fred Horn of Marion, Iowa. Harrison was not the only victim that day as Irv Janey (who would win the 1972 IMCA championship) also had trouble while leading. Janey was leading the race on lap 129 when his transmission gave out. Earlier he had set fast time. Harrison was able to recover for second and Gordon Blankenship, another Keokuk driver (who would be the 1973 IMCA champion) ran third in the final edition of this classic race.

The final 300-lap affair was actually renamed the Firecracker 300 and defending IMCA champion Irv Janey of Cedar Rapids won the July 4 race, winning the event over Mike Derr (Ernie’s son) and future IMCA champion Ferris Collier.

Like the IMCA season point battles, the Iowa 300 was dominated by driver from Keokuk. Ernie Derr who finally won the 300 in 1966, then won it six straight times before retiring. His chief rival in IMCA for many years, Ramo Stott was a three time winner of the event and Don White (Ernie Derr’s brother in law) and Dick Hutcherson, also won the event giving the Eastern Iowa river town, 11 wins in 17 Iowa 300’s.

So the next time you go to a 100-lap Dirt Late Model feature and think it’s a long race, just remember the days of the Iowa 300.