1987 – Steve Kinser Tops Black Hills Main

 

Steve Kinser won the World of Outlaws sprint car feature at Black Hills Speedway. Car owner Karl Kinser looks on.

Rapid City, S.D. (July 5, 1987) – Steve Kinser overcame tire problems to hold off Coors Light Racing teammate Brad Doty at the finish line Sunday night at Black Hills Speedway.

The victory was Kinser’s third in the last four weeks giving him 21 feature wins for the 1987 World of Outlaws campaign. The seven-time “King of the Outlaws” is rapidly approaching the record for victories in a season – 28. Kinser set that record in 1980 and Sammy Swindell equaled that total the following season.

Johnny Herrera led the first two laps of the feature before Kinser, who took the checkered flag at Black Hills in 1983 and 1984, went low in turn one on the third lap and never looked back. Doty was five-car-lengths back at the checkered.

Sammy Swindell’s car suffered a broken torsion bar, but he still managed finish third. Bobby Davis Jr and Mark Kinser, who started side-by-side in the third row, finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Mark Kinser ran an impressive 16.606-second lap in time trials to take his fourth pole position of the year.


Results –

1. Steve Kinser
2. Brad Doty
3. Sammy Swindell
4. Bobby Davis Jr.
5. Mark Kinser
6. Ron Shuman
7. Craig Keel
8. Johnny Herrera
9. Randy Smith
10.Jac Haudenschild

1982 - Parker holds off Izzo, captures Santa Fe 100

 

Pete Parker led from start to finish in the 100-lap NDRA late model qualifier at Santa Fe Speedway. – Weber Brothers Photo

Willow Springs, Ill. (July 5, 1982) – Pete Parker set a track qualifying record and then staved off a remarkable comeback by Tony Izzo to win the 100-lap feature for late models Monday night at Santa Fe Speedway.

The event replaced the scheduled National Dirt Racing Association (NDRA) event after a management dispute prevented the NDRA competitors from appearing.

Parker started the evening on a prophetic note, touring the speedway’s longer oval in 18.01 seconds to erase Jim Partipilo’s standard of 18.19seconds.

Starting the 100-lapper on the pole, Parker shot into the lead at the opening green.

Jim O’Conner loomed as Parker’s chief rival early on as he came quickly from his fifth row starting position to third place before action was interrupted on lap 7 when John Provenzano’s mount, which had sustained a broken axle earlier, failed to negotiate turn one.

O’Conner took second shortly after the ensuing green and joined Parker in pulling away from the remaining contestants. However, smoke began to billow from O’Conner’s machine on the 20th revolution and he was black-flagged shortly thereafter. Izzo took second on lap 25 and O’Conner pulled into the pits seconds later.

Finding the upper groove to his liking, Izzo quickly zeroed in on Parker and took the lead as the pair sliced and diced through turn two on lap 30.

However, one lap later, Izzo and Bill Prietzel bumped, causing a yellow flag to fly and enabling Parker to regain the top spot.

The tangle with Prietzel loosened some fiberglass on Izzo’s car, and he was black-flagged. After having the fiber glass removed, Izzo rejoined the field at the back of the pack, along with Gary Webb, who had changed tires during the caution.

Moving back into contention quickly, Izzo was up to fourth at lap 50, as Parker was still on top followed by Dick Potts and Whitey Harris. Webb was also on the mov, running in fifth at the event’s midpoint.

Parker enjoyed a huge advantage on lap 60 when Izzo overhauled Potts for second place.

A four-car spinout required a caution on lap 70, allowing Izzo to close in on Parker for a restart.

When the green returned, Parker and Izzo pulled away from the field as they waged a heated battle for the lead, but Parker never relinquished the top spot again and crossed the finish line first. Izzo had to be content with a runner-up finish. Webb was third followed by Potts and Harris.

Results –

1. Pete Parker, Kaukauna, Wis.
2. Tony Izzo, Bridgeview, Ill.
3. Gary Webb Davenport, Iowa
4. Dick Potts, Morocco, Ind.
5. Whitey Harris, Lake Villa, Ill.
6. Larry Jackson, Lyons, Ill.
7. Mike Papp, Chicago
8. John Kennedy, Villa Park, Ill.
9. Bill Knippenberg, Hinsdale, Ill.
10.Fred Lofgren, Bensenville, Ill.

1971 – Moore Wins ASA ‘100’ at Winchester

 

Garry Pointdexter interviews winner Larry Moore after the Union City, Ind., driver won the ASA-sanctioned 100-lapper on the high banks of Winchester Speedway. - Dave Arganbright Collection

Winchester, Ind. (July 5, 1971) – Union City’s Larry Moore scored a near-sweep of the American Speed Association late model racing program at Winchester Speedway on Monday afternoon with a runaway victory in the “Walbernize 100”.

Moore, whose afternoon included a world’s one-lap stock car record in addition to the 100-lap feature win, took the checkered flag in the feature more than two and half laps ahead of runner-up Denny Miles of Muncie.

Intermittent rains delayed the program for nearly two hours during qualifications, but not before Moore sped his Chevelle to a clocking of 18.48 seconds (97.297 mph) that wiped out the previous track record of 18.98 seconds set last year by Ron North.

Dave Sorg, winner of the last four ASA late model events at Winchester, was unable to compete because of family reasons.

Had it not been for Moore’s spectacular driving, the race would have been a thriller. At the finish, Miles, Dave Dayton of Indianapolis, Les Snow of Bloomington, Ill., and ASA point leader Gene Christie of Gaston, crossed the finish line in bumper-to-bumper formation.

Moore started on the pole position and led the entire distance. He had early competition from Don Gregory of Columbus, Ohio as the pair ran nose-to-tail for the first 33 circuits until Gregory pitted with tire issues.

Gregory lost two laps, returned to the battle only to return to the pits to change another tire. In all, he lost seven laps in the pits but made up two laps on the track in the final 50 laps and finished eighth.

Gregory won the first heat of the day as well as winning the trophy dash. Mickey Flora of Anderson, on loan from the ARCA racing circuit, won the second heat and Darwin Blankenship, also from Anderson, was the third heat winner.


Results –


1. Larry Moore, Union City
2. Denny Miles, Muncie
3. Dave Dayton, Indianapolis
4. Les Snow, Bloomington, Ill.
5. Gene Christie, Gaston
6. Vern Schrock, Middlebury
7. Larry Cope, Leroy
8. Don Gregory, Columbus, Ohio
9. Eldon Byler, Howe
10.Gene Prosser, New Castle

1980 - Detjens Times a Tad Quicker, Wins ARTGO Dairyland

 

Larry Detjens is all smiles after claiming the overall title in the ARTGO-sanctioned "Dairyland 150" at Golden Sands Speedway. - Stan Kalwasinski Photo

By Stan Kalwasinski

Plover, Wis. (July 4, 1980) – Turning in a better qualifying performance netted Larry Detjens a victory Friday night, as the Wausau speedster was the overall winner of ARTGO Racing’s third annual Dairyland 150 at the Golden Sands Speedway.

Winning his third ARTGO feature of the season, Detjens bested Jim Sauter, Mike Miller, and Tom Reffner in the first 75-lapper. Sauter came back to score his first-ever ARTGO victory in the second event, defeating Detjens, Dick Trickle, Butch Miller, and Mike Miller.

Detjens outqualified Sauter by .094 seconds to break the tie and claim the overall title.

A field of 22 late models blistered the pavement at the drop of the green for the first 75 with Marv Marzofka moving his Camaro from the outside of the front row into the lead in the opening laps. Marzofka stayed in front until lap 18 when Sauter wheeled his Camaro on the outside of Marzofka to take over the number one position.

The red flag flew after 25 circuits when Sauter hit an oil slick in the third turn, with Marzofka, Trickle and Mike Miller all spinning and crashing in the oily corner. Trickle and Miller’s mounts both needed attention in the pits, while the track crew cleaned up the oil which was strewn all over the one-third mile banked paved oval.

With everyone answering the call for the restart, Detjens shot out front.

Detjens, followed by Sauter, saw the yellow flag appear on lap 40, as Shear tagged Butch Miller as the duo battled for third place, sending Miller spinning in turn two.

Ten laps later, another caution came out as Mike Opperman spun in turn two. When the green light came back on, Detjens and his Camaro maintained the lead to starter Bill Gronley’s checkered flag, as a light rain persisted during the last third of the race.

The entire starting field was ready to go for the next 75-lapper with Ted Musgrave guiding his Camaro into the lead from his pole position. Musgrave’s command lasted two laps, as fast qualifier Butch Miller moved his Camaro on top on lap 3.

With Miller on top, the race’s only caution came on lap 11, as Dennis Vogel spun in turn three. Sauter moved his Camaro past Miller on lap 23, with Detjens and Trickle close behind. After 57 laps had been completed and Sauter firmly in the lead, a heavy rainstorm hot the track, bringing out the red flag and eventually forcing officials to declare the event complete.


Results –

Feature #1 -

1. Larry Detjens, Wausau
2. Jim Sauter, Necedah
3. Joe Shear, South Beloit, Ill.
4. Mike Miller, Wisconsin Rapids
5. Tom Reffner, Rudolph
6. Marv Marzofka, Nekoosa
7. Ed Hoffman, Bensenville, Ill.
8. Steve Burgess, Eau Claire
9. Butch Miller, Lawson, Mich.
10.Ted Musgrave, Grand Marsh
11.Jim Weber, Roseville, Minn.
12.Dick Trickle, Wisconsin Rapids
13.Mike Opperman, Golden, Colo.
14.Steve Moll, Wisconsin Rapids
15.Jim Back, Vesper


Feature #2 –

1. Jim Sauter
2. Larry Detjens
3. Dick Trickle
4. Butch Miller
5. Mike Miller
6. Steve Burgess
7. Joe Shear
8. Marv Marzofka
9. Tom Reffner
10.Ted Musgrave
11.Ed Hoffman
12.Bobby Dotter, Chicago
13.Dan Prziborowski, Savage, Minn.
14.Willie Goeden, Kewaskum
15.Jim Weber

1974 – Unser Outduels Andretti in USAC Return

Al Unser

Syracuse, N.Y. (July 4, 1974) - Al Unser brought the aura of Indianapolis back to the State Fairgrounds yesterday by outdueling Mario Andretti in a United States Auto Club 100-mile dirt track, national championship race on the one-mile oval.

Andretti, the diminutive driving giant, led the race for the first 86 laps and one more later on; but Unser's 13 proved to be far from unlucky as one of two driving dervish brothers from Albuquerque, N.M., got the checkered flag by making more of what little gasoline he had left. The two Viceroy Special stablemates, powered by Foyt-Ford engines, finished the race on fumes, but neither knew the other was in trouble.

The race lost two of its other glamour names before the green flag was even unfurled. Jan Opperman upcoming super-sprint star, suffered a concussion and torn shoulder ligaments in a sprint car crash Wednesday night in Reading, Penn.

His “City of Syracuse” entry was driven instead by Pancho Carter. Gary Bettenhausen, whose late father Tony won here in 1956, six years before a change in State Fair dates brought an end to what had been the oldest USAC national championship race other than Indy, was involved in a careening, tumbling accident 10 minutes into the warmups.

Bettenhausen's car went out of control on the first turn, flipped over twice while twisting before hurtling over a 10-foot steel barrier and then plunging through the roof of an empty concession stand.

The two-time USAC sprint-car champ was rushed to the State University Hospital where a spokesman said he had suffered two broken collarbones, a broken finger, and other possible injuries, and was in satisfactory condition late last night after surgery.

But when the time trials and race got underway, the show belonged to Unser and Andretti, who between them own three Indy 500 titles.

After the drivers drew to determine the order for qualifying times, Andretti was second onto the track and Unser third, and neither wasted time in showing their class.

On the first of his two laps, Andretti smashed the 11-year lap record of Bob Sweikert (35.33 seconds or 101.896 miles per hour), with a lap of 34.76, or 103.567 mph. Unser, next onto the track, turned in a 35.08 time and the two red and white Parnelli Jones cars had the front row to themselves. Four other drivers smashed the old mark—Tom Bigelow, Greg Weld, Billy Vukovich and Joe Saldan, while Johnny Parsons equaled it.

Unser's time for the race was 1:03.549, or 93.872, not a track record, probably because 14 laps were run under the yellow flag. The record still belongs to Roger Ward’s farewell appearance in 1962 at 95.572 mph.

The attrition rate at the end of the race was an even 50 percent as 12 of the 24 cars that qualified for the final were still screaming when Unser coasted home his. front-engine, old-Indy style car 10 yards in front of Andretti.

Pre-race talk in the pits had the race down to two teams, Unser and Andretti, and Bettenhausen and Billy Vukovich. But Vukovich, third-place finisher at this year's Indy, could go only nine laps before he was black-flagged with an oil leak.

Unser, who won at Indy in 1970 and ‘71 (one of four men to win back-to-back), and the defending USAC dirt track champ (there were only three races counting toward the title last year), thus got off to a flying start.

Andretti, who won at Indy in 1969 and won two of the three dirt track races last year only to finish tied for second with Bigelow, thought he had the race won until his engine started to balk during the final 20 laps.

“I could tell I was running out of fuel when it sputtered on me, and I thought Al was running comfortably behind me, so I just tried to hold him off. There was no way he could have gotten his nose into me like that, though, if I wasn’t in trouble,” Andretti said.

Unser’s nose stuck out further than Andretti’s for the first time on lap 87 as Andretti's machine sputtered loudly in front of the 12,000 in the grandstand.

Unser led the game of tag for the next nine laps before the day’s final yellow flag appeared. When the field was given the green lap on lap 96, Andretti flew in front again on turn one, but the lead lasted only once around as Unser assumed command on 97 and held it to the black and white symbol of victory.

Someone in the Viceroy-Jones pits must have misjudged the fuel consumption of the two cars because although Andretti said he had little left at the end, Unser said, “I ran out of gas on the last lap and came in on fumes. On top of that, the car was hard to handle because I had little throttle response. But I just drove the thing the fastest I could.”

Unser, who according to promoter Glenn Donnelly will collect a shade more than $10,000 of the $35,000 purse, said, “I was having trouble with the injectors all day, and the slower laps probably cost me more fuel. We've got to get that fixed before the next race.”

Donnelly, a happy man as his effort to bring back big-time USAC racing after a 12-year absence seems to have paid off, was even more positive about next year.

“We’ll definitely go again next year. If we tell USAC we want it, that’s it, we'll go. And after today’s attendance despite the up and down weather the past few days, next year’s crowd should be bigger and see an even better race,” the popular young promoter exuded.

Unser agreed. “I would really like to see dirt track racing grow here and across the country because it's probably the most exciting form of auto racing there is. The track conditions and groove can change at any time, and you have to be able to adjust right along. And you can't afford a pit stop, not in these 100-milers, if you do stop, then your history. So, your car has to be set up to go the whole distance.”

Aside from Unser and Andretti, only Greg Weld, Bigelow and Sammy Sessions finished 100 laps.

The heat, which reached 95 degrees in the stands and nearly 120 trackside, didn't cause any cars to overheat, but Arnie Knepper, who finished sixth, was overcome by heat exhaustion in the pits after the race.


Results –

1. Al Unser
2. Mario Andretti
3. Greg Weld
4. Tom Bigelow
5. Sam Sessions
6. Arnie Knepper
7. Jimmy Caruthers
8. Rollie Beale
9. Lee Osborne
10.Bill Cassella
11.Mel Cornett
12.Karl Busson
13.Joe Saldana
14.Bill Puterbaugh
15.Gary Ponzini
16.Don Nordhorn
17.Ralph Liguori
18.Ronnie Burke
19.Bob Evans
20.John Hubbard
21.Dana Carter
22.Bill Vukovich

1966 – McQuagg Wins ‘400’

 

Firecracker 400 winner Sam McQuagg is interviewed by ABC's Chris Economaki. 

Daytona Beach, Fla. (July 4, 1966) – Shaking loose from the pack on the 27th lap, Sam McQuagg of Columbus, Ga., charged to a storybook finish in the Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway on Monday afternoon.

To be trite, it was a “charger” in a Charger that won the 400-miler in the 90-degree heat of a sunny afternoon before an estimated crowd of 45,000 stock car fans.

Last year at this time, everyone was asking, “Who is Sam McQuagg?” He had turned a couple of quick laps to qualify fourth, the same position he started last year.

But he dropped out of the race, and it wasn’t until later in the year that he answered the question. He did it by winning rookie of the year honors on the NASCAR Grand National circuit even though he never won a race.

Actually, the Firecracker is the first race he’s ever won in Grand National. Ad he did it in grand style, leading the second place Darel Dieringer of Charlotte, N.C., by half a lap as they neared the 160-lap finish. Dieringer slowed to a roll on the back stretch but had enough of a lead over third place Jim Paschal of High Point, N.C., to coast across the finish line.

The victory was worth $15,000 to McQuagg, including lap money. Dieringer took home $8,870, including $1,500 as the first finisher among independent drivers. McQuagg also received a new car from Chrysler, a family car.

“The car just ran beautifully all day,” McQuagg said in a press box interview. He stood sweating in a crowd of newsmen, holding the hoses that hooked to his cooling suit rig in the car,

“Ray Nichels and the crew got the car running fast. We didn’t have a lot of plans. The boss said just go out there and play it by ear. I guess the plan was to go as fast as I could.”

He made four pit stops during the race, all but one under caution. In spite of the yellow flags, McQuagg set a new record for the race with an average speed of 153.88 miles per hour. The old record was 151.451 miles per hour set by A.J. Foyt in 1964.

The race was a dog fight for the first 10 laps, with five cars up front trading positions. Lee Roy Yarbrough of Columbia, S.C., took the first lap lead, lost it to McQuagg on the second lap, then David Pearson of Spartanburg, S.C., stole it in a dash after several caution flags later.

Curtis Turner of Charlotte, N.C., grabbed the lead on the next lap, then Yarbrough and McQuagg swapped it back and forth on the backstretch. There was a lot of trading during a series of caution flags of pit stops but McQuagg came back racing and took the lead to stay, except where there were swaps during subsequent pit stops.

The race favorite, Richard Petty of Randleman, N.C., blew his engine going into the first turn on lap 86. His car spun, smashed into Earl Balmer, and both of them were out of the race. Petty had made two pit stops earlier and was never in contention.

Yarbrough, who started on the pole, was with the leaders until he blew a right rear tire on lap 127. He drove into the pits and never returned.

Both of the Bakers, Father Buck, and son Buddy went out blown engines.

It was no surprise that a Dodge charger won the race, but it was a surprise that a Bud Moore-built and Dieringer-driven Mercury Comet finished second. And it was an equally pleasing surprise that a Smokey Yunick-built Chevelle driven by Curtis Turner, finished fourth.


Results –

1. Sam McQuagg, Columbia, S.C.
2. Darel Dieringer, Charlotte, N.C.
3. Jim Paschal. High Point, N.C.
4. Curtis Turner, Charlotte, N.C.
5. Jim Hurtubise, North Tonawanda, N.Y.
6. Don White, Keokuk, Iowa
7. Marvin Panch, Daytona Beach, Fla.
8. Tiny Lund, Cross, S.C.
9. James Hylton, Inman, S.C.
10.John Sears, Ellerbe, N.C.

1962 - Rutherford Drives to Win Downs Feature

 

Johnny Rutherford receives congratulations from promoter Frank Winkley after winning the 25-lap IMCA big car feature at Hawkeye Downs. 

Cedar Rapids, Iowa (July 4, 1962) - Big car racing fans - 7,840 of them paid- beat the threat of rain and Johnny Rutherford upped his IMCA point lead by grabbing the feature event Wednesday night at Hawkeye Downs.

The good-looking Texan walked off with most of the prize money as he grabbed the lead early in the 25-lap feature and was never headed.

Rutherford, driving a Chevy conversion, had to withstand the challenges of several Offenhauser drivers, Jerry Richert, Pete Folse, Johnny White and Harold Leep in speedway-type cars. Richert was second in the feature while Folse finished third.

Howard Allen of Portland, Ore., and White, of Warren, Mich., suffered minor eye injuries when they were struck by clods of dirt during the torrid feature race.

Despite the rains early in the day, the track was fast. The first 20 drivers in the time trials finished within one and one-half seconds of each other.


Results –


1. Johnny Rutherford
2. Jerry Richert
3. Pete Folse
4. Arnie Knepper
5. Jerry Blundy
6. Johnny White
7. Harold Leep
8. Bill Horstmeyer
9. Russ Long
10.Dale Reed
11.Jigger Sirois
12.Roger Lane
13.Harv Konkel
14.Howard Allen
15.Gordon Woolley
16.Red Hoyle