1971 - Leas, Blundy winners in Tampa weekend action

Tampa, Fla. (February 6, 1971) – J.D. Leas might have been halfway home to Winterville, Pa., on Sunday instead of taking the checkered flag in the feature as the third of the series of Winternational Sprints won its race against the weather.

Leas crashed his car at the Florida State Fairgrounds half-mile track on Saturday and the car’s owner, W. J. Watson, wanted to go home.

But the crew pitched in, straightened things out, and gave Leas his chance to finish in front of Jerry Blundy of Galesburg, Ill., and Jay Woodside of Kansas City, Mo., in that order.

Everything was not right because Leas hit the wall again during the second lap of time trials and was forced to take the first lap time, which was the eighth fastest of the day.

Chuck Amati, the sensation of the race meet from Greenfield, Tenn., had the fastest lap with a time of 26.504 seconds. Amati would miss the feature with a broken rear end.

Leas had a 350 cubic inch engine under the hood and Blundy only a 302 cubic engine, which may have been the reason Blundy could not get off the turns fast enough to catch Leas on the straight-aways.

Leas led from the third lap when the two front running cars tangled in the north turn, Cliff Cockrum of Mitchell, Ind., and Rich Schemelyum of Westminster, Md.

Jerry Blundy of Galesburg, Ill., the defending IMCA national champion, won his second straight feature of the IMCA Winternationals on Saturday afternoon.

Saturday Results –

1. Jerry Blundy, Galesburg, Ill.
2. Chuck Amati, Greenfield, Tenn.
3. Bob Kinser, Bloomington, Ind.
4. Cliff Cockrum, Mitchell, Ind.
5. Jay Woodside, Kansas City, Mo.
6. David James, Arlington, Tex.
7. Jim Moughan, Springfield, Ill.
8. Darl Harrison, Tiffin, Ohio
9. Roger Rager, Kansas City, Mo.
10. Lee Osborne, Lebanon, Pa.

Sunday Results –

1. J.D. Leas, Winterville, Pa.
2. Jerry Blundy, Galesburg, Ill.
3. Jay Woodside, Kansas City, Mo.
4. Billy Cassella, Weirton, W.Va.
5. Darl Harrison, Tiffin, Ohio
6. Dick Sutcliffe, Kansas City, Mo.
7. Bob Kinser, Bloomington, Ind.
8. Jim Murphy, South Haven, Mich.
9. Tom Corbin, Carrollton, Mo.
10. Bill Hudson, Montezuma, Iowa