Oskaloosa, Iowa (May 10, 1972) - Anyone who missed last night’s races out at the Southern Iowa Speedway here in Oskaloosa really missed seeing some hard, fast driving. Such a field of race cars has not been to the Oskaloosa track in a mighty long time.
A total of 72 cars participated
in the evening's events before a capacity crowd of enthusiastic fans. The
driver payoff passed the $3,500 mark.
Big John Moss grabbed the lead at
the drop of the green flag and held on for the super stock feature win. Moss,
of Iowa City, had a fair sized lead on the rest of the 20-car field when the
chickens came out.
At the initial start John did not
have the lead as newcomer Jim Gerber of Long Grove jumped around that front row
and had taken the lead only to have a red flag come out when four cars had a
mix-up on the west turns. Going back to the original start gave Moss the chance
he needed and he was on his toes when the green fell that time.
Ramo Stott of Keokuk just
couldn’t quite catch Moss, but came in second with both drivers piloting
Plymouths. Holding down third spot was last week’s winner, Don Hoffman.
Hoffman, of Des Moines, held off Stott until near the end of the race when
Stott managed to pass him.
Following Hoffman was Ed Sanger
of Waterloo (both in Monte Carlos). Jim Gerber finished fifth with Ron Prymek
of Iowa City, Bill Martin of Council Bluffs, Curt Hansen of Dike, Bill
Zwanziger of Waterloo and Pokey West of West Chester following.
Joe Merryfield of Des Moines was
holding fourth place before having to pull out of the race when he almost lost
his hood in the last third of the race.
Don Hoffman topped the first
10-lap heat race ahead of Bill Newman of Burlington and Ron Prymek. Roger Dolan
of Lisbon led laps four thru eight when a large puff of smoke came pouring from
his car. Dolan slowed and came in fourth.
Moss took the lead on the last
lap to win the second heat. Joe Merryfield led the first nine laps only to make
a bobble and that let Moss passed. Ron Hemsted of Lone Tree and Bill Martin
were third and fourth respectively.
It was a two-car battle for the
first spot in the third heat. Jim Gerber and Ed Sanger were really fighting it
out with side by side and bumper to bumper driving throughout the race. Gerber
led the first three laps then Sanger took over for three-quarters of a lap,
when Gerber took it for keeps. Sanger finished second, Zwanziger, third and
Mike Keen of Marshalltown in fourth.
Ramo Stott, in his first
appearance here at Oskaloosa, captured the fourth heat. Pokey West was second. Earl Tice of
Ames nipped Kurt Hansen by a bumper at the finish line for third.
Because of the large number of
cars it was decided to run two 16-car consolation races.
Winner of the first race was Bob Hilmer
of Dysart followed by Phil Reece of Des Moines and Tim McDonough of Cedar
Rapids. Dan Clement of Rhodes won the second 10-lap race. Bob Bonzer of Lisbon
and Larry Wasserfort of Cedar Falls were second and third.
The lead in the first 10-lap
Sportsman race changed seven times with four different cars up front. At the
checkered flag it was Mike McClure of Eldon in the winners place. Following
were Don Benge of Selma, Skip Gray of Ottumwa and Tom Johnson of Agency.
Ed Baker of Norwalk copped the
second Sportsman race by a very narrow margin. In the thru car bumper to bumper
finish were Kenny Grimm of Cedar Rapids and Cliff Van Zandt of Des Moines.
Richard Evans of Wellman, last
year’s champion, led the first two laps. Van Zandt then took over the next
seven laps. McClure took the lead on the last and most important lap to take
the victory.
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