John Moss
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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