Bob Senneker (84) passes Larry Moore (12) en route to winning at Tri-County Speedway. - Paul Fey Jr. Collection
West Chester, Ohio (August 13, 1972) - Bob Senneker of Grand Rapids, Mich., lapped every car in the field and easily won Tri-County Speedway's U.S. Stock Car Championships on Sunday night.
He started fifth and took the lead on lap 12 never to
be seriously challenged in a race slowed by only one caution flag on the second
lap.
Dick Dunlevy started on the pole after qualifying
twelfth and led for five laps before relinquishing the lead to Larry Moore, who
had started sixth. Moore held on until lap 12 when Senneker look over.
Senneker gradually pulled away from the field and by
the 84th lap had lapped everyone but Moore. Moore was about a straightaway
behind on lap 90 when he began losing oil pressure, and on the 95th lap, according
to Moore, it locked up solid.
"Everything went real well after I got by
Moore," Senneker said. "No problems at all. But out front like that
you always hear strange noises like something is going to break. I had no idea
where Howe was, I kept looking for him."
He meant he was expecting Ed Howe of Beaverton, Mich.,
to pull up behind him. Howe was second fastest qualifier and has won many races
against Senneker.
But he blew a rear end and had to drop out on the 53rd
lap while running third and gaining.
By winning the $35,000 first place money Senneker won
the largest purse of his nine year racing career. He is a 27 year-old bachelor
with three racing brothers, and he owns the 1971 Chevelle he drove to victory.
"Bob Horton helps me on the car. It's a full time
job for both of us," Senneker continued. "We had a bad year until
recently. When we got the bugs out of a small engine we've been working with.
We won a 100-lapper at Hartford a few weeks ago and last night we won at Grand Rapids."
Tom Maier of Midland, Mich., won the Ohio Championship
last month and again drove a steady, flawless race to finish second. And he
drove with a cast on his left wrist which was broken two weeks ago at Columbus.
The caution flag came out on the second lap when Bud
Middaugh of Massillon hit the rail in turn four while running second, He had to
go to the rear for the restart but skillfully worked his way through the pack
and finished third.
Fourth place went to John Anderson of Detroit, fresh
from a Saturday night win at Angola, Indiana. He started twelfth and, like most
drivers, was concerned about tire wear and about selecting tires of the right
compound for the race.
"We finally got the front glued," Anderson
said, "but we couldn't get a bite coming off the corners. I should have
put the same kind of tires on the rear."
In one way Lamarr Marshall of Louisville made the best
showing of the night by starting twenty second and finishing fifth. Like Maier,
Middaugh and Anderson, he drove a 1969 Chevelle.
The next five places went to Dick Dunlevy of Dayton, ’70
Chevelle; Bruce Gould of Milford, ‘71 Torino; John Vallo of Miamisburg, '72
Camaro; Rodney Combs of Hamilton, '69 Chevelle; and Jack Shanklin of
Indianapolis, ’72 Monte Carlo.
The most disappointed man at the track must have been
fast qualifier Joe Ruttman of Dearborn Heights, Mich. He cut a tire on the first
lap and dropped out of the race, He had qualified first even though it was his
first run on Tri-County's asphalt.
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