Bob Burdick of Omaha, Neb. or Don Quinn of Long Beach, Calif.?
The track was ruled out of bounds for IMCA
drivers two years ago by labeling the quarter-mile track as an “unsanctioned
track”.
Cunningham said, “I will consult the book rules
and if there was any violation it will be taken up immediately with the IMCA
board.
Johnny Beauchamp of Harlan, the 1957 IMCA stock
car driving champion, won major honors at Pioneer last Sunday under the name of
“Jack Davis, Dallas , Tex. ”
Bob Burdick of Omaha , another top IMCA late model driver who
won the feature at Pioneer a week ago Wednesday and placed second in Sunday’s
feature, raced under the name of “Don Quinn, Long Beach , Calif. ”
They said they had competed under assumed names
to “avoid trouble with the IMCA.” The IMCA is an organization run by Midwest
and Southern state fair secretaries.
Ernie Derr of Keokuk, former national champion,
denied he competed under an assumed name a week ago Wednesday. “I was up to see
the race that’s all,” Derr said.
Beauchamp said, “We didn’t want to get fined by
the IMCA. We got in a little late; didn’t have time to check so we just signed
up under other names.”
Both Beauchamp and Burdick drove to Des Moines Sunday from an
IMCA sanctioned meet at Mason City
where Burdick won.
Beauchamp explained, “We assumed our appearance
wasn’t in conflict with the IMCA rule on dates since we’d appeared at Mason City , but we
weren’t sure, so we just used other names to keep out of trouble.”
Burdick said, “We assumed it was the best thing
to do. As I understand it, the IMCA promoters Al Sweeney, National Speedways,
Inc., and, Frank Winkley, Auto Racing; Inc., don’t want us to use our regular
names outside the IMCA circuit.”
“They don’t want fans that pay their three to
four bucks a ticket at big meets, to see us for a buck at some other track in
the same territory.”
Marion Robinson, who promotes races at Pioneer,
said he knew of “13 or 14 of the 46 drivers here Sunday signed up under
different names.”
He added, “I'm not going to question them —
besides I didn't care to get into another rhubarb with Sweeney. He doesn’t want
me to use his drivers.”
Editor’s Note: A week later, a press release
was sent out by John Libby of St. Paul, Minn., the secretary of the
International Motor Contest Association, stating that six drivers; Kenneth
Schultz of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.; Bob Burdick of Omaha, Neb., John Beauchamp of Harlan, Iowa, Lloyd
Jorgenson of Anita, Iowa, Newt Bartholomew of Carlisle, Iowa and Bob Short of
Des Moines, Iowa, were all accused of using false names to compete in
non-sanctioned races in the vicinity of IMCA sanctioned meets and were all
being fined $100 a piece.
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