1970 – Oskaloosa Championship to John Moss

Iowa produced another three-time track champion when John Moss won the season championship at Oskaloosa. Moss also won titles at Burlington and West Liberty. He's shown signing autographs for some of his young fans. - Beetle Bailey Photo

Oskaloosa, Iowa (September 30, 1970) - John Moss of Riverside, Iowa, captured the 50-lap Southern Iowa Racing Association season championship on Wednesday night at the Mahaska County Fairgrounds in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

Moss took the lead from his pole position at the drop of the green and was never threatened as he led all 50 circuits. Moss pocketed $550 cash and also received the track championship trophy. His win clinched the SIRA point championship for the 1970 season. With point titles already won at Burlington and West Liberty, Moss became a three-time track champion.

Stan Stover of Reinbeck would finish second in the feature followed by Dan Dickey of Packwood, Ron Perdock of Washington and Jerry Roberts of Prairie City.

Ed Pilcher of Ottumwa would start the evening off by winning the 5-lap trophy dash. Mark Mosier of Washington, Ed Sanger of Waterloo, Mel Morris of West Liberty were heat winners while Morris won the 6-lap Australian Pursuit. Ron Perdock was the 10-lap semi-main winner.

Results –

Trophy Dash: Ed Pilcher, Ottumwa
Heat #1 - Mark Mosier, Washington
Heat #2 - Ed Sanger, Waterloo
Heat #3 - Mel Morris, West Liberty
Semi-Main - Ron Perdock, Washington
Feature -
1. John Moss, Riverside
2. Stan Stover, Reinbeck
3. Dan Dickey, Packwood
4. Ron Perdock
5. Jerry Roberts, Prairie City
6. Mel Morris
7. Don Hoffman, Des Moines
8. George Barton, Ankeny
9. Ken Boyse, Wellman
10. Joel Rasmussen, Ames
11. Mike Brooks, Hartford
12. Marvin Korns, Brooklyn
13. Bill Newman, Burlington
14. Pokey West, Westchester
15. Mark Mosier, Washington

1974 - Shear tops Rockford National Short Track Championship

Joe Shear (36) and Dick Trickle (99) battle it out during the 1974 National Short Track Championships. Shear would go on to win his second career title. - Bernie Tappa Photo

Rockford, Ill. (September 29, 1974) – Joe Shear of South Beloit, Ill., became the first late model driver to win two National Short Track Championships at Rockford Speedway. Late Sunday afternoon, the Camaro pilot took the checkered flag in the ninth annual running of the Black Label sponsored 200-lapper.

Coming off the pole position, Greg Arenson of Edina, Minn., took the initial lead. Shear started in the fifth row opposite arch-rival Dick Trickle of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. Shear and Trickle timed in with identical qualifying times of 14.29 seconds on the high-banked quarter-mile asphalt oval.

Driving a 1973 Camaro, Arenson held the lead for 19 laps followed closely by Johnny Reimer of Caledonia, Wis., and Dave Watson of Beloit, Wis., both behind the wheels of 1973 Camaros. In the 20th go-round, Arenson’s rear end broke loose just a little in turn four, but just enough for Reimer to slip by for the lead.

Shear and Trickle didn’t waste any time in moving through traffic and pulling in behind Reimer. But it was Johnny’s race until lap 114 when the 1972 National Short Track winner got around him to set the pace.

Lap 176 proved to be a violent one as Reimer went into a slight slide, and Trickle, right on his tail, possibly because of late afternoon sun, was unable to avoid the big crunch. Reimer went sideways and put Trickle into the unforgiving wall. It also caused a chain reaction, collecting six other machines as well.

Reimer was out for the rest of the event but Trickle limped into the pits, changed a mangled piece of metal on the left front and pulled out wrinkled sheet metal on the right side. It was done quick enough during the red flag so that he was able to return to the track and get his position back.

The green flag restarted the race but it was Shear all the way to the finish followed by Trickle, Watson, John Knaus of Rockford, Ill., and Tom Musgrave of Mundelein, Wis.

Six qualification races were held earlier in the day, four of which were rained out the night before. Winners of the two 50-lap features were Neil Callahan of Merrill, Wis., and Jim Pierson of Milton, Wis. The four 30-lap qualifiers were taken by Marvin Palmer of Hoffman Estates, Ill., George Weyrauch of Lake Geneva, Wis., Al Schill of Franklin, Wis., and Don Leach of Beloit, Wis.

Jerry Straube of Waterford, Wis., and his pit crew set a new record of 54.22 seconds in the S-K Tool sponsored National Pit Stop contest. Joe Shear and his crew finished second and Dick Trickle and his crew took third.

With 94 entries from as far as Colorado, the event took on an international flavor as a number of top drivers from the Canadian circuit pulled in.

Results –

1.    Joe Shear, South Beloit, Ill.

2.    Dick Trickle, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.

3.    Dave Watson, Beloit, Wis.

4.    John Knaus, Rockford, Ill.

5.    Tom Musgrave, Mundelein, Wis.

6.    Terry Brumley, Springfield, Mo.

7.    Neil Callahan, Merrill, Wis.

8.    Larry Schuler, Lockport, Ill.

9.    Larry Jackson, Lyons, Ill.

10.  Russ Wallace, Arnold, Mo.

1969 - Dake bests Freeport Midwest Invitational

Freeport, Ill. (September 28, 1969) – Darrell Dake of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, won the 2nd annual Midwest Invitational on Sunday evening.

Dake took the lead from Ramo Stott of Keokuk, Iowa, in the closing laps of the 60-lapper and took home the $800 first prize plus lap money.

Earlier in the afternoon, Stott won the 200-lap feature at the National Short Track Championship at the quarter-mile, paved Rockford Speedway.

Roger Dolan of Lisbon, Iowa, started on the pole and was off and running in his Plymouth Roadrunner. Dolan was never challenged until he broke an axle midway through the race.

Stott inherited the top spot and was pressed the whole way by Dake and Freeport Raceway champion Lem Blankenship of Keokuk, Iowa.

Dake banged on Stott’s bumper as the laps ticked off and when Stott got loose, spinning through the infield, Dake sped by for the lead and the victory.

Dake also won the trophy dash as he started on the pole and led all six laps. Dake was chased in the trophy dash by Dolan and Stott.

Bill Forbes of Rock Falls, Ill., piloted his Pontiac GTO to victory in the semi-feature. Forbes and Red Droste of Waterloo, Iowa, battled wheel-to-wheel for the entire race.

Results –

Fast time – Roger Dolan, Lisbon, Iowa (25.85)

Trophy dash – Darrell Dake, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Semi-main – Red Forbes, Rock Falls, Ill.

Feature –

1.    Darrell Dake

2.    Arnie Christen, Mineral Point, Wis.

3.    Fred Strube, Peoria, Ill.

4.    Ramo Stott, Keokuk, Iowa

5.    Fred Horn, Marion, Iowa

6.    Ed Sanger, Waterloo, Iowa

7.    Herb Shannon, Peoria, Ill.

8.    Lem Blankenship, Keokuk, Iowa

9.    Norm Meinert, Freeport, Ill.

10.  Bill McDonough, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

1970 – Ernie Derr cops I-70 Speedway race

Odessa, Mo. (September 27, 1970) – Ernie Derr added another win to his ever-growing list of International Motor Contest Association victories with a win in the 200-lap new model stock car race in front of 7,500 race fans.

Derr, from Keokuk, Iowa, battled some of the toughest competition ever on the high banked half-mile asphalt oval when he encountered a strong group of local drivers ready to head off the charge of IMCA pilots.

Dave Wall of Kansas City qualified his 1969 Chevrolet one-hundredth of a second faster than Derr in time trials and earned $100 for his efforts with a time of 20.06 seconds.

Derr brought his ’69 Dodge around the oval in 20.07 seconds and Fred Whisler of Liberty, Mo., took his 1970 Ford around the track in 20.21 seconds.

Irv Janey of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, jumped into the lead at the start of the race with polesitter Lewis Taylor of Shawnee, Kan., in hot pursuit. Later, Wall would move into the runner-up position as Derr dropped back into seventh position.

Early in the race, Keokuk’s Ron Hutcherson would give up his fourth spot as he would pull into the pits with the clutch going out on his ’70 Ford Torino. He would finish 23rd out of the 28 cars.

Wall would eventually get around Janey for the top spot with Derr now moving up to second. The two drivers staged a battle all their own, as they lapped the entire field and continued to set a fast pace.

On a yellow flag, following an accident, Derr would get in and out of the pits without losing any time. Wall would pit later on another caution period but would get caught in the pits when the green flag came back out.

Derr, running the high groove on the track, would continue a torrid pace, winning the race handily.

Results –

1. Ernie Derr
2. Dave Wall
3. Lewis Taylor
4. Irv Janey
5. Harold Young
6. Don Cooper
7. Tom Faircloth
8. Ray Littrell
9. Butch Hall
10. Frank Spencer

1976 – Watson Whips Tough Rockford NSTC Field

Dave Watson won the 200-lap National Short Track Championships at Rockford Speedway. 

Rockford, Ill. (September 26, 1976) – Fighting the threat of rain and 32 other drivers, Dave Watson of Milton, Wis., powered his way to victory in the National Short Track Championship final held Sunday afternoon at Rockford Speedway.

 
Watson, a former rookie of the year back in 1968, took the lead on lap 88 of the 200-lap contest and went on to win by six seconds over runner-up Joe Shear, a three-time winner.

 
Low overcast clouds threatened the race with rain, which began during Saturday night, finally letting up for a 2:30pm starting time. But it misted throughout the entire race which amazingly was run incident free. Only three caution flags waved, two for blown engines and one for debris on the track.

 
The $30,000 plus purse drew a 77-car entry and fans from throughout the country, many who set up housekeeping in their campers on the speedway grounds.

 
Dave Roahrig, a former USAC sprint car competitor, led the first 20 laps until he was overhauled by Canada’s Jerry Makara who set the pace until Watson whizzed by for the top spot.

 
Finishing third behind Watson and Shear, with a $1,000 bonus in his pocket for setting a new track record in qualifying, was Randy Sweet of Edwardsville, Mich. He blazed around the fast high-banked quarter mile in the time of 13.792 seconds.

 
Fourth and fifth place went to Roahrig and Don Biderman of Oakville, Ontario. The top five finishes were all in 1976 Camaros.

 
Two standout drivers failed to finish the long-distance race. Tom Reffner of Rudolph, Wis., and Larry Schuler of Lockport, Ill. Schuler rammed Sweet from behind during a caution period and puncture the radiator while Reffner was a definite challenger in his AMC Javelin until a valve spring broke on lap 110


Results –


1. Dave Watson, Milton, Wis.
2. Joe Shear, South Beloit, Ill.
3. Randy Sweet, Portage, Mich.
4. Dave Roahring, Bourbon, Ind.
5. Don Biderman, Oakville, Ontario.
6. Dick Trickle, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
7. Ed Hoffman, Niles, Ill.
8. Bob Sensiba, Middleville, Mich.
9. John Boegeman, Shakopee, Minn.
10. Steve Arndt, Janesville, Wis.
11. Bob Carnes, Kalamazoo, Mich.
12. Jim Weber, Roseville, Minn.
13. Jerry Eckardt, Watertown, Wis.
14. Bill Venturini, Chicago
15. Bill Retallick, Marshall, Wis.
16. Vaughn Gerke, South Beloit, Wis.
17. Ken Lund, Deerfield, Wis.
18. Dick Alssen, McHenry, Ill.
19. Jerry Makara, Ancaster, Ont.
20. Jerry Mitchell, Columbus, Ohio

Today in Racing History

 

 

September 25, 1983

 

 

 

1972 – Gardner tires; O’Conner wins Santa Fe Clay Track National

Jim O'Conner won the 200-lap National Clay Track Championship at Santa Fe Speedway. Grand Marshall Merle Bettenhausen is right of O'Conner. - Vince Mayer Photo

Hinsdale, Ill. (September 24, 1972) – Chicagoland’s longest single race – the 200-lap National Clay Track Championship – conquered fatigue ridden Arnie Gardner of Geneva, Ill., only 18 laps from the finish, allowing Kankakee, Ill’s., Jim O’Conner to move ahead and win the marathon 100-mile late model stock car championship and the $2,200 prize which accompanied it.

Gardner, who led all but a few of the 182 circuit, suddenly lifted his hand, pulled into the infield and slowly exited his finely tuned Chevelle, obviously too exhausted to compete the remaining distance.

Until Gardner’s literal collapse, he and Santa Fe point champion Dick Nelson of Chicago, staged a seesaw battle for the top spot that had the near-capacity crowd on its feet, cheering every strategic maneuver.

Gardner and Nelson shadowed each other with Gardner maintaining a car-length lead through most of the distance. Nelson dipped low and inched ahead on lap 40 but when a yellow flag slowed the field a few laps later, Garder got under the clay oval master to regain the front-running position.

Thee parring match continued to lap 10 when again Nelson made his move, dipping quickly to the inside as the pair entered turn three. He got by Gardner with impressive torque and began to move away slightly.

However, the pro-Nelson rooting section’s hysterical exultations quickly turned to groans when their favorite driver half-spun in a cloud of smoke two laps later and he pulled into the pit area with burned out brake linings.

Meanwhile, Gardner, with fresh breathing space, moved into a commanding position and looked to be the sure winner. By lap 125, he had everyone in the field except O’Conner and Ed Sanger of Waterloo, Iowa.

But just as quickly as Nelson’s mechanical failures had shocked the crowd, Gardner’s physical breakdown on lap 182 came with lightning quick unexpectedness.

As the reluctant Gardner “walked” his car to the pit area, auto racing’s fickle nature had claimed another so-called race victor by snatching another seemingly sure win.

O’Conner, who had driven a smooth and flawless race, put his 1972 Chevelle into the lead at that point and held on for the final 18 laps to score the rich victory.

Ironically, it was Nelson who relieved Gardner when the latter exited his car, but too much valuable time had been lost, and victory was out of sight. He finished in the fifth spot, three laps off the pace.

Of the 33 cars which started the grueling event on the hard-slick, half-mile clay oval, 20 were still around at the finish.

Fred Horn of Marion, Iowa, brought home his 1970 Plymouth home in second place, one lap behind the winner. Ed Farrell of Clarendon Hills was just behind in third in a 1971 Buick. Sanger, running second with two laps left, ran out of gas and settled for fourth in a 1970 Monte Carlo and Don Waldvogel of Lockport, Ill., took fifth in a 1972 Chevelle.

Results –


1. Jim O’Conner, Kankakee
2. Fred Horn, Marion, Iowa
3. Ed Farrell, Clarendon Hills
4. Ed Sanger, Waterloo, Iowa
5. Don Waldvogel, Lockport
6. Arnie Gardner, Geneva
7. Al Johnson, Justice
8. Ken Widdes, Chicago
9. Dave Mettle, Ottawa
10. Ron Ward of Oak Forest

1978 - Fairmont All-Star 10,000 to Holtkamp

Fairmont, Minn. (September 23, 1978) – The All-Star 10,000 turned into the All-Star 12,000 this past weekend at Fairmont Speedway, as Jim Edgington, track promoter, added extra money to the purse due to the exceptional turn out of both cars and race fans. More than 100 cars took part in the two-day event, including over 60 late models.

Fans turned out in near record number, and saw some of the very best racing in the upper Midwest.

The best was saved for last as Jerry Holtkamp of Williams, Iowa, Dave Bjorge of Austin, Minn., and Bob Hill of Story City, Iowa, staged a three-car race for the checkered flag in the 40-lap late model main event.

Hill started on the pole position and took the lead at the opening green flag and held it for the first 25 circuits. Holtkamp, who owns a couple of feature wins this season at the half-mile track, took the lead away from Hill on lap 26 and then held off a severe challenge from both Hill and Bjorge to take the win. The three drivers were never more than a car length apart for the entire 40 laps.

The only caution flag in the feature occurred on lap 6 when Bob Shryock of Estherville, Iowa, the season point champion at Fairmont, tried to get by Holtkamp by going to the high side of the track. Unfortunately for Shryock, he got too high on the track and tumbled off between turns one and two.

Shryock restarted at the rear of the field and showed why he’s one of the top late model pilots in the Midwest, passing 24 cars and finishing the evening with a top-five finish. Shryock was easily the fastest car on the track.

Lee Devries from Hollandale, Minn., won the 20-lap street stock feature.

The All-Star drew drivers from six states, drawing competitors from Iowa, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

Results –

1.    Jerry Holtkamp, Williams, Iowa

2.    Dave Bjorge, Austin, Minn.

3.    Bob Hill, Story City, Iowa

4.    Gary Crawford, Independence, Iowa

5.    Bob Shryock, Estherville, Iowa

6.    Darrell Sells, Waverly, Iowa

7.    Ted Zieman, Mason City, Iowa

8.    Arnie Braland, Boone, Iowa

9.    Jack Harder, St. Paul, Minn.

10.   Terry Hanson, Owatonna, Minn.

1968 – Nashville Sprint Win to Richert

Jerry Richert is congratulated by promoter Al Sweeney after winning the 30-lap IMCA sprint car feature at Nashville.  

Nashville, Tenn. (September 22, 1968) – Jerry Richert of Forest Lake, Minn., was the most excited person at the Tennessee State Fair after winning the 30-lap IMCA sprint car feature event on Sunday afternoon.

Richert, who has already clinched the IMCA sprint car national championship, said, “I’ve been trying for 10 years to win on a banked track and it feels wonderful.

Richert revealed that the car he drove set a record for 30 laps two years ago when it was driven by Don “Scratch” Daniels.

“Scratch told me I could win with it, but I didn’t think I could do it. I can’t believe it,” said Richert, who has been driving race cars since 1951.

Finishing second was Don Nordhorn of Mitchell, Ind., Saturday night’s feature winner, while Tom York of South Bend, Ind., was third. Ray Wright of Elkhart, Ind., took fourth and Dick Gaines of Mishawaka, Ind., rounded out the top five.

Local favorite, Jimmy Griggs of Donelson, Tenn., ran second most of the feature until encountering mechanical difficulties.

Two of Griggs’ old sprint records were broken in heat races. In the second 8-lap heat race, Dick Gaines won in 2 minutes and 44 seconds breaking Griggs’ old mark of 2 minutes and 48 seconds.

In the 5-lap trophy dash, Richert was clocked in 1 minute and 41 seconds beating Griggs’ standard of 1 minute and 42 seconds.

One of the hard luck drivers at the track was Don Carmichael of Hobart, Ind. Hobart set a new track record in qualifying on Saturday night only to have two cylinders go out on his car. On Sunday afternoon, Carmichael was stricken again when the mag went out.

Results –

Trophy dash – Jerry Richert, Forest Lake, Minn.

First heat – Ray Duckworth, Anderson, Ind.

Second heat – Dick Gaines, Mishawaka, Ind.

Third heat – Eddie Angle, Flora, Ind.

Consolation – Ray Wright, Elkhart, Ind.

Feature –

1.    Jerry Richert

2.    Don Nordhorn, Mitchell, Ind.

3.    Tom York, South Bend, Ind.

4.    Ray Wright

5.    Dick Gaines

6.    Jay Woodside, Kansas City

7.    Claire Lawicki, Madison Heights, Mich.

8.    Ray Duckworth

9.    Doc Dawson, Dayton, Ohio

10.  John Peddle, Madison, Ind.

1974 – Eaker grabs rich Olympia 100

Farley, Iowa (September 21, 1974) – Verlin Eaker of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, had a weekend to remember at Farley Speedway. Events leading up to and including the Olympia 100 brought Verlin $3,200 within a 25-hour period.

Activities on the fast-half-mile track began Friday night with timing of 68 late model entries. Bill Zwanziger of Waterloo, Iowa, turned the track in 23.82 seconds, giving him the pole position for the 100-lap feature on Saturday.

Curt Hansen of Dike, Iowa, timed in at 23.88 seconds putting him on the front row with Zwanziger. Little did anyone suspect, at the time, that neither driver would finish the main event.

Sam Reakes of Rockford, Ill., would win the trophy dash as he edged out Karl Sanger of Waterloo, Iowa. Bob Hesse of Waterloo, Iowa, Tom Hughes of Monticello, Iowa, Joe Schaefer of Waterloo, Iowa and George Barton of Ankeny would secure heat wins on Friday night.

Wind and chilly temperatures didn’t keep the true race fans from coming to cheer on their favorite race car drivers on Saturday night.

Veteran driver Tom Hughes of Monticello, Iowa, and Gary Crawford of Independence, Iowa, would claim consolation victories to start Saturday’s program.

When the green dropped on the Olympia 100, it was Curt Hansen taking the lead with Bill Zwanziger falling back into second. Ed Sanger of Waterloo, Iowa, Eaker, and Darrell Dake of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, were bumper to bumper with the two lead cars during the early laps.

It was here that Eaker would make his move. On lap 16, Zwanziger’s engine would go up in a puff of smoke allowing Eaker to move into second behind the fast running Hansen.

At the quarter mark of the race, the track surface was becoming slick and hard, making passing almost impossible.

On lap 30, a lapped car would force Hansen out of the groove and to the top of the track, allowing Eaker to slide by for the lead. Being the quality driver he is, Verlin would take it from there, never looking back as he led the remaining 70 circuits to claim the $2,500 top prize.

Ed Sanger would take runner-up honors after running a smooth and steady race. Darrell Dake would claim third place, Ken Walton of Cedar Rapids in fourth and Karl Sanger of Waterloo would round out the top five.

Results –

1.     Verlin Eaker, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

2.     Ed Sanger, Waterloo, Iowa

3.     Darrell Dake, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

4.     Ken Walton, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

5.     Karl Sanger, Waterloo, Iowa

6.     Don Hoffman, Des Moines, Iowa

7.     Roger Bruggeman, Dubuque, Iowa

8.     Bill Beckman, Lisbon, Iowa

9.     Sam Reakes, Rockford, Ill.

10.   Em Fretheim, Decorah, Iowa

1969 – Big “D” collects Elko $1,000

Dan Prziborowski was $1,000 richer after winning the Midwest Short Track Championships at Elko Speedway. The Savage, Minn. driver receives his payout from promoter Phil Stewart. 

Elko, Minn. (September 20, 1969) – Dan Prziborowski of Savage, Minn., the Minnesota state racing champion and overall point champion on the Tri-Circuit won the rich Midwest Short Track Championships at Elko Speedway on Sunday afternoon.

Prziborowski bested John Ziegler of Madison, Wis., and later on, the superb USAC “Rookie of the Year” Dick Trickle of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., to seal the victory.

For winning the big 100-lap feature, plus lap money and assorted preliminary races, Prziborowski collected well over $1,500 making his two-weekend total, including last week’s season championships, a whopping $2,500. That boosted the driver’s season totals to well over $12,000.

In order to get his hands on the winner’s check, Prziborowski had to come from his eighth starting position and get ahead of Ziegler, who had led nearly for 50 laps. Meanwhile Trickle, who had not time-trialed on Saturday and started 28th out of 30 cars, had moved up to the front with beautiful driving and was on Prziborowski’s tail.

Trickle moved around Prziborowski on lap 54 and maintained the top spot until lap 88 when Prziborowski slipped inside of Trickle on the north turn after the USAC star momentarily lost control of his car and slid up the track.

From there on it was Prziborowski’s race and he would win by several car lengths at the checkers. Trickle would settle for runner-up honors and go home with $850.

Dick Duerst of McFarland, Wis., finished third and Ron Olson of Bloomington, Minn., a former state titlist, came out of retirement to claim fourth ahead of Marv Marzofka of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., the record-breaking driver who won the Minnesota State Fair 300 a week earlier.

Wayne Larson of Bloomington, Minn., the defending Midwest Late Model Championship winner, started on the pole after winning a qualifying heat race but tough luck in the form of an early spinout took away any chances of repeating.

A total of 7,000 fans turned out for the two-day event.

 

1976 - Hughes takes US Dirt Track Championship

Champaign, Ill. (September 19, 1976) – It was North versus South on Sunday afternoon at the Champaign Motor Speedway as the first annual United States Dirt Track Championships for late models contested among 45 drivers from 18 states.

When the dust had cleared and the last engine shut down, a pair of Georgia speed merchants had put the final victory squarely in ‘ol Dixie’s corner.

Cigar-smoking Charlie Hughes of Dalton, Ga., dominated the main event from green flag to checker as the 1973 Camaro chauffeur led fellow peach state resident Doug Kenimer across the finish line by a three-second interval.

Hughes jumped to the number one starting position, which he earned with the fastest qualifying time during Friday’s time trials. He seemingly pulled away from the rest of the field at will. Four yellow caution periods closed the competition on the rear bumper of the 35-year-old professional race car driver, but each time the green flag waved again, Hughes would quickly open up a five to six second margin.

Kenimer, who started fifth, secured the runner-up spot on laps 58 when his 1972 Camaro jockeyed inside of Jim O’Conner of Kankakee, Ill. The 16-year, Dahlonega, Ga., veteran was able to close on Hughes when the pair encountered lap traffic but simply could challenge the superior speed of Hughes’ car.

Ed Sanger of Waterloo, Iowa, dropped O’Conner to fourth with an inside turn four pass on lap 61 and finished the grind on Kenimer’s bumper. Tom Helfrich of Haubstadt, Ind., edged hi 1973 Camaro around O’Conner’s 1976 Camaro on the white flag lap to take home fourth place money.

The victory for Hughes, worth $4,500, was his 35th feature win of the season in the E.D. Ridley-owned racer.

“I had no trouble at all with the car, the track or the traffic,” the nine-year driving star noted. “I knew there were some pretty fast drivers behind me so I just turned it loose for the whole race and came out on top.”

Hughes’ credentials entering the race were impressive as were those of the of the other 41 starters. The drivers who qualified for the 75-lap main event had a total of 547 feature victories for the 1976 season.

Kenimer’s second place effort netted him $2,300 as the Dixie invaders hauled off with the lion’s share of the $13,500 feature purse.

Iowa drivers picked up 10 of the first 20 finishing positions, yet could only place one in the top five. Sanger pocketed show money of $1,500 and Helfrich collected $1,000 for his fourth-place finish.

Results –

1.    Charlie Hughes, Dalton, Ga.

2.    Doug Kenimer, Dahlonega, Ga.

3.    Ed Sanger, Waterloo, Iowa

4.    Tom Helfrich, Haubstadt, Ind.

5.    Jim O’Conner, Kankakee, Ill.

6.    Curt Hansen, Dike, Iowa

7.    Mike Niffenegger, Kalona, Iowa

8.    Dave Srock, Ramey, Penn.

9.    Don Hoffman, Des Moines

10.   Bill Zwanziger, Waterloo, Iowa

11.   Ken Walton, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

12.   Bill Teagarden, Covington, Ky.

13.   Bob Helm, Andalusia, Ill.

14.   Galen Schaefer, Topeka, Kan.

15.   Ferris Collier, Lampe, Mo.

16.   Joe Merryfield, Des Moines

17.   Dan Dickey, Packwood, Iowa

18.   Ken Phillips, Loudon, Tenn.

19.   Ron Jackson, Burlington, Iowa

20.   Gary Webb, Davenport, Iowa

Today in Racing History

 

 

September 17, 1977

 

 

 

1961- Dick Hutcherson Wins Kansas State Fair Opener

Dick Hutcherson 

Topeka, Kan. (September 16, 1961) - Dick Hutcherson, Keokuk, Iowa, second ranked stock car driver in the International Motor Contest Association point standings, gained several points on leader Ernie Derr, with a first-place finish in the 15-lap feature event of the opening race program at the Kansas State Fair, Saturday afternoon.

Hutcherson caught the checkered two car lengths ahead of Lenny Funk, Otis, Kan., the unofficial Kansas stock car champion. Derr, also of Keokuk, Iowa, finished third.

 
The stock car program, as usual, presented many minor fender bending "brushes" and a few spinouts. There were no serious accidents. Competition in all races was keen, and this at least partially made up for the fact that the race program was one of the slowest presented here in years. This was through no fault of drivers, several of whom have been turning half-mile tracks in 26 seconds or less.

Here, because of a very soft, bumpy and "rutty" track, the best time trial was 32.30 seconds, by Lenny Funk. Hutcherson timed at 32.32; Ole Brua at 32.70; Ernie Derr at 32.83; Gerry Harrison at 32.94; Ramo Scott at 32.96. All others were clocked at 33 seconds or slower.

Race officials inspected the track Tuesday and reported it in tip top condition. They were unaware that a maintenance man scoured the track to a depth of about 15-inches Wednesday, and that it not subsequently been "ironed out". The track was so soft that before time trials had been completed, holes 15 inches deep had been gouged at both turns.

Drivers forced to the outside edge of the track reported gear housings were "dragging". Despite the dangerous track drivers went all-out to put on a good show, and if wheel to wheel competition is what it took, they all succeeded.


Results –

1. Dick Hutcherson
2. Lenny Funk
3. Ernie Derr
4. Ole Brua
5. Gerry Harrison
6. Chub Liebe
7. Jerry McCredie
8. Mert Williams
9. Bill Harrison
10. Newt Bartholomew