California's Jimmy Boyd - Bob Pool Photo
Eagle, Neb.
(September 4, 1972) – Jimmy Boyd, a 26-year-old Californian who had to be
coaxed to stay in Lincoln another week, collected more than $1,500 Sunday night
for winning Eagle Raceway’s 50-lap grand championship sprint car feature.
“I was ready
to go back to San Jose,” said Boyd who was made his first Nebraska appearance
the week before. He was en route back to California after competing in Pennsylvania
since last May.
“I’m glad I
decided to stay,” he added. “That’s the most money I’ve won in one race the
whole season. We raced four or five nights a week in Pennsylvania and the best
feature finish I had all summer was a fourth-place finish, which only paid
$250.”
It was the
money, Eagle’s $8,000 two-day purse that convinced Boyd to stay an extra week.
“That,” said Boyd, “and a lot of people coaxing me.”
He and his
wife of two weeks, the former Betty Opperman, stayed in Beaver Crossing, Neb., awaiting
Eagle’s fifth annual national one-third mile dirt track championship.
Although it
took two restarts before the feature was one lap old, Boyd made the 50-lap
contest look effortless.
Driving a
Freddie Kain chassis car, Boyd, who started on the fourth row, ran second
behind Lincoln’s Lloyd Beckman for the first 3 laps.
He exchanged
the advantage with Beckman the next two laps before gaining it for good on lap
6. Beckman, who started on the front row, finished second ahead of Thad Dosher
of Topeka, Kan., and Dick Sutcliffe of Greenwood, Mo.
Sutcliffe
probably not only had the fans fooled but the other drivers and car owners
fooled in the pit area. He was driving Ed Smith’s #44 car with his own blue #19
body over it.
“The #19
engine blew this afternoon at the (Neb.) State Fair this afternoon,” confided
Sutcliffe after pocketing $500 for the fourth-place finish. “My mechanics
really worked their tails off.”
“A shock
busted about the second or third lap of the feature,” he added, “but even if it
didn’t I don’t think I could have caught Boyd the way he was moving.”
The red flag
was dropped on the first lap of the main event when a car driven by Don Maxwell
of Lincoln flipped three times in heavy traffic. Maxwell, who had been first
time feature winner only a week ago, was not hurt.
Results –
Trophy Dash
– Lloyd Beckman, Lincoln, Neb.
Heat One –
Gerald Bruggeman, Hoskins, Neb.
Heat Two –
Lloyd Beckman
Heat Three –
Jimmy Boyd, San Jose, Calif.
Consolation
– Don Droud, Lincoln, Neb.
B-Feature –
Jim Golden, Palmyra, Neb.
Feature –
1. Jimmy Boyd
2. Lloyd Beckman
3. Thad Dosher, Topeka, Kan.
4. Dick Sutcliffe, Greenwood, Neb.
5. Gerald Bruggeman
6. Bert Sonner, Des Moines
7. Dennis Oltman, Beatrice, Neb.
8. Ray Lee Goodwin, Kansas City
9. Lonnie Jensen, Lincoln, Neb.
10. Jim Riggins, Lincoln, Neb.
11. Gordon
Woolley, Waco, Tex.
12. Don
Droud
13. Larry
Upton, Lincoln, Neb.
14.
Jerry
Miller, Phoenix, Ariz.
15. Vince
Kelley, Omaha
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