Harlan, Iowa
(September 2, 1977) – If you had your money on one of the favorites to win the
50-lap feature on Friday night, you were holding a winning ticket.
The odds-on
favorite to take his third special-program title in four appearances here in
1977 did just that. Joe Merryfield of Des Moines is just tough to beat.
Merryfield
led from start to finish during the non-stop marathon to win the “Fall Finale”
at Shelby County Speedway, taking the main event with room to spare over
second-place finisher Curt Hansen of Dike, Iowa. Taking the top prize of
$1,000, “Injun” Joe collected $250 in lap money as well.
Consistently
staying low in the corners, Merryfield out sped the rest of the pack with relative
ease. Hansen would pose the only problem for the race’s polesitter, but Hansen
would get boxed in by lapped cars numerous times late in the race killing any
chance for a late-race challenge.
Merryfield
also left them in the shadows in two other races, winning the trophy dash and third
heat.
Bill Wrich
of Kennard, Neb., Merryfield’s partner on the front row, would settle for third
place behind Hansen. Shelby County Speedway point champion Randy Sterner of
Blair, Neb., was fourth.
Speedway
officials made the big boys work for their cuts of $7,000 plus purse. The top
four finishers in the heat races advanced to the A-main; the top two to the
trophy dash, in which positions for the first five rows of the “A” field was
determined.
Results –
Heat #1 – Bill
Wrich, Kennard, Neb.
Heat #2 – Rex
Nun, Lincoln, Neb.
Heat #3 –
Joe Merryfield, Des Moines
Heat #4 – Al
Humphrey, Giltner, Neb.
Heat #5 –
Bill Kirk, Salix, Iowa
Trophy dash
– Joe Merryfield
B-main –
Dave Chase, Council Bluffs, Iowa
Feature –
1. Joe Merryfield
2. Curt Hansen, Dike, Iowa
3. Bill Wrich
4. Randy Sterner, Blair, Neb.
5. Bill Kirk
6. Bob Kosiski, Omaha
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