Des Moines, Iowa (August 18, 1968) – It was a day of bitter battling at the Iowa State Fair sprint car races on Sunday, and when the evening program ended, it was Jerry Blundy of Galesburg, Ill., the big winner and $1,000 richer.
Grady Wade of Wichita, Kan., won the afternoon program.Blundy won the 50-lap main event by one yard over Wade in one of the closest finishes at the half-mile in recent memory. Wade would collect $750 for his second-place finish, matching his earnings for winning the rain-shortened (22 laps) afternoon program.
The evening program was the first 50-lap sprint car feature seen here since 1962, and the estimated 7,000 viewers in attendance were treated to one of the best races in many years.
Blundy roared into the lead on lap 17 by passing Ralph Parkinson Sr. of Wichita Falls, Tex., and Don Daniels of St. Paul, Minn., in the same spurt.
Blundy had been in fourth on lap 16 but passed third-place Dick Sutcliffe of Greenwood, Mo., coming out of turn four. Sutcliffe would hang on to finish third behind Blundy and Wade and pocket $500.
Parkinson, who looked strong in the early going, left the race on lap 25 when his power plant blew.
Parkinson, Wade, and Hank Smith of Mt. Ayr, Iowa, were heat winners. Gordon Woolley of Waco, Tex., was the consolation winner.
Results –
1. Jerry Blundy, Galesburg, Ill.
2. Grady Wade, Wichita, Kan.
3. Dick Sutcliffe, Greenwood, Mo.
4. Bill Utz, Sedalia, Mo.
5. Lee Kunzman, Guttenberg, Iowa
6. Gordon Woolley, Waco, Tex.
7. Don McDaniel, St. Paul, Minn.
8. Fred Linder, Fremont, Ohio
9. Dale Reed, Wichita, Kan.
10. Dave Ross, Jetmore, Kan.
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