Saturday, August 26, 2023

1956 – Sioux Empire 100-Miler to Beauchamp






Sioux Falls, S.D. (August 26, 1956) – Johnny Beauchamp, who has always found the Sioux Empire Fairgrounds to his liking, was in the groove on Sunday afternoon.

Before a final-day Sioux Empire Fair crowd of 4,000, the Harlan, Iowa driver tooled his ’56 Chevrolet to victory in the 100-mile late model stock car grind.

The International Motor Contest Association point leader nosed his Chevy into the lead on the first lap and was never headed. He never made a pit stop in racking up his 26th victory of the season.

Bub Burdick of Omaha, Neb., who had just won first-place honors at the Minnesota State Fair race on Saturday, rode home in second place in his ’56 Ford. He was a lap behind Beauchamp.

Third place went to George Miller of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, holder of the IMCA one-lap record of 28.18 seconds in his ’56 Ford.

Finishing fourth was Tubby Harrison of Topeka, Kan., piloting a ’56 Chevrolet, and Dick Johnson of St. Paul, Minn., rounded out the top five finishers in his ’56 Chevrolet. Johnson arrived at the track just as the feature pace lap was getting underway. He pulled onto the track and started at the rear of the field without a time trial or warmup.

Some of the hardest driving of the day was turned in by Sonny Morgan of Beaumont, Tex. Morgan had the quickest time in qualifying with a 30.65 second clocking. He was battling Burdick for second place when he broke a generator bracket on his ’56 Chevy.

He got back in the race after borrowing a generator from another Chevrolet parked in the infield. Despite some fancy driving, the best he could finish was 11th.

Another tough luck driver was Bob Kosiskie of Omaha, who had his ’56 Pontiac In fourth place on lap 173 when he broke an axle and wound up finishing 10th.

Time for the 200-lap, 100-mile contest was 1 hour, 49 minutes, and 6.22 seconds.


Results –


1. Johnny Beauchamp, Harlan, Iowa
2. Bud Burdick, Omaha, Neb.
3. George Miller, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
4. Tubby Harrison, Topeka, Kan.
5. Dick Johnson, St. Paul, Minn.
6. Dean Anderson, Russell, Minn.
7. Darrell Dake, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
8. Doc Narber, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
9. Frank Richards, Marion, Iowa
10.Bob Kosiskie, Omaha, Neb.
11.Sonny Morgan, Beaumont, Tex.


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