Sam Sessions
Rossburg, Ohio (June 12, 1971) – Sam Sessions swerved around a pile-up that took out frontrunner Larry Cannon on Saturday and sped to his second United States Auto Club sprint car victory in less than 24 hours.
Sessions, of Nashville, Mich., ran in second for more than half of the 40-lap contest on Eldora Speedway’s half-mile, high-banked dirt track, but a three-car crash on lap 23 eliminated Cannon, of Danville, Ill., and gave Sessions the lead.
He had led briefly at the start of the race, but Cannon took over on the third lap.
That same accident sent Larry Dickson of Marietta, Ohio, the defending USAC national champion, into a spectacular flip that put him of the race and eliminated Johnny Rutherford of Fort Worth, Tex., who was driving the car Cannon hit. Rutherford’s bruised ribs were the only injury in the incident.
The nationally-televised race marked the fifth victory of the season for Sessions and sent him even father ahead in the national point standings. His last win was in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Friday night.
The top four finishers crossed the finish line bumper-to-bumper in the $15,500 event. Gary Bettenhausen of Tinley Park, Ill., Don Nordhorn of Wadesville, Ind., Bill Puterbaugh of Indianapolis, were right behind Sessions as the checkered waved. Jim McElreath of Arlington, Tex., rounded out the top five.
Results -
1. Sam Sessions
2. Gary Bettenhausen
3. Don Nordhorn
4. Bill Puterbaugh
5. Jim McElreath
6. Johnny Parsons
7. Pancho Carter
8. Bill Koepfer
9. Dick Tobias
10.Lennie Waldo
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