Curt
Hansen of Dike won the 50-lap late model “Spring Invitational” feature at Boone
Speedway. Hansen is being congratulated by flagman Eddie Tharp (left), trophy
girls, and race promoter George Barton.
Boone, Iowa (June 16, 1975) – Curt Hansen of Dike must be a “special” kind of race driver.
In three “special” late model stock car races this spring, he has won two and finished third. His latest victory was in the Spring Invitational Short Track Championship at Boone Speedway on Monday night.
Hansen, 30, took the permanent lead on lap 18 of the 50-lap feature and earned $800.
Lem Blankenship of Keokuk finished second, earning $500. Ed Morris of Omaha, Neb., was third, Phil Reece of Des Moines, fourth, and Stan Stover of Reinbeck, fifth.
Hansen collected $1,000 in the recent Pepsi Special in Oskaloosa and his third place finish at the Iowa Challenge Cup in Cedar Rapids brought him $550. He has won more than $10,000 this season already.
“This is the first time I’ve been on a quarter-mile track this season,” Hansen said, after finishing a third of a lap ahead of Blankenship. “The car handled beautifully.”
“I tried to slow down a little bit when I got my lead built up, but the front end started dipping and diving around so I speeded it up and everything started running smoothly again.”
Hansen is second in points at Oskaloosa, Denison, and Cedar Rapids. He started running at Davenport a couple of weeks ago.
Blankenship had taken the early lead in his 1974 Camaro. But he said that after Hansen took the lead, “I didn’t even try to race with him because I was having so many problems with the holes.”
The “holes” are the result of some recent heavy rains.
“This is the first time I had my crew set the car up for a quarter-mile track,” Blankenship continued. “I think they did a wonderful job. They didn’t have the slightest idea about what gear to use.”
Don Hoffman and Joe Merryfield, both of Des Moines, didn’t fare well. Hoffman was forced out from his heat race after he suffered a flat tire and then went out of the B-main with transmission issues. Merryfield placed third in his heat but retired from the feature after 23 laps. His mechanical problems were not diagnosed.
Vern Carmen, principal stockholder in the speedway, said attendance was approximately 1,600.
“That is disappointing,” he said. "I had figured on paid attendance of 3,000. We made enough to pay the $5,000 purse, but you’d like to make a little more.”
Results –
Heat #1 – Ed Morris, Council Bluffs
Heat #2 – Lem Blankenship, Keokuk
Heat #3 – Phil Reece, Des Moines
Heat #4 – Curt Hansen, Dike
Trophy dash – Ed Morris
B-main – Darrell Dake, Cedar Rapids
Feature –
1. Curt Hansen
2. Lem Blankenship
3. Ed Morris
4. Phil Reece
5. Stan Stover, Reinbeck
6. Bob Kosiski, Omaha, Neb.
7. Jerry Wancewicz, Omaha, Neb.
8. Dan Nesteby, Waterloo
9. Ed Sanger, Waterloo
10.Red Dralle, Evansdale
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