Joe Shear
By Gary Vercauteren
Kaukauna, Wis. (June 22, 1980) – Joe Shear of South Beloit, Ill., slipped past Larry Detjens of Wausau on the 30th lap and went on to win the 55-lap feature in the first race of the Red, White and Blue State Championship Series on Sunday afternoon at Wisconsin International Raceway.
With a crowd of 5,134 on hand, Shear scored a four-car-length victory over a fast-closing Dave Watson with former Fox River Racing Club champion Larry Schuler third, Detjens fourth and Mike Miller rounding out the top five.
Dick Trickle, a four-time Red, White, and blue champion, qualified a substitute car for the feature. The car was normally driven by bob Iverson. Trickle destroyed his Pontiac Firebird on Saturday night in a violent crash in Berlin, Mich. He was taken to a hospital for overnight observation after being knocked unconscious and released the next morning.
Trickle was able to guide Iverson’s car to a ninth-place finish to keep in the running for the 1980 title.
Detjens took the lead from his front row starting position and held back repeated challenges from Schuler. By the 15th round, the race for the lead was a five-car freight train with Detjens out front, Schuler in second, Shear third, J.J. Smith fourth and Watson in fifth.
Those five cars raced in that formation until lap 23 when Shear overpowered Schuler for the second spot with an inside move coming out of turn four.
Shear then slipped past Detjens on lap 30. Smith also got past Detjens on the 35th lap and appeared to be closing in on Shear until a right rear tire began to blister and he was forced to slacken his pace. That allowed Watson to move past Smith for second.
Shear would cruise to victory even though Watson narrowed his lead to four-car-lengths at the finish.
Results –
1. Joe Shear, South Beloit, Ill.
2. Dave Watson, Milton
3. Larry Schuler, New Lenox, Ill.
4. Larry Detjens, Wausau
5. Mike Miller, Wisconsin Rapids
6. Jim Sauter, Necedah
7. J.J. Smith, Appleton
8. Ted Musgrave, Grand Marsh
9. Dick Trickle, Wisconsin Rapids
10.Tony Strupp, Slinger
11.Tom Reffner, Rudolph
12.Bob Abitz, Freedom
13.Butch Mierendorf, Lake Mills
14.Steve Seligman, Lake Bluffs, Ill.
15.Wayne Roffers, Oneida
16.Al Schill, Franklin
17.Dennis Vogel, Manitowoc
18.John Knaus, Rockford, Ill.
19.Alan Kulwicki, Greenfield
20.Steve Moll, La Valle
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