1983 – Stepan Scores ‘Detjens Memorial’ Win

 

Kevin Stepan is joined by Margo Detjens, daughter of the late Larry Detjens, after winning the third annual Larry Detjens Memorial at State Park Speedway in Wausau. – Ed Wodalski Photo

Wausau, Wis. (June 30, 1983) – Kevin Stepan of Mosinee won the biggest race of his six-year racing career after winning the Larry Detjens Memorial at State Park Speedway on Thursday night.

“This is the biggest race I’ve ever won,” Stepan said in victory lane. “If I never win another race, I’ll be happy.”

Stepan finished with 102 points, while two-time defending champion Dick Trickle of Wisconsin Rapids was second with 89.

“Larry Detjens taught me an awful lot when I was starting out,” said Stepan. “I sure did appreciate him.”

Trickle started the evening off by setting fast time with a lap of 14.225 seconds. Royce Rossier of Plover, Sonny Immerfall of Marshfield, and Mike Miller of Marietta, Ga., won heat races while Jim Back of Vesper won the trophy dash.

Stepan took the lead from Wausau’s Wayne Lodholz on lap 16 of the first of two scheduled 25-lap feature races and held off Miller in a 10-lap dogfight.

Ted Musgrave of Grand Marsh was third in the 25-lapper with Lodholz fourth and Trickle fifth.

Gerry Graff of Stevens Point was lead the second late model feature when rain put a halt to the competition three laps into the race.


Results –


Time trials – Dick Trickle, Wisconsin Rapids (14.225)
Trophy dash – Jim Back, Vesper
Heat #1 – Royce Rossier, Plover
Heat #2 – Sonny Immerfall, Marshfield
Heat #3 – Mike Miller, Marietta, Ga.
Feature #1 –
1. Kevin Stepan
2. Mike Miller
3. Ted Musgrave, Grand Marsh
4. Wayne Lodholz, Wausau
5. Dick Trickle, Wisconsin Rapids
6. Bobby Turzinski, Hewitt
7. Jim Back
8. Jim Dundey, Wausau
9. Bob Mackesy, Wausau
10.Joe Krzykowski, Sherry
11.Lyle Nowak, Wausau
12.Steve Holzhausen, Bangor