Tom Nesbitt
Eau Claire, Wis. (July 12, 1972) – Tom Nesbitt made it strictly a one-man race.
Flying at record speeds over a rough track, the Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, driver captured the Wisconsin State Dirt Track Stock Car Championship Wednesday night at the Eau Claire Speedway.
In winning the 30-lap late model feature, Nesbitt pocketed $500 and claimed the Russ Laursen Memorial Trophy, emblematic of the state dirt track champion.
The only thing that the 31-year-old Nesbitt, a 10-year racing veteran, missed was the kiss following the race from Terry Anne Meeuwsen, reigning Miss Wisconsin, who was not available Wednesday night after Tuesday night’s scheduled program was rained out.
Nesbitt, driving a 1972 Chevy Nova sponsored by Moose Peterson of Black River Falls, roared the damp and in some spots furrowed track twice at 17.3 seconds and two more times at 17.8 seconds.
The official track record, set in time trials, is 18.0, held by Harold Mueller, retired Eau Claire driver. Nesbitt held the pole position in the feature and never relinquished the lead. He survived a three-car pileup on the south turn that resulted in a restart after four laps and then simply pulled away from his challengers in the 30-lap event.
Cecil Henderson, Winona, took home second place money of $300 while Jerry Amundson, Rice Lake, finished third and was awarded $250. In all, only nine of the starting field of 12 cars made it to the finish.
Fourth was Dave Adams, Cameron; fifth was Axel Dahlberg, Rice Lake; sixth was Phil Prusak, Eau Claire; seventh was Roger Mork, Stillwater, Minn.; eighth was Roscoe Buckli, Chippewa Falls and ninth was Len Buxton, Barron.
The only excitement of the feature, beside Nesbitt’s flashing wheels, came after four laps when Prusak, Dahlberg and Ron Goss, Eau Claire tangled on the south turn.
The unfortunate victim of the mishap was Goss, who was running a close second to Nesbitt at the time. Goss, apparently suffering mechanical problems as the result of the spinout, was forced to leave the race.
Prusak and Dahlberg were moved to the back of the pack on the restart and never could gain much ground.
In fact, Nesbitt nearly lapped Prusak, the winner of the June Invitational at the speedway as Prusak could not move up from his rear position.
Another victim of mechanical problems was Red Steffen, who was running second to Nesbitt on the 22nd lap when he was forced out.
Goss, earlier, had won the late model first heat, coming in ahead of Dahlberg and Nesbitt. In the second late model heat. Amundson took the lead on the 10th lap to edge off Henderson with Steffen coming in third.
In the late model consolation, Adams shot out in the lead in the first lap and then held off a late rally by Prusak to win. Roger Rau came in third.
A crowd of 1,800 fans watched the action, postponed from Tuesday night because of rain. The track was still wet Wednesday night and hampered some of the action.
Results –
1. Tom Nesbitt, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
2. Cecil Henderson, Winona, Minn.
3. Jerry Amundson, Rice Lake, Wis.
4. Dave Adams, Cameron, Wis.
5. Axel Dahlberg, Mt. Horeb, Wis.
6. Phil Prusak, Eau Claire, Wis.
7. Roger Mork, Stillwater, Minn.
8. Roscoe Buckli, Chippewa Falls, Wis.
9. Lem Buxton, Barron, Wis.
10.Neil Manor, Altoona, Wis.
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