1976 - Leavitt Tops Elder-Forrester Invitational

 

Eddie Leavitt won the Elder-Forrester Invitational at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. He is shown with Chuck Elder, sponsor of the race. – Beetle Bailey Photo

Des Moines, Iowa (July 28, 1976) – “It’s a nice feeling to be number one again,” remarked Eddie Leavitt of Kearney, Mo.

Leavitt won the first annual Elder-Forester Invitational on Wednesday night at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, leading all 25 laps of the main event. He received $1,500 for his sprint car achievement.

Leavitt clipped the track record, one of four to fall on the evening. His time in the feature was 9 minutes and 56 seconds eclipsing the old mark of 10 minutes and 29 seconds set by Jay Woodside on August 20, 1967.

Leavitt said he had been driving a car owned by Fred Adin of Tucson, Ariz., for the past two weeks. “We’ve gotten a couple of seconds but this is the first I’ve won for Fred,” he said.

Bobby Marshall of Dallas, Tex., was runner-up to Leavitt, moving ahead of Joe Saldana of Lincoln, Neb., on lap 23. Roger Larson of Madison, S.D., was fourth.

Roger Rager of Mound, Minn., held second place for most of the race, but was slowed by mechanical problems on lap 20 and finished 19th.

Marshall started the record-breaking parade with a 23.036 second clocking in time trials. Ironically, that broke the 23.55 second mark set by Jud Larson of Kansas City on June 10, 1956. Four other drivers would crack Larson’s mark as well.

Lenard McCarl of Des Moines then broke the 8-lap standard of 3 minutes and 18 seconds set by Chuck Lynch on August 17, 1969.

McCarl’s time of 3 minute and 16 seconds didn’t last long though as Ralph Parkinson Jr. of Kansas City would break that mark in the third heat with a time of 3 minutes and 9 seconds.

Thee fourth record came in the 10-lap C-main as Mark David of Ankeny, Iowa, won in 6 minutes and 8 seconds. Promoter believed that was the first time a 10-lapper was run.

A crowd estimated at 6,500 made promoters Homer Melton of Rock Island, Ill., and Dave Van Patten and Billy Cole, both of Des Moines, extremely happy.

The Elder-Forester Invitational was sponsored by Charlie Elder, the Forester Trailer dealer in Iowa.


Results –

Fast qualifier – Bobby Marshall (23.036)
Trophy dash – Eddie Leavitt
Heat #1 – Lenard McCarl
Heat #2 – Wayne Holz
Heat #3 – Ralph Parkinson Jr.
Heat #4 – Dick Morris
C-main – Mark David
B-main – Lenard McCarl
Feature –
1. Eddie Leavitt
2. Bobby Marshall
3. Joe Saldana
4. Roger Larson
5. John Stevenson
6. Doug Wolfgang
7. Gary Scott
8. Lloyd Beckman
9. Mike Brooks
10. Jack McCorkell