Bill Robison
Cedar Rapids, Iowa (July 16, 1978) - Jack Miller is a man of his word. At least when talk centers around sprint car racing.
“These drivers will put on quite a show for you tonight,” explained Miller, before sitting in behind the microphone to announce the sprint car races at Hawkeye Downs Sunday night. “You won't find any better racing around. This is excitement at its best.”
And Miller didn't let anybody down as 23 drivers invaded the Downs in front of an estimated crowd of 3,700, with Topeka, Kansas’ Bill Robison stealing the show, including victories in the Trophy Dash, the first heat and the A-Main feature event.
In the feature, the hard-charging pilot had to fend off a steady charge by crowd favorite Eddie Leavitt of Kearney, Mo., two-time national sprint car champion. Robinson started on the outside of row one and led the 20-lap event from start to finish while Leavitt started sixth on the starting grid and finished second.
Leavitt had qualified for the evening’s races with the fastest time, a 22.257 second clocking on the half-mile Downs oval but was sidelined for a major part of the program when he hit the wall in turn three just before taking the green flag in the Trophy Dash to start the evening's races. He qualified for the A-Main feature with a half-lap victory in the B-Main event.
The Knoxville-based sprint car program was making its second stop in Cedar Rapids this summer, featuring top drivers from five states.
“Sprint car racing is really a spectator sport,” said Miller. “These cars have 500-600 horsepower and weigh only 1,500 pounds. It’s the open cockpit that makes it so exciting.”
Though there were no serious accidents in Sunday's competition, Miller said that injuries are common in this type of racing, and that more cars would have raced Sunday if they hadn't been damaged at Knoxville on Saturday night.
The small cars reach top speeds of nearly 100-mph on the straight-aways on a half-mile track such as the Downs and the racing is guaranteed to be competitive.
Ralph Blackett and Mike Pinckney, both of Des Moines, captured their respective heat races and Steve Hainline of Bonaparte won the Australian Pursuit with Robinson second.
Results –
1. Bill Robison, Topeka, Kan.
2. Eddie Leavitt, Kearney, Mo.
3. Shane Carson, Oklahoma City, Okla.
4. Randy Smith, Des Moines
5. Mike Pinckney, Des Moines
6. Ralph Blackett, Des Moines
7. Con Edwards, Ankeny
8. Cliff Blundy, Alpha, Ill.
9. Mike Brooks, Knoxville
10. Steve Hainline, Bonaparte
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