Bill Holland
Des Moines, Iowa (August 31, 1951) – Bill Holland got himself involved in the Frank Luptow – Bobby Grim feud here Friday afternoon and dusted both of the International Motor Contest Association’s top two aces before 16,000 spectators at the Iowa State Fair.
Just getting the feel of half-mile dirt ovals after a decade of racing at the “Indianapolis 500” and other hard tracks, Holland took the lead at the start and was never headed in the National Speedways 10-mile championship.
A spin by Frank Nykaza on the backstretch slowed down the crack field, or the Reading, Penn., veteran and one-time winner of the Memorial Day classic might have racked up a new record time.
His Blue Crown Offenhauser, with a 220-inch cubic motor, was clocked in 8 minutes and 54.64 seconds, not much over the 8 minute and 36.94 second mark set by Frank Luptow on the same track in May of 1950.
Luptow, beaten the previous afternoon in Belleville, Kan., by Holland when he suffered wheel bearing problems, was plagued by wheel troubles once again on Friday and finished third, almost a car-length behind the second-place Grim.
Grim made a daring attempt to catch the flying Holland in the closing laps but couldn’t quite close the gap and finished a bare car-length behind.
Strung out behind the top-three were Ken Rubright of Lyndon, Ill., and Roy Prosser of Sun Valley, Calif., the hot rod kid who came from his tenth starting position to round out the top-five.
Luptow, who was beaten by Grim in the inaugural meet last Sunday, set fast time in qualifying as he wheeled his black Offenhauser around the half-mile in 25.30 seconds.
But, from there on, Luptow’s troubles started. In the opening heat, the Tampa, Fla., veteran, starting in the rear, was blacked out by the dust of the field ahead of him. He scraped the retaining wall but still managed to finish second to Grim with a partly bent wheel. Repairs were made but Luptow apparently didn’t trust them.
At the start of the championship race, Holland, on the outside of the front row, alongside Luptow, roared into the lead. Luptow was never in contention and on the third lap, Grim roared past him for second place.
Results –
1. Bill Holland, Reading, Penn.
2. Bobby Grim, Indianapolis
3. Frank Luptow, Tampa, Fla.
4. Ken Rubright, Lyndon, Ill.
5. Roy Prosser, Sun Valley, Calif.
6. Bud Randall, Cincinnati, Ohio
7. Al Kerns, Lima, Ohio
8. Phil Mocca, St. Louis
9. Jimmy Campbell, Bates City, Mo.
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