Don White
St. Paul, Minn. (August 27, 1955) – Don White, the “Keokuk Komet,” picked up where he left off last year by blazing home in front of 29 top-notch drivers in the accident-marred 100-lap feature for late model stock cars Saturday at the Minnesota State Fair.
The 24,078 fans, who witnessed the opening event of the 1955 Minnesota State Fair racing program, were treated to an afternoon of high speed thrills and record-breaking performances
World’s records were set in each of the three preliminary races. Seven crackups, none of them serious, kept the fast field under wraps for 30 laps of the 50-mile main event and prevented any threat of a new mark.
White, the 28-year-old driver from Keokuk, Iowa, never had anything to worry about. He shot into the lead in his two-toned ’55 Oldsmobile on the first lap and never relinquished his position.
His time was 1 hour, 5 minutes, and 22.68 seconds. The victory was worth $800 and moved him into first place in the International Motor Contest Association point standings.
Bill Harrison of Topeka, Kan., piloted his ’55 Olds to second place. Harrison, the displaced IMCA point leader, bested Ernie Derr of Keokuk, Iowa, and Tiny Lund of Anita, Iowa.
Jerry Draper, the 29-year-old midget driver from Moline, Ill., pushed his black ’55 Chevrolet to a new IMCA 5-mile heat record of 5 minutes and 10.89 seconds.
That mark didn’t last any longer than the second heat when Derr lowered it by seven seconds to 5 minutes and 3.58 seconds in his green and white ’55 Olds.
Bob Hilmer, another Iowa speedster, showed why he owns the half-mile record of 29.70 seconds, by booting home another ’55 Olds in the consolation for a new 6-mile mark of 6 minutes and 15.93 seconds.
Results –
1. Don White, Keokuk, Iowa
2. Bill Harrison, Topeka, Kan.
3. Ernie Derr, Keokuk, Iowa
4. Tiny Lund, Anita, Iowa
5. Bob Hilmer, Dysart, Iowa
6. Johnny Beauchamp, Harlan, Iowa
7. Herschel Buchanan, Shreveport, La.
8. Bob Potter, Duluth
9. Jerry Draper, Moline, Ill.
10.Paul Fitzpatrick, Rochester
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