IMCA’s
Jake Bozony presents the checkers while Ernie Derr exits his car after the
Keokuk, Iowa, driver won the 200-lap stock car race at the Minnesota State
Fair.
St. Paul, Minn. (August 31, 1961) – Ernie Derr of Keokuk, Iowa, the defending IMCA national stock car champion, gunned his 1961 Pontiac to win the 200-lap late model stock car race at the Minnesota State Fair on Thursday.
Derr, who won the same event in 1960, set a track record, winning the 100-miler in 1 hour, 36 minutes, and 51.92 seconds, eclipsing the old record of 1 hour, 38 minutes, and 53.57 seconds set by Johnny Beauchamp in 1956.
Lenny Funk of Otis, Kan., took the early lead and held it for the first 23 laps when he developed engine trouble. Chub Liebe of Oelwein, Iowa, took over and held it until his motor blew up on lap 37.
Derr took over at this point and held on to it to the finish. The little Iowan built his lead to more than a lap at one stage but Mert Williams of Rochester, Minn., started to close in during the last 75 laps. He had moved to within 300 yards of Derr at the finish.
Eddie Harrow of Corpus Christi, Tex., finished third, two laps behind Derr.
Results –
1. Ernie Derr, Keokuk, Iowa
2. Mert Williams, Rochester, Minn.
3. Eddie Harrow, Corpus Christi, Tex.
4. Bob Reynolds, Edmond, Okla.
5. Ole Brua, Albert Lea, Minn.
6. Sonny Morgan, Beaumont, Tex.
7. Jerry Draper, Moline, Ill.
8. Jerry McCredie, Keokuk, Iowa
9. Bob Kosiskie, Omaha, Neb.
10.Buzz McCann, St. Paul
11.Bob Jusola, Mound, Minn.
12.Johnny Jones, Russell, Minn.
13.Dick Johnson, St. Paul
14.Don Nash, White Bear Lake
15.Ralph Wilhelm, Milwaukee
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