Dan Nesteby of Waterloo won the late model season championship at Tunis
Speedway. He’s joined by trophy sponsors from the Eldorado Club of Waterloo and
flagman Carroll Hilmer. – Earl Schwartz Photo
Waterloo, Iowa (August 25, 1974) – Although Tunis Speedway season champion Dan Nesteby couldn’t see Karl Sanger of Waterloo for the second half of the 50-lap title race, he knew where his nearest competitor was all the time.
Nesteby, who won a tight two-car race on Sunday, lost the use of his rear-view mirror for the final 25 circuits and couldn’t tell visually where Sanger was.
“I kept looking back and there and saw that he was right on me during the first part of thee race,” said the Tunis point champion, “then a chunk of mud hit my mirror, tilted it, and I couldn’t see where he was.”
“I could tell someone was behind me, though,” continued Nesteby, who had just won his third late model feature in as many days. “Especially when we started lapping cars. I could feel Kaarl behind me.”
Nesteby also though a pre-race decision was key. He elected to start on the outside of the front row instead of the customary pole position.
“That was a good decision, because it was a one-groove track,” beamed Nesteby.
The first half of the race was a tight three-man race between Nesteby, who led all 50 laps, Sanger, and Evansdale’s Red Dralle, who was running a close third.
Dralle, however, couldn’t keep up with the torrid pace that Nesteby and Sanger were setting but still managed a third-place showing.
The roadrunner season championship went to Paul Snodgrass of Waterloo. Snodgrass got by Mike Krall on the next-to-last lap of the 25-lap title run to best the field of 24 cars.
Besides winning the championship trophy, and a check for $550, Nesteby also claimed the semi-main event, taking the lead from Dave Auringer after a restart on the ninth lap.
Auringer, however, would have his moment of glory when he edged by Tom Moore on the homestretch of the final lap to win the 15-lap consolation.
The program concluded what Tunis promoter Claus Stricker termed, “a successful season of racing.” A crowd of 2,500 paid admission witnessed the season finale on the quarter-mile dirt oval.
Results –
Late Model –
Heat #1 – Denny McCombs, Waterloo
Heat #2 – Bob Hesse, Cedar Falls
Semi – Dan Nesteby, Waterloo
Consolation – Dave Auringer, Cedar Falls
Feature –
1. Dan Nesteby
2. Karl Sanger, Waterloo
3. Red Dralle, Evansdale
4. Tom Bartholomew, Washburn
5. Roger Klingfus, Waterloo
6. Dave Plum, Waterloo
7. Bob Hesse
8. Greg Kastli, Waterloo
9. Don Etringer, Raymond
10.Jack Mitchell, Cedar Falls
Roadrunner –
1. Paul Snodgrass, Waterloo
2. Mike Krall, Waterloo
3. Earl Pruitt, Marshalltown
4. Duane Van Deest, Grundy Center
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