1976 – ‘Wally Jors Memorial’ Won by Schuler

 

Larry Schuler won the Wally Jors Memorial at Wisconsin International Raceway. Jors’ widow, Carol, and her children, Michelle, and Bob, make the trophy presentation.

Kaukauna, Wis. (August 5, 1976) – Larry Schuler of Lockport, Ill., continued to blister the half-mile paved oval of Wisconsin International Raceway on Thursday nights as he won his seventh feature of the year, nipping Kimberly’s Roger Regeth at the finish line to take top honors in the “Wally Jors Memorial” race.

Schuler, driving his 1975 Camaro, grabbed the lead on lap 7 and held off Regeth by less than a car length before 1,409 fans.

Appleton’s Cliff Ebben led the first lap before Medina’s Jerry Smith took over. Smith kept his 1974 Nova in the top spot until lap 4 when Al Schill of Franklin zoomed by. Schill was passed by Schuler three circuits later.

Tony Strupp of Slinger finished third followed by Schill and Smith.

The feature race was halted on lap 17 when Bill Goeden of Kewaskum and Gene Coleman of Menomonee, Mich., collided in the first turn. The two cars nearly hit head on and slid along the inside guardrail into the second turn before coming to a halt. Both cars were out of the race with badly damaged front ends but neither driver was injured.

Special memorial ceremonies for the late Wally Jors included a driver’s parade with Al Schill leading the way in Jors’ former Camaro stock car. His widow Carol was presented with a plaque from the Fox River Racing Club.

Jors died of a heart attack in June. He had been one of the top late model racers at the Kaukauna track and at other tracks where he competed.


Results –

1. Larry Schuler, Lockport, Ill.
2. Roger Regeth, Kimberly
3. Tony Strupp, Slinger
4. Al Schill, Franklin
5. Jerry Smith, Medina
6. Pete Parker, Kaukauna