Dayton, Ohio (September 13, 1953) – Iggy Katona, the 37-year-old driver from Milan, Mich., guided his 1953 Hudson through 500 grueling laps at Dayton Speedway Sunday afternoon to win the MARC-sanctioned event for late model stock cars.
A crowd of more than 13,000, one of the largest in track history, saw Katona finish nearly four laps ahead of Jim Romine of Youngstown who was driving a 1952 Hudson.
Third place went to a 1953 Hudson driven by June Osborne of Winchester, Ky., while Lou Moore of Frewsburg, N.Y., finished fourth in a 1953 Ford.
Less than half of the 46 cars that started the four-hour, five minute marathon on the speedway’s half-mile, high-banked track were running at the finish.
John Marcum of Toledo, president of the Midwest Association Racing Club, said the order of the finish for the remaining cars could be determined after a tabulation of scoring sheets.
Katona took the lead on the 27th lap when race leader Bucky Sager off Toledo spun on the north turn. Sager had set a new track record in qualifying with a time of 24.59 seconds to earn the pole position.
J.H. Petty of Greensboro, N.C., briefly took the lead when Katona stopped for fuel and tires on lap 254. The stock Michigan driver took over the lead again on lap 300 when Petty went into the pits and led the rest of the way.
Lap prizes were awarded at the rate of $100 for the car in first place at the end of each 50 laps, giving Katona a $1,000 sweep in that department along with the $2,000 first prize from a total purse of $10,000.
It was Katona’s biggest win in 16 years of competition.
Results –
1. Iggy Katona, Milan, Mich.
2. Jim Romine, Youngstown
3. June Osborne, Winchester, Ky.
4. Lloyd Moore, Frewsburg, N.Y.
5. John McGinley, Chicora, Penn.
6. Julian Petty, Randleman, N.C.
7. Lee King, Kendallville, Ind.
8. Bucky Sager, Toledo
9. Earl Wilson, Detroit
10.Briar Johnson, Richmond, Ind.
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