Joe Shear won the late model stock car season opener at Rockford Speedway.
– Dean Bentley Collection
Rockford, Ill. (April 29, 1967) – Joe Shear, the 23-year-old youngster from South Beloit, won the late model feature during the Rockford Speedway season opener on Saturday night.
Shear, who will turn 24 on May 8, led the final eight circuits of the 30-lap feature before more than 2,300 fans. Shear was the second fastest qualifier, circling the high-banked, quarter-mile 15.46 seconds.
Rain had washed out the previously scheduled season opener on April 16, and the April 23 event was snowed out. Saturday night, a steady drizzle began falling after the trophy dash and first heat had concluded.
The rain stopped as the feature was shifted from the last event on the program to the third but up started again just as cars were getting lined up for the second heat and the rest of the program was cancelled.
Sal Tovella, a United States Auto Club stock car veteran, finished second in the feature and Vaughn Gerke of Beloit, Wis., was third.
An accident on the frontstretch on the first lap forced a complete restart. Gene Wood and John Lighthart spun in the middle of the pack after the first lap, causing a multi-car pileup. No one was injured and on the cars of Wood and Lighthart were lost for the 30-lap headliner.
Don Leach of Beloit, Wis., was the night’s fastest qualifier with a time of 15.42 seconds.
Results –
1. Joe Shear, South Beloit
2. Sal Tovella, Addison
3. Vaughn Gerke, Beloit, Wis.
4. Roger Shear, Beloit, Wis.
5. Ron Wishard, Rockford
No comments:
Post a Comment