1979 – Bahr, Hoffman Win ‘Spring Bonanza’

 

Butch Bahr won the sprint car feature at the “Spring Bonanza” at Shelby County Speedway. 

By Bill Haglund

Harlan, Iowa (May 4-5, 1979) – After being rained out the previous weekend, the Spring Bonanza at Shelby County Speedway took place over Friday and Saturday. Butch Bahr of Grand Island, Neb., and Don Hoffman of Des Moines took home the winner’s share of the $8,500 total purse.

Bahr captured both the trophy dash and feature in sprint car competition on Friday night and took home a large chunk of the $3,500 purse.

“I was going to sleep in my van tonight, but I think I can afford a motel room now,” said a happy Bahr. “The track was nice and smooth. I was able to run the top or bottom.”

Bahr had already run seven or eight races prior to Friday night but hadn’t finished much better than 12th. “We’ve had problems, so we spent the week tearing the car apart and spent a bunch of time on it,” he explained. “We came here hoping the “bugs’ had been ironed out.”

The sparse crowd was treated to some exciting action as they witnessed Gene Brudigan coming out of the fourth turn with flames shooting from the motor, caused by a crankshaft breaking and “coming right down out of the bottom of the pan,” Brudigan, from Norfolk, Neb., said.

Fans also witnessed Don Weyrich, another Norfolk, Neb., driver, in a spectacular end-over-end flip. He removed himself from the car and calmly lit a cigarette. Weyrich returned to action and finished second in the third heat and second in the semi-main.

Don Hoffman won the late model portion of the “Spring Bonanza” at Shelby County Speedway. He’s joined by promoter John Beaman (left), trophy girl Lisa Leinen, and flagman Roger Fiscus. 

In the late model card on Saturday, Hoffman would pass Dan Rabbass of Bellevue, Neb., on the eighth lap and lead the rest of the way to pocket the top prize in the late model main event.

Rabbass grabbed the lead at the drop of the green but was no match for Hoffman, who collected $800 for his victory. Following Hoffman and Rabbass to the finish line were Joe Merryfield of Des Moines, Glen Robey and Jerry Wancewicz, both of Omaha, Neb.

Hoffman also won the trophy dash and the third heat, making him the night’s only triple winner.


Results –


Sprint Car –

Trophy dash – Butch Bahr, Grand Island, Neb.
Heat #1 – Roger Larson, Madison, S.D.
Heat #2 – Sonny Smyser, Lancaster, Mo.
Heat #3 – Lloyd Beckman, Lincoln, Neb.
Semi-main – Bob Williams, Independence, Mo.
Feature –
1. Butch Bahr
2. Tim Green, Columbus, Neb.
3. Sonny Smyser
4. Roger Larson
5. Jerry Potter, Grandview, Mo.
6. Victor Chudy, Plattsmouth, Neb.
7. Lloyd Beckman
8. Randy Droescher, Norfolk, Neb.
9. Jim Goettsche, Grand Island, Neb.
10.Lenard McCarl, Des Moines


Late Model –

Trophy dash – Don Hoffman, Des Moines
Heat #1 – Joe Merryfield, Des Moines
Heat #2 – Bill Martin, Council Bluffs
Heat #3 – Don Hoffman
Consolation – Bill Kirk, Salix
Feature –
1. Don Hoffman
2. Dan Rabbass, Bellevue, Neb.
3. Joe Merryfield
4. Glen Robey, Omaha, Neb.
5. Jerry Wancewicz, Omaha, Neb.
6. Bob Kosiski, Omaha, Neb.
7. Al Druesdow, Omaha, Neb.
8. Bill Martin
9. Bill Kirk
10.Duane Errett, Harlan
11.Paul Zdan, Omaha, Neb.
12.Bill Leithoff, Omaha, Neb.
13.Keith Mander, Omaha, Neb.
14.Corky Bailey
15.Rob Taylor, Fremont, Neb.