1968 – Eaker Wins; Vander Wal Wins Fourth Straight

 

Carl Vander Wal dominated the sportsman division in Des Moines first year of weekly racing. 

Des Moines, Iowa (June 29, 1968) – Verlin Eaker of Cedar Rapids won his third late model stock car feature of the season Saturday night, and Carl Vander Wal of Ames captured his fourth consecutive sportsman main event at the State Fairgrounds.

The 4,430 spectators were treated to a record for fewest restarts in one program – three.

Eaker, driving a 1967 Dodge, started in the eighth row and it took 16 laps of the 25-lap feature to surge into the lead.

Bill Moyer of Des Moines, piloting a 1968 Corvette, had taken the lead on the first lap and had almost a half-lap lead by the time Eaker had moved into second place on lap 9.

Eaker chipped away at Moyer’s margin and powered past him as the duo entered turns three and four. From there, Eaker extended his lead and finished approximately 12 car lengths ahead of Moyer. Ole Brua of Albert Lea, Minn., took third in a 1968 Ford Torino.

Vander Wal, who competes in a 1956 Chevrolet, also started on the eighth row. He took the top spot on lap 9 and would have won easily if it hadn’t been for a late-race accident on lap 13.

Mike Brooks of Knoxville and Larry Wickersham of Des Moines were involved in the accident which caused the restart. Neither driver was hurt in the incident.


Results –


Sportsman -

Heat #1 – Denny Felt, Waukee
Heat #2 – Carl Vander Wal, Ames
Semi-main – Lynn Komrie, Van Meter
Feature –
1. Carl Vander Wal
2. Fred Knapp, Des Moines
3. Denny Felt
4. Lee Pinckney, Des Moines
5. Lynn Komrie
6. Chuck Berg, Des Moines
7. Bill Todd, Indianola
8. Slim Doonan, Brooklyn
9. Roger McWilliams, Des Moines
10.John Kyle, Des Moines


Late Model –

Heat #1 – Bill Moyer, Des Moines
Heat #2 – Dick Nesteby, Dubuque
Semi-main – Verlin Eaker, Cedar Rapids
Feature –
1. Verlin Eaker
2. Bill Moyer
3. Ole Brua, Albert Lea, Minn.
4. Lem Blankenship, Keokuk
5. Dick Nesteby
6. John Schlemmer, Cedar Rapids
7. John Connolly, Delhi
8. Matt Moro, Des Moines
9. Roland Wilson, Bedford
10.Mert Williams, Rochester, Minn.