Mark
Martin is joined by ARTGO promoter John McKarns and announcer Wayne Adams after
Martin won the overall championship in the twin 75’s at Raceway Park. – Stan
Kalwasinski Photo
Blue Island, Ill. (June 16, 1981) – Finishing eighth and first in the twin 75-lap features and setting fast time during time trials gave Mark Martin of Batesville, Ark., the overall championship in the ARTGO Racing late model special at Raceway Park on Tuesday night.
Sharing feature wins honors with Jim Sauter of Necedah, Wis., Martin’s victory was his first in ARTGO competition this year and his first win since last October for the 22-year-old speedster.
A starting field of 20 pounded the asphalt at the drop of the green flag in the first feature race. Coming from his outside front row starting position, Tom Jones moved his Camaro into the lead.
Jones set sail, building a healthy margin between himself and his nearest competitor, Frank Gawlinski. Sauter, meanwhile, began slicing through traffic, taking over the third spot on lap 15, and quickly moving into second place on the 24th lap.
Lap after lap, Sauter cut down the distance between himself and Jones, with Sauter slipping past Jones on lap 42 for the lead. On the next circuit, Jones pulled out of the action, his mount suffering a broken water pump pulley.
With Sauter driving a seemingly effortless race, a real battle developed for positions three through seven between Leo Mens, Jerry Kemperman, Burt Weitemeyer, Larry Schuler, and Dick Trickle, with the five jockeys battling bumper-to-bumper.
With nine laps to go and Sauter about to lap Trickle, Mens’ mount suddenly lost all power coming off the second turn due to a spark plug short, causing a chain reaction crash involving Kemperman, Schuler, Weitemeyer, Trickle and Sauter, which brought out the red flag. All drivers escaped injury, with Kemperman and Schuler unable to continue.
On the restart, Sauter set the pace, with Mens dropping out of the race on lap 67 and second place Gawlinski losing two spots because of a bad right front tire.
Sauter’s win was his second in ARTGO action this season. Following were Weitemeyer, Trickle, Gawlinski and Woody Church.
The second 75-lapper saw Mens guide his Camaro into the lead at the start of the race. Mens, who started on the pole position, was in command on lap 8, when the yellow flag flew, as Bob Weltmeyer, current ARTGO point leader Larry Detjens, and Jim Weber tangled in turn one, putting all three out of the race. As the pack circled the quarter mile under yellow, Mens suddenly pulled into the pit area with ignition ills.
Inheriting the top spot, Martin quickly began to pull away from the rest of the field, with Gawlinski, Schuler, Sauter and Jones in pursuit. Schuler, with Sauter right behind him, moved into second place on lap 18. Sauter battled a stubborn Schuler for second place as Martin maintained his lead. Sauter finally rolled past Schuler on lap 34and began setting his sights on the leader.
Lap 58 saw the race’s second yellow as Trickle did a quick spin in turn three and was joined by Wayne Kullman and Dave Weitemeyer, with Sauter slamming into the tail of Martin’s car as the leading duo braked hard to avoid a clogged turn three. The accident Sauter, whose mount received differential damage to the pits.
Two additional caution flags slowed the action, as Trickle once again looped his Camaro in turn three on lap 61, and Ray Young came to a halt in turn two on the 66th circuit.
The final laps to starter Bill Gronley’s checkered flag saw Schuler put heat on Martin for the lead, with Jones riding in third place right behind the leaders. Following were Gawlinski, Weitemeyer and Trickle.
Results –
Feature #1 –
1. Jim Sauter, Necedah, Wis.
2. Burt Weitemeyer, Lansing
3. Dick Trickle, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
4. Frank Gawlinski, Lynwood
5. Woody Church, Palos Park
6. Pat Echlin, Calumet Park
7. Ray Young, Dolton
8. Mark Martin, Batesville, Ark.
9. Wayne Kullman, Calumet City
10.Leo Mens, Chicago
Feature #2 –
1. Mark Martin
2. Larry Schuler, New Lenox
3. Tom Jones, Northbrook
4. Frank Gawlinski
5. Dave Weitemeyer, Harvey
6. Dick Trickle
7. Pat Echlin
8. Joe Shear, South Beloit
9. Woody Church
10.Wayne Kullman
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