Tom Reffner made the trip from Wisconsin worthwhile, winning the Missouri Asphalt Championship at Fairgrounds Speedway. - Dennis Slane Collection
Springfield, Mo. (July 21, 1978) – Tom Reffner, Rudolph, Wis., passed Mike Eddy on the backstretch of the 30th lap, then pulled away from the rest of the field to win the 75-lap Missouri Asphalt Championship late model stock car special Friday night at Fairgrounds Speedway.
Reffner won the race by more than half a lap.
Eddy, from Kawkawlin, Mich., had led the race after passing Reffner on lap 4, but seemed to be slowing when Reffner regained the top spot.
Dick Trickle of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., passed Larry Schuler of Lockport, Ill., on lap 66, to take over third place. Schuler settled for fourth while Joplin’s Bob Johnson rounded out the top five.
After the race, Reffner said he didn’t expect to take the lead so early. “At first, it was I could do to keep up with Mike.”
I honestly didn’t figure on getting past him until he slowed, or it got down to the last five or ten laps,” he added.
The victory was Reffner’s first at Fairgrounds since 1976. He was driving his backup car, an American Motors AMX.
“We just got this thing running correctly on Wednesday,” he said. We had a crack-up with the other car.”
Eddy, who had the fastest lap in qualifying with a one-lap time of 20.591 seconds, said his car was slowing down at the end while Reffner’s was getting faster.
“It was a case of both,” he remarked. “I know I was slowing because my left front tire was about to go.”
Pre-race favorite Mark Martin of Batesville, Ark., smashed his car up in a practice run accident and although his crew worked frantically, it was to no avail because of a severely bent axle.
The winner of the past two Missouri Asphalt Championships, Dave Watson of Milton, Wis., was not entered in the race.
Results –
1. Tom Reffner
2. Mike Eddy
3. Dick Trickle
4. Larry Schuler
5. Bob Johnson
6. Wayne Woody
7. Jim Campbell
8. Fred Whisler
9. Tim Thompson
10.Dennis Franks
11.Dave Chase
12.Larry Phillips
13.Gregory Webb
14.Dale Roper
15.John Cornelius
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