1986 – Bradway Takes J-Hawk Nationals Title

 

Dave Bradway Jr.

Kansas City, Kan. (August 10, 1986) – Jimmy Sills and Doug Wolfgang won record-setting battles, but it was Dave Bradway Jr. who won the war in the 10th annual J-Hawk Nationals sprint car championship held Sunday at Lakeside Speedway.

Wolfgang, 34, of Sioux Falls, S.D., will go into the Lakeside record book as the fastest one-lap qualifier since the half-mile dirt track opened in 1955, while Sills, 34, of Sacramento, Calif., became the first driver in J-Hawk Nationals history to win three heat races. Wolfgang, the 1982 J-Hawk champion, clocked a 17.98-second run during time trials – the old track record was 18.02 seconds set by Brad Doty of Fredericksburg, Ohio, in 1983.

It appeared Sills, who won the J-Hawk in 1983 and ’84, was headed for a possible flag-to-flag win after a restart of the race, but a left rear torsion bar snapped during a lap 13 caution and Sills headed for the pits for repairs. Sills would charge back through the field and finish fourth.

Bradway, 36, of Roseville, Calif., inherited the lead on the restart and built up enough of a lead by the 18th circuit to drive the remainder of the 30-lap contest unchallenged. Bradway, making his second career J-Hawk appearance, improved upon a 18th-place finish in 1985. It was the 12th feature victory of the season for the Northern California driver.

“It means a lot to win this race, especially when great ones like Kinser, Wolfgang, and Sills have won it,” said Bradway, who finished seventh in last year’s Knoxville Nationals.

Wolfgang’s hopes for a second J-Hawk title were dampened when he tangled with Mike Peters of Wichita before the field could complete the first lap. Wolfgang’s sprinter suffered a bent wheel and broken shock. Arizona’s Lealand McSpadden, the B-feature winner, was also involved in the crash when he flipped over Peters’ and Wolfgang’s entanglement. Like Sills, Wolfgang would charge through the field to garner a top-five finish.

The 34 cars competing were the most since the event changed from the Mid-America Fairgrounds to Lakeside.

“We were pleased with the turnout of cars, the weather, and the crowd,” said promoter John Jones.


Results –


1. Dave Bradway Jr.
2. Shane Carson
3. Rick Ungar
4. Jimmy Sills
5. Doug Wolfgang
6. Darrell Hannestad
7. Buddy Wallen
8. Rick Howard
9. Rick Pennell
10.Tom Strong
11.Junior Parkinson
12.Max Grogan
13.Jeff Hausman
14.Tommy Estes
15.Rocky Hodges
16.Tony Armstrong
17.Mel Krause
18.T.J. Giddings
19.Joe Boyles
20.Mike Peters
21.Lealand McSpadden