1974 - Izzo Triumphs at National Clay Track Championship

Tony Izzo claimed the 200-lap National Clay Track Championship at Santa Fe Speedway. Joining Izzo in victory lane is Jim Hyland of Carling Black Label, sponsor of the event, Izzo, Miss Carling Diane Pyrz, and announcer Jan Gabriel. – Vince Mayer Photo

Hinsdale, Ill. (September 29, 1974) – The pits were full of colorful late models piloted by such stars as Iowa’s Ron Weedon, Wisconsin’s Jim Bozeman of IRA modified fame, and Frank Smith, the ’74 Hales Corner Speedway champion, Indiana’s Ronnie Orr and Michigan’s Ron Snow. The Wisconsin state champion Leon Plank was there, too, as was defending National Clay Track champion Earl Hubert of Aroma Park, Ill., along with Illiana star Rich Sundling and USAC regular Art Bormet.

The 30-car field took the green with old foes, Tony Izzo and Jim O’Conner, starting on the front row with Ken Widdes and Billy Kuhn starting right behind them. Ken Pohlman started on the inside of third row and alongside him was the winningest driver on Santa Fe’s half-mile, Al Johnson.

Tony Izzo roared into the lead as the field crossed the line, completing the first lap. Izzo continued to lead, pulling away from the rest of the pack as serious lapping began on the seventh lap.

The next seven cars continued to run nose-to-tail while threading the needle through traffic in this order: Al Johnson, Jim O’Conner, Billy Kuhn, Ken Widdes, Rich Clements, and Bill Bottoms. They all waged their private battles en route to what they hoped would be the big victory; the National Clay Track Championship.

Traffic thinned and by lap 70 Johnson was challenging Izzo. Izzo was able to hold off Johnson, but Bill Bottoms was pressuring both of them as the first 100 laps drew to a close. A six-minute mandatory pit stop was held on the frontstretch.

At the end of the 50 miles, only nine cars were on the same lap – Izzo, Johnson, Bottoms, O’Conner, Don Waldvogel, Rich Clements, Bob Kelly, Leon Plank, and John Kennedy. As the buzzer sounded and the cars circled the clay oval, it took only one lap before Bottoms got around Johnson for second and on the 104th lap, got by Izzo.

Bottoms and Izzo were running strong and pulled away from the rest of the field. On lap 158, Izzo began to regain real estate and challenged Bottoms. They ran in what could have been described as a superspeedway draft pattern as Tony repeatedly tried to slingshot past Bottoms.

Twenty-three laps later, lap 181, coming out of turn three, Izzo, now operating without brakes, got deep into the corner and tagged Bottoms on the left rear quarter panel. Bottoms spun into the infield as Izzo came to a stop in an effort to give him a chance to recover, but Bottoms required assistance to restart.

The green came out again with Bottoms a lap down as Izzo piloted his pony car the remaining 19 laps to his ninth feature win of the season and the National Clay Track Championship title.


Results –

1. Tony Izzo, Bridgeview
2. Jim O’Conner, Kankakee
3. Bob Kelly, Wheaton
4. Al Johnson, Justice
5. Bill Bottoms, Bridgeview
6. Rich Clements, Villa Park
7. John Kennedy, Villa Park
8. Billy Kuhn, Blue Island
9. Eddie Farrell, Clarendon Hills
10.Leon Plank, Eau Claire, Wis.