Odessa, Mo. (September 22, 1974) – Dick Trickle, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., driving his purple 1970 Mustang, stormed to victory in the first and third 100-lap features in I-70 Speedway’s Triple Crown Championship. Bob Senneker of Dorr, Mich., was the first to the checkered flag in the second 100-lapper.
The races were run on an odd and even basis. Fastest qualifiers timing in with first, third, fifth fastest times, etc., competed in the first 100-lapper. The second, fourth, and sixth fastest times, etc., competed in the second 100-lapper. The top finishers in the first two 100-lappers earned the privilege of running in the third and final 100-lap contest.
Trickle clocked in third fastest (Tom Maier was the top qualifier with a time of 18.02 seconds) and started the first feature on the outside of the front row. Maier assumed the lead at the start, followed by Larry Phillips, Springfield, Mo., and then Trickle. Those three drivers maintained the same order until lap 14 when Trickle slipped by Phillips into seconds.
Trickle, not one to give up, stayed right on Maier’s bumper waiting for his opportunity to pass. He tried continuously but to no avail. Then, on lap 78, Maier got tied up in slower traffic and Trickle charged past him, holding the top spot until the checkered.
Senneker, the second fastest qualifier with an 18.06 second lap, started the second 100-lapper on the pole. Tom Reffner, Rudolph, Wis., beat him into the first turn but held the lead for only two laps when Senneker roared by him. David Goldsberry, Bolivar, Mo., also got by Reffner on the next lap.
Senneker would extend his lead to 15-car-lengths with Goldsberry still in second and now followed closely by Joe Shear, Beloit, Wis., who also got by Reffner. Shear would get by Goldsberry on lap 60 but Goldsberry would stay on Shear’s bumper and stalked him for the remainder of the race. As Senneker sailed to an easy victory, Shear beat Goldsberry by half-a-car-length at the finish.
The third and final 100-lapper saw Tom Maier on the pole, Senneker right next to him, with Trickle and Phillips right behind them in the second row.
Maier took the lead and held it for the first 31 circuits until Trickle made it by him in heavy traffic. Maier became the pursuer and pressured Trickle until lap 57 when Trickle got caught up in heavy traffic and Maier made his move to regain the lead. The duo raced side-by-side with Trickle nosing his Mustang ahead on lap 78. The next lap later, Maier regained the lead again, only to lose it back to Trickle on lap 80. Then, a few laps later, Maier made another bid and got by Trickle again.
Finally, on lap 93, Trickle outmaneuvered Maier between turns one and two, and as the crowd roared its approval, took the lead which he would hold to the finish.
Results –
Feature #1 –
1. Dick Trickle, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
2. Tom Maier, Midland, Mich.
3. Terry Brumley, Springfield
4. Dave Watson, Milton, Wis.
5. Fred Whisler, Independence
Feature #2 –
1. Bob Senneker, Dorr, Mich.
2. Joe Shear, Beloit, Wis.
3. Dave Goldsberry, Bolivar,
4. Terry Bivins, Shawnee
5. Tom Reffner, Rudolph, Wis.
Feature #3 –
1. Dick Trickle
2. Tom Maier
3. Bob Senneker
4. Larry Phillips, Springfield
5. Tom Reffner
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