1976 - $6,000 St. Paul Win to Detjens

 

Larry Detjens needed oxygen after he won the Minnesota 400 late model stock car race at the Minnesota State Fair. NASCAR race official Roger Bear holds the mask for the exhausted winner. – John Croft Photo

St. Paul, Minn. (September 6, 1976) – Crawling out of his car, climbing the steps to the winner’s stand, and being able to remain upright while collecting his trophy and $6,000 first prize proved to be the toughest act for Larry Detjens on Monday afternoon at State Fair Speedway.

Negotiating the 400 laps around the half-mile paved oval to win the Minnesota 400 for late model sportsman was the easy part – almost – for the Wausau, Wis., driver. But he was nearly numbed into exhaustion in the process.

“I really started feeling the heat and the exhaustion about 250 to 300 laps into the race,” said Detjens, after winning the State Fair finale. “I started to get leg cramps and I tried shifting myself around in the car. But I found out that wasn’t doing anything for me.”

“I started feeling good again when my pit crew kept signaling me to take it easy. Once I knew they felt that way, then I felt a lot better.”

The NASCAR finale had a field loaded with speed and talent. The season point leader and defending Minnesota 400 champion, L.D. Ottinger of Newport, Tenn., was present. So was Harry Gant of Taylorsville, N.C., who is second in season’s points. Ed Howe of Beaverton, Mich., who set a time trials lap record, and Dick Trickle of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., the Speedway’s all-time money winner.

Yet, it was Detjens, driving a 1974 Camaro he’s owned just a few months, taking the lead on lap 124 and keeping it through the checkered flag 276 laps later.

“There’s really no time when you feel like you’ve got a race won, at least until you get the checkered flag,” said Detjens. “If I start thinking I got a race won before it’s over, I get myself too psyched up. So, I try to fight that idea that I might be leading.”

But lead he did. Until he had to be led to the prize money where there was an oxygen mask as well as cash. “This is the biggest race I’ve ever won and the biggest purse too,” Detjens said, as he sagged to rest. “In 1973 I drove here and hit the wall. Got a little shook up. We didn’t race here two years ago but last year we came in third. Right now, I can’t believe we won, especially against this kind of field.”

Tom Reffner who came with one-hundredth of a second of owning the time trial record Saturday, led for the first 124 laps before experiencing tire trouble. Still running in second on the 366th lap, Reffner’s car blew a radiator and he wound up finishing 13th. Harry Gant, won a 75-lap race on Saturday, was charging among the leaders until his car’s drive shaft broke on the 197th circuit, putting him out of the race.


Results –


1. Larry Detjens, Wausau, Wis.
2. Ed Howe, Beaverton, Mich.
3. L.D. Ottinger, Newport, Tenn.
4. Joe Shear, South Beloit, Ill.
5. John Ziegler, Madison, Wis.
6. Marv Marzofka, Nekoosa, Wis.
7. Dick Trickle, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
8. Doug Strasburg, Johnson Creek, Wis.
9. Larry Smith, Shakopee
10.Mike Murgic, Rosemount
11.Rich Somers, Stevens Point, Wis.
12.Dave Palmquist, Rice Lake, Wis.
13.Tom Reffner, Rudolph, Wis.
14.Pat Riley, Maple Grove.
15.Gary Hemmerling, Beloit, Wis.