Keith Fleck’s Beer Race – The Dirt Years

 

Keith Fleck

By Kyle Ealy

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – When local beer distributor Keith Fleck decided to promote a stock car race at Hawkeye Downs Speedway in 1973, little did he know, or expect, that the event would grow into one of the most prestigious dirt late model races not only in Iowa but the Midwest and possibly the nation.

It all started on September 29, 1973….

Sanctioned by the United States Auto Club, Larry “Butch” Hartman of South Zanesville, Ohio, would win the Falstaff 100 on a cold, damp night before 3,000 fans. Hartman would take the lead at the drop of the green and was never headed although he had all he could do to hold off the efforts of Ernie Derr of Keokuk for the final five tours on the half-mile dirt track.

Butch Hartman accepts his trophy for winning the Falstaff 100 at Hawkeye Downs. Presenting the award is Steve Tomasek (left) Falstaff marketing director, Miss Falstaff Peg McMenomy, and Cedar Rapids Falstaff distributor Keith Fleck. 

The battle at the finish between Hartman and Derr gave them plenty to remember. They were all on their feet when Derr made a move to the outside coming out of turn two on the white flag lap. Derr kissed Butch’s bumper twice, but both managed to retain control of their machines and resume their bumper-to-bumper duel to the finish line.

Trophy dash winner Ramo Stott, also of Keokuk, would finish third in the feature followed by Bay Darnell of Deerfield, Ill., and Steve Drake of Bloomington, Ill. Only seven of the 13 cars entered in the feature finished the race.

It was the case of “Who Won the Falstaff 50?” on Tuesday, July 16, 1974. An estimated crowd of 5,000 race fans wouldn’t learn the answer until 30 minutes after the checkered flag had waved.

After a lot of discussion, Bill Zwanziger of Waterloo, Iowa, would be declared the winner of the 50-lap feature after a major controversy halted the second annual event with five laps to go and confusion ran rampant.

Bill Zwanziger won the controversial Falstaff 100 in 1974. Keith Fleck presents the winner's cup. - B.E. Tappa Photo

The controversy involved Curt Hansen of Dike, Iowa and Verlin Eaker of Mechanicsville, Iowa, who were running one-two and practically bumper-to-bumper throughout the race.

Hansen appeared to have the top prize of $1,000 wrapped up when he sent his 1974 Laguna into the 46th lap. But the Downs point leader spun in the third turn and Eaker, who was pressing hard, also spun.

However, as the yellow light flashed, Hansen continued to race, although he had lost three positions. Eaker required a push truck to get going again.

On the restart, though, as irate fans peppered the front straightaway with beer cans and angry pit crews flooded the same area in an apparent move to prevent the race from continuing, Hansen was back in the lead spot and Eaker went to the pits after being informed he would have to start in the rear.

Hansen would take up where he left off and was the apparent winner until a meeting followed involving Hansen, race organizer Dale Gegner, Eaker’s car owner Al Frieden, Zwanziger, and Darrell Dake of Cedar Rapids.

“The restart rule at this track is that any car that the race is STOPPED for goes to the rear of the field,” Gegner would explain. Gegner then admitted that officials erred in allowing Hansen the lead position on the restart. “Hansen should have been placed in fourth,” Gegner remarked.

Zwanziger, who was second behind Hansen at the checkers, would be awarded first while Dake would be elevated to second place. Bob Kosiski of Omaha would finish third followed by Hansen and Roger Dolan of Lisbon, Iowa.

Hansen, who would still collect nearly $900 in lap money, readily accepted the ruling that he wasn’t the winner but added, “I figured I should be fourth.”

A frustrated Eaker added, “Hansen was about three car lengths ahead of me when he looped it and I spun to keep from hitting him. I had kept the pressure on and was just waiting for him to make a mistake. When he finally did, I was too close.”

Ed Sanger is all smiles after winning the Falstaff 50 in 1975. His wife Sue and Keith Fleck join in the victory celebration. 

Ed Sanger, the point leader at Hawkeye Downs, would come from his fifth row starting position to win the third annual Falstaff 50 on July 15, 1975. The Waterloo, Iowa, hotshoe would collect $1,400 for his efforts.

A crowd estimated at 5,500 watched the most exciting Falstaff race yet and in the process, witnessed some nifty driving by at least eight hard chargers who battled for the lead at various times.

Lisbon, Iowa’s Roger Dolan won the pole position in time trials, just missing the track record of 24.57 seconds. He would lead the first 32 circuits of the race.

But coming out of the fourth turn on the 33rd lap, Sanger would dip underneath Dolan and take the lead he would never relinquish.

Several pilots would give Sanger a run and the strongest of the challengers would be Curt Hansen, but the Dike, Iowa, speedster would lose his steering on lap 43 and tag the first turn wall.

Ed’s brother Karl Sanger, would put on a driving performance himself, charging thru the field from his 18th starting position to make it a 1-2 family affair. USAC star, Don White of Keokuk, Iowa, driving a Chrysler Kit Car, would finish third. Roger Dolan, after leading the race, would lose ground and finish fourth. Darrell Dake, who would challenge early in the contest, would settle for fifth.

Curt Hansen won the 1976 Falstaff Classic at Hawkeye Downs. Keith Fleck, trophy girl Jeanne Kula, and promoter Al Miller join Hansen in victory lane. - Beetle Bailey Photo

Over 50 cars and 4,300 fans showed up at Hawkeye Downs on Monday, July 26, 1976, to watch Curt Hansen win the fourth annual Falstaff Classic. Net proceeds from the event went to the All-Iowa Fairboard to defray costs in building a new track. Less Hansen’s winnings of $1,300, of course.

Bill Beckman of Lisbon, Iowa, would break the one-lap track record in time trials, touring the half-mile in 24.06 seconds to top the old mark 24.10 seconds. Beckman would start on the pole and lead the opening laps before Ken Walton of Viola, Iowa, would take over.

Hansen, who started in the second row, would pass Walton on lap 19 and never look back. Ed Sanger, the defending champion, would give chase but settle for second place.

Roger Dolan, who didn’t qualify well, would put on the driving clinic of the evening, starting 19th, and finishing third. Walton would finish fourth and Mike Niffenegger of Kalona, Iowa, would round out the top five. Duane Steffe of Colona, Ill., would also put on an impressive driving performance, driving from his 21st starting position to a sixth-place finish.

A beaming Fred Horn won the 1977 Falstaff Classic at Hawkeye Downs. Trophy girl Loydene Short, Promoter Al Miller, and race sponsor Keith Fleck join Horn in the winner's circle. - Earl Schwartz Photo

The 1977 edition of the Falstaff Classic, held on Tuesday, June 14, would be a case of dueling stock cars as ’74 winner Bill Zwanziger and Fred Horn of Marion, Iowa, would race side-by-side, bumper to bumper, for the last 30 laps of 100-lap main event with Horn steering his sleek 1977 Camaro to the checkers first by a car length.

“I just wanted to run flat out and the car performed,” breathed Horn after outlasting Zwanziger’s 1977 Nova. "This is probably my greatest racing win. I won the Iowa 300 IMCA race once, but this is probably the most prestigious.”

Kalona's Mike Niffenegger won the pole position with a 24.76 second lap in time trials, but Zwanziger moved to front on the second lap.

That changed one lap later when defending champion Curt Hansen took over and led until Zwanziger took over on the 35th tour. Hansen would regain the top spot one more time on the lap 43.

Then came Fred Horn. Having started on the outside of the fourth row, Horn moved steadily through the field and was racing with the front-runners and on lap 47 asserted himself, taking the lead from Hansen. He wouldn’t have any serious problems until Zwanziger started his challenge on lap 73.

“I have to pay the highest tribute to Bill Zwanziger. We were right together through those last laps and he didn’t touch me once,” Horn remarked afterwards.

Two drivers who started farther back, Roger Dolan (16th) and Bill Rice of Des Moines (19th) finished third and fourth while early leader Hansen settled for fifth.

Most observers were amazed that 10 cars all finished on the same lap, let alone go the entire 100 tours. "It was amazing,” said veteran race announcer Tony Dean of Huron, S.D., "that 24 of the 28 starters were still racing at the finish.”

Curt Hansen became the first two-time winner of the Falstaff Classic, winning the 1978 race. He's joined by Miss Falstaff, Keith Fleck and flagman Engel DeKock. - Earl Schwartz Photo

Curt Hansen would become the event’s first two-time winner after leading start to finish on June 6, 1978. Hansen, who started on the outside of the first row, pocketed $1,600 for winning plus $700 in lap money. It was his biggest victory since winning the Knoxville Jamboree in September of 1977.

A sell-out crowd of 7,000 watched Hansen go unchallenged for all 100 laps. The battles were behind Hanson as Gary Crawford of Independence, Iowa and Bill Martin of Council Bluffs, Iowa, fought tooth and nail for second place with Martin getting by Crawford on the last lap for runner-up honors. Hansen, Martin, and Crawford would finish all 100 circuits with defending champion Fred Horn and Roger Dolan finishing fourth and fifth respectively at 99 laps.

Verlin Eaker of Mechanicsville, Iowa, had won every big race that Hawkeye Downs had to offer over the years. Eaker’s first big win at the Downs’ oval would come in 1969, winning the Hawkeye 200 stock car race. Eaker would win the prestigious Iowa Challenge Cup a record three times from 1972 to 1974 and most recently Verlin had won the inaugural Yankee Dirt Track Classic towards the close of the 1978 season. The only race that had eluded him was Keith Fleck’s late model classic.

Verlin Eaker won the 1979 Miller 100 at Hawkeye Downs. He's joined on the winner's podium by, left to right, Jim Burbridge (semi-main winner), Curt Hansen (fast timer), race promoter Keith Fleck, Eaker, and Ed Sanger (trophy dash winner). - Earl Schwartz Photo

The 28-year racing veteran would scratch that off his list, winning the newly renamed Miller 100 on June 5, 1978. Eaker would battle Mike Niffenegger of Kalona, Iowa for much of the 100 laps, finally securing the top spot halfway through the race. Eaker would collect $2,300 of the $10,070 total purse.

Eaker would start on the outside of the fourth row but jockeyed his way to the front quickly and by lap 6 he was behind Niffenegger, Leon Plank of Mondovi. Wis., and fast qualifier Curt Hanson. On lap 10, Eaker passed Hanson and would settle behind Plank. But Plank would fall off the pace a few laps later and Eaker took off after Niffenegger who had built a comfortable lead.

Eaker eventually caught Niffenegger by lap 40 and grabbed the lead a lap later until “The Flying Dutchman” grabbed the top spot back on lap 42. Three circuits later, Eaker would slip past Niffenegger for good on lap 45 and despite several challenges from Niffenegger over the remaining 55 laps, would take the checkers by a couple of car lengths.

Third place would end with some controversy with Ed Sanger and Don Hoffman of Des Moines both involved. It all started with a lap 80 caution where Sanger spun coming out of turn four but claimed he was “bumped” by Hoffman. Race officials agreed, giving Sanger his spot back.

That decision seemed okay with race fans until Sanger spun again on lap 91, and this time, it appeared the Waterloo, Iowa, hotshoe had done himself in. Technically, he should have gone to the back of the pack and Hoffman should have been moved up to third place. Once again Sanger claimed he was the recipient of Hoffman’s aggressive driving and once again, he was given his spot back.

The decision to give Sanger his place back had many fans, and numerous drivers upset after the race. After much discussion, it was decided by officials to give Sanger and Hoffman both third place money.

A dirt late model legend in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio but a relative unknown in the Midwest, Rodney Combs would make the long haul from Lost Creek, West Va., to win the Miller 100 on June 10, 1980, before a shocked crowd of 6,000.

Combs would show up at Davenport, Iowa, the previous Sunday and convincingly win the 101-lap feature in the four-race Iowa State Dirt Track Championships, leading start to finish and collecting a $1,000.

He would pull into Cedar Rapids on Tuesday and qualify his Howe Camaro on the front row alongside pole sitter Lance Matthees of Winona, Minn.

After a first lap pileup, that took out defending champion Verlin Eaker, crowd favorite Mike Niffenegger, Dan Dickey of Packwood, Iowa, and Larry Wasserfort of Waterloo, Iowa, Tom Hearst of Wilton, Iowa, would jump from his second row outside starting spot into the lead with Matthees and Combs giving chase.

Combs would move past Matthees on lap 12 and after hugging Hearst’s bumper for a few laps, moved past the Downs’ point leader on lap 19. Combs would then stretch his lead to a wide margin, with leads of 10 seconds at some points in the race.

Even with a yellow flag bunching up the field late in the race didn’t faze Combs, who beat Hearst to the finish line by a staggering seven seconds.

“We weren’t going to run here after Davenport,” Combs said after becoming the seventh different winner. “Of course, we’re pretty happy we changed our minds.”

Hearst settle for second with Don Hoffman, who started 13th, taking third place. Dick Schiltz of Waterloo, Iowa, started third but ran the second half of the race on only seven cylinders took fourth and Denny Osborn of Cedar Falls, Iowa, rounded out the top five.

Wisconsin's Leon Plank won the 1981 Miller 100. Candi Niner joins Plank in victory lane. - Bill Haglund Photo

Steve Kosiski’s misfortune would be Leon Plank’s luck as the Mondovi, Wis., late model pilot won the ninth annual Miller 100 on June 9, 1981.

The 21-year-old Kosiski, from Omaha, Neb., was leading the 100-lapper when flagman Ed Otten black flagged Kosiski for a piece of plastic flapping on his car. Kosiski would miss-read the flag for three laps and was not scored after that.

Plank, running second at the time, would take command on lap 78 and hold off a late charge by Ken Walton of Viola, Iowa, to take home the top prize of $2,000.

“I sure feel lucky tonight,” remarked the popular Wisconsin driver. “But I know how Steve feels too. I remember what happened to me here last year.”

Plank was referring to last fall’s Yankee Dirt Track Classic, an event he was leading until the very last lap when he got behind a lapped car, allowing Rodney Combs to sneak by for the win.

Rain had left the half-mile in a quagmire early and things got rough when the race started – an hour late. Tom Hearst would lead in the early going until he was sidelined with a broken distributor. Joe Merryfield of Des Moines would take over on lap 28 and lead until lap 74 when he popped a tire, giving way to Kosiski.

Kosiski would lead the one lap – 74 – before being shown the black flag the next three laps. Even though he ran in front on laps 78 and 79, Plank would be scored as the leader on those laps.

When the race was finished, Kosiski would be scored in ninth, which paid $300 - $1,700 less than he winner’s share.

Only Plank, Walton and third place finisher Pete Parker of Kaukauna, Wis., finished the 100-lap distance. Mike Frieden of Cedar Rapids was fourth and Ron Schreiner of Eleva, Wis., finished fifth, both completing 99 laps.

Ron Jackson scored one of the biggest wins of his career when he won the 1982 Miller 100. 

Ron Jackson of Burlington, Iowa, knew his luck was going to change for the 1982 season when he received a call from car owner Dwayne Schneider of Iowa City, Iowa, towards the end of May, asking him if he would replace Ken Walton behind the wheel.

That luck parlayed into the biggest win of his career after winning the rain-delayed Miller 100 on Wednesday, June 9. The race had been postponed to Wednesday because of heavy rains in Iowa on Tuesday.

For Jackson, the Miller 100 would be only his eighth ride in his new car, but it marked his third straight victory in it after weekend sweeps at Burlington and Donnellson, Iowa.

“I’ve said all along, this is the best ride in Iowa,” Jackson remarked. “I’ve won some big races through the years, but this was my first 100-lapper I’ve ever won. It’s a big thrill.”

Tom Hearst of Wilton, Iowa, winner of four of five weekly features at the half-mile and the pre-race favorite, led the first 28 circuits but went to the pits with a blown piston. Jackson took the lead on lap 29 and was never headed, although another race veteran, Darrell Dake of Cedar Rapids, got close enough numerous times to keep the issue in doubt until the very end.

Four other drivers finished on the same lap as Jackson and Dake, but their fierce battle for third place took place nearly a half a lap behind the two veterans, who’ve raced in seven decades between them.

Defending Miller 100 champion Leon Plank finished third ahead of Billy Moyer Jr. of Des Moines, Dick Schiltz of Waterloo and Roger Dolan of Lisbon, Iowa.

NASCAR star Bobby Allison poses next to his Ed Sanger-prepared car prior to the 1983 Miller 100 at Hawkeye Downs. Allison would finish 20th. - Jim Hedlund Photo

Veteran Roger Dolan of Lisbon, Iowa, would play the waiting game at the Miller 100 on June 7, 1983. Dolan would start on the outside of the second row, stay near the front for the entire race, and then use a lap 93 pass of race-long leader Ken Walton of Viola, Iowa, to annex the victory.

Walton started on the outside of the front row and led the first 92 circuits, including a number of laps run under caution for various spins and crashes.

Then, as the Walton and Dolan sliced and diced their way into turn two, Dolan took to the low side of the speedway while Walton drifted to the high side allowing Dolan to scoot by him into the lead and the eventual win.

“I was hoping the cushion would wear out soon,” Dolan said. “The only chance to pass was in the low grove in the first set of turns.”

Walton would hold on to second while polesitter Bill Rice of Des Moines finished third. Ed Sanger and Jim Burbridge of Delhi, Iowa, rounded out the top five. Another packed house was on hand for the 11th annual event with 45 late models participating.

A highlight of the event was a visit from NASCAR star Bobby Allison of Hueytown, Ala., Allison, driving a Miller High Life-sponsored car prepared by Ed Sanger, was involved in an early race crash and after losing a few laps making repairs, finished a creditable 20th.

Ken Walton toasts his victory in the 1984 Miller 100. Race sponsor Keith Fleck and Cindy Kettlekamp of Multiple Sclerosis makes the trophy presentation. 

After coming “oh so close” in ’83, Ken Walton left little doubt who was the fastest late model driver at the Miller 100 on June 5, 1984, leading all 100 laps. It was Walton’s first Miller 100 win, and it was worth plenty - $2,100 for winning plus another $1,500 in lap money ($15 a lap).

Unlike the ’83 race when he had eventual winner Roger Dolan breathing down his neck for the entire race, he was in control the whole way. Scott Sells of Waverly, Iowa, who finished second, was a full seven seconds behind the winner when the checkers waved.

Although Walton noted afterwards how eerily close he came to a repeat of the ’83 race when he managed to scrape the wall on lap 93 – the same turn #2 wall he scraped on the very same lap – 93 – that lost him the race the year before.

“I was watching for that 92nd lap,” remarked Walton. “I couldn’t believe it when I hit that wall in the very same place on the 93rd.

Dolan started on the pole for the event and challenged Walton for the first couple of laps but fell behind Ed Sanger soon after. Sanger put some pressure on Walton as well but dropped out with mechanical woes early on.

Dave Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, Tom Bartholomew of Waterloo, Iowa, Dolan and Steve Fraise of Montrose, Iowa. They would finish in that order, but less than two seconds separated the four drivers at the end.

NASCAR star Bobby Allison would make a return appearance to the Miller, but this time bring along his 23-year-old son, Davey, with him. Unfortunately, once again, luck wasn’t with them as they were both involved in a fracas early on eliminating both drivers.

A record 63 late model drivers from Iowa, Illinois, Arizona, Arkansas, Wisconsin and Missouri would converge upon Hawkeye Downs on June 4, 1985, for the 12th running of the Miller American 100.

Tom Hearst would win the 13th annual Miller 100 in 1985. Keith Fleck makes the trophy presentation. - Dean Malone Photo

What had now become billed as the “biggest day of racing in Iowa”, would live up to its hype as Tom Hearst of Wilton, Iowa and native Iowan Billy Moyer Jr., now of Batesville, Ark., would put on a driving clinic and thrill a capacity crowd despite 23 laps under caution and a 40-minute rain delay early on in the contest.

Dan Dickey of Packwood, Iowa, would take the lead at the drop of the green but it would be Moyer taking charge by lap 7 with Hearst right behind. A light rain would begin to fall beginning on lap 15 and by lap 23 the red flag waved as the rain began falling more heavily.

After the delay, Moyer would continue to set the pace with Hearst right on his bumper. The two would juke and jive until lap 52 when Hearst was finally able to power around Moyer and into the lead.

The two drivers would tangle in turns #1 and #2 with Moyer on the low side and Hearst cutting him off. In turns #3 and #4, Moyer would attempt the high side and again, Hearst would shut the door on him.

A yellow flag would halt activity from laps 60 to 73 but when the green flag waved again, Hearst would continue his “cat and mouse” tactics with Moyer for the remainder of the race.

Some lapped traffic on lap 94 would not slow Hearst down as he used a couple of slower cars to his advantage, which prevented Moyer from making any last lap passes. Hearst, the 1982 NASCAR national champion, pulled away in the final circuits to claim his first Miller 100 victory.

“Moyer had a lot more horsepower under the hood than we did,” Hearst said. “We just managed to hold him off.”

Former winner Roger Dolan would finish third while the drive of the evening belonged to Rick Wendling of Hazelton, Iowa.

Wendling, who failed to qualify for the feature during his heat race, finished second in the B feature and earned the 24th starting spot. By lap 15 he was in the top six and would finish a solid fourth. Joe Kosiski of Omaha would take fifth.

Roger Dolan became the second two-time winner of the Miller American 100 in 1986. LuAnn Fleck, daughter-in-law of race organizer Keith Fleck, makes the trophy presentation. - John Vass Photo

Roger Dolan would become a two-time winner of the Miller American 100 on June 12, 1986, a race which would be postponed twice because of wet grounds.

In front of a smaller than anticipated crowd, Dolan would duel with defending champion Tom Hearst for most of the race before securing his second win in the prestigious event. It was the second event of the 14-race Busch/Winston All-Star Tour and paid a $15,000 purse.

The race saw Hearst take the lead at the beginning with Dolan working into second place by lap 8. After several laps of challenging Hearst, Dolan would take the lead on lap 17, only to heave Hearst regain the top spot on lap 25.

Billy Moyer Jr., who put on a show the year before, would threaten Dolan’s spot by lap 33, then passed him on lap 34 and by lap 37, got around Hearst for take the point.

A red flag would come out on lap 39 and to everyone’s dismay, Moyer would limp his smoking, overheated car to the pits and retire it. At the halfway point of the race, Dolan, Dale Fischlein of Independence, Iowa, Hearst, and Rick Wendling were bumper-to-bumper.

Fischlein would take the lead from Dolan on lap 56 but Dolan would not give up and regained it once again on the 68th tour. Several laps later, Hearst would pass Fischlein for second.

Dolan would open a six-car length lead for 20 laps but that would start to disappear in the late stages and Hearst was on the leader’s bumper with only a few laps remaining. Despite a couple of charges, Dolan was able to hold off Hearst to seal the win. Joe Kosiski would make a late charge to take third followed by Ed Sanger and Fischlein.

Billy Moyer (right) is about to enjoy an ice-cold Miller High Life with runner-up Dave Birkhofer (center) and third-place Steve Kosiski (left) after Moyer won the 1987 Miller 100. - Dennis Krieger Photo

For Billy Moyer Jr., “coming home” finally worked out as he added his name to the winner’s list of the Miller 100 on June 9, 1987. The former Des Moines resident pocketed $2,500 plus a $1,000 in lap money for his biggest win ever in his native Iowa.

“I have a lot of family that still lives here in Iowa, so I enjoy coming home to race but it seems we’ve been jinxed the last few times here. Moyer had led laps in the previous two Miller 100’s only to come up short in both. But the jinx was laid to rest as Moyer led 75 of the 100 laps in a dominating performance.

Roger Dolan earned the pole position and led the first five laps before Moyer took command. Dolan would stay in contention, however, and retake the top spot on lap 50. It would stay that way for 20 laps before Moyer went back on top for good.

Dolan, battling a ill-handling car, would fade to fifth, while Moyer would put his car on cruise control. He would win by a six-second margin over runner-up Dave Birkhofer of Muscatine. Steve Kosiski of Omaha would take third followed by ’84 winner Ken Walton and Dolan.

Billy Moyer came from the back of the pack twice, to win the 1988 Miller 100. Moyer also became the first driver to win back-to-back Miller races. Joining him on the podium is third-place finisher Ray Guss Jr. (left) and runner-up Steve Kosiski (right). Kari Spaw makes the trophy presentation to Moyer. - Jerry Mackey Photo

Not only was the jinx over for Billy Moyer Jr., but he would become the first back-to-back winner of the Miller 100, when he successfully defended his title on June 7, 1988. But he would do it the hard way…

Moyer came from the rear of the pack not once, but twice in winning the 100-lap affair, which left the crowd of over 6,000 shaking their heads as they exited Hawkeye Downs later that evening.

Moyer led the race officially for four laps, the first time on lap 51, then again for the last three circuits. He took the lead for the final time after chasing down leader Steve Kosiski. He made the pass coming out of turn #2 and then winning the “drag race” down the long back chute.

Moyer began the evening with his transmission breaking during the first off two 20-lap qualifying races. “It just exploded when Billy hit the accelerator to warm up the tires,” according to a pit crew member.

That misfortune left Moyer in the consolation event, which he finished fourth, earning him the 22nd starting spot for the main event. Moyer would then set out to show why he was considered one of the best late model drivers in the America.

He would move into ninth by lap 18 and was all the way up to fourth by lap 30. He would move into third place four laps later. On lap 37 he would move into second place and was challenging Steve Kosiski by lap 37. Moyer and Kosiski raced side-by-side for several laps until the yellow flag waved for a car spun in turn #2 at the halfway point. Moyer would beat Kosiski back to the yellow flag to be scored in the lead on lap 51.

As the field came back around, 6,000 race fans were stunned to see Moyer pull into the pits. What they didn’t know was Moyer was running on alcohol, not gasoline like his fellow 27 competitors and alcohol gets half the mileage of gasoline.

Once again, Moyer would start at the rear of the pack as he would later say,” It was a gamble, but racing is a gamble.” It would be a gamble that would pay off…

Once again, Moyer methodically worked his way through the field, moving to fourth by lap 68, to third on lap 79 and to second on lap 81. However, he was well behind Steve Kosiski when he took over the second spot.

Moyer would chop into Kosiski’s advantage with each lap and finally got on the rear bumper with five laps to go. The expected shootout, however, never materialized as Moyer got around Kosiski on lap 97 and cruised home from there.

“We weren’t sure if we could go 100 laps on one tank of alcohol,” Moyer said from victory lane. “We had planned all along on stopping at about the halfway point to add some. I never doubted we couldn’t catch back up but that’s something you never know until it’s over.”

Kosiski would settle for second while Ray Guss Jr. of Milan, Ill, who also qualified for the main event through the consolation, ran a steady race to finish third. Johnny Johnson of Wapello, Iowa, was fourth and Dale Fischlein (now of Asheville, N.C.) took fifth.

The 1988 Miller would be the last on dirt. During the off-season, the All-Iowa Fairboard would make the decision to pave the half-mile. The Miller 100 would continue to go on but that’ll be another story at another time…

I wouldn’t be able to end this story without mentioning why Keith Fleck hosted this spectacular race year after year. Keith Fleck shared his enthusiasm for racing by sponsoring and organizing the Falstaff/Miller race and then donating all proceeds to local community charities. 

Listed below is a list of charities that benefitted from Fleck’s hard work and generosity.



1973 – Cancer Society
1974 – Heart Fund
1975 – Multiple Sclerosis
1976 – All-Iowa Fair
1977 – Kidney Foundation
1978 – United Cerebral Palsy
1979 – American Diabetes Association
1980 – Iowa Special Olympics
1981 – Camp Courageous
1982 – Cancer Society
1983 – United Cerebral Palsy
1984 – Multiple Sclerosis
1985 – Discovery Village
1986 – Muscular Dystrophy
1987 – March of Dimes
1988 – Variety Club

1972 – Bobby Allison Wins Citrus 250

 

Bobby Allison holds his trophy high after winning the Citrus 250 at Daytona. 

Daytona Beach, Fla. (February 18, 1972) – Despite gale-force winds and pelting rain that made the race seem like a comic book caricature at times, Bobby Allison splashed to victory in Friday’s Citrus 250 auto race at Daytona International Speedway.

It was the second victory in as many days for Allison, a 34-year-old veteran from Hueytown, Ala., who Thursday captured one of two 125-miler qualifiers for Sunday’s $178,000 Daytona 500.

Allison beat out DeWayne “Tiny” Lund of Cross, S.C., by three miles and collected $4,050 for his efforts.

Allison averaged 98.339 miles per hour for 67 circuits of a 3.81-mile course over the outer 31-degree banked oval and twisting flat infield road.

The heavy rain and 40-mile-an-hour winds that buffeted cars for about 10 minutes midway through race created some problems. Car after car spun off the course and several others were left bogged down in the muddy infield at the end of the race.

“I spun off four or five times on one lap before I could get to the pits for rain tires,” said Allison. “That just added to the fun, and the only thing that worried me was stalling. I knew that it was over if I did because my battery was nearly dead.”

Allison, starting in the third spot, was at or near the front the entire race. He dueled polesitter H.B. Bailey of Houston through the early laps. Bailey was out front for the first seven laps and then Allison took over for the next 14 circuits.

Mechanical problems and a spin eliminated Bailey, but Allison wasn’t free yet.

Wayne Andrews of Siler City, N.C., borrowing Red Farmer’s car, moved into contention from his 18th starting position and took over the lead for 13 laps until rain showers moved in.

Allison led from the 38th to the 66th and final lap. He steadily pulled away from the rest of the field and only Lund was on the same lap when the checkered flag waved.

Andrews, a perennial second-place finisher, was running about one minute behind Allison two laps away from the finish, when his car rolled to a stop on the final infield turn and sat there while others went past.

Even though he failed to finish, Andrews had two laps on the rest of the field and was credited with third place. Joie Chitwood of Tampa was fourth and Jimmy Lee Capps of Jacksonville took fifth.


Results –

1. Bobby Allison, Hueytown, Ala.
2. DeWayne Lund, Cross, S.C.
3. Wayne Andrews, Siler City, N.C.
4. Joie Chitwood, Tampa
5. Jimmy Lee Capps, Jacksonville
6. Max Berrier, Winston-Salem, N.C.
7. Jimmy Vaughn, Greenville, S.C.
8. Paul Tyler, Charlotte, N.C.
9. Jeff Haar, Minneapolis, Minn.
10.Baxter Price, Monroe, N.C.

1975 – Underdog Parsons Bites Back at Daytona

 

Benny Parsons savors his Daytona 500 victory.

Daytona Beach, Fla. (February 16, 1975) – With two laps to go, Benny Parsons “’about cried – I ain’t kiddin you.’”

As almost every person in the crowd of 110,000 who has ever considered themselves an underdog went into a frenzy, Parsons found himself miraculously in the lead and coasting to victory in the 17th annual Daytona 500. He had started in the 32nd position – with the other underdogs – in a field of 40.

Running in the draft of Richard Petty’s Dodge, which was finally running strong after a day of overheating, Parsons’ Chevrolet was closing fast on frontrunning David Pearson. Pearson was trying to get by a slow-moving Cale Yarborough and Richie Panch on lap 198 of the 200-lap event.

If Pearson could break through slower traffic, he would be extremely hard to catch. But suddenly, as he tried to shoot between Yarborough and Panch, something happened. Afterwards, Pearson claims one of the cars hit him. Whoever was to blame, The “Silver Fox” lost control of his Mercury and a Daytona 500 victory in a matter of seconds as he slid off the back straightaway and into the grass.

And as Parsons, a hard luck 33-year-old driver from Ellerbe, N.C., drove by Daytona’s big telesign, there it was “1 – 72 (Parsons), 2 – 16 (Bobby Allison), 3 – 11 (Yarborough), 4 – 21 (Pearson, who had gotten his car back on the track), and 1 – 83 (Ramo Stott).”

A crash on the fourth lap had taken nine cars out. Petty had built a strong lead after that, but his car started overheating and he’d have several costly pit stops. Buddy Baker then roared away from the field, holding a 40-second lead at one point, but retired the Ford he was driving about three-quarters of the way through the race with electrical problems.

Then Pearson had led with Yarborough a close second.

But Coo Coo Marlin blew an engine, spilled oil on the track and brought out the caution flag on laps 163 to 172. In the mad scramble to the pits, the hares – Pearson, Yarborough, and Allison – pitted. The tortoise did not. The pace car, and Parsons, moved ahead of Yarborough and Allison and into the same lap as Pearson.

Pearson caught a draft from A.J. Foyt, who, like Petty, finally had his car clicking, and held onto a comfortable lead with Parsons running alone.

Then, enter Richard Petty, exit A.J. Foyt.

“I was waiting for a break and along came Richard – my break,” Parsons said.

“When I saw Richard coming, he was coming fast,” Parsons said of the sight in his mirror. “He pulled up there and waved like ‘C’mon boy, let’s go!’”

Foyt then blew and engine and Pearson’s free ride was over with. Parsons began to close at a rate of about a half-second per lap, but t didn’t seem their would be enough time to catch Person.

Yarborough, a lap behind, and Panch stayed in Pearson’s way for about half a lap, and when he decided he was going get by them or else; he spun.

“I believe he got tapped,” Parsons said. “He ran across then in the front straightaway. Going into turns one and two, David went high, and they went high. Entering the back straightaway, he dropped to go under them, but they were already going low to let him by. I believe that one of them tapped him and that was all it took.”

So Parsons, who won the NASCAR pint title in 1973 but had never won a superspeedway race, was a big winner at last.

Asked if the season title was as big a thrill as winning Daytona, he gleefully said, “Ain’t no way – this is it!”


Results –

1. Benny Parsons
2. Bobby Allison
3. Cale Yarborough
4. David Pearson
5. Ramo Stott
6. Dave Marcis
7. Richard Petty
8. Richie Panch
9. G.C. Spencer
10.James Hylton
11.A.J. Foyt
12.Bruce Jacobi
13.Bob Burcham
14.Ed Negre
15.Cecil Gordon
16.Ferrel Harris
17.Coo Coo Marlin
18.Richard Childress
19.Lennie Pond
20.Buddy Baker

Iggy Katona - ARCA Champion

Egnatius "Iggy" Katona

By Lee Ackerman

Omaha, Neb. - What’s in a name? Well, let’s look at an old racer named Egnatius Katona, known to the racing world as “Iggy”. Many of the younger generation of race fans probably know little or nothing of Iggy Katona, but if you look at the record you will find that Katona was a six-time Auto Racing Club of America (ARCA) champion.

During his long ARCA career, Iggy made 312 starts, scored an amazing 79 wins, grabbed 44 poles and won six championships, posting championships in 1955, 1956, 1957, 1962, 1966 and 1967. In fact, Iggy finished in the top ten in the ARCA points standing an incredible 21 straight seasons from 1953 though 1973. He was also the only driver to win a 600-lap race on a half-mile oval doing that at Dayton Speedway on September 16, 1962, when he led 403 of 600 laps. A race Iggy won by six laps.

Iggy was born in Toledo, Ohio, on August 16, 1916, and his racing career started out by racing motorcycles in local races in Michigan and Ohio at the age of 21 and winning most of the races he entered. In fact, within four years Iggy was Michigan State Motorcycle Champion.

 After a brief tour of duty in the Army during World War II, he turned to midget car racing. Building his own engines and chassis and with the help of his sons Ronnie and Jim as a crew, Katona found quick success on four wheels as well, including posting 14 straight feature wins in a row at Detroit’s famed Motor City Speedway, a dirt oval.

Iggy Katona takes a victory lap after winning a MARC-sanctioned 100-lapper at Toledo, Ohio, in 1956. - Dick Mossoney Photo

In 1951 and 1952 Iggy ran a number of NASCAR Grand National (today’s Cup series) events, usually driving a Chrysler or a Plymouth. His best finish came in September 1952 when he steered his Plymouth to a seventh-place finish at Dayton, Ohio.

Then in 1952, fellow Toledo native John Marcus created the Midwest Association of Race Cars (MARC) and from the start Iggy was a force to be reckoned with, finishing third in the series inaugural season, fourth in the second year of the series and then he became the man to beat as he won the MARC Championship the next three years in 1955, 1956 and 1957.

In 1955, he won eight of the 33 MARC events with most of those wins in the Midwest, but he also posted wins at Lakewood Speedway near Atlanta and at Lancaster, S.C. In 1956, he posted five wins racing mostly in the Midwest and he had another banner year finishing in the top-five in most races to secure a second championship. In 1957 his consistent top-five finishes helped him add a third straight title.

Katona continued to be a mainstay in MARC over the years and was a driver to be reckoned with as he always was near the front. One of interesting wins of the period came on August 28, 1960, when he won a 500-lap ARCA event at the legendary Eldora Speedway near Rossburg, Ohio.

In 1962, Izzy posted a fourth MARC championship, winning seven times with his most impressive win being the 600-lap win at Dayton in Ohio. In 1963 Izzy posted just four wins and finished second in the MARC points race while running a very limited schedule.

In 1964, MARC became Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) and at that point more diversity was added to the schedule including superspeedways such as Charlotte and Daytona. It was about this time that Iggy was asked about racing on the superspeedways and his answer was, “Oh I love these high-bank tracks, and I love the speeds but I’m only kidding myself that I can go as fast as these guys who are used to it.”  As we shall see, Iggy would do alright on the big fast tracks. He won at the Daytona International Speedway in February of 1965.

It was in 1965 that Iggy switched to Plymouth and Dodges to offset the tough competition he would be facing. On May 1, 1965, Iggy steered his 65’ Plymouth to victory at the Clark County Speedway in a 100-lap event and finished the month of May off with another 100-lap ARCA win at the Hagerstown Speedway in Maryland. June saw him win at Anderson, Indiana and then he posted a 250-lap win in September at the Michigan State Fairgrounds and then just missed winning a 500-lap go in late September at Dayton, Ohio where he finished second.

When the season was over Iggy had posted six wins in ARCA and finished second in the points while running a limited ARCA schedule.

Iggy Katona acknowledges his fans after a win in 1966. He would win his fifth ARCA championship that year. 

In 1966, Iggy was at the top of his game. Posting his first win of the season on March 27, 1966, at Meyers Speedway in Houston, Texas, Iggy led 57 of the 100 laps to win the race in 1 hour, 26 minutes, and 38 seconds. Over the course of the he followed that win with wins at Florence, Ky., Toledo, Ohio, Flat Rock Speedway in Michigan, Cloverleaf Speedway in Ohio where he led the entire 100 laps, Mount Clemens Speedway in Michigan, Clarke County Speedway (twice), Columbus Motor Speedway and Canton Speedway in Ohio followed by Auto City Speedway in Michigan and finishing off with a win at Dayton, Ohio on October 2, 1966.

When the season was over Iggy had posted 12 wins (four in a Plymouth and eight in a Dodge) and scored 2,920 points to claim his fifth ARCA Championship.

In 1967, Iggy campaigned almost entirely in a Dodge, although he did drive his 1965 Plymouth to a win in a 100-lap ARCA race at Florence, Kentucky on April 23, 1967. Behind the wheel of his 1965 Dodge after a number of races where he ran second or third, Iggy posted a repeat win at Meyers Speedway on April 2.

Then after winning in his Plymouth at Florence, he posted wins at Toledo, Auto City, Lorrain County and Millstream in Ohio, the high banks of Anderson Speedway in Indiana where he led 246 of the 500 lap Anderson 500, Columbus Motor Speedway and Clarke County in Ohio, and finally at Auto City on September 3. When the final ARCA points were tallied Iggy had 3,120 points more than enough to claim his sixth and final ARCA Championship.

Now 51 years old Katona took time to look back on his career. “I’ve been lucky. Sometimes I haven’t been able to run as hard and fast as I wanted to because I was afraid my car wouldn’t stay together, but most of the time, we’ve been able to stick in there with them.” Never seriously injured in a racing accident, his worse accident was on the highway when a drunk plowed into him.

Iggy Katona (30) and Les Snow (6) set the pace for an ARCA race at Salem Speedway. Starting behind them in the second row are Benny Parsons (98), and Andy Hampton (2).

In 1968 running even less ARCA races than normal, Iggy posted three wins at Florence, Beaver Valley and Taylor County (all in Kentucky) in his Dodge but still finished fourth in ARCA points. 1969 saw just two wins and in 1970 followed that up win three wins those coming at the Sharon Speedway and the Trumbull County Fairgrounds in Ohio and on the Salem High Banks in Indiana.

1971 saw just two wins, the biggest coming on February 7 when he won the 300-mile ARCA 300 at the Daytona International Speedway while leading 42 of the 120 laps behind the wheel of his 1970 Dodge. 1972 and 1973 saw Iggy post no wins but on February 10, 1074, the 57-year-old veteran posted his final ARCA win, but it was a big win as he won the ARCA 200 at Daytona for car owner Buddy Ward.

 1973 and 1974 saw a handful of NASCAR starts but with no real success and he ended his driving career with ARCA with single races in 1976 and 1977. So ended a fantastic career which saw Iggy Katona hold many ARCA records, although some have fallen since.

Current ARCA President Ron Drager shares his thoughts on Iggy Katona. “Iggy was physically intimidating, not in height but barrel chested, arms like tree trunks. Very serious about his racing, at the track it well all business, because he raced for a living-that was his sole source of income. His race team was all family, his wife Eleanor kept the books and was his race day scorer (when every car was required to supply one) and his sons Ron and Jim were his pit crew-they did all maintenance, repair, engine building, fabrication in the garage at home in Michigan.”

Drager continued, “Iggy would drive straight through only stopping for fuel to races, regardless of the distance-when he drove the hauler to Daytona, he would have a jug of iced tea and a bag of pretzels for the trip. When you look at the schedules, running 50 plus MARC races per year in the 1950s, with the primitive technology they had at the time and the roadways they had to travel, running the Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit and the Wisconsin State Fair Park in Milwaukee on back-to-back days, it’s a real testament to how tough those racers were.”

He added, “Iggy was pretty much the driver to beat for most of 20 years on the MARC/ARCA circuit, racing against some pretty hardscrabble drivers like Jack Bowsher, Les Snow, Bill Kimmel, Andy Hampton, Bobby Watson, Nelson Stacy, Darel Dieringer, Fred Lorenzen, Charlie Glotzbach, Benny Parsons, Jack Shanklin and Curtis Turner. He won Daytona in 1974 in a Dodge Charger Hemi at the age of 58 which was pretty remarkable at the time.”

So, race fans will remember Iggy Katona as not only one of ARCA’s greatest drivers but one of the best drivers of his era in all of racing.  A hard-working, do-it-yourself individual, who was a true champion.

 

Iggy Katona

King of the Mud – Ed Sanger

By Gary Jacobson – Post Bulletin

Rochester, Minn. (1975) – Chasing down Ed Sanger for an extended interview is just about as difficult as chasing him down on a dirt track. The Waterloo, Iowa, stock car driver and race car builder is always busy. If he isn’t competing, he’s building. If he’s not doing maintenance on his cars, he’s selling parts to other drivers. Then there’s the 200-acre farm he just purchased last year near New Hampton.

I had been trying to get together with Sanger for an interview since June. “I’ll be a lot easier to talk to as soon as I get all of my beans in,” he said at the time.

Among all of the planting, rock routing, cultivating, and racing – Sanger runs between 80 and 90 races a year, putting over 30,000 miles on his hauler – I finally got a chance to speak with the short track specialist, sitting with him at the Country Kitchen, not far from the Sanger Racing Garage on Falls Avenue in Waterloo.

Ed Sanger is generally regarded as the premier stock car builder and driver in Iowa. He may hold that same distinction anywhere on dirt. In a sport where many operations with heavily financial backing often have difficulty surviving, Sanger has thrived on his own skill and shrewd business sense. He builds winning cars, and he’s built a winning racing business.

Sanger concentrates on his racing activity in the upper Midwest, but he also ranges far from his Iowa home base to compete at tracks in Ohio, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Indiana. His biggest win came last fall in the World 100 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. Sanger collected $7,300 for the feature victory, bettering some 120 other late model drivers from all over the United States. In February, he hauled his bright yellow #95 Camaro to Volusia County Speedway in Barberville, Fla., for a special series of dirt races held in conjunction with Speed Weeks in Daytona Beach. He finished third overall after four nights of competition. The field included NASCAR veteran and former Daytona 500 champion Tiny Lund of Cross, S.C.

Sanger was supposed to go down to South Carolina this winter and race with Lund, a former Harlan, Iowa, native. But Lund was tragically killed in a racing accident in Talladega, Ala., this past Sunday during a NASCAR Grand National race.

What makes Sanger run so hard? His stock car racing genius is probably best spelled D.E.T.E.R.M.I.N.A.T.I.O.N. and hard work. The 34-year-old farm boy from McGregor, Iowa, has been racing for 10 years, but they’ve been years of total commitment. He has made racing his life’s work. He thrives on its competition.

“You go through high school, and you compete in football and track,” Sanger said, explaining why he first started racing. “You thrive on that competition.”

“You’re competing for grades in class. They used to line up your test scores up on the wall. You get out of high school and go to college. College was kind of dry for me. I didn’t have enough money to be fanciful, so I had to work all the time. Well, that got to be old after a while, so I quit school after two years.”

“Then I started working. You’re working for someone else, punching in, punching out, taking your paycheck home, and it’s all spent. The same thing next week, punch in, punch out, take your paycheck home, and it’s all spent. You don’t get nowhere. There was no competition. But I was always looking for competition.”

“Then I started going to the stock car races and I see all of this competition, and I see where it might be possible for me to build a race car. I gathered enough information, so I knew what I was doing, and then me and a friend decided we were going to build one. He’s going to put up the money for the car, and I was going to do all of the mechanical work. That’s how I got started. The next year I was racing.”

Each of the past two seasons – his best from a gross income point of view – Sanger has grossed around $42,500 in prize money from racing his own car. So far this year, he’s won about $30,000 in prize money, winning 24 feature races. His best year for feature wins was 1973 with 40 feature wins; 1971 produced 37 feature wins. “I don’t know of anyone who has won any more than that on dirt tracks,” Sanger pointed out. “I don’t know of anyone who has won 40 features in one year on dirt.”

Last winter, Sanger Racing produced 22 Camaro chassis for other drivers. Sanger expects the car building business and related part sales to gross $250,000 this year. In 1974, he had sales of $113,000. He’s planning on building a new garage soon with a separate room just for selling race parts. When that facility is completed, he expects his gross sales to double 1975’s total, reaching the half million-dollar plateau.

The former Pontiac garage manager loves being his own boss.

“I could never be satisfied working at the John Deere plant (in Waterloo),” Sanger said. “I worked there three times, and I always quit about the day my 90-day contract was up. I quit just about the time I was ready to gain some rights. I said, “I don’t want to get hooked into this goddamn place just waiting to die. There’s 10,000 workers down there, waiting to die, waiting to retire. I didn’t want it. I’d rather slip around on the outside here, instead of being in prison. I’ll slip around on the outside and see if I can eek out a living.”

A short laugh accompanied Sanger’s use of word “eek”. He admits he’s done “pretty well” in racing. Pretty well, indeed. In 1971, he netted nearly $108,000 off his race cars. Some $32,000 of that came from the car he personally campaigned. In addition, he owned five other cars which were driven by Stan Stover and Red Dralle, both of Waterloo. Few big time, nationally known stock car drivers can boast of such success.

“1971 was a terrific year, just like they say in the whiskey business,” Sanger recalled. “It’s the year that really set me on my feet. Ever since, I’ve been kind of treading water because the costs have risen so much. In ’71, we were still racing on SuperSport tires.”

Sanger says the total maintenance expense for his car in 1971 was $5,800. Last year, that figure crept closer to $25,000.

One of the primary reasons for Sanger’s success in racing is analytical, almost philosophical, approach to problems. Ask him a question and watch him mold an answer, probing all the angles, getting to the substance of the problem in a peeling fashion, removing one layer of meaning and moving on to the next. You don’t get yes and no answers when you query Ed Sanger. You get a solid mixture of technological understanding, theory, and conviction. And if he doesn’t agree with you, you’ll get that too. Occasionally, he loses his temper. I’ve seen him curse uncontrollably and vow to park an offending driver.

But most of the time he keeps himself well under control, even when disagreeing with promoters. Recently, several Iowa racing promoters have been actively engaging in changing rules to bring down the costs of building and maintaining race cars. Sanger, like the industrialists at the turn of the century, wants a hands-off policy instead.

“You fix your rules the way you want them, and you fix your purse,” he tells them. Let us decide how much money we want to spend on our race cars. We’ll seek our own level.”

Ed Sanger would have gotten along famously with John D. Rockenfeller.

Reliability is the key to making money with a race car stresses Sanger, who claims he’s never loss money on a car he’s personally raced. “You can win and win and win and then blow, but the guy whose been running steadily every night is going to make more money than you for sure,” he said. “Because if you win five in a row and then blow in one, you’ve canceled out three wins as far as costs go. I once figured that if I end up finishing third in every race I entered, I would’ve earned more money than doing what I did. Counting first place finishes is one measurement of how successful you are. But it’s not as important as the money you win.”

Sanger arrives at his reliability through simplicity of construction. The simpler the cars are, the easier they are to put together and work on. Every piece has a function. There’s something like 140 pieces in one of my own chassis,” he says. “If I could cut that down, I would, because it would mean less work for me.”

Sanger considers dirt track racing a greater challenge than asphalt racing. “On asphalt, it’s all the car, on dirt you have to drive it. Take a young driver and put him in the best car at the track,” Sanger explained. “On asphalt he’ll run right up front from the start. On dirt, he’ll finish last. On asphalt, you have to put in a year’s apprenticeship, one dirt, it’s three years minimum.”

During Sanger’s apprenticeship days, he christened himself “Captain Crunch”. “You see, we were racing on a quarter-mile then and part of the game was crashing around,” Sanger explained. “I thought it was appropriate that I was captain of the crunchers, so I painted it on my car. The game’s changed since.”

“I served my apprenticeship. Every night of the week I was in the garage until after midnight. My relatives and neighbors would come over and laugh. They couldn’t figure out why I was working so hard. Well, I don’t work that hard now. But if someone wants to follow me around for a year, I’ll guarantee that they’ll get tired.”

Coming from a man wearing faded blue jeans, a blue work shirt, and with grease and dirt streaked on his hands, you get the unmistakable conviction that you’re hearing it straight. Yes, you would get tired.

Nashville’s Southern 300

 

Miss Tennessee, Jenny Thomas, poses with the 1960 Southern 300 trophy in a promotional photo.

By Kyle Ealy

Nashville, Tenn. – What started as a local event would soon evolve into one of the premier short track races in the southeast. The Southern 300 would run from 1959 to 1972, and as the race grew in popularity and stature with drivers and race fans, it soon began to attract many regional and national racers.

The half-mile, paved Fairgrounds Speedway would open for business on July 19, 1958. Three weeks later, the track would play host to a 200-lap NASCAR event, won by Joe Weatherly.

In addition to their weekly racing, the season was capped off with a 200-lap modified race on October 19. Although the race didn’t have an official name, it became known as the Southern 200. Jimmy Griggs of Donelson, Tenn., would win the race, shortened to 163 laps because of darkness, before a crowd of 5,146.

Jimmy Griggs is shown accepting his trophy after winning the 1958 Southern 300. Griggs would also win the 1959 race as well. 

In 1959, the event would be extended another 100 laps and formally name the Southern 300. With the exception of a couple of years, it was always the season-ending race at Fairgrounds Speedway.

This is where the story starts…

On October 11, 1959, Jimmy Griggs would successfully defend his title, pushing his Cadillac-powered race car to victory in the grueling 300-lapper before a record crowd of 8,574. For his efforts, Griggs earned a whopping $1,000 and a five-foot-tall trophy.

Griggs would grab the win when Bob Reuther, who had led for the last 100 laps, yielded his front spot to Griggs on lap 283 because of fatigue.

“I just couldn’t take it any longer,” Reuther explained afterwards. “I was worn out and could hardly gripped the steering wheel any longer.” In evidence, he held out his hands, covered with broken blisters. “No excuses, I was just pooped,” he added.

Griggs ran the race as he had planned. He started the race in the 11th position, slowly worked his way to the front of the field and came into contention with 100 circuits left. He led briefly at the 200-lap mark, pitted for gas, and then proceeded to dog Reuther’s bumper until passing him on the south turn.

Reuther settled for second place while Friday Hassler of Chattanooga took the final podium spot.

Seven of the 10 fastest qualifiers never finished the race, and of the 37 starters, only 20 received the checkered flag. Earl Abts of Birmingham, Ala., who set a new qualifying record of 21.17 seconds (81.19 mph), was the early leader of the race but lost his steering on lap 102 and hit the wall. Charlie Griffith of Chattanooga, one of the track’s successful weekly racers, was leading on lap 146 when a grease seal blew and his transmission blew up, knocking a large hole in his gas tank.

In one off the weirdest crashes, Malcolm Brady slammed into a stalled Jack Marlin while running at full speed in the south turn. “I had the throttle on the floor,” Brady remarked. “And wasn’t even braced for the crash. My windshield was so dirty, I didn’t even see Jack.”

Track promoters, though, were lavish in their praise following the event. “Everyone followed the rules. They drove like pro’s and gave the crowd a fine race.”

Malcolm Brady is all smiles after winning the 1960 Southern 300.

Malcolm Brady watched car after car “drop like flies,” as the Columbia, Tenn., driver outlasted 35 other competitors in winning the second annual Southern 300 on October 2, 1960.

A whopping 26 starters failed to finish. Numerous laps run under caution held the average speed down to 61.42 miles per hour. Brady averaged over 82 miles per hour in time trials.

Two-time and defending champion Jimmy Griggs finished second but wasn’t even close at the finish, almost a half-lap behind Brady. After that, the eight other cars on the track had been lapped at least once.

For the first 150 laps, the 9,172 fans in attendance saw a fantastic race but for the last 150 circuits, they watched Brady and Griggs moving in circles, and it didn’t look like they belonged in the same ones.

A total of 36 cars started and by lap 4, the field was cut down to 30 after a six-car pileup. Brady started on the pole and led the first 44 laps. Charlie Griffith took over on lap 45 and held it until lap 54 when he spun out.

Dave Mader of Birmingham was the next leader until the 84th circuit when his car snapped a pinion gear. Brady would regain the lead and never relinquish it from there.

At that point, Brady had Bobby Celsor, Friday Hassler, Coo Coo Marlin, Griggs, L.J. Hampton, and Bobby Allison in hot pursuit. Before the race ended, all, with the exception of Griggs, found their way to the graveyard, which was also called the infield, where more cars were standing at the end of the race then what was on the racetrack.

For a while, Brady didn’t know if he would make it to the checkers. “The car was holding up great, but I wasn’t holding up too good. I didn’t think I was going to make towards the end.”

For car owner Charlie Stoffel, the victory was sweet for the two other cars owned by him were wrecked. “We really needed the money,” he said.

1961 winner, Bob Reuther, is joined by Miss Southern 300, Pat Schmidt. 

Bob Reuther would turn on the steam on a cold day, October 1, 1961, to win the third annual Southern 300. For the 14-year racing veteran, it was his biggest win to date. According to many who had seen Reuther race throughout his career, he was never better than that day.

An impressive crowd of 7,814 turned out despite cloudy skies that dripped rain during most of the morning and cut the race to 270 laps.

The victory as protested by L.J. Hampton, and it took 75 minutes, until all of the scorecards could be double-checked, and an official decision reached. Hampton finished four seconds behind Reuther at the end with Charlie Stoffel finishing third, three laps behind, and Friday Hassler taking fourth, five laps down.

Red Farmer of Hueytown, Ala., the polesitter, took the lead on the opening lap and held it until lap 57 when a broke jack shaft sent him to the sidelines. With Farmer out, Jimmy Griggs took over first place and held it until his engine gave way on lap 77.

Herschel “Crash” Bond took over and it looked like he might stay there the rest of the afternoon until his car developed rear end trouble and he exited on lap 132. That was when Reuther got his first taste of being up front and he held the top spot until he pitted for fuel on lap 207.

While Reuther was fueling up and losing almost three laps, Hampton, who had already made a pit stop for fuel, took the lead. At the 210th mark Hampton was officially 19 seconds ahead of Reuther.

But one could get a good idea on how fast Reuther was traveling. By lap 220, Reuther was 11 seconds behind Hampton and on lap 230, he was on Hampton’s bumper. On lap 232, Reuther powered to the inside of Hampton for the lead and never looked back.

In addition to his dominating victory, Reuther also showed an exemplary act of sportsmanship earlier in the race, when Red Farmer, who was leading on lap 69, attempted to pull to the bottom of the track, obviously in trouble. While other cars let the red-headed driver fend for himself, Reuther dropped off the high bank, positioned his car behind Farmer’s and pushed him to the pit area.

Raymond “Friday” Hassler would beat Malcolm Brady by less than half a lap to win the fourth annual Southern 300 on September 30, 1962. Fifteen of the 38 starters finished the final race of the season before a crowd of 7,656.

Brady seemingly had the race in the bag, but his crew misjudged his fuel mileage, and he ran out of gas on lap 265. The former winner coasted to the pits, picked up five gallons of gas, and roared out. By the time this took place, however, Hassler had flown by and taken the lead, and eventually the win.

It was the second time for Hassler to lead the race. Donnie Allison of Hueytown, Ala., the polesitter, had led the race for the first 108 laps until he suffered a blowout of his right rear tire. Red Farmer then took over until he went to the pits for fuel on lap 147.

It was then that Hassler got his first glimpse of the top spot until he pitted for fuel on lap 173. That put Brady in the catbird seat until his costly stop.

“I could have used a caution flag there at the end,” Brady said. He had already made three pit stops during caution flags, thus not losing a lap. Hassler only required one put stop, also during a caution flag, and his too, was for only one lap.

Bobby Allison, who lost six laps after blowing a right rear tire seven laps after the same fate had struck his brother, was pushing Coo Coo Marlin for third on lap 295, when he got a little too close, rammed Marlin from behind and shoved them both into the guardrail on the frontstretch.

The costliest lap of the race was on lap 107 when the steering broke on Jimmy Griggs’ car, sending him crashing into the backstretch guardrail. His car shot back out into oncoming traffic and took Bud Fox, Jerry Lawley, Fred Thompson, Jack Marlin, and Charlie Parrish out with him. Only Marlin emerged from the wreck and was able to continue.

One of the most popular drivers ever to compete at Fairgrounds Speedway, Raymond Lee "Friday" Hassler won the 1962 and '63 Southern 300.

The fifth annual Southern 300 was slated for September 29, 1963. When racers and fans arrived on Saturday, September 28 for practice and qualifying, they were greeted by soaking rains. The race was rescheduled for October 6. It would be the first of only two Southern 300’s postponed by rain.

When the day arrived, it was unusually warm and the shirt-sleeved crowd of 7,985 watched as Friday Hassler successfully defended his Southern 300 title. He edged past the finish line three seconds ahead of Malcolm Brady.

Hassler and Brady were the only two drivers on the same lap for the last 50 turns of the half mile paved oval. Brady applied pressure like a boxer stalking his foe before a knockout, but Hassler proved to be too clever and held off the numerous advances of the veteran chauffeur.

Brady believed he had won and asked for a recheck of the scoring cards, which was granted. The check revealed that Hassler made one pit stop, with it coming on the 157th lap while the green flag was out. It took 1 minute and 40 seconds.

On the other hand, Brady took three pit stops all during caution laps. He was in for 40 seconds on lap 76, 76 seconds on lap 170, and the pit stop that killed him came on lap 230. It required almost 2 minutes and when Brady got back out on the track, he was behind Hassler by seven seconds.

The yellow flag waved six times with the worse wreck occurring on lap 80 when Freddy Fryar, Crash Bond, Martin Sharpe, and George Bonee were involved in a six-car collision and eliminated from the race. Bob Burchman and Charlie Parrish were also involved in the melee but were able to continue.

Red Farmer, one of the pre-race favorites, departed when his right spindle front broke on lap 24. Joe Lee Johnson was out after 125 laps with a broken crankshaft. Donnie Allison, the polesitter, led the first 36 laps before leaving with a blocked fuel line.

Hassler picked up $1,000 while Brady’s runner-up finish netted him $750. Another former winner, Bob Reuther, drove a steady race and finished third, four laps behind the leaders.

Changes were in store for not only the Southern 300 but Fairgrounds Speedway as well. After six years of modifieds being the feature division, the track was moving to the full-bodied late models beginning in 1964. The change was in line with the other short tracks in the region.

Future hall-of-famer Bobby Allison would win the 1964 Southern 300.

Bobby Allison would take advantage of every break that came his way to win the Southern 300 on October 4, 1964. Driving a 1956 Chevrolet, Allison picked up the $1,000 winner’s check.

A chilly day brought the crowd numbers down, with only 4,500 diehards attending the sixth annual event.

They would have to wait a little longer after the race when Joe Lee Johnson, the second-place finisher, protested the finish. As Allison was getting his picture taken in victory lane, Johnson said, “Let him have the pictures, I’ll take the money. I won the race.”

There would have been no argument over who won if Bob Burcham, the polesitter from Chattanooga, hadn’t suffered a cruel fate two laps away from the finish. The engine on Burcham’s 1958 Plymouth expired and he limped home to a third-place finish.

Charlie Binkley, one of the local hotshots, drove better and faster than anyone on the track but his engine let go on the 254th lap. Binkley had passed the top three drivers twice but was still a lap behind a the time of his misfortune because of two pit stops for fuel.

Coo Coo Marlin lost one position, coming in at fifth instead of fourth when his 1958 Chevrolet ran out of gas with five laps left. Red Farmer, who weathered all kinds of adversity, finished fourth in his 1958 Ford.

The Fairgrounds Speedway grandstands are ablaze just weeks before the 1965 Southern 300.

The eight running of the Southern 300 was set for October 3, 1965. Two weeks before the race, however, the Fairgrounds suffered a disastrous blow. Sparks from faulty wiring ignited the exhibit halls behind the speedway’s grandstands. Within moments, fire consumed the top side of the fairground’s property and heavily damaged the track’s grandstands.

With the track having lost its PA and scoring system, and suffering extensive damage to restrooms and concessions, promoters Bill Donoho and Bennie Goodman were left with no choice to cancel the Southern 300 as well as the 400-lap open competition race.

With a new grandstand, PA, and scoring system in place, the Southern 300 was back again after a one-year absence.

Clifton "Coo Coo" Marlin won the 1966 Southern 300. 

The seventh annual event took place on October 2, 1966. Coo Coo Marlin, who already had a dozen trophies on his shelf from 1966, was one of the pre-race favorites. The other was Red Farmer, who didn’t race week to week like Marlin, but was always competitive at the half-mile track.

From the moment the race started, and ended, the favorites didn’t disappoint as Marlin outlasted Farmer before a record crowd of 9,000 screaming fans. The two drivers waged a battle that the fans had been hoping for.

Farmer led for the first 79 laps with Marlin hugging his bumper the entire time. Marlin took the lead for the first time and led until he pitted on lap 143. Farmer went back in front until lap 175 when he pitted. Jack Marlin took over for two laps and then Bob Burcham went in front for two more.

Coo Coo was back out front on lap 182 and led until the 234th circuit but when the Columbia farmer made his second pit stop, Red was back in command again. Marlin would bring the fans to their feet when he attempted a pass on Farmer for the lead on lap 240 and almost lost control of his car in the final turn.

On lap 252, Farmer’s right front tire would blow, and Marlin would fly by Farmer on the frontstretch for the lead – he wouldn’t relinquish it. The victory was worth $1,100 to Marlin and insured of him of repeating as the local NASCAR point champion. He also took home the huge Pepsi-Cola trophy. He averaged 65.08 miles per hour and the speed was slowed by 10 caution flags that ate up a whopping 102 laps.

Jack Marlin, Coo Coo’s brother was second with Gary Myers third, eight laps behind the winner.

Farmer, who had seen his share of heartbreak at the race, never looked more dejected as he climbed from his car. “I let Coo Coo go by when I felt the car shaking. The flat caused a bent tie rod.” Red revealed that he was running a new 289-cubic inch engine, and said, “I believe I could have won if I didn’t have the trouble.”

Marlin felt fortunate to get the win. “That spin almost caught me. I got it straightened out, but he just took off and I couldn’t catch him.”

Marlin added, “The car kept burning fuel. If Red had stayed in the race, I believe I would have had to make another stop for fuel and I don’t think I could have passed him again.”

The top four fastest qualifiers of the 1967 Southern 300 pose with the winner's trophy. From left to right - Red Farmer, Coo Coo Marlin, Marty Robbins, and Jimmy Griggs.

The ninth running of the Southern 300 would take place on October 1, 1967. A few days before the race, promoter Bill Donohos had received 72 entries for the event. With only 33 cars starting the 300-lapper, that meant that over half of the entrants would be loaded before the green flag dropped.

Red Farmer returned for another shot and, once again, was fast off the trailer, capturing the pole for the second consecutive year. To no one’s surprise, Coo Coo Marlin, the defending Southern 300 champion, was second fastest. Turning heads, however, was the third fastest qualifier, singing star Marty Robbins, driving the #777 Plymouth. Local racer and two-time Southern 300 winner Jimmy Griggs was fourth fastest.

But it was former track champion (1964) Freddy Fryar, now of Baton Rouge, La., carting home the $2,000 first prize and the Pepsi trophy at the end of the hot afternoon. For Fryar, it was his 34th feature victory of the season.

Glancing at the trophy. Fryar wiped the perspiration from his face as the sun continued to blister the 10,500 in attendance and said, “That will get me a ride in a Grand National next year.”

Explaining the comment, Fryar said he drives for a man who owns a concrete company and “All I have to do is put that trophy on his desk Monday morning and it will get me a ride,” Fryar said.

Fryar wouldn’t have been celebrating much if Red Farmer hadn’t been sidelined by a freak occurrence. Farmer was two laps ahead of the field when he hit the third turn wall on lap 209.

“Donnie’s (Allison) plug came out of the rear end, and he dropped grease on the track. I skidded into the wall and busted a ball joint in the right front.”

Pushing back his straw hat, Red lamented, “It was running perfectly, handling perfectly. I already made my pit stop for fuel and wasn’t going to come in again.”

He walked away mumbling, “$2,000, gone.”

Fryar eased through Allison’s mess and was sitting pretty when the green flag returned. With the top four qualifiers sidelined as well as half of the remaining starters, Fryar put it on cruise control for the final 90 laps.

Local favorites Jimmy Griggs and Coo Coo Marlin were running 2-3 when they retired within laps of each other. Griggs departed first with rear end issues on his ’58 Ford after 101 laps. Marlin exited on lap 132 when his engine quit on his ’62 Chevrolet. Marty Robbins was in the fourth spot when he departed with a broken spindle.

After years of frustration, Alabama's Red Farmer finally got to kiss the trophy girl after winning the 1968 Southern 300.

After multiple poles and back-to-back years of having the dominant car but nothing to show for it, Red Farmer finally closed the deal in the tenth edition of the Southern 300, held on September 29, 1968. Surviving a hairy first lap would be toughest part of Farmer’s 150-mile journey as he finally captured the race that had eluded him for so long.

A sunbaked gathering of 10,042 watched one of the slowest contests recorded, with 127 laps of the 300 laps under caution.

Undaunted by the numerous yellow flags, however, Farmer, driving a 1964 Ford, survived “seven or eight scares” and legitimate threats from Charlie Binkley, Coo Coo Marlin, and Bob Burcham.

Coo Coo, driving one of his best races of the season, finished second, while Burcham, charging like a madman, finished third. Walter Wallace, relief driving for Binkley who passed out in the heat, finished fourth, and Jimmy Griggs finished fifth, making it a big day for car owner R.C. Alexander.

Alexander owned the cars driven by Farmer and Griggs, and R.C. was a happy man but not as pleased as Farmer, who was all smiles in victory lane.

“I’ve waited three or four years, maybe longer, but it was worth it. I’ve never finished a 300-lapper here before,” said Farmer, who earned $2,000 for winning.

A year after winning the race, Freddy Fryar had plenty of challenges just to make the starting field. During qualifying, Fryar blew his engine. The crew swapped out engines just in time for Fryar to race in the 20-lap consolation. Starting dead last in the 41-car field, Fryar worked his way quickly through the pack, avoided a couple of accidents, and won the race to advance to the 300. He would finish 30th.

A kid from Owensboro, Ky., saddled up for his first Southern 300 start. He lasted 87 laps, finished 28th and took home $70 for his efforts. Two years later, P.B. Crowell, who would win the point’s championship in 1968, would hand the keys of his orange-and-white, creamsicle-painted #48 over to the kid named Darrell Waltrip.

Legendary driver Freddy Fryar won the Southern 300 twice - in 1967 and again in '69.

Freddy Fryar would pick up his biggest paycheck in 17 years of racing, when he would win his second Southern 300 on September 28, 1969. Fryar would collect $3,925 for winning the 11th annual event at the Fairgrounds Speedway.

The day was brightened by a brilliant sun, warm weather, and an enthusiastic crowd of 11,000 but dulled by two violent wrecks and scoring mix-ups.

Long after the race had ended, no less than four drivers laid claim for the second-place money that paid $1,750. The runner-up position was finally awarded to Bobby Walker with Bunkie Blackburn credited with third place. Part of the argument from other drivers was neither of those drivers were listed on the track scoreboard that supposedly listed the top four drivers throughout the day.

A day later, however, a recheck of scoring by chief scorer Frank Canale showed that Flookie Buford finished second with Joe Mangrum taking third. Walker was dropped to fourth and Blackburn credited with fifth.

The first bad wreck involved the popular and two-time Southern 300 champion, Jimmy Griggs. Grigg’s 1964 Chevelle blew a tire going into the first turn. It tagged the wall and then slid back out into the middle of the track where a car driven by Ronnie Blasingham crashed into the side of Grigg’s vehicle. Griggs was rushed to an area hospital and put in intensive care with chest injuries and was listed in critical condition. It would effectively end Grigg’s racing career.

The second wreck occurred in the same spot on lap 297 when Barney Karley blew a tire, smacked the guardrail, and then collected James Climer, Dave Sisco (the ’69 track champion) and Charlie Binkley in the melee. Karley and Sisco were sent to an area hospital and were listed in fair condition.

Binkley, one of the race leaders, was finished for the day. He made a strong bid for the $3,000 first prize but was thwarted by his pit crew, and then the accident.

Fryar started on the pole position after setting a new track record in qualifying with a time of 20.82 seconds. He led he first 165 tours of the race until he pitted for fuel.

Binkley took over the top spot and remained in front from laps 165 to 280 when his car ran out of gas. He took on some gas, rushed back onto the track, and was back again after a few laps – he was out of gas.

“They only put in four or five gallons on the stop, and they should have filled it,” a disappointed Binkley said afterwards. “I’ll have a new pit crew next time, they just killed me.” Asked who was in the pits, he replied, “My brothers, all fighting with each other.”

Nevertheless, “Chargin” Charlie collected $575 in lap money along with $350 for his seventh-place finish.

For Fryar, the track champion and Baton Rouge and Jackson, Miss., for 1969, the victory was his 35th of the season. “This $18,000 purse is the best thing that ever happened to late model sportsman racing. I hope to coast this winter now and do a little deer hunting.”

“I lost a cylinder early in the race and the car lost about half a second. I wouldn’t have been able to pass Binkley if he hadn’t run out of gas. The gear shift lever fell off and I had to drive in high gear towards the end. It was tough with all those restarts. I almost burned up the clutch.”

Red Farmer, the defending champion, and expected to be a challenger, left early with valve trouble. P. B. Crowell ran a strong second and challenged for the lead before leaving on lap 167.

It was announced that a new 5/8-mile track would replace the present structure for the 1970 season. In addition to lengthening the track, the banking would be higher as well. Also, track operators installed a new metal overhang, covering the grandstands that replaced the wooden ones from the ’65 fire.

Larry Doth Ottinger, better known as "L.D.", won the 1970 Southern 300. 

Because of construction delays, the season didn’t start until mid-July so there was no Grand National race but the 12th annual Southern 300 returned for its traditional autumn spot on October 4, 1970. Unlike most years, the Southern wasn’t the final race of the season. Because of the delays, a 100-lap late model invitational and an ARCA race preceded the Southern.

Several drivers from the Grand National and late model ranks were a little leery of the newly designed Nashville track. They had raced high-banked tracks before but not with shorter straightaways.

Local racer James Ham, however, took to it like a duck on water. In races prior to the 300, Ham was routinely setting new records in time trials. Sure enough, Ham was first out for qualifying for the Southern and laid down the fastest lap (119.250 mph), daring anyone to beat his time. Flookie Buford and Alton Jones qualified third and fourth. Freddy Fryar, the defending champion, timed only fifth best. Darrell Waltrip, winner of five of the eight features at Fairgrounds Speedway that season could muster no better than ninth fastest.

Yet, there was one driver left, and Red Farmer took the challenge, setting a new track record (119.872 mph) in nipping Ham’s time, capturing the pole position, and starting on the front row of the Southern 300 for the fifth straight year.

In addition to those drivers, some of the other “hot dogs” competing were Richard Brickhouse, who won the inaugural Grand National race at Talladega in 1969, Jack Ingram, Bosco Lowe, and Sam Sommers.

Come race day, however, L.D. Ottinger of Newport, Tenn., watched all of the hot dogs and the “Ham” sizzle, steering his Chevelle to victory lane. More than 13,000 sectators watched as Ottinger took the lead on the 231st lap and held it to the checkered flag.

Pacing (and dominating) the race in the early going, Ham led from laps 6-22, 338-111, and 139-182. But he, and some of the other hot dogs left with various mechanical issues.

Ham was the victim of a spin out in front him involving Farmer and Charlie Binkley. “I had it in the bag. The car was running perfectly. Binkley’s motor blew and Farmer spun trying to avoid him,” Ham said. “I tried to go below but Red just slid down and there was no opening.”

Richard Brickhouse decided to take the lead after Ham’s exit. He led a stretch of 50 laps and built up a five-second lead in the process. But as the Rocky Point, N.C. driver was sailing along, his tire blew on the frontstretch, heading into the first turn, and Brickhouse greeted the concrete wall.

Though Brickhouse left the race, he remained posted as the leader for the next few laps as the second-place car, Ottinger, unlapped himself. Once he did, he had a clear path to his first Nashville win.

Ottinger drove the entire race with a splitting headache and at one time considered having Jim Hunter relieve him. Ottinger had to be given oxygen in victory lane, he said his head felt like it was going to burst open.

“The car was running great, but my head was going to explode, he said, as he accepted his $2,000 paycheck, plus accessory awards.

In his first Nashville start, Harry Gant, the track champion from Taylorsville, N.C., was second and earned $1,100. Gary Cook of Springfield finished third and took home $700. Darrell Waltrip, who led laps 112-138, finished fourth.

A disappointed Darrel Waltrip is consoled by his crew after losing the 1971 Southern 300 in the last few laps. Waltrip had dominated the contest before dropping out with transmission problems. 

When the 1971 Southern 300 took place on October 3, the odds-on favorite to win it was Darrell Waltrip. Although he didn’t capture the track championship that year (Flookie Buford was champion), Waltrip, driving the Sterling Beer #48 Chevelle, owned by P.B. Crowell, had won eight of 22 starts, and the Franklin, Tenn., driver was considered the man to beat.

The day of the race, before a sun-drenched crowd of 15,500, Darrell Waltrip was as good as advertised, leading 282 of the 300 laps. The race was his but the trophy and the first-place prize of $4,015 went to Alabama’s Red Farmer.

Suddenly, 13 laps away from the finish, Waltrip’s Chevelle, which had been by far the fastest car on the track all day and was a lap ahead of the rest of the field, jumped out of gear and just like that, the transmission was toast. And so was the race for Waltrip.

Walking dejectedly from his car, looking at the ground and trying to hold back tears, Waltrip remarked, “I’ll never live it down. Damn it, I was sitting in the car, counting the money. Nobody was running as fast as me – except my shadow.”

Farmer, receiving a kiss from his wife in victory lane, said, “Everyone has days like that in racing, I know that better than anyone.”

“I feel sorry for Darrell, but glad for me. He sure set the pace all day. We all ran faster than we wanted to do just to keep up,” said Farmer.

Takin second place and earning $2,025 was defending Southern 300 champion L.D. Ottinger. He agreed with Farmer about Darrell, stating, “That Waltrip was really flying. He made me run a lot harder than I wanted to.”

Ottinger took the lead and led the first five laps before Waltrip took over. It was Waltrip from laps 6 to 287, then Farmer from lap 288 to the checkers. The average speed was 79.346 miles per hour as the caution flag dropped 13 times for 119 laps.

Farmer, whose reputation as one of the best short track drivers – asphalt or dirt – in the nation, almost blew his opportunity with a mistake on his pit stop. He took too long while the caution flag was out and failed to escape the pit area before the pace car made a full lap. This cost Farmer a lap and possibly any chance at the win if Waltrip hadn’t experienced agony at the end.

Darrell Waltrip reaps the spoils of victory after winning the 1972 Southern 300. 

Waltrip would get his revenge when the 14th running of the Southern 300 returned to Nashville on October 1, 1972, but not without some confusion. Waltrip won the race even though Jack Ingram crossed the finish line first and declared himself the winner.

The confusing finish came when about on the final lap of the race which was run under caution. Ingram said he never saw a caution flag or light. He raced past Waltrip, who had slowed for the caution, and crossed the finish line first.

“The caution flag wasn’t displayed,” Ingram said after the race. “The only flag I saw displayed was the white flag. I crossed the finish line first. The way it’s been explained to me, that means you won the race.”

But Waltrip saw it differently.

“You normally don’t race under a caution light,” he explained.

The final laps turned into the kind of Waltrip-Ingram duel the fans expect every time the duo had been on the track. Waltrip jumped out at the start and led the first 150 laps. At the break he was still in front. With Ingram in fourth behind Jerry Long and Donnie Anthony.

But Anthony had troubles and wasn’t able to come out for the restart. Shortly after 190 circuits, Long was in trouble and slowing. Ingram moved into second place, but Waltrip was way out in front.

On the 229th lap, Waltrip caught up with Ingram and passed him, putting himself a lap up over the field. He continued to put asphalt between he and Ingram. However, Waltrip, who always found trouble at Fairgrounds Speedway when he had a big lead, held true to form, and found trouble.

Leading big on lap 241, Waltrip was coming through the third turn when his front wheel popped off and took a bouncy roll down the front straightaway. Waltrip carefully followed the rolling tire, managing to keep his car under control as he headed to the pit area. In what must have been a record time, his crew had a new tire on and Waltrip was back on the track.

However, Waltrip had dropped from his comfortable lead and was now in third place, behind Ingram and Charlie Binkley. On lap 278, there was a caution because of debris on the track.

On the restart it happened.

Red Farmer explained, “I was coming down the straightaway and all of a sudden, Jerry (Sisco) blew an engine. Some sort of milky stuff hit my windshield and I was in the dark. I couldn’t see anything.”

“I pulled to the left to get out of traffic, slowing because I couldn’t see. Of course, on the restart, everyone is going full throttle. Some car hits me, then Charlie Binkley hits that guy.’

Binkley’s car would catapult over the retaining wall at the end of the grandstand near the first turn. His car was completely destroyed but Binkley escaped unhurt.

On the next restart, lap 280, Waltrip would sneak up on Ingram, hugging his rear bumper, and on lap 282, pass him for the lead in the second turn.

“For once, we were lucky,” Waltrip said. “We needed that caution to catch up. And for once in my life, I enjoyed a good pit stop.”

Red Farmer, driving in relief of L.D. Ottinger for the second half of the race, put on a passing display. When he took over, he was in sixth. He finished third despite having to pit for a dragging door that had to be removed. Jimmy Hensley was fourth followed by Tony Bettenhausen Jr.

Waltrip earned $4,150 for his victory.

Ingram’s protest was disallowed. However, there was some consolation for him. The second-place finish assured him of the NASCAR late model sportsman national championship.

The 1972 Southern 300 was the final race on Nashville’s high-banked track. After three-year run which saw two deaths and a slew of safety concerns, Fairgrounds Speedway reconfigured a second time. The banking was dropped 18 degrees and the shortened from a 5/8-mile (.625) to .596-mile, although it’s still referenced to as a “five-eighths mile”.

That would be the end of the Southern 300.

With the track reconfigured, the Southern was extended by 100 laps. Thus, fans got to enjoy the 15th annual Southern 400 for the first time on September 30, 1973. Jack Ingram would get a measure of revenge and win that day.

The race would continue for another six years. Butch Lindley would in 1974 while L.D. Ottinger would collect his second Southern trophy in the 1975 race. Harry Gant would win the 1976 edition and Butch Lindley would come back and claim his second Southern title in 1977.

1977 was the final year for the Southern 400. The NASCAR-sanctioned Southern returned in October 1978, but it was only 200 laps and the preliminary event for the Marty Robbins World Open. Jody Ridley won over a sparse field in a final Southern 200 in 1979, originally scheduled as a companion event to the third year of the Marty Robbins race. The Robbins event was canceled, however, because of a scheduling conflict with another major race in Wisconsin.

A new tradition would begin in the fall of 1981 with All-American 400, which continues to run to this day.