RIP - Earl Wagner

Earl Wagner of Pleasantville, Iowa passed away on September 24th. Earl won 43 career races at Knoxville Raceway, which still puts him in the top-five on the all-time win's list and was a three-time Knoxville Raceway champion ('58, '59, and '61). 

He was inducted into the Knoxville Raceway Hall of Fame in 1979 and the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2008. In addition to his many achievements at Knoxville, Wagner also was a very accomplished driver on the IMCA circuit. 

Below is a photo of Wagner after he scored one of his IMCA-sanctioned sprint car victories.

Earl Wagner, Pleasantville, Iowa, won the 25-lap IMCA sprint car feature at the Nebraska State Fair in Lincoln, Neb., on Monday afternoon, September 4, 1972. Joining Wagner in victory lane is flagman Woody Brinkman (left), presenting the trophy is Connie Pfiffer, daughter of National Speedways Inc. vice-president Gene Van Winkle and National Speedways Inc. president Al Sweeney (right). — Morris "Beetle" Bailey Photo

The Prairie Dirt Classic: The Early Years

by Lee Ackerman

Omaha, Neb. - According to Allan Brown’s wonderful book “The History of American Speedways: Past and Present”, they have racing at the fairgrounds in Fairbury, Illinois since 1926. In 1939 they changed the configuration of the track from the typical half-mile county fairgrounds to a quarter-mile track. After a hiatus because of World War II the track came back to life in May of 1946 and has been active ever since. On Labor Day weekend 1990, they started running an event which has become the signature event for what is now called The Fairbury American Legion Speedway, that race is the Prairie Dirt Classic.

Snooky Dehm of Chatsworth, Ill., was the winner of the inaugural "Prairie Dirt Classic" at Fairbury American Legion Speedway in 1990.

That first Prairie Dirt Classic took place on September 1, 1990. Kevin Roderick led until lap 5 when Snooky Dehm of Chatsworth, Illinois grabbed the lead and held on until lap 52 when Tom Pauley wrestled the lead away from Dehm by taking the high side. Unfortunately for Pauley his lead lasted exactly one lap when his motor let go on the next lap. Dehm took over the lead again and led the final 7 laps to win the first Classic and take home a $3,500 paycheck. 1990 track champion Mike Mulvain was up to second by lap 14 but couldn’t get past Dehm. Mulvain, however did finish second picking up $1,700 for his efforts and that combined with the $2,000 he won in the Dash for Cash made him the nights big money winner at $3,700. Tom Rients would finish third from his fifth row starting position with Eddy Shickel fourth and Kevin Roderick fifth. 

In 1991 it was Kevin Weaver of Gibson City, Illinois who dominated the second annual Prairie Dirt Classic. (Weaver would win the 1992 UMP National Championship). The driver who would become known as “the Flatland Flash” took the lead on lap 3 from pole sitter Ed Bauman when he went to his favorite spot, the high side and never relinquished the lead as he went on to pick up the $5,000 first place money. Baumann would hang on to grab the runner-up spot with Mike Mullvain finishing third after battling Jim Rarrick and Steve Tyne throughout the event. Tyne would finish in the fourth position with Roger Long “the Flying Farmer” finishing fifth. Four caution flags flew during the 60-lap event. 

By 1992 and the third running of the Classic, the event had started to draw the attention of drivers from afar. 40 drivers from 7 states showed up for the event that paid $6,000 to win. Bryan Dunaway set fast time and then came back to win the trophy dash and grab the pole position for the 60-lap main event. Heats were won by Mike Mullvain, Billy Moyer, Kevin Weaver and Don Hobbs. The two semi’s went to Tod Garrels and Roger Long. Bryan Dunaway took the lead but that lasted for only two laps when Billy Moyer charged from his outside second row starting. The race went green until lap 27 when Tom Rients spun. On the restart it was Moyer, Kevin Weaver and Dunaway. By lap 32 it had turned into a three-way battle for the top spot between Moyer, Weaver and Long. Long looked like he make overtake Moyer but then the caution flag came out at lap 38, and, he had to settle back into second and would end up following Moyer to the checkers. Moyer would pick up the first of his four Prairie Dirt Classic titles. Long would finish second, Mullvain third, Dunaway fourth and Weaver fifth. 

In 1993 Billy Moyer became the first two-time winner of the race. First, he would set fast time at 13.876 seconds. Next, he would win the dash and grab the pole position. At the start of the race, Moyer took off and was never headed as he picked up $7,000 for his winning his second Classic. The race was run with only one caution flag, that coming on lap 39. Bob Pierce who started in tenth would work his way up to second and was mounting a challenge to Moyer when the lone caution waved. Pierce would settle for second. Tom Rients, Roger Long and Bryan Dunaway would follow. Once again 40 cars from 7 states participated in the event. Heats were won by John Gill, Pete Parker, Jim O’Connor and Pierce.

Bob Pierce of Danville, Ill., would start a run of five Prairie Dirt Classics victories in 1994. - Dennis Piefer Photo

In 1994 the driver who would be called “the Tall Cool One” won the first of his five Prairie Dirt Classic titles. Bob Pierce of Danville, Illinois guided his Larry Shaw Race Car to the front of the race from his front row starting position. By lap 16 two time and defending race winner Billy Moyer was right on Pierce’s bumper. Finally, after numerous attempts Moyer got by Pierce on lap 47. Three laps later Pierce switched lanes and dove low and retook the lead. On the next lap Moyer made the same move on Pierce and retook the point. On lap 53 Pierce regained the lead by muscling under Moyer and lead the last seven laps. In victory lane Pierce commented that “the track was smooth and fast and there was definitely more than one groove. Moyer and I were pretty even and it just worked out for me tonight.” Following Pierce and Moyer home were Kevin Weaver, Billy Drake and Eddy Shickel. Heats went to Larry Davis, Roger Long, Corey Turner and Shickel. Weaver won the dash and Gary May set quick time at 13.475. 

In 1995 Bob Pierce won the Classic for the second time and he would later win again in 1999, 2000 and 2001 making him a three-peat winner and as of now the only five-time winner of the Prairie Dirt Classic. Billy Moyer is the 2008 and defending race champion and the only 4-time winner. Since those early Prairie Dirt Classics John Gill, Billy Drake, Shannon Babb (twice), Don O’Neal, Dennis Erb, Jr., Jimmy Mars and Brian Birkhofer have added their names to the list of winners of the race. One thing is for certain the Prairie Dirt Classis has become a stable to Illinois Dirt Late Model Racing and every year on the Saturday night of Labor Day weekend you can count on seeing some of the country's best dirt late model drivers competing in the Prairie Dirt Classic.

Midwest Racing Archives (This week in history)

1999 - Johnny Saathoff of Beatrice, Neb., won his fourth consecutive IMCA modified national championship while Johnny Miller of Burleson, Tex., (sprint cars) and Jeff Anderson of Atlantic, Iowa (stock cars) earned their third consecutive titles. Bill Bonnett of Knoxville, Iowa (hobby stock) grabbed his first championship after finishing runner-up the year before.

1988 - Bill Wease of Noblesville, Ind., won his first-ever IMCA modified feature race and picked a good time for it as he captured the 50-lap IMCA Modified Asphalt Super Nationals at Mt. Lawn Speedway in New Castle, Ind., on September 25. Wease led all 50 circuits but was constantly pressured by home towner Darwin Blankenship and Bob Fields of Anderson, Ind., throughout the contest. Wease won $2,213 in cash and contingencies.

National Short Track Championship winner Dick Trickle is joined by Rockford Speedway owners Hugh and Jody Deery.

1978 - Dick Trickle of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., won the very first National Short Track Championship at Rockford Speedway in 1966. He had a long wait for the next one. Twelve years later Trickle repeated the performance as he won the 13th annual race in stylish fashion lapping all but one of the 32 competitors in the 200-lap race on Sunday afternoon, September 24.

Jim O'Connor (8) gets a little sideways in front of Dick Nelson (11) during the National Clay Short Track Championship at Santa Fe Speedway in Hinsdale, Ill., on September 24, 1972. — Vince Mayer Pho1972 - Fatigued-ridden Arnie Gardner of Geneva, Ill., retired after leading 182 of the 200-lap National Clay Track Championship allowing Kankakee's Jim O'Conner to win the marathon 100-mile late model feature and the $2,200 prize that accompanied it. Gardner led every lap and by 125th go-round, had lapped the whole field with the exception of O'Conner and Ed Sanger of Waterloo, Iowa. But on lap 182, Gardner waved his hand, drove into the infield and slowly exited his car, overcome from exhaustion.

Midwest Racing Archives (This week in history)

1986 - Mike Frieden of Swisher, Iowa waited through two days of rain, then topped a field of 106 IMCA modifieds in the IMCA Super Nationals at the historic 1/2-mile of Knoxville Raceway on Sunday, September 21. It was Frieden's second straight Super Nationals victory. Frieden took a rock through the radiator midway through the 30 lapper and started to show smoke with just a few laps remaining but held on for the win. Kent Kaplan of Ankeny, Iowa, Kevin Larkins of Firth, Neb., Ted Beaman of Council Bluffs, Iowa and Mark Noble of Blooming Prairie, Minn. were right behind Frieden as he took the checkers.

Jim Sauter was all smiles after winning his first National Short Track Championship at Rockford Speedway on September 21, 1980.

1980 - Jim Sauter of Necedah, Wis., became the 11th different winner in the 15 year history of the National Short Track Championships as he won the 200-lap event at Rockford Speedway 1/4-mile on Sunday afternoon, September 21. Sauter grabbed the lead on lap 51 only to lose it to Joe Shear of South Beloit, Ill., on lap 134. Later on, Shear got bogged down by lap traffic relinquishing the lead back to Sauter for good on the 159th circuit. Despite numerous attempts by Shear to regain the lead, Sauter held strong to take the win followed by Shear, Dick Trickle, Mark Martin and John Knaus.

Joe Merryfield of Des Moines, Iowa, can lay claim to winning the World 100 as he pulled off the feat on September 21, 1975.

1975 - Joe Merryfield of Des Moines captured the coveted World 100 late model stock car race at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio on September 21. Bill Beckman of Lisbon, Iowa led the first 18 laps before giving way to Doug Kenimer of Dahlonega, Ga. Merryfield would get past Kenimer where he would stay for the remainder of the race. Defending champion Ed Sanger of Waterloo, Iowa and former winner Verln Eakers of Cedar Rapids would make it a top-three clean sweep for the Iowan contingent.

1967 - Darrell Dake of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, driving a 1967 Ford Fairlane led all 30 laps of the IMCA regional new model stock car feature at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines on September 20. Although he led green to checker, Reinbeck, Iowa's Cal Swanson and Cedar Rapids' Bill McDonough were in close pursuit the whole way until they both encountered problems. McDonough had just moved into second when he tagged the turn two wall hard sending him to the pits and Swanson blew an engine on lap 28 as he was moving to Dake's bumper. Lee Kunzman of Guttenberg, Iowa would grab runner-up honors and John Connolly of Delhi, Iowa would take third.

Bits and Pieces of the Yankee Dirt Track Classic

The late models go four-wide in a salute to a packed house at Farley Speedway prior to the green flag at the 25th Annual "Yankee Dirt Track Classic" on September 14, 2002. 

by Kyle Ealy 

Cedar Rapids, Iowa - With this weekend's Yankee Dirt Track Classic already in full swing I thought I'd go back and relive some of the great moments in the history of this great race. The Yankee started at my home track of Hawkeye Downs Speedway and moved to Farley Speedway in the following years and continues to be one of the most prestigious race events in the Midwest. 

1981 - Ken Walton of Viola, Iowa became the third Iowan in four years to win the Yankee Dirt Track Classic as he dominated the event at Hawkeye Downs Speedway on September 19. It was Walton's first win of the season on the half-mile and he picked up $5,000 of the $30,000 purse. Walton broke the track record (:21.237) previously held by Rodney Combs of Lost Creek, W.Va. With the top-six inverted, Walton started on the outside of row three but made his way up to second by lap 23 and passed race leader Ed Sanger of Waterloo, Iowa on the 41st lap to take the lead and hold it to the checkers. 

1985 - Tom Hearst of Wilton, Iowa became the first two-time winner of the Yankee Dirt Track Classic as he scored an impressive 100-lap victory worth $3,000 before a sell-out crowd at Hawkeye Downs on September 14. Hearst, the top qualifier in time trials, started outside in the third row with the top six qualifiers inverted. Pole sitter Bob Hill of Story City, Iowa led the first 22 laps of the race then Hearst took over and stretched his lead. Hearst lapped all but Hill and third place finisher Steve Kosiski of Omaha on his way to victory. 

1987 - Dale Fischlein of Independence, Iowa cut short the string of victories in the Yankee Dirt Track Classic at two for Tom Hearst as he scored the $3,000 win in the 10th annual event on September 19. Fischlein started fourth in the 32-car field and followed Dave Chase of Omaha for the first 24 laps before making what would prove to be the winning pass. Steve Kosiski, Jeff Aikey, Dave Birkhofer and Rollie Frink rounded out the top-five finishers. 

1992 - Ray Guss Jr. of Milan, Ill., scored the biggest win of his young career taking the win in the prestigious 100-lap Yankee Dirt Track Classic at Farley Speedway on September 19. Guss stared on the pole by virtue of winning the J & J Challenge, which pitted the top six qualifiers in time trials in a six-lap race. Guss then proceeded to lead all 100 laps collecting all available lap money and pushing his Saturday night earnings to over $8,000.

1995 - Steve Kosiski of Omaha captured his second Yankee Dirt Track Classic in a row at Farley Speedway on September 16. Kosiski won the 18th annual event after inheriting the lead from Denny Osborn as the Janesville, Wis., driver pitted with a flat tire on the 85th circuit. Jeff Aikey of Cedar Falls, Iowa, Jay Johnson of West Burlington, Iowa, Gary Webb of Blue Grass, Iowa and Greg Kastli of Waterloo, Iowa rounded out the top five. 

1997 - Jeff Aikey of Cedar Falls, Iowa captured the 20th Annual Yankee Dirt Track Classic at Farley Speedway on September 13. Aikey started the race on the outside of the second row and quickly settled into third position. He overtook Denny Osborn on lap 22 and then started to chase down race leader Steve Boley. After battling for numerous laps, Aikey was able to wrestled the lead away from Boley on the 79th lap. Boley would retire a few laps later with a flat right rear tire as Aikey sailed to the $10,000 victory. 

Steve Boley won the Yankee Dirt Track Classic in 2000. - Enhance Racing Images

2000 - Steve Boley of West Liberty, Iowa captured his second consecutive Yankee Dirt Track Classic, an O' Reilly Auto Parts All Star Series event, at Farley Speedway on September 16. The event marked the final race at Farley Speedway under the auspices of Frieden Inc. Al Frieden, the creator of the prestigious event passed away the month before. Boley, who won the pole award in Friday night qualifying, led all 100 laps in taking the $10,000 first prize. Jeff Aikey, Joe Kosiski of Omaha, Bob Dominacki of Bettendorf and Ryan Dolan of Lisbon, Iowa followed Boley to the finish line. 

2002 - The 25th anniversary of the Yankee Dirt Track Classic saw Brian Birkhofer come from the rear of the field to win the 100-lap A-main. Birkhofer had started on the pole but broke his left rear axle at the start. His crew quickly repaired the axle and Birkhofer realigned at the rear of the 30-car field. He steadily worked his way to the front, taking the point on lap 57 and never looking back in winning his first fall classic. Todd Davis of Iowa City, Iowa, Denny Eckrich of Oxford, Iowa, Jeff Aikey and Mark Burgtorf of Quincy, Ill., rounded out the top five.

1968 - What a salesman; Weedon wins at East Moline

Ron Weedon

East Moline, Ill. - Ronnie Weedon sures knew how to sell his product.

Prior to the start of the 50-lap IMCA late model season championship stock car race at Quad City Raceway on Sunday, September 15th, Weedon's crew had track announcer Dick Ferguson announce that Weedon's 1967 Ford convertible that Weedon had driven with great success all season long was for sale.

Weedon then drove the car to victory in the 50-lapper nosing out Mt. Joy, Iowa's Jim Gerber for the checkered flag and also edging out Gerber to win the season point's title in the process.

The veteran from Pleasant Valley, Iowa completed one of his greatest years in racing as he also captured the season championship at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds in Davenport, Iowa the previous week.

Gerber started on the pole with Weedon to his outside to start the feature. Weedon took the high groove past Gerber at the start and proceeded to lead for the next 31 laps with Gerber challenging for the lead every now and then. On lap 32, as the two ran through heavy traffic, Gerber put his nose out front as they crossed the start/finish line.

At this point Weedon, like fullback in football, used a "block" perfectly. Bob Stogdell was on the inside of the track, aware that he was about to be lapped. Weedon sailed past Stogdell as close as he could but Gerber was trapped behind the lapped car and had to ease up on the throttle to avoid contact.

Stogdell had no place to go and neither did Gerber and Weedon opened up a healthy lead after that and won by 50 feet at the checkers. Gerber settled for the bridesmaid role, Dean Montgomery of Milan, Ill., took third, Shorty Bennett of Moline grabbed fourth and Ray Guss of Milan rounded out the top five. Gerber was ahead in points to start the evening but with Weedon's heat and feature wins, he won the title by 45 points over Gerber.

1963 - National Speed Sport News

by Kyle Ealy

Cedar Rapids, Iowa - I was sifting through my newspaper archives this afternoon and ran across the September 18, 1963 edition of National Speed Sport News.

Here's a little of the Midwest action they covered in that issue:

Parnelli Jones won the 250-mile late model stock car race at the Milwaukee Mile on September 15, 1963.

Parnelli Jones of Torrance, Calif., and his red-hot 1963 Mercury continued its dominance of late model stock car racing as he won the 250-mile national championship race at the Milwaukee Mile on Sunday afternoon, September 15. Jones averaged 90.659 miles per hour as he won in convincing fashion leading 247 of 250 miles and had a 31 second lead on teammate Rodger Ward when he took the checkers.

The grand finale of the '63 season at Olympic Stadium in Kansas City saw Greg Weld winning a "ding-dong" of a feature over his brother Kenny. A fire in Kenny's engine compartment with just a few laps left sidelined him leaving the door wide open for his older sibling.

Harry Turner, self-proclaimed "USA Globetrotter", won the 50-lap UARA-sanctioned midget feature at the Grundy County Fair in Mazon, Ill., on September 14. Turner came from his 12th starting position to win over Russ Sweedler by eight car lengths.

Bill Lutz, hit hard by bad luck all season long, captured the 100-lap season championship feature at O' Hare Stadium in Chicago on Saturday. September 14. Driving a 1961 Chevrolet, Lutz moved past Gene Marmor, who had a bit of bad luck of his own with steering problems, on lap 43 and led the rest of the way.

Jim Barton took the super modified feature at West Line Speedway in the suburbs of Kansas City on Sunday afternoon, September 15.

John Libby, general manager of the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul, Minn., announced on September 16 that preliminary work was being made to resurface the historic half-mile clay track. The new paved raceway would be unveiled during the 10 days of the 1964 Minnesota State Fair on August 29th through September 7th. Total cost for the project would be between $75,000 and $100,000. Libby said that Frank Winkley of Auto Racing, Inc. would once again be promoting racing events.