This Week in Racing History

1984 – Al Schill took command of the lead on lap 25 and went on to capture the Firecracker 75 late model event at Slinger (Wis.) Speedway on Sunday night, July 1. Defending winner Fred Winn took the early lead followed by Gerry Wood and Lowell Bennett. By lap 15, the top qualifiers were near the front of the pack as John Ziegler, Conrad Morgan and Schill were in the top five. Schill and Ziegler moved into second and third respectively on lap 20 and immediately began to close in on Winn. Five laps later Schill overpowered the leader and began to pull away from the rest of the pack. Morgan would close the gap on Schill with 10 laps to go, but Schill would win by three car lengths at the checkers. Morgan, J.J. Smith, Willie Goeden and Tony Strupp would round out the top five.

1979 – Dick Schiltz of Waterloo, Iowa, earned a hard-fought victory over a stellar field of late models to win the Pepsi-Mountain Dew Special at Eldon (Iowa) Raceway on Saturday, June 30. Mike Niffenegger of Kalona, Iowa, would set a blistering pace for the first 5 circuits of the 35-lap contest until he lost power, shuffling back to third place. At that point, Lem Blankenship of Keokuk, Iowa, took over followed by Schiltz. Just before the halfway point, Blankenship, with a straightaway lead, lost power as well and was forced to pull into the infield. This gave the top spot to Schiltz, who then had to fight off a persistent Roger Dolan of Lisbon, Iowa, for the remaining laps. Schiltz would cross the finish line by no more than half a car length. Dolan would wind up second followed by Dan Dickey of Packwood, Iowa, Niffenegger, and Denny Banks of Washington, Iowa.

1974 – Lonnie Jensen got by Jerry Richert Jr. on lap 16 of the 20-lap main event to win the Midwestern Sprintcar Association (MSA) feature at North Starr Speedway near Minneapolis, Minn., on Sunday. June 30. It was the first MSA victory for the Lincoln, Neb., chauffeur and it paid $500. Richert took off from the outside front row at the drop of the green and held off all comers until Jensen moved within striking position on lap 12. Barry Kettering, who started ninth, joined the two pace-setters by lap 14 and all three drivers sliced and diced until Jensen was able to secure the top spot for the win. Richert, Kettering, Don Mack, and Bob Hop would round out the top five.

 

1968 – George Barton of Ankeny, Iowa, won the 30-lap mid-season championship for the super stock division on Sunday, June 30. Even though he led every circuit, Barton’s win was hard fought all the way as he had to fend off two Ames, Iowa drivers, Curt Houge and Bill Holder for the victory. A crowd announced at 2,400 turned out to watch a fine field of 45 super stocks put on an entertaining show on the high-banked quarter-mile dirt oval. Rich Green of Webster City, Iowa, Paul Uhlenberg of Garwin, Iowa, Dan Clement of Rhodes, Iowa, and Buggy Vincent of Nevada, Iowa, were heat winners while Uhlenberg won the B-main.

1976 - Harkness Memorial race this weekend

Jim Harkness is shown here seated in Les Steinert’s Chevy at the 1973 Hutchinson National Modified Championships - Leroy Byers Photo/Bob Mays Collection

Hutchinson, Kan. (June 30, 1976) - Jimmy Harkness was on the top of the world. In 1973, he was a local, state, five-state and national champion.

Saturday night race drivers from at least three states will be in Dodge City to run in a race to honor the man, who in 1973 won everything there was to win in Kansas. Merrick Auto Racing is sponsoring the Jim Harkness Memorial Race this weekend in honor of the Ness City man who lost his life in a traffic accident near his home last February.

“I don't know who all are planning to be here,” Merrick said. “But a lot of drivers have indicated they will be here for the race. Drivers from around Dodge City, Oklahoma and some of our boys from Nebraska will be down here.”

Among the drivers who will be attending the race is two of Harkness' friends from Ness City, Fred Hembry and Terry Uehling. They are the two leading point winners on the Merrick Circuit that Harkness won in 1973. Other leaders on the circuit are Jon Johnson of Utica, Herb Copeland of Dodge City and Arnold Horner of Jetmore. The top five drivers are all relatively speaking Harkness neighbors.

“Jimmy was a wonderful guy,” Merrick said. “He started running for me 11 years ago in the old hobby cars. He was real well thought of I'll tell you. If he had been killed in a race car that would have been different because we all kind of expected that the way he loved cars.”

“In 1973 he won just about everything there was to be won in Kansas. He won the National Championship in Hutchinson, the Kansas State championship in Hutchinson, the Five State Championship at Liberal, the Merrick Circuit championship and was the season high point trophy winner,” Merrick said.

The races begin at 8 p.m. Saturday night at the McCarty Speedway and there will be two classes of cars competing, the super-modifieds and the late model stock cars. Racing will continue Sunday evening at 8 p.m. with the late model stocks Mid-season Championships.

“There is a special trophy to the winner being provided by Ronnie Burns of Ness City,” Merrick said. It will be a traveling trophy that will have the name of the driver who wins the race engraved on it. Burns is going to let the drivers who win the event for the first six years keep the trophy and then plans to present it to Jim's son T. J. after the first six years of the race.”

Harkness had driven cars for 11 years when he was killed and according to Merrick had run everything from the hobbies to the super-modifieds and sprint cars. He was a farmer in Ness City whose hobbies included welding, metal sculpturing and skiing.

Betty Harkness and Jim's son T. J. still live in Ness City, but Merrick said that they were selling the farm where they live and were going to move to Hays sometime in the near future.

In addition to the races in Dodge City Saturday and Sunday there is a Bicentennial Parade in his honor. “All our area race drivers are going to be in the parade pulling their cars," Merrick said.

“He was a perfect little gentleman,” Merrick said. “He didn't drink or smoke. He was the kind of guy you wouldn't notice. He was real well thought of.”

They will notice the absence of Jim Harkness Saturday night, but the spirit he brought to racing will be there intact.

1974 - Twin 100 Stock Car Race July 3

Des Moines, Iowa (June 27, 1974) - The Firecracker Twin “100”, the IMCA sanctioned new-model stock car race at the Iowa State Fair grounds, Wednesday night, July 3rd, is an important race to all drivers with aspirations for finishing in the top ten of the official IMCA point standings.

While it is still early in the season, the Firecracker Twin “100” being the third race, point battles are shaping up, competition is aligning itself, and the importance of this dual racing feature with a possibility of amassing over 200 valuable IMCA points, grows in stature.

Gordon Blankenship of Keokuk, Iowa, the 1973 defending stock car champion is currently in second place in the official point totals.

Gerry Harrison, the Jayhawk speedster from Topeka, Kan., is currently number one and “the man to beat.” Harrison has been in first place before and even held that distinction just prior to the old Iowa “300” in 1972. A blown tire, with less than 10 laps to go, cost Harrison both his first place ranking and the race.

Harrison though, is a capable competitor and a feature threat in every race he enters. He is a stock car circuit. In 1971, Harrison completed that year's campaign with a fifth place finish and had one feature win to his credit. In 1972, he moved up in the standings to a second place season’s finish with three feature victories in his credentials. 1973 brought some tough luck and a fourth place ranking at the season’s end, with one feature win to his credit.

Harrison has been denied the championship for some years now. He could feel that 1974 is the year to “bring it all back home.” Harrison chauffeurs a 1972 Monte Carlo.

National Speedways Inc., will promote the Firecracker Twin “100” and a gigantic fireworks display will immediately follow the racing action. Ticket prices are $3.50 for box and reserved seats, $2.50 for general admission, and children under 12, $1.

Tickets may be purchased at the National Speedways office on the Iowa State Fairground, Foreman and Clark, and the Park Fair Sports Center in Des Moines, or by sending your ticket request, check and self-addressed, stamped envelope to Firecracker Twin “100”, Box 209, Des Moines, Iowa, 50301.

June 26, 1979

1971 - Bjorge Masters Field at Fairmont

Dave Bjorge

Fairmont, Minn. (June 25, 1971) - Dave Bjorge of Austin mastered a starting field of 24 cars to win the feature race of the first annual Minnesota - Iowa Dirt Track Late Model stock car championship at the Fairmont Speedways here Friday night.

Bjorge went into second place on the sixth lap after Phil Prusak of Eau Claire led during the earlier laps. There was no change in the top four from the sixth to the 18th lap. On the 18th lap Bjorge went around Bob Shryock of Estherville who led from the start of the race. Then on the 27th lap Butch Householder of Algona moved ahead of Shryock for second.

Here’s a wrap up of the other five races plus the time trials; A total of nine drivers broke the 25-second barrier over the half-mile oval. Pace setter was Mert Williams of Rochester who turned in a time of 24 seconds flat. Butch Householder of Algona was next in 24:03 with Phil Prusak of Eau Claire, Wis., 24:06, Joe Salner of St. Cloud, 24:50, and Dave Bjorge of Austin, 24:61, rounding out the top five.

Jim Edgington of Fairmont was declared the winner of the first even though he did not complete the final lap. Edgington took the lead on the ninth lap from Jack Piper of Mason City, but spun out in the third corner of the last lap when Piper hooked him. Piper went on to finish ahead of the 12-car pack but was disqualified. Jim Calverley of Albert Lea, the early pace setter finished second with Phil Prusak of Eau Claire third. Edgington started on fourth row outside wheel.

Dave Bjorge of Austin, taking the lead on the sixth lap from Lloyd Matter of Lyle, won by several car lengths in the second heat. Bjorge started on the sixth row inside and finished the 10 laps in 4:10, the time trial clocking. Matter finished second and Gerhard Wollenburg of Austin third.

Starting from the back of the pack, time trial winner Mert Williams of Rochester skillfully worked his way into the lead on the ninth lap to win the third and final heat race. Paul Fitzpatrick of Rochester, who took the lead temporarily on the fifth lap, finished second with Bob Soma of Winnebago third.

Gerhard Wollenburg of Austin, jumping off to a quick start, won the trophy dash by a quarter lap of his nearest rival, Dave Bjorge, also of Austin. Wollenburg started on the first row outside wheel. Bjorge had to battle toward the front from fourth row outside. Third in the fierce driving was Bill Oas of Minneapolis.

With only nine of 20 starters finishing the race, Al Metcalf of Minneapolis won the consolation event after starting on the fourth row outside. Metcalf took the lead on the sixth lap with Jack Piper of Mason City, who led during the early laps, second and Chuck Knutzman of New Richland, third.

There were two restarts because of accidents, on the second and 12th lap with no personal injuries.

1973 - She’s No Woman Driver, She’s a Woman Driving

Des Moines, Iowa (June 24, 1973) – Martha Widman says she’s scared to death about racing in the Firecracker 300 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds the night of July 4, but she’s happy about one thing – she no longer has to sneak into races in which men compete.

“Man, that’s going to be along race,” she drawled into the phone Saturday from her office at the Lufkin, Tex., Yellow Cab headquarters.

“But I reckon I can handle it. I've been scared before, and I came through all right. I know what I have to do to finish.”

Martha Widman is 33 years old, 4 foot 11 inches, 120 pounds (and losing), and the blonde mother of two children - David 13, and Denise, 11.

She also is the known woman driver to run the International Motor Contest Association circuit and may become the first woman to compete at the Daytona International Speedway in a NASCAR race. She hopes to race there next year.

She already holds a NASCAR license, but they won’t let her race at Houston, Tex., where some NASCAR-sanctioned events are held.

The Firecracker 300 is a continuation of the annual Iowa 300’s. The name was changed when the race – number 17 in the series – was switched to July 4 for this year. The distance is 150 miles around Fairgrounds’ half-mile dirt track.

“I started racing on a one eighth-mile track,’ she said, and I don’t really like half-mile tracks. And, I do better on asphalt tracks than I do on dirt. But, I'll be there. Ya'll can count on that.”

Martha said she started racing in 1964 when her husband, Glenn, “dared me” to race in a powder puff derby.

“He borrowed a car for me and I tore it up. But, I liked racing so well, I went back the next Saturday night and finished second.

“After the third race, I bought a pink Mercury and I won every race (12) that I ran the rest of the season.”

She started “sneaking” into men’s races four years ago. “My husband had his own car by then, so one night I thought I would race it in the feature,” she said. “I finished second and the men didn’t like that. They hated that. They wouldn’t let me run, unless I sneaked in.”

“I set the track record for qualifying one night. Until the track was changed to a quarter-mile, the men were reminded of that every race night. They didn’t much care about that either.”

Martha said she won eight championships, all against women. But, it reached a point where the women of Lufkin, as well as the men, would not compete if Martha ran.

“The men didn’t want to get beat by me,” she said, “and the women just couldn't compete with me any more.”

Last October, Martha entered the Beaumont 100, her first big race against men. “I wrote in and asked for some rules,” she said. “The promoter sent them and they did not say women were excluded. I called him and asked if those were the only rules. He said they were, and I told him I would be there. He’d like to have died, but he let me run.”

“The track was so rough the clutch linkage vibrated off and then the brakes went out. I was scared silly, and I prayed a lot. I guess I finished nineteenth.”

Last spring, Glenn, who with his wife operates the taxi service and serves as the Lufkin agent for Western Union, decided she was going to run in IMCA’s Pelican 100 at Shreveport, La.

“When NASCAR wouldn’t let me ran at Houston, Glenn said maybe IMCA would give me a license,” Martha said. “We called Mr. Hitz (Bill Hitz, secretary of IMCA) and he said IMCA did not have rules prohibiting women from competition. Of course, they had to be good drivers.”

‘I took over Glenn’s car (a 1972 Monte Carlo) and we went to Shreveport. The steering arm broke on the fourteenth lap (200-lap race), so I was sidelined.”

Martha came to Iowa for the Illowa 101 at Davenport on June 12 and finished eighth.

She also competed at Oskaloosa June 13 and said she was the fastest qualifier. She finished last in her heat race and “didn’t do any good in the consolation. But they sure drive fast down there.” She completed her Iowa trip at Boone on June 15. “Some nut spun out in front of me, there,” she said, “and I ran over him. I cracked the car up pretty good.”

Now comes the “300.”

“There is no way I’ll run wide open,” she said. “I want to go as good as I can, but the important thing is to finish and that’s what I aim to do.”

The men will be happy to hear she isn’t going to go flat out. Undoubtedly, they would be happier if she would stay in Lufkin.

Editor’s note: Martha Wideman would make the 26-car field for the Firecracker 300, however, she would complete only one lap before pulling in with mechanical issues.

This Week in Racing History

1984 – Dean Chadd of Lincoln, Neb., was able to take advantage of his competitor’s bad luck and take his sprinter to the A-feature victory at Eagle (Neb.) Raceway on June 22. Ray Lipsey was leading the event with Don Droud Jr. and J.J. Riggins close behind. When Droud and Riggins decided to make their moves for the lead, all three made contact, causing them all to spin out. Chadd would inherit the lead on lap 17 and was never challenged for the remaining 8 laps. Dave Hollaman of Martell, Neb., finished second while Ed Bowes of Lincoln took third.

 

 1979 – Rusty Wallace and Terry Ryan each won a 75-lap feature to highlight the USAC stock car program at Illiana Speedway in Schererville, Ind., on June 23. On what was an unseasonably cold summer night, Wallace would grab the victory in the first 75-lapper after passing Ryan early in the contest and then fending off Dave Watson during the middle stages. Ryan would mount a late charge but it was no avail. Wallace and Ryan were followed by Ramo Stott, Bill Venturini and Chuck Gurney. In the second 75-lapper, Wallace would grab the top spot at the beginning and lead the first 55 laps before an oil pump would send him to the sidelines. Ryan took over and never relinquished the lead after that. Chuck Gurney, Ricci Ware Jr., Bill Venturini and Bay Darnell rounded out the top five.

1978 – Bruce Sparrman of Bloomington, Minn., started on the inside of row one, survived three cautions, and staved off Greg Arenson of Eden Prairie, Minn., to score his first late model win of the season. Sparrman, driving the Como-Snelling Camaro, drove a smooth race and ignored all of the chaos the 17-car field was offering behind him. Dick Stang of Prior Lake, Minn., was involved in two crashes, left the track on the back of a wrecker, but managed to return to finish with the eight other cars that survived the 30-lap event.

1973 – Ray Guss of Milan, Ill., got back in the thick of the season point race at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds with a convincing late model modified victory on Friday, June 22. Guss, who started the evening third in the point standings, roared past Al Terrill on lap 6 of the 25-lap feature and was never headed for the rest of the event. John Connolly of Delhi, Iowa chased Guss across the finish line with Bill McCardle of Shullsburg, Wis., taking third, Duane Steffe of East Moline, Ill., in fourth and Jerry Reinhart of Moline, Ill, rounding out the top five.