1977 - Detjens Wins Craig NASCAR

Larry Detjens accepts his trophy and congratulations after winning. 

Las Vegas, Nev. (October 30, 1977) - After coming all the way from frigid northern Wisconsin. Larry Detjens froze out defending champion Larry Phillips over the final few laps to capture the ninth annual NASCAR Championships at Craig Road Speedway Sunday afternoon before a crowd of 5,400.

Detjens, Wausau, Wis., who started from the second row, took over the lead on the 55th lap from pole-sitter Jimmy Insolo and drove a perfect race for the remainder of the 150-lapper over the quarter-mile paved oval.

The 33-year-old body shop owner never had trouble with his 1976 Camaro until the brakes began to fade over the final 20 laps. But he had built up a large enough lead that he could afford to ease up a little and still hold off the hard-charging Phillips who was only about five lengths behind at the finish.

Phillips, Springfield, Mo., had won last year’s finale at Craig Road and started ninth in this race. But he moved quickly through the field and took over second place from the quickly-fading Insolo on the 71st lap. By that time, Detjens had built up a sizable lead.

Detjens, who earned $5,000 plus lap money and contingencies, and Phillips were the only drivers on the same lap when the checkered flag fell.

Ivan Baldwin, Modesto, Calif., who started fifth, drove his usual steady race to finish third, while Jim Robinson, Sylmar, Calif., turned in the most spectacular work of the day, starting in the 24th and final spot on the grid with his 1974 Camaro and finishing fourth.

Robinson, who did not qualify during the time trials Saturday but won a semi-main event to earn a spot in the finale dueled former Craig Road champion Jim Sanderson over the latter half of the race, but Sanderson's badly smoking Camaro slowed considerably over the final 15 laps.

Phil Hayes, this year's Craig Road points champion, was the only other Southern Nevada driver in the field. He started fourth and lost valuable groun early in the race but still finished strong.

“It was a well-run race. I’m certainly happy to win it,” said Detjens. “Everything was going our way. But 20 laps from the finish, the brakes began to fade. I had to get off the pace a little just to save them.”

Detjens said he had only a little bit of brakes remaining when the race finished but he couldn't afford to make any mistakes with Phillips behind him.

"I raced back in the Midwest with him,” the winner said of Phillips. "He’s an excellent driver, one of the top racers up there.”

It was Detjens first trip to the West and he called Sunday’s event the best pay day for any quarter-mile race of 150 laps anywhere in the country. Detjens was particularly happy with the safe driving of his rivals who forced only a few routine yellow flags and one red caused by a four-car mishap 44 laps into the event.

“I’m impressed with the drivers out here. They're excellent.”



Results –


1. Larry Detjens
2. Larry Phillips
3. Ivan Baldwin
4. Jim Robinson
5. Jimmy Insolo
6. Phil Hayes
7. Mike Bonicelli
8. Mark Martin
9. Dick Trickle
10.James Sanderson

Advertisements from the Past

1975

1973

1953

1961

1954

1950

1969 - Foyt Finishes First But McCluskey Wins

A.J. Foyt (left) and Roger McCluskey

Memphis, Tenn. (October 25, 1969) – A.J. Foyt crossed the finish line first in the Race of Champions, finishing in a borrowed car, but crew-cut Roger McCluskey piloted his Plymouth Roadrunner to the United States Auto Club’s late model stock car national championship over the 1.7-mile Shelby County International Raceway on Saturday.

Foyt's Ford Torino went out on the 80th lap after an accident, one of several that marred the race; and he borrowed a similar car from teammate Jack Bowsher of Springfield, Ohio, to finish the course.

Only 12 of the 32 cars which started the run, the last USAC stock car race of the year, finished over the nine-curve tricky layout.

Going into the race, Foyt, of Houston, Tex., was the USAC point leader, standing 90 points ahead of McCluskey. But Bowsher got the 400 points for the victory and Foyt didn’t place officially. McCluskey received 320 points for finishing second.

Bowsher and Foyt shared the $2,000 first-place money and 19 percent of the gate, which was a disappointing crowd of only 6,421.

USAC rules require that the driver finish in the car that he started in. Foyt, visibly angry at the decision which denied him the championship, drove away immediately after the race without comment.

It was clear, however, that Foyt believed he should have had the title on the basis of his point lead going into the race and should not have had to run here. The Race of Champions wasn’t even on the USAC calendar and was granted grand national status only several weeks ago.



Results –


1. A.J. Foyt
2. Roger McCluskey
3. Bay Darnell
4. Whitey Gerken
5. Dave Whitcomb
6. Bill Shirey
7. Paul Feldner
8. Woody Walcher
9. Les Heikka
10. Bob Minor
11. Glen Bradley
12. Don White

1965 – Sacramento 100-Miler to Branson

Don Branson shows perfect form in winning the Golden State 100 - Bob Tronolone Collection

Sacramento, Calif. (October 24, 1965) - Don Branson, 45-year-old grandfather from Champaign, Ill., fought off determined challenges from former national driving champion A. J. Foyt and 1965 champion Mario Andretti yesterday and won the 15th annual Golden State 100-mile auto race.

Branson started from the pole position but twice lost the lead to Andretti before regaining it for good on the 64th lap. Branson completed the 100-lap race in 1 hour, 9 minutes, winning an estimated $7,500 of a $28,579 purse.

Bobby Unser of Albuquerque, N.M., took fourth and Jud Larson of Kansas City finished fifth.

Foyt, two-time Indianapolis 500 mile winner and four-time United States Auto Club National Champion, kept many of the 13,452 spectators on their feet as he worked his way through the field from a ninth place starting position.

Foyt, who finished second, almost didn't make the race on three cylinders and obviously wasn't able to maintain full speed.

Branson's victory was his third of the season. His earlier victories were at Phoenix in March and Du Quoin, Ill., in September.



Results –


1. Don Branson
2. A.J. Foyt
3. Mario Andretti
4. Bobby Unser
5. Jud Larson
6. Johnny Rutherford
7. Arnie Knepper
8. Jim McElreath
9. Roger McCluskey
10.Bob Harkey
11.Al Unser
12.Dick Atkins
13.Carl Williams
14.Larry Dickson
15.George Snider
16.Bud Tinglestad
17.Bob Tattersall
18.Gary Congdon

Thad Dosher - 1962

Thad Dosher of Topeka, Kan., at the Marion County Fairgrounds, Knoxville, Iowa - 1962

1963 - Michigan Pilot Wins National Open at Grove

Gordon Johncock won the first National Open

Mechanicsburg, Penn. (October 20, 1963) – Gordon Johncock, a 28-year-old sawmill operator from Hastings, Mich., dusted off a field of the nation's best modified and super modified stock car drivers in the first-annual 100-lap National Championship Race at Williams Grove Speedway, Sunday afternoon.

Tooling a 427-cubic inch Chevy, Johncock made the century grind with the 14th fastest qualifying time giving him that position in the 36-car field. He worked himself through the pack, reaching second spot on the 23rd circuit when the early runner-up, brother Nolan Johncock, also of Hastings, left the event with mechanical trouble. 

For the next 10 circuits, Johncock rode on the tail of early pacesetter Dean Mast of Dover, Ohio. On the 33rd go-round, the eventual winner overtook Mast, coming off the fourth turn, going to the outside to do the job.

From that point on it was no contest as Johncock opened up a gap that reached a lap and a half at times. He turned in a 25.3 second lap on several occasions as he sped down the straightaways and through the corners on the low groove.



Results –


1. Gordon Johncock
2. Dick Good
3. Lou Blaney
4. Hank Jacoby
5. Bud Folkenroth
6. Leo Caldwell
7. Gus Linder
8. Jerry Weld
9. Ron Anderson
10.Dick Tobias
11.Johnny Logan
12.Don Gillette
13.Ralph Smith
14.Ray Tilley
15.Larry Cannon

1958 – Eddie Sachs is Salem Winner

Salem winner Eddie Sachs accepts congratulations from USAC president Tom Binford. - Bob Scott Photo

Salem, Ind. (October 12, 1958) – Eddie Sachs of Center Valley, Penn., won his first USAC Midwest sprint car championship Sunday with a victory in the 100-lap feature at Salem Speedway.

Sachs’ victory in the Salem race earned him 296.5 points. Second-place in the championship standings went to A.J. Foyt of Houston, Tex., who also finished second in the race, a half-lap behind Sachs.

Foyt finished with 240.5 points while defending Midwest champion Elmer George of Speedway, Ind., finished third with 231 points.

Sachs averaged 86.111 miles per hour in Sunday’s race, a new 100-lap record for the fast Salem track.

George was the fastest qualifier for Sunday’s race with a time of 19.539 seconds in the HOW Special, giving him an unprecedented record of being the fastest qualifier in every race on the paved, high-bank tracks of the Midwest – fast times six times out of six starts.

Elmer led the first 16 laps of thee race but spun out on lap 17 and dropped far back. He managed to recover well and finish fourth behind third-place Rex Easton of Springfield, Ill.

Sachs won $1,236 out of a total $7,000 purse. Heat races were won by Leon Clum of Wapakoneta, Ohio; Bob Wente of St. Louis, and Bob McClellan of Waynesville, Ohio.


Results –


1. Eddie Sachs
2. A.J. Foyt
3. Rex Easton
4. Elmer George
5. Don Branson
6. Jim Packard
7. Bob McLean
8. Jim McWithey
9. Red Amick
10.Don Carr
11.Bruce Jacobi
12.Bud Tinglestad
13.Leon Clum
14.Bob Wente
15.Tom McClellan
16.Orville Cramer
17.Curly Boyd
18.Jim Hemmings