1996 - Guss holds off Saathoff; wins $20,000 USMS “Ultimate 100”

West Burlington, Iowa (October 19, 1996) - Hosting its final day of racing in 1996, 34 Raceway was treated to the QMI/USMS Ultimate 100, which concluded in a 50-lap feature Sunday afternoon.

And with the temperatures soaring into the 60s and the sun shining bright, the day became perfect for Ray Guss Jr. 

Guss, a native of Milan, Ill., took home a $20,000 paycheck with a victory in the feature race.

“It was a beautiful day today,” Guss said. “It was the only way to end the season. Last year I heard about them putting up $10,000 for the winner in modifieds, so I figured I had to come down here and race. It was the first time I had ever raced a modified and before today, it was the only time I had won with a modified.”

Guss led the race from start to finish from his pole position. Guss won the pole when he placed first in Thursday's 25-lap feature.

His main competitor was Johnny Saathoff, who had won Saturday's 25-lap feature and began the race on the outside. Saathoff, who resides in Beatrice, Neb., had been coming off a win at the Gold Rush in Amarillo, Texas - earning $25,000.

After two caution flags on the first lap, Guss took off from the green flag and grabbed an early lead. Saathoff failed to keep up and Guss led the first 10 laps by nearly three seconds.

“He got on a good line,” Saathoff said of Guss' early start. “On that rubber track, you have to keep a perfect line and try not to get too high and abuse your right rear tire.”

Saathoff was nearly passed by Kevin Gundaker during the fifth lap but was able to hold off Gundaker by going high as he did in Saturday's win.

Guss compiled larger leads as the race lengthened but each time he expanded his lead it was shortened by one of the seven yellow flags. In addition, a red flag was pulled when Wayne Brooks' car crashed into Bruce Hanford's car, sending both racers to the pits.

Guss said he was able to hold his lead by driving low on the track. “The track definitely had the rubber on the bottom,” he said. “The trick was getting a lead and saving your right rear. I knew Sunday, after racing Saturday night the rubber would be taken off the track.”

Guss had faced a few problems prior to his races at 34 Raceway. Guss had been at Amarillo, Texas for the Gold Rush and finished 10th.

“I was in two of (Saathoffs) shows in Texas and Nebraska and I would have a good run and then things would go wrong,” Guss said. “I'd be racing good in the B main and then I'd break. I broke in Nebraska and then got 10th in Texas.”

Guss, a former NASCAR Central Region champion, usually races a late model. “This is only the second time I've won in a modified,” he said. “And both times have been at 34 Raceway.”

Guss finished second in Saturday night's feature in late models and was able to watch Saathoff win to see how his competition races. “I watched (Steve) Boley and Saathoff and saw how they were running,” he said. Mark Noble finished third while Bob Timm placed fourth in a tightly contested race. Boley was fifth.


Results –


1. Ray Guss Jr.
2. Johnny Saathoff
3. Mark Noble
4. Bob Timm
5. Steve Boley
6. Steve Kosiski
7. Gus Hughes
8. Russ Olson
9. Dan Chapman
10. Ron Jones
11. Kelly Shryock
12. Tim Donlinger
13. Randy Zimmerman
14. Jeff Morris
15. Kevin Gundaker
16. Chuck Mayerhofer
17. Mike Spaulding
18. David Bice
19. Joe Kosiski
20. Wayne Brooks
21. Bruce Hanford
22. Bryan Collins
23. Ryan Dolan
24. John Allen

1970 - Tri-State 100 to Greg Davis

 

Greg Davis

Boone, Iowa (October 18, 1970) - Greg Davis of Boone won the Tri-State 100 at the Boone Speedway Sunday. It was his second big win there in the last three weeks as he won the season championship two weeks ago.

Three Boone drivers at one time or another held the lead during the race in which 24 cars started. There were only 13 left on the track at the end of the race.

Arlo Dorenbush held the lead for the first 20 laps until Arnie Braland finally slipped around him after riding him bumper to bumper from the beginning.

Braland then held the lead for 15 laps until his water hose broke and he had to take his Chevy into the pits. This gave Davis the break he was looking for as he then grabbed the lead and held it for the next 56 laps. His victory was worth $400.

Davis also took second in the time trials with a clocking of 18.09 seconds. Denny Hovinga of Laurens had the fast time of 17.68 seconds.

Braland won the second heat after taking the lead from Jim Cowan of Marshalltown who demolished his car after he hit the wall in front of the grandstand. There were 11 cars that started this heat and only five finished.

Jerry Roberts of Prairie City won the first heat and Stan Stover of Reinbeck took the third heat. Stover also placed third in the feature.

Darrell DeVries of Charles City won the “B” Main with Dave Noble of Blooming Prairie, Minn., second.


Results –


Time trials – Dennis Hovinga, Laurens, Iowa
Heat #1 – Jerry Roberts, Prairie City
Heat #2 – Arnie Braland, Boone
Heat #3 – Stan Stover, Reinbeck
B-main – Darrell DeVries, Charles City
Feature –
1. Greg Davis, Boone
2. Pokey West, Westchester
3. Stan Stover
4. Ed Sanger, Waterloo
5. Darreld Bunkofske, Algona
6. LeRoy Watson, Fremont, Neb.
7. John Carlson, Ankeny
8. Dave Noble, Blooming Prairie, Minn.
9. Larry Embrey, Grimes
10.Darrell DeVries

1971 – Ruttman wins Johnny Appleseed 100

 

Joe Ruttman

Mansfield, Ohio (October 17, 1971) - Most two-year-old’s have a bottle in one hand and a rattler in the other. Joe Ruttman had a grease gun and gear shift knob.

The other kids had the clean air of a nursery to breathe. Young Joe took in the smell of gas fumes and flying dust.

It showed yesterday. A good driver in a car that refused to allow any of its opponents a passing shot.

When the Ruttman's think of time, pleasure and a livelihood they think of speed. Joe's father was the instigator of it all. He raised three niche in the racing world riches in the racing world as a designer. Another, Troy, who made his name at Indianapolis when he won the 500 in 1952 and then there was Joe.

“Every other man in my family was involved in racing in one way or another,” Joe said. “It was my time, so I got in a car myself.”

“My father tried racing a few times, but found he really didn't enjoy it, so he went to designing and he worked on Troy’s car that won at Indy,” he said. “I’m too old to go into the big time racing now.”

Ruttman powered his late model super stock to victory Sunday in the Johnny Appleseed 100 at the Mansfield Raceway.

“I really had no problems with the car,” he said. “It was prepared very well. So well in fact that it was probably the best running, best handling car in the race. That's why I won.”

There was one spectator who didn't cheer for the Michigan driver as he took the checkered flag, that was his youngest daughter. When asked who her favorite drivers were, she slowly blurted out the names of all her father's competition, but never mentioned him. The race was so exciting to her that she fell asleep shortly after the halfway marker was dropped.

As for that carefully-prepared car that Ruttman powered to victory. In four showings at Mansfield Raceway, it won three times. Every race it has been run at the raceway this season has spelled victory for the #33.

Ruttman received S1,400 for his performance and a four-foot high trophy from Miss Mansfield Raceway, Becky Hoff, in the $8,000 pursed spectacular.

“I didn’t really push too hard at the start of the race,” Ruttman said. “It was just a matter of lining up the cars in front and then passing them.”

Ernie Ward of Mt. Clemens, Mich., a short muscular fellow in a semi-battered yellow racer, was pleased with the performance of the #57 as he rode it to victory in the 50-lap semi-feature, preceding the Johnny Appleseed Classic.

The Mansfield Raceway could boast a longer track for the Appleseed 100. Track officials had the course widened to the turn one and turn two curves, making it possible for a driver to go a half-mile around the circuit in one lap. Becky Hoff, Miss Mansfield Raceway, is the only person at the Raceway this season to be given a trophy and not even run. She was presented with a trophy in appreciation for her reign.

Four states and Canada were represented in the 24-car field of the 100, with drivers from Michigan, Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Windsor, Ontario. Raceway officials did not announce the crowd size.


Results –


1. Joe Ruttman, East Detroit, Mich.
2. Art Sommers, Mt. Clemens, Mich.
3. Ed Sanger, Waterloo, Iowa
4. Don Gregory, Columbus, Ohio
5. Bob Cowen, Perrysville, Ohio
6. Jim Irvine, Zelienople, Penn.
7. Bob Laribee, St. Clair Shores, Mich.
8. Delmar Clark, Gnadenhutten, Ohio
9. Bob Blaney, Warren, Ohio
10.Ernie Ward, Mt. Clemens, Mich.
11.Erv Baumgarten, Mt. Clemens, Mich.
12.Dale Hasselbach, Fremont, Ohio
13.Danny Dean, Mt. Vernon, Ohio
14.Jack Monaghan, Windsor, Ontario
15.Larry Leedy, Bellville, Ohio
16.Eph Davis, Mifflin, Ohio
17.Marv Parenteau, East Detroit, Mich.
18.Ralph Latham, Cincinnati, Ohio
19.Gary Fedewa, Lansing, Mich.
20.Bob Cannon, Newark, Ohio
21.Stan Stover, Waterloo, Iowa
22.Dale Woolworth, Saginaw, Mich.
23.Ron Dolen, Zanesville, Ohio
24.Don Arnold, Mentor, Ohio

1978 - Trickle Nips Eddy to Capture World Cup 400

 

Dick Trickle hoists his trophy after winning the World Cup 400.

Odessa, Mo. (October 15, 1978) – Dick Trickle took advantage of a Mike Eddy miscue and went on to win Sunday’s third annual World Cup 400 for American Speed Association late models at I-70 Speedway.

Eddy dominated most of the contest, leading 320 of thee event’s 400 laps, and was in the lead when he bobbled slightly exiting turn four on the 386th circuit. Trickle, who was close behind, capitalized on the mistake by surging around eddy to take the lead at the outset of lap 387 and led the rest of the way to record the victory. He averaged 79.036 miles per hour despite 85 caution laps.

John Anderson, the only other driver to complete the full 400 lap distance, place third and could well have won the race had he not incurred a one-lap penalty for passing Eddy’s pace-setting Camaro during a caution period on lap 292. Bob Senneker came in fourth, Jerry Makara fifth and defending ASA titlist Dave Watson in sixth.

Even though he was sidelined by a broken piston after 320 laps, Mark Martin was credited with 16th place in the 36-car field to pick up enough points to clinch the 1978 Circuit of Champions driving crown.

“Winning the championship is nice,” Martin said, “But I would have rather won the race. It’s sort of anti-climatic winning a championship while you’re in the pits.”

Bob Sensiba, who set a track record with a 17.17 second tour of the .54-mile paved banked oval, started the 400-lapper on the pole and charged into the lead at the drop of the green.

However, after leading the way for four laps, a dry sump pump problem forced Sensiba to bring his car to the pit area for the first in a series of lengthy stops. The problem eventually forced retirement after 65 laps.

Eddy inherited the top spot and remained in front until lap 193. Martin took over the top spot a lap later and stayed in the lead until yielding to Eddy on the 229th circuit.

Eddy surrendered the lead to Martin for the second time on lap 298 and the 19-year-old Batesville, Ark., pilot remained on top until lap 321 when he was forced to the sidelines, turning first-place over to Trickle.

Eddy passed Trickle to regain command four rounds later but was unable to open a comfortable advantage over the Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., chauffeur.

Then on lap 386, Eddy made his slight mistake which Trickle converted into victory.

“I was starting to lose some of my stagger, but I was running real hard and just lost it,” a dejected Eddy said afterwards. “I lapsed just for an instance.”


Results – 

1. Dick Trickle, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
2. Mike Eddy, Kawkawlin, Mich.
3. John Anderson, Massillon, Ohio
4. Bob Senneker, Dorr, Mich.
5. Jerry Makara, Westland, Mich.
6. Dave Watson, Milton, Wis.
7. Dave Roahrig, Plymouth, Ind.
8. Harold Scott, New Castle, Ind.
9. Terry Bivins, Shawnee, Kan.
10.Jim Back, Vesper, Wis.
11.Ray Young, Dolton, Ill.
12.Pat Schauer, Watertown, Wis.
13.Dave Chase, Council Bluffs, Iowa
14.Jim Campbell
15.Evert DeWitt, Janesville, Wis.
16.Mark Martin, Batesville, Ark.
17.Bob Strait, Flossmoor, Ill.
18.Lonnie Breedlove, Indianapolis, Ind. 
19.Larry Schuler, Lockport, Ill.
20.Larry Detjens, Wausau, Wis.

1974 – World 100 to Sanger

 

Ed Sanger

Rossburg, Ohio (October 13, 1974) – Ed Sanger, a 33-year-old resident of Waterloo, Iowa, took home $7,320 after he nabbed the World 100 late model stock car race on Sunday afternoon at the high-banked half-mile Eldora Speedway.

The top 22 in time trials started the rich event, a 100-lap feature, with Cedar Rapids, Iowa’s Verlin Eaker gaining the pole position by virtue of his sixth fastest clocking as the top six were inverted. Starting on the outside of Eaker was the defending World 100 champion, Floyd Gilbert, who led the early laps of the contest.

A total of 128 cars vied for a starting berth in the race. Sanger started in the seventh position.

After Gilbert blew his engine while leading on the 40th lap, Jim Patrick took command of the race until, he too, blew an engine on lap 73, yielding to Sanger’s Camaro. 

"I ran a lower gear in the feature than what I qualified with," Sanger said afterwards. "I was just trying to hold the car together."

Don Seaborn of New Lebanon, Ind., trailed Sanger by a mere two seconds at the finish line.

Rounding out the top five were Neal Sceva of Urbana, Ohio, M.J. McBride of Green Bay, Wis., and Don Bohlander of Glasford, Ill.

Wayne Watercutter won the B-main while heat wins went to Pat Patrick, Jim Hurtubise, Watercutter, Don Taylor, Bill Hahn, Earl Smith, Robin Hayes, George Branscom, Charlie Byrd, Ron Leaser, Pete Davis and Ray Maples.

Patrick was the fast qualifier in a 1974 Camaro with a time of 20.005 seconds.

Results –

1. Ed Sanger
2. Don Seaborn
3. Neal Sceva
4. M.J. McBride
5. Don Bohlander
6. Tommy Day
7. Ron Edwards
8. Junior Smalley
9. Jim Patrick
10.Baldy McLaren
11.Ron Hutcherson 
12.Delmas Conley
13.Verlin Eaker
14.Floyd Gilbert
15.Jim Hurtubise
16.Bob Wearing
17.Pat Patrick
18.Larry Moore
19.Paul Coyan
20.Don Gregory
21.Dick Crup
22.Don Hoffman

1974 - Ferkel grabs Western World sprint title

 

Rick Ferkel (center) won the seventh annual Western United States Sprint Car Championships at Manzanita Speedway. He’s joined by runner-up Rick Goudy (right) and third-place finisher Bubby Jones (left).

Phoenix, Ariz. (October 12, 1974) – Rick Ferkel, a traveling professional racer from Bowling Green, Ohio, who runs 70 to 80 races a year throughout the United States, scored his greatest victory in his illustrious career when he won promoter Keith Hall’s $30,000 Western United States Sprint Car Championships on Saturday night at Manzanita Speedway’s half-mile clay oval.

The personable driver piloted the George Nicholson Chevy to victory before an estimated crowd of 10,000. It marked his third try at the event and he became the sixth different winner of the prestigious event that has been tagged as the “World Series of Sprint Car Racing”.

Ferkel, who won the 1973 Pacific Coast Championships at Ascot in the same car, termed his win “a tremendous thrill”. He earned well over $6,000 in cash and prizes, including a new Ford automobile.

Pole starter Rick Goudy, a CRA star from Norwalk, Calif., drove the race of his career in the Bill Pratt Chevy and finished a close second, only two car lengths behind Ferkel.

Bubby Jones, from Danville, Ill., started sixth and finished third in the M.A. Brown Chevy. He trailed Goudy by four car lengths at the checkers in what had to be the most exciting three-car finish ever in the event.

Jan Opperman of Beaver Crossing, Neb., started second and finished fourth in the Swanson Chevrolet, a half-lap back.

The 50-lap event was run with one yellow flag period on lap 2 when IMCA ace Larry Kirkpatrick of Wood River, Ill., was bumped and crowded into the crash wall in traffic just past the start/finish line. His car trailed sparks and stopped at the entrance to the first turn; he was unhurt.

Befitting the wide appeal of the Western United States Sprint Car Championships, the main event fielded 27 cars representing 12 states. A total of 151 entries were received for the event and 130 drivers competed during one of the three nights of preliminary events.

Results –

1. Rick Ferkel
2. Rick Goudy
3. Bubby Jones
4. Jan Opperman
5. Ron Shuman
6. Billy Shuman
7. Jerry McClung
8. Larry Clark
9. Clark Templeman
10.Gene Brown

1969 – Foyt Wins Sedalia USAC Race

 

A.J. Foyt 

Sedalia, Mo. (October 10, 1969) – A.J. Foyt of Houston, Tex., three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 and five-time United States Auto Club champion, won the USAC national championship late model stock car race Saturday and took the lead in the point standings. Foyt was piloting a 1969 Ford Torino owned by Jack Bowsher.

The 100-lap race was called off at the end of 73 laps because of a downpour. Sedalia had about three inches of rain in the 18 hours before the competition had started. The one-mile dirt track at the Missouri State Fairgrounds was heavy but it wasn’t raining at the start.

Al Unser of Albuquerque, N.M., led for the first 20 laps but had to pull to the infield when his car overheated.

Don White of Keokuk, Iowa, who went into the race as the USAC point leader, left the track when his engine blew on the third lap.

Paul Feldner of Colgate, Wis., took second place in a 1967 Ford Fairlane. Herb Shannon of Peoria, Ill., was third in a 1967 Dodge. Butch Hartman of South Zanesville, Ohio, was fourth in a 1969 Dodge.

Whitey Gerken of Melrose Park, Ill., led for 20 laps in a 1969 Chevelle but was force out with engine trouble.

Results –

1. A.J. Foyt
2. Paul Feldner
3. Herb Shannon
4. Butch Hartman
5. Roger McCluskey
6. Gene Marmor
7. Glen Bradley
8. Dave Whitcomb
9. Mike Stein
10.Paul Bauer
11.Bruce Sparrman
12.Bay Darnell