1962 - Race Victory to Beauchamp

A tired and grimy Johnny Beauchamp leans on car owner Dale Swanson after winning the Iowa International 300. Making the trophy presentation is Miss Iowa International Marcia Beck and Bob Weinheimer, representing Standard Oil Company.

Des Moines, Iowa (July 8, 1962) – Johnny Beauchamp, the 38-year-old Atlantic, Iowa, driver, limped across the finish line with a flat tire to capture the Iowa International 300 late model stock car race in a hectic finish before 10,600 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Beauchamp hardly had time to coast to a stop with his $1,000 checkered flag before the victory – his first major IMCA win since 1959 – was protested.

Chub Liebe filed the protest, charging that Beauchamp’s 1961 Chevrolet was not equipped with a rear window as required by International Motor Contest Association regulations for stock cars.

Liebe was officially listed in third place, a lap behind second place finisher Dick Hutcherson of Keokuk, Iowa, who blew a tire a one-lap lead on the field going through the 278th lap of the 150-mile grind over the half-mile dirt track.

John Mickey, a rookie from Columbus Junction, Iowa, but a veteran of short track jalopy and modified competition, was fourth, running the same lap as Liebe.

The contest had almost become a routine affair after Ernie Derr of Keokuk, Iowa, the four-time IMCA champion and current stock car point’s leader, left the race at the end of the 55th lap with gears in his rear end shot.

Ramo Stott, shooting for his third consecutive “300” victory, had broken a fan belt a few laps previously and the Keokuk driver lost three laps before he could get back in the race.

Hutcherson set a new record for the first 75 miles, timing in at 1 hour, 15 minutes and 4 seconds.

Bill Thomas spun on lap 77 and both Hutcherson and Beauchamp stopped for gas. Hutcherson got out in six seconds, but Liebe had grabbed the lead.

The Oelwein, Iowa, driver stayed in front past the 100-lap mark before Hutcherson caught him with Beauchamp running third.

Liebe mad a gas stop on lap 164 and both Hutcherson and Beauchamp passed him. On lap 181, Buzz McCann of St. Paul, Minn., who had been chasing the leaders, dropped out, a victim of gas fumes.

Beauchamp pulled in for his second fuel stop on lap 206 and shortly after this Liebe made a six-second stop for gas and Beauchamp moved back to second.

By that time, only 14 of the original 29 starters were still on the track. Hutcherson had Beauchamp by a full lap when the field swung through the 250th lap.

On the 278th lap, things happened in quick order.

Art Brady of Peoria, Ill., blew a tire coming down the front stretch and he locked bumpers with Ray Niemier of Madrid, Iowa. The two cars skidded past the pit area and into the flag stand where Woody Brinkman of Lincoln, Neb., was working. Brinkman escaped with only a gash on his hand after he scrambled clear of his demolished stand.

Hutcherson blew a tire on the west turn and had to pull in, yielding the top spot to Beauchamp. Jerry McCredie of Keokuk, Iowa, then blew a tire, forcing another yellow flag.

Next, Eddie Harrow spun out and McCredie lost another tire. There were only four laps left when the green flag waved again.

Beauchamp, minus adequate brakes through the last 200 laps, felt his left tire going by that time so he virtually coasted the remainder of the distance to finish five laps ahead of Hutcherson.


Results –


1. Johnny Beauchamp, Atlantic
2. Dick Hutcherson, Keokuk
3. Chub Liebe, Oelwein
4. John Mickey, Columbus Junction
5. Bob Reynolds, Edmonds, Okla.
6. Jerry McCredie, Keokuk
7. Mert Williams, Rochester, Minn.
8. Eddie Harrow, Corpus Christi, Tex.
9. Darrel Dake, Cedar Rapids
10.Newt Bartholomew, Carlisle
11.Ray Niemier, Madrid
12.Gil Haugen, Sioux Falls, S.D.
13.Elton Scheffler, Keokuk
14.Bud DeCoopman, Denver, Colo.
15.Ernie McMahan, Keokuk
16.Dick Johnson, St. Paul, Minn.

1973 – 8,888 See McDonough Take Title

Bill McDonough displays some of the loot he cornered after winning the mid-season title at Des Moines. – Roger Meier Photo

Des Moines, Iowa (July 7, 1973) – Bill McDonough of Cedar Rapids won the 35-lap mid-season championship for late model stock cars at the State Fairgrounds on Saturday night before 8,888, but most of the attention was focused on the third-place finisher in the 15-lap sportsman feature.

That was Mike Pinckney of Des Moines, who drove the last two laps of the race on only three wheels.

The episode sparked an argument between Denny Murray, a member of the track’s grievance committee, and officials. However, Pinckney was allowed to keep his finishing position.

Promoter Homer Melton stated there’s no rule that prohibits driving in that type of situation.

Several other drivers felt that Pinckney should have been black-flagged – sidelined – and so did he.

“I was expecting to get black-flagged,” he said after the race. “But when Beauchamp (flagman Johnny) didn’t, I decided to go all out.”

Pinckney, who had won the feature a week ago – his second of the season in his 1968 Camaro – was leading the race when his left front tire bounced off as cars came out of the fourth turn on the final lap.

“It just popped off,” he said. “I felt something funny as we came around the third turn, but I thought it was a tie rod.”

Mike held the lead until eventual winner Billy Geil took over down the front straightaway in his 1966 Chevelle.

Pinckney appeared headed for the first turn wall but regained control. He said the transmission popped out at that point.

Rookie driver Jerry Campbell of Des Moines gave a sterling performance and passed Pinckney on the back stretch to finish second in his 1965 Chevelle.

McDonough, the point leader, led all the way in the late model main event.

Stan Stover of Reinbeck, runner-up in points finished second in a 1972 Nova and Bill Wrich of Kennard, Neb., took third in a 1971 Monte Carlo.

“I totaled the car at Oskaloosa on Wednesday,” McDonough said. “We spent the last two days getting the car back in shape. And it worked super tonight.”

Stover gave McDonough a great battle for the first 10 laps, then fell back and eventually finished 100 yards behind the winner.

There was also a big battle for third between Wrich, George Barton of Ankeny, Bob Bonzer of Liscomb and Bob Kosiski of Omaha, Neb., in the middle stages of the race. McDonough was approximately half a lap ahead of Wrich at the finish.


Results –


Sportsman - 

Heat #1 – Jerry Campbell, Des Moines
Heat #2 – Larry Jackson, Des Moines
Heat #3 – Mike Pinckney, Des Moines
Semi-main – Larry Embrey, Grimes
Feature –
1. Billy Geil, Des Moines
2. Jerry Campbell
3. Mike Pinckney
4. Fred Knapp, Des Moines
5. Art Moose, Des Moines
6. Larry Embrey
7. John Edwards, Des Moines
8. Bob Dishman, Des Moines
9. Jim Welshon, Indianola
10.Dave Farren, Des Moines


Late Model - 

Heat #1 – Bill Wrich, Kennard, Neb.
Heat #2 -Phil Reece, Des Moines
Semi-main – Bill Rice, Des Moines
Feature –
1. Bill McDonough, Cedar Rapids
2. Stan Stover, Reinbeck
3. Bill Wrich
4. Bob Kosiski, Des Moines
5. George Barton, Ankeny
6. Bill Martin, Council Bluffs
7. Bill Rice
8. Phil Reece
9. Lefty Robinson, Des Moines
10.John Knapp, Des Moines

1975 – Allison atones with National 200 win

Bobby Allison

Salem, Ind. (July 6, 1975) – When NASCAR Grand National ace Bobby Allison came to Salem Speedway for the United States Auto Club stock car race last year, he failed to bring tires that fit his car. The tires he brought to the track rubbed the underside of his car and he pulled out of the race after only two laps.

“I hate to go somewhere and look that bad,” Allison later said.

So, in an afternoon of atonement, Allison returned to Salem on Sunday afternoon, during qualifying became the first driver ever to lap the field in less than 19 seconds, and then led all the way to win the first running of ARCA’s National 200.

Dave Dayton of Indianapolis, the 1974 ARCA co-champion, finished second, nearly a lap behind the Hueytown, Ala., driver. Ron Hutcherson of Keokuk, Iowa, who shared the ’74 title with Dayton, relieved Woody Fisher shortly after the halfway point and brought the Cincinnati driver’s car home in third place, three laps down.

Before the race, the legality of the rear springs on Allison’s Chevy Nova was protested by Hutcherson and A. Arnold of Brooks, Ky., who eventually placed fourth. ARCA president John Marcum later disallowed the protest and awarded Allison the $1,850 first prize.

Both Allison and Dayton went the entie100 mile without pitting, which many thought the front-runners would have to do.

“We ran a small engine, and our car was light, so we felt we could go all the way,” Allison said afterwards. “And the caution lights helped our milage considerably. You get twice as many miles per gallon when you’re running under yellow.”

As a result of several minor fender benders, and once because of a brief shower that sent many of the 3,491 in attendance dashing for cover, the yellow flag had to be displayed a total of five times for 30 laps.

“I was hoping Bobby would run out of gas,” Dayton said. “He was just outrunning me. I ran as hard as I could for as long as I could.”

Allison’s only anxious moment came when he and Willard Googe of Louisville, Ky., brushed fenders early on in the contest. Googe spun to the infield, while Allison continued merrily along the way.

“He got a little bit out of shape,” Allison said. “He did himself more damage trying to avoid me than he did by hitting me. I got a little sideways, but I didn’t have any trouble straightening the car out.”

Dayton received $1,350 for his runner-up finish while the Fisher-Hutcherson duo took home $950 from the $9,225 purse.


Results –


1. Bobby Allison, Hueytown, Ala.
2. Dave Dayton, Indianapolis
3. Woody Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio (Ron Hutcherson in relief)
4. A. Arnold, Brooks, Ky.
5. Robin Schildknecht, Crestwood, Ky.
6. Charlie Paxton, Louisville, Ky.
7. Bill Noel, Anderson, Ind.
8. Tony Bettenhausen, Indianapolis
9. Luther Burton, Columbus, Ind.
10.Frank Sandlin, Hamilton, Ohio

1975 - Senneker 'Automatic' in Dells Twin 50's

Bob Senneker

Wisconsin Dells, Wis. (July 5, 1975) – Driving with a broken left leg, Wolverine State driver Bob Senneker showed the Badgerland boys how it’s done Saturday night, walking away with both 50-lap features in the special late model program at the Dells Motor Speedway.

To facilitate driving with a broken leg, Senneker’s Camaro was equipped with an automatic transmission.

To start off the evening, Senneker, of Dorr, Mich., erased Jim Back’s two-year-old record on the third mile banked paved oval with a time of 14.375 seconds in qualifying. Marv Marzofka of Nekoosa and Senneker then finished in a dead heat in the trophy dash, before Senneker came from the back of the 20-car field to run away with the first 50-lapper.

He was in front on lap 21 and extended his lead by three-quarters of a lap at the checkered. That left Dick Trickle of Wisconsin Rapids and Marzofka to battle it out for runner-up honors. Trickle took that spot with Joe Shear of South Beloit, Ill., taking fourth ahead of Larry Detjens of Wausau.

Fall Creek’s Steve Burgess, Arnie Christen of Mineral Point and Tom Musgrave of Mundelein, Ill., showed the way in the second 50-lap contest before Senneker came from the back again to take over.

Traffic was heavier this time, though, as Senneker did not take over the lead until the 42nd circuit. In the eight remaining laps, he was able to build up a half-lap lead over second place Musgrave. Detjens finished third with Shear in fourth.

Doug Strasburg of Johnson Creek threaded his way through numerous spinouts for the semi-feature victory.


Results –


Feature #1 –

1. Bob Senneker, Dorr, Mich.
2. Dick Trickle, Wisconsin Rapids
3. Marv Marzofka, Nekoosa
4. Joe Shear, South Beloit, Ill.
5. Larry Detjens, Wausau
6. John Knaus, Rockford, Ill.

Feature #2 –

1. Bob Senneker
2. Tom Musgrave, Mundelein, Ill.
3. Larry Detjens
4. Joe Shear
5. Marv Marzofka
6. Dick Trickle

1980 – Trickle Overall Winner in State Park ARTGO Program

Driving a brand-new race car, Dick Trickle captured overall honors in the ARTGO program at State Park Speedway. - Stan Kalwasinski Collection

Wausau, Wis. (July 4, 1980) – Two weeks of hard work paid dividends for Dick Trickle of Wisconsin Rapids on Thursday night.

Driving a 1979 Pontiac Firebird he finished building only a day earlier, Trickle captured overall honors during the ARTGO Racing program at State Park Speedway.

“It’s almost new,” Trickle said of the car he drove to victory in the first 50-lap feature and to third place in the second contest.

“It seems like it’ll be a good car,” added Trickle of the car, assembled from bits and pieces of Jim Bohmsach’s 1974 Nova. “We took some parts off of Boomer’s car like the roll cage, rear end and brakes. The rest of it is all new. We started the car in the spring and were about half done, working on during our spare time.”

But half done wasn’t good enough after a crash at Berlin, Mich., two weeks ago destroyed his 1978 Firebird. Trickle also suffered a concussion in the crash which left him bruised up for four days.

Working virtually day and night, Trickle and his crew were able to complete construction of the car in time for the ARTGO special.

Trickle took the lead from Joe Shear of South Beloit, Ill., on lap 33 with the duo battling for the top spot for the remaining 17 circuits.

Three yellow flags slowed the first feature with the final one coming out when Larry Detjens of Wausau spun out in turn one.

“I was just trying too hard,” said Detjens, who was running third at the time.

Detjens’ spinout may have cost him overall honors as the former rodeo star came back to capture the second feature.

Detjens took the lead from Shear on lap 25, building his advantage to four-car-lengths before Steve Burgess of Eau Claire spun out with one lap to go.

“The car was running really good,” Detjens remarked, who added that he wasn’t worried about the restart.

“There’s a chance you can get bumped when you get bunched up like that,” he said. The victory was the first of the season for Detjens on his home track.

Shear also finished second in that feature.

Dan Prziborowski of Bloomington, Minn., won the accident-marred semi-feature. Five yellow flags slowed the action that saw multi-car pile-up on lap 2.


Results –


Time trials – Larry Detjens, Wausau (14.143)
Qualifier #1 – Ken Lund, Deerfield
Qualifier #2 – Kevin Stepan, Mosinee
Qualifier #3 – Jim Back, Vesper
Semi – Dan Prizborowski, Bloomington, Minn.

Feature #1 –

1. Dick Trickle, Wisconsin Rapids
2. Joe Shear, South Beloit, Ill.
3. Marv Marzofka, Nekoosa
4. Jim Sauter, Necedah
5. Steve Burges, Eau Claire
6. Tom Reffner, Rudolph
7. Mike Miller, Wisconsin Rapids
8. Butch Miller, Lawton, Mich.
9. Steve Moll, Wisconsin Rapids
10.Ed Hoffman, Niles, Ill.

Feature #2 –

1. Larry Detjens
2. Joe Shear
3. Dick Trickle
4. Jim Sauter
5. Tom Reffner
6. Mike Miller
7. Marv Marzofka
8. Jim Back
9. Steve Moll
10.Ed Hoffman

1972 – Missourian Frasher Takes Kansas 200

Tom Frasher

Topeka, Kan. (July 4, 1972) – Tom Frasher of Jefferson City, Mo., was the eighth and last driver to lead the Kansas 200 at the Mid America Fairgrounds on Tuesday night as he took the lead on lap 197 of the 200-lapper and went on to pocket the $800 first place money for his first-ever IMCA late model stock car victory.

It was the most-wide open marathon Topeka fan had witnessed in many years with mechanical problems and hard-driving taking their toll as first one leader and then another fell by the wayside.

Jerre Wichman of Kansas City held the lead the longest, while Irv Janey of Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Mike Lutkie of Wichita, appeared to have things in command while they led the pack.

But always right in position to move up if the opportunity presented itself was Frasher, making his first IMCA start of the season and one of the rare ones of his career.

From the 100th lap on, Frasher, in his 1969 Camaro, was never farther than off the pace than third, but by lap 180 he had fallen a lap behind Wichman.

Wichman’s Chevelle needed gas on lap 185 and while he was taking on fuel, Frasher got back on the same lap with the leader.

Wichman, driving without brakes for the last 50 circuits, was obviously in trouble as Frasher was finding the hard, slick racing surface to his liking and gobbling up large chunks of ground on each lap.

By lap 196, Frasher was in a challenging position and a lap later powered by Wichman. Frasher would pull away the remaining couple of laps and win by several car lengths at the checkered.

Wichman took the lead for the first time on lap 63, getting by Jim Hager of Liberty, Mo. He held it until Mike Lutkie took over on lap 122.

Once in the lead it appeared that there would be no catching Lutkie and his 1969 Camaro. He stretched his margin to nearly a full straightaway.

He would have to pit on lap 144, ending any hope for victory. When he returned to action, his engine blew and he was out of action by lap 152.

Janey, the current IMCA point leader, shoved his 1970 Plymouth into the top spot on lap 12 and was obviously the best combination on the track until his steering broke on lap 36. He got that repaired and was back on the track by lap 62 and would finish eighth in the end.

Janey took the lead from Galen Schaefer of Wichita, the day’s fast qualifier at 27.28 seconds. Schaefer had taken the lead from Wichman, who in turn had taken the lead from Sam Randol of Topeka in the early going.

Gerry Harrison, winner of the Memorial Classic and a pre-race favorite, blew the engine of his Cougar in warmups while Schaefer exited with a broke fan belt. Randol had handling issues and Dell Schmidt spent most of his time in the pits with assorted mechanical woes.


Results –


1. Tom Frasher
2. Jerre Wichman
3. Jim Anderson
4. Don Cooper
5. Jim Hager
6. Jerry Covert
7. Tom Taylor
8. Irv Janey
9. Roy McClellan
10.Mike Petrucci
11.Freddie Hohman
12.Carl Vander Wal
13.Tom Stewart
14.Joe Berry
15.Mike Lutkie
16.Del Schmidt
17.Thurman Lovejoy
18.Jim Still
19.Sam Randol

1965 – Branson Triumphs at Salem

Don Branson is presented his trophy after winning the USAC sprint car feature at Salem. 

Salem, Ind. (July 5, 1965) – Don Branson, the United States Auto Club’s defending sprint car national champion, led from start to finish in Sunday’s 30-lap sprint feature at Salem Speedway.

Branson, of Champaign, Ill., hit an average of 93.1 miles per hour in the $5,000 main event. When the checkers flew, Branson had nearly a half a lap lead on the rest of the field.

Ronnie Duman of Indianapolis finished second, followed by Johnny Rutherford of Fort Worth, Tex., in third. Mario Andretti of Nazareth, Penn., was fourth and Roger McCluskey of Tucson, Ariz., rounded out the top five finishers.

Greg Weld of Kansas City, who was leading the USAC sprint car point standings before the race, finished eighth and Jud Larson of Indianapolis, another leading contender this season, was seventh.


Results –


1. Don Branson
2. Ronnie Duman
3. Johnny Rutherford
4. Mario Andretti
5. Roger McCluskey
6. Bob Wente
7. Jud Larson
8. Greg Weld
9. Bob Pratt
10.Dee Jones