1970 – Blundy Fails in Afternoon; Wins at Night

 

Jerry Blundy

Des Moines, Iowa (August 23, 1970) – Two things changed between the afternoon and night auto races Sunday at the Iowa State Fair.

Jerry Blundy of Galesburg, Ill., converted his sprint car to a super modified and the dirt track went from dry and slick to somewhat heavy.

These combinations paid off in a 50-lap feature victory before an estimated crowd of 8,500.

Actually, the change on the car had little to do with the triumph. That only involved a switch of tail assemblies.

“I was able to get a better bite on the track,” Blundy said. “In the afternoon I wasn’t able to do this.” He finished fourth in the afternoon race.

Blundy started the evening race in the fourth row. Jay Woodside of Kansas City took the early lead and held it for the first eight laps before Blundy powered by and held the top spot permanently.

Woodside settled for second while Roger Rager of Lincoln, Neb., was third and Ralph Parkinson of Wichita Falls, Tex., was fourth.

Jerry Richert of Forest Lake, Minn., the afternoon winner, was nineteenth.


Results –


Heat #1 – Bob Ford, Marshall, Mo.
Heat #2 – Ralph Parkinson, Wichita Falls, Tex.
Heat #3 – Jimmy Boyd, San Jose, Calif.
Consolation – Jerry Richert, Forest Lake, Minn.
Feature –
1. Jerry Blundy, Galesburg, Ill.
2. Jay Woodside, Kansas City
3. Roger Rager, Lincoln, Neb.
4. Ralph Parkinson
5. Joe Saldana, Lincoln, Neb.
6. Ron Perkins, Wood River, Ill.
7. Bob Ford
8. Steve Schultz, Chillicothe, Mo.
9. Cliff Blundy, Galesburg, Ill.
10. Johnny Babb, Ottumwa, Iowa
11.Hal Minyard, Speedway, Ind.
12. Dale McCarty, Kansas City
13. Bill Hudson, Montezuma, Iowa
14. Duane Stoneking, Burlington, Iowa
15. Al Murie, Kansas City
16. Lenard McCarl, Des Moines
17. Bob Ensminger, Burlington, Iowa
18. Burt Sonner, Des Moines
19. Jerry Richert
20. Jimmy Boyd

1968 – Hibbard Wins Sedalia Race

 

Roy Hibbard

Sedalia, Mo. (August 23, 1968) – Roy Hibbard of Marshall, Mo., is Missouri’s 1968 state super modified racing champion.

The veteran driver won the championship in a race that found several other pre-race favorites battling for the lead the entire route before approximately 9,000 fans at the Missouri State Fair.

The action began early as Dale Moore of Kansas City grabbed the lead from Russell Hibbard of Slater, Mo.

Two laps later, Jay Woodside of Kansas City moved up from his fourth starting spot to second place behind Moore. The ran that way until lap 12 when Russell Hibbard lost his left rear wheel and spun to a stop in the fourth turn.

When the green flag flew again, Roy moved into third place as Gene Gennetten of Kansas City, with his car smoking badly, faltered. Gennetten would eventually drop out after starting third.

At the halfway mark of the 50-lap feature, it was still Moore, Woodside, and Roy Hibbard but the Marshall driver kept the pressure on and moved into second place on lap 27.

Five laps later, Hibbard captured the top spot from Moore and was never headed after that, although Woodside, who moved into second place on lap 45, and Moore remained in contention right up to the checkered flag.

1981 - Kosiski Tops Iowa State Fair

Steve Kosiski of Omaha won the 50-lap late model feature at the Iowa State Fair Speedway. With Kosiski are flagman Bill Newman (left) and trophy sponsor Ron Perdock. – Dean Malone Photo

Des Moines, Iowa (August 22, 1981) – Steve Kosiski of Omaha drove the perfect race Saturday night to win the 50-lap Iowa State Fair Invitational for late model stock cars.

Kosiski won his heat, which put him in the second row for the start of the feature. He kept his position at the start until taking over the second spot from early leader Ron Jackson of Burlington. Jackson dropped to third while Mike Niffenegger of Kalona took over the top spot.

Niffenegger and Kosiski battled for the lead from the 20th lap on. Kosiski didn’t take the lead until the final ap when he passed Niffenegger on the final set of turns.

“I got inside of Mike coming into the third turn,” Kosiski said afterwards. “As we both came through the corner, I could feel my car shoot around him and I took the checkered.”

Jackson followed Kosiski and Niffenegger across the finish line followed by Billy Moyer Jr. of Des Moines and Dave Chase.

Other heat winners besides Kosiski were Jackson, Niffenegger, Tom Hearst of Wilton and Craig Jacobs of Des Moines. Dave Chase of Council Bluffs won the Race of Champions and Bill Rice of Des Moines grabbed top honors in the consolation.



Results –

Heat #1 – Ron Jackson, Burlington
Heat #2 – Tom Hearst, Wilton
Heat #3 – Mike Niffenegger, Kalona
Heat #4 – Steve Kosiski, Omaha
Heat #5 – Craig Jacobs, Des Moines
Race of Champions – Dave Chase, Council Bluffs
Consolation – Bill Rice, Des Moines
Feature –
1. Steve Kosiski
2. Mike Niffenegger
3. Ron Jackson
4. Billy Moyer, Jr., Des Moines
5. Dave Chase
6. Gary Webb, Davenport
7. Bill Zwanziger, Waterloo
8. Jim Anderson, Des Moines
9. Duane Steffe, Colona, Ill.
10.Rusty Patterson, Washington
11.Larry Kelley, Cedar Rapids
12.Ken Davidson, Indianola
13.Craig Jacobs
14.Dick Elliot, Mt. Ayr
15.Bill Rice

1975 – NASCAR Wins go to Smith, Simmons

Larry Smith

Falcon Heights, Minn. (August 22, 1975) – Larry Smith of Shakopee and Buck Simmons of Baldwin, Ga., raced to feature wins in the opening of the Minnesota State Fair’s NASCAR late model sportsman program on a cool, and sometimes misty Friday afternoon.

Simmons drove a 1969 Chevelle to the first 20-lap feature win for the 10 fastest cars after setting a one-lap qualifying record of 20.61 seconds on the half-mile paved speedway.

Smith took the lead on the 39th lap of the 50-lap second feature. He led the rest of the way, holding off John Boegeman of Shakopee and Dick Trickle of Wisconsin Rapids.

Simmons earned $300 for his feature win plus an additional $100 for being the fast qualifier. Smith picked up $375 of the $2,150 offered in the second feature. Cars started in inverted order for both features.

Simmons wiped out the qualifying mark of 20.77 seconds set by Neil Bonnett in 1974. Finishing six car lengths behind Simmons in the 20-lapper was Harry Gant of Taylorsville, N.C., in a Nova. Simmons took the lead from Gant on lap 7.

Smith, a veteran Twin Cities area driver, started 35th in the second feature, behind the wheel of his 1973 Mustang. Boegeman took second in a 1975 Camaro. Boegeman, another Twin Cities area driver, started 32nd and finished second. Trickle finished third driving a 1970 Mustang.


Results –


Feature #1 –

1. Buck Simmons, Baldwin, Ga.
2. Harry Gant, Taylorsville, N.C.
3. Larry Detjens, Wausau, Wis.
4. Rich Somers, Stevens Point, Wis
5. Marv Marzofka, Nekoosa, Wis.


Feature #2 –

1. Larry Smith, Shakopee
2. John Boegeman, Shakopee
3. Dick Trickle, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
4. Mike DeMars, Minneapolis
5. Bill Oas, Bloomington
6. Dave Roahrig, Inwood, Ind.
7. Jim Derhaag, Shakopee
8. Mike Fegers, Wayzata
9. Dan Prziborowski, Savage
10.Pat Griffith, Galesville, Wis.

1964 – Foyt First at Springfield – Horstmeyer Killed

 

A.J. Foyt poses alongside crew chief George Bignotti after winning the Tony Bettenhausen 100-miler at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. 

 

Springfield, Ill. (August 22, 1964) – Bill Horstmeyer, 34, of Madison, Wis., was killed Saturday in the flaming wreckage of his racing car which flipped in front of the grandstand in the 100-mile feature at the Illinois State Fair.

Horstmeyer came out of the north turn on the 26th lap, at the outside fence, and while an estimated 25,000 spectators watched in horror, his machine flipped end-over-end entering the straightaway and bursting into flames. He was pinned under the burning car.

Firefighters eventually pulled him free. He died soon after arrival to St. John’s Hospital.

A.J. Foyt of Houston, Tex., winner of the Indianapolis 500 which was marred by the fiery death of two drivers, won the 100-miler, a Memorial race named for Tony Bettenhausen. Bettenhausen was killed in a practice session for the Indy 500 several years ago.

Foyt’s victory was his 24th in a major race, one short of Rodger Ward’s all-time high of 25.

Bobby Marshman of Pottstown, Penn., finished second after leading the first 38 laps before entering the pits for a tire change.

By the 75th circuit, Marshman had gunned his racer back into second place.

Don Branson of Champaign, Ill., finished third, followed by Bobby Unser of Albuquerque, N.M., and Len Sutton of Portland, Ore.


Results –


1. A.J. Foyt, Houston, Tex.
2. Bobby Marshman, Pottstown, Penn.
3. Don Branson, Champaign, Ill.
4. Bobby Unser, Albuquerque, N.M.
5. Len Sutton, Portland, Ore.
6. Mario Andretti, Nazareth, Penn.
7. Arnold Knepper, Belleville, Ill.
8. Bud Tingelstad, Dayton, Ohio
9. Bob Wente, St. Louis, Mo.
10.Bob Harkey, Indianapolis, Ind.

1948 – Minneapolis Driver Wins at Milwaukee

Paul Bjork

Milwaukee, Wis. (August 22, 1948) – Paul Bjork of Minneapolis, wheeled his 1948 Frazier to victory in the 100-mile stock car race at State Fair Park on Sunday but needed the help of a recording machine to annex the win.

For the second straight week, a calculating machine was used to determine the winner of a race on the 1-mile dirt track at State Fair Park.

The apparent winner was Johnny Dietz of Milwaukee behind the wheel of a 1941 Cadillac. But a recheck gave Bjork the victory and Dietz was moved to second place in the first stock car race here in many years.

Bjork’s victory was worth $1,878 and Dietz collected $1,658 for his runner-up finish. Neither was forced to take a pit stop. Temperatures in the high 80’s gave plenty of trouble to the 20 starters and only 12 of them were still on the track when the checkered flag waved.

The winning time was 1 hour, 32 minutes, and 3 seconds.

Third place went to Andy Granatelli of Chicago, driving a 1947 Ford. He was followed by Norman Nelson of Racine piloting a 1946 Ford, and Jim Rathmann of Los Angeles in a 1940 Ford.

A 1939 Ford, driven by Chick Beverlen of Calumet City, Ill., blew a right rear tire late in the race and overturned on the 98th lap. Beverlen suffered minor injuries although his car was completely demolished.

Only standard stock cars were eligible and stripped-down hot rods, cars with souped up motors, and other doctored vehicles were banned.

The racing program attracted 23,259 spectators.


Results –


1. Paul Bjork
2. Johnny Dietz
3. Andy Granatelli
4. Norman Nelson
5. Jim Rathmann
6. Chuck Bailey
7. Frank Burany
8. Chick Beverlen
9. Emil Andres
10.Joe Granatelli
11.Herb Wachel
12.Bill Van Allen
13.Sarge Overmyer
14.Allen Swenson
15.Harry Tann



Editor’s Note – Paul Bjork, who was also an experienced pilot and co-owned Twin City Parachute Company, which flew exhibition jumpers, would perish in a crash over Lake Minnetonka on December 27, 1948.

1983 - Schulte nips Mitchell in IMCA National

 

Mike Schulte won the Kempers International IMCA Modified Nationals at Vinton Speedway. Schulte is presented the trophy by race sponsor Jack Kempers and trophy girl Kristi Howell. Also pictured are Merv Chandler (left), who finished third, and Jack Mitchell (right), who finished second. - Gary Oberreuter Photo

Vinton, Iowa (August 21, 1983) – You really couldn’t blame Mike Schulte of Norway if you heard him say something favorable about 100-lap races at the quarter-mile Vinton Speedway…. after all, he’s won the last three.

Easily the biggest win of the trio, though, was the 100-lap win he posted Sunday in the first Kemper’s International IMCA Modified Nationals at the Benton County Fairgrounds.

Schulte’s victory was worth $1,000 of the $10,000 purse and that will climb by another estimated $300 when all of the lap money is added in. He also won both 100-lap events held during the 1982 season.

Schulte, runner-up Jack Mitchell of Cedar Falls, and third-place finisher Merv Chandler of Cedar Rapids, were covered with dirt following the grueling battle around the quick Vinton oval. Mitchell and Schulte, too, were awash with perspiration following the event in hot, humid weather.

“There for a while…around the 30th or 40th lap…I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it,” Schulte said. “It was so hot in there and I could feel myself weakening. Then we got a red flag and my crew dumped a bucket of ice water on me and that really helped. In fact, I got stronger near the end.”

Schulte started the race in the ninth spot after failing to qualify among the six fastest in Saturday’s time trials but winning the third qualifying heat.

Mitchell started outside in the front row and set the pace in the 38-car field for the first 27 laps before Mike Krall of Waterloo, who started third on the grid, swept past and into the lead. Krall set a blistering pace as he put quite a distance between his car and the trailing Mitchell.

Meanwhile, Schulte settled into the third spot behind Mitchell, then got around him to run second. Krall started to slow and dropped from contention on lap 42 allowing Schulte to scoot into the lead on the 43rd circuit and then was chased by Mitchell the rest of the way.

From that point on, it was a two-car battle, although Chandler got into contention late in the race before he faded in lapped traffic. Mitchell tried a number of times to get around Schulte but couldn’t get the job done.

Lapped traffic was Schulte’s main concern with 26 cars still running at the end.

“I knew if Jack could get me, It’d be because I either made a bad mistake, ot I got caught in lapped traffic,” Schulte remarked.

Race cars from six states were in the pits for the two-day show with time trials and qualifying races held Saturday.

Winning the fast dash was Krall, while the six heat winners were Dan Higdon of Vinton, Buz Kaster of Kansas City, Schulte, Todd Jensen of Waterloo, Lyle Breberg of Dawson, Minn., and Steve Stinger of Hiawatha.

Sunday’s action included two non-qualifier races, won by John Steenstra of Avon, Mo., and Chandler, plus a “B” feature won by Ronnie Parsley of Kansas City.


Results –


1. Mike Schulte, Norway
2. Jack Mitchell, Cedar Falls
3. Merv Chandler, Cedar Rapids
4. Ron Becker, Conrad
5. Mike Wheeler, Davenport
6. John Light, Wadena
7. Denny Bjonfald, Eden Prairie, Minn.
8. Todd Jensen, Waterloo
9. Jim Mettlin, Cambridge, Ill.
10.Bryan Housley, Davenport
11.Steve Stinger, Hiawatha
12.Tom Herbert, Silvis, Ill
13.Ron Parsley, Kansas City
14.Bob Dlouhy, Tipton
15.Lyle Breberg, Dawson, Minn.
16.Rollie Wold, Dawson, Minn.
17.Monty Ohrt, Tipton
18.John Steenstra, Avon, Mo.
19.Dan Higdon, Vinton
20.Rollie Hahn, Grand mound