1989 - Shear Best at Dells; Nears ARTGO Crown

 

Joe Shear scored his fifth ARTGO Challenge Series win of the season winning the annual “Summer Nationals” at Dells Motor Speedway. – Jay Zawerschnick Photo

Wisconsin Dells, Wis. (September 2, 1989) – Joe Shear edged Bryan Reffner in a close finish Saturday night at Dells Motor Speedway to win his fifth ARTGO “Summer Nationals” title.

Shear took the lead from George Prziborowski on the sixth circuit of the 100-lap main event with the caution lights flashing a lap later when Terry Baldry, Dennis Lampman, and Rich Bickle Jr., collided in the second turn. Baldry was able to make repairs and return to action.

The only other yellow flag came on lap 32 when Prziborowski looped in turn four. On the restart, Shear, Reffner, and Steve Carlson, who won this event in 1988, powered away from the field.

By the halfway point, Rick Wateski moved into fourth place with Dave Klein, Kevin Cywinski, Jim Weber, and Steve Holzhausen in hot pursuit.

By lap 65 it settled down to a two-car battle for the win as Reffner tried both the inside and outside to gain the top spot.

On the 85th round, Reffner squeezed inside Shear and nearly took the lead, but Shear continued to maintain the top spot.

In the closing laps, Klein gained third place and Holzhausen passed Carlson for fourth place. Carlson then had to hold off Wateski to complete the top-five.

The win was Shear’s fifth of the season and virtually clinched the ARTGO crown for the Clinton pilot as point runner-up Scott Hansen finish 19th in the feature. Shear previously had won “Summer Nationals” in 1977, ’78, ’82, and ’87.


Results –

1. Joe Shear, Clinton
2. Bryan Reffner, Wisconsin Rapids
3. Dave Klein, Madison
4. Steve Holzhausen, Bangor
5. Steve Carlson, La Crosse
6. Rick Wateski, La Crosse
7. Kevin Cywinski, Mosinee
8. Doug Herbst, Wausau
9. Jim Weber, Roseville, Minn.
10.Jack Landis, Angola, Ind.
11.Terry Baldry, Omro
12.Bob Brownell, McHenry, Ill.
13.Tony Raines, LaPorte, Ind.
14.George Prziborowski, Apple Valley, Minn.
15.Rich Lofy, Madison

1978 - Kastli is Midway Downs Season Champ

 

Greg Kastli won the sportsman season championship at Midway Downs near Charles City. Merlin Benning holds the checkered flag. – Earl Schwartz Photo

By Norma Benning

Charles City, Iowa (September 2, 1978) – Racing fans saw plenty of action Saturday night at Midway Downs with 11 races run.

The two features that were rained out last week had to be completed first so that points could be added up to determine the lineups for the championship features.

Dave Swartz of Cedar Falls won his first feature of the season in the street stock class. The makeup sportsman feature started with a lot of action when Kenneth Kent of Cedar Falls hit the fence. By the time he came to a stop, he was sitting on top of the dirt that is piled behind the fence. Dave Maxson was the winner of the makeup feature.

Frank Crotts of Stanley won the street stock season championship. Wencie Baker of Shell Rock was leading the race when she collided with a slower car that had been given the “lap flag” but didn’t get out of the way in time. An electrical problem caused by the impact prevented her from finishing the race.

Wencie did not go home empty-handed as she clinched the point title and was presented a plaque afterwards for her accomplishments.

The sportsman season championship went to Greg Kastli of Waterloo. Kastli passed Mike Krall of Waterloo on the 18th lap and held on to grab the victory. With his runner-up finish, Krall clinched the sportsman point title and was also awarded a plaque for being the only driver to have competed every week of the season.


Results –


Sportsman –

Make-up Feature –

1. Dave Maxson
2. Duane VanDeest
3. Mike Krall
4. Mike Mauer
5. James Kisling
6. Steve Weber

Championship Feature –

1. Greg Kastli
2. Mike Krall
3. Duane VanDeest
4. Craig Haupt
5. Dave Maxson
6. Bob Hesse
7. Fuzzy Liddell
8. Mike Mauer
9. John Brustkern
10.Chuck Roberts


Street Stock –

Make-up Feature –

1. Dave Swarts
2. LaVerne Hawn
3. Gary Kaune
4. Laverne Lehman
5. Wencie Baker
6. Casey Tucker
7. Kenny Murray

Championship Feature –

1. Frank Crotts
2. Gary Kaune
3. LaVerne Hawn
4. Dwight Harlan
5. Harlan Heins
6. Cassey Tucker
7. Walter Hirsh

1973 – Hartman Wins Du Quoin 100-Miler

 

Butch Hartman won the 100-mile United States Auto Club late model stock car race at the Du Quoin State Fair. 

Du Quoin, Ill. (September 2, 1973) – Butch Hartman of South Zanesville, Ohio, averaged 88.165 miles per hour in his 1973 Dodge to win the United States Auto Club late model stock car race at the Du Quoin state Fairgrounds on Sunday afternoon.

Hartman toured the 100-lap race over the one-mile dirt oval in just 1 hour and 8 minutes to take home the $5,007 winner’s share of the $28,200 purse.

He took the lead on the second lap and, except for losing it briefly on lap 75, held it for the rest of the race.

Norm Nelson of Racine, Wis., passed Hartman on the 75th circuit, but relinquished before the end of the next lap.

Both men finished the same lap, with Nelson trailing by about one-eighth of a mile as only 13 of the 30 starters were running at the end.

A trio of Keokuk, Iowa, drivers would round out the top five with Ernie Derr, Don White and Ramo Stott finishing in that order.


Results –

1. Butch Hartman, South Zanesville, Ohio
2. Norm Nelson, Racine, Wis.
3. Ernie Derr, Keokuk, Iowa
4. Don White, Keokuk, Iowa
5. Ramo Stott, Keokuk, Iowa
6. Verlin Eaker, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
7. Bay Darnell, Deerfield, Ill.
8. Irv Janey, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
9. Leonard Blanchard, Louisville, Ky.
10.Mark Dinsmore, Covington, Ind.

1969 - Sanger Wins Marshalltown's 'State Championship'

 

Ed Sanger proudly poses with his trophy after winning the Late Model Super Stock State Championship at Marshalltown. 

Marshalltown, Iowa (September 2, 1969) – Ed Sanger of Waterloo banked the top money Tuesday night at Marshalltown Speedway, winning the Late Model Super Stock State Championships.

At times, Sanger enjoyed a half-lap advantage over the rest of the field in the 50-lap feature. Right after crossing the finish line, Sanger spun in the second turn.

Terry Hurst of Davenport finished second, almost a straightaway behind the winner. Paul Uhlenberg of Garwin was third followed by Bill Knapp of Des Moines and Dale DeFrance of Marshalltown.

Joel Rasmussen of Gilbert took first place in the consolation. On the last lap of the race, Monte Goettsch of Albion hit the retaining wall in the fourth turn. He was taken to a local hospital for observation and was listed in satisfactory condition.

Don Hoffman of Des Moines set fast time in qualifying, turning the quarter-mile in 18.102 seconds.

Arlo Becker of Atkins grabbed two victories, winning the trophy dash and the fourth heat. Other heat winners included George Eurom of Marshalltown, Knapp, and Bob Bonzer of Liscomb.


Results –


1. Ed Sanger, Waterloo
2. Terry Hurst, Davenport
3. Paul Uhlenberg, Garwin
4. Bill Knapp, Des Moines
5. Dale DeFrance, Marshalltown
6. Mike Brooks, Knoxville
7. Wendell Folkerts, Marshalltown
8. Roger Kruse, Independence
9. Del Stokke, Ames
10.Bob Bonzer, Liscomb

1963 – Horstmeyer Cops Fair Feature, Sets Lap Record

 

Huron, S.D. (September 2, 1963) – Bill Horstmeyer, the lead-footed driver from Stoughton, Wis., piloting the Ernie Johnson Offenhauser, took top honors in the International Motor Contest Association speedway car races at the South Dakota State Fair on Monday afternoon.

John Leverenz, driving a stock conversion, placed second while Jerry Richert, who had won the South Dakota State Fair feature the last two years, placed third.

Jerry “Scratch” Daniels, who burned up the track at the Minnesota State Fair in the early stages of that program a week ago, was unable to appear here because his engine blew up on Sunday. It was the second straight day Daniels was sidelined by mechanical failure at the Minnesota event.

Horstmeyer, who had won one feature at the Minnesota program, set a new track record in time trials, when he turned in a sizzling 23.90 second clocking for one lap on the half-mile. That mark bettered the old record of 24.21 seconds set on the South Dakota track by Johnny White in 1961.

Despite heavy early morning rains, officials had the track in excellent condition and times overall were fast. However, no time was recorded for the feature because Harvey Shane’s car blew a water pump on lap 15, bringing the action to a slow pause.

Horstmeyer won the first heat while Richert was the second heat winner. Ron Larson of Milltown, Wis., was grabbed top honors in the consolation.


Results –

Time trials – Bill Horstmeyer, Stoughton, Wis. (23.90)
Heat #1 – Bill Horstmeyer
Heat #2 – Jerry Richert, Forest Lake, Minn.
Consolation – Ron Larson, Milltown, Wis.
Feature –
1. Bill Horstmeyer
2. John Leverenz, Hayward, Calif.
3. Jerry Richert
4. Don Daniels, St. Paul, Minn.
5. Ron Larson
6. Roger Lane, Blue Springs, Mo.
7. Sonny McDaniel, Houston, Tex.
8. Tony Farr, Pomona, Calif.

1956 – 22,000 Watch World Record by Beauchamp

 

Oelwein’s Chub Liebe and Harlan’s Johnny Beauchamp

Des Moines, Iowa (September 2, 1956) – Johnny Beauchamp, the stock car front-runner from Harlan shattered a world record before 22,000 spectators at the Iowa State Fair’s racing windup on Sunday night.

Beauchamp, behind the wheel of a 1956 Chevrolet with a Corvette engine, covered the 100 miles in 1 hour, 41 minutes, and 35.02 seconds to better Don White’s mark of 1 hour, 45 minutes, and 13.47 seconds he set at the Minnesota State Fair in 1953.

White’s Iowa State Fairgrounds’ mark of 1 hour, 48 minutes, and 5.15 seconds fell also.

On three different laps, en route to the world record, Beauchamp was clocked under 30 seconds. On of them was on the 190th lap, when the “Flying Frenchman” was engaged in a torrid duel with Chub Liebe of Oelwein.

Liebe had been attempting to get by Beauchamp for nearly 10 laps and was infuriated by Beauchamp’s blocking tactics. On several turns, Liebe rammed Beauchamp’s rear bumper in frustration.

Then, on the straightaway coming into the 190th go-round, Liebe almost lost control of his car after bumping Beauchamp again. Thereafter, Beauchamp punched the accelerator and lost Liebe in traffic.

Liebe, who ran in second place for most of the race, ran out gas on lap 195 and as a result, settled for third place behind Ernie Derr of Fort Madison, who was recently reinstated by the International Motor Contest Association after being suspended.

White wound up fourth after the judges worked overtime to straighten out the finish.

Seventeen cars finished the grind, which sent several prominent contenders to the sidelines.

Among them were Sonny Morgan of Beaumont, Tex., who was currently second in the IMCA point standings. Morgan broke a gas line on lap 158. Morgan had been running in third place from the 20th to the 90th lap, then stopped briefly to check on his overheating motor, got back into the race in seventh place, and was gaining on the lead pack when he retired for good.

Derr, meanwhile, ran behind Liebe all the way after his brother-in-law, White, had to leave his second spot to come in because of a low front tire on lap 95.

The bumping incidents were brushed aside by Beauchamp who declared, “We frequently hit each other on the curves when the track becomes slick.”

However, the Harlan driver, passed once by Liebe, never let his Oelwein rival get a clear path after Beauchamp passed him in traffic at the halfway point.

1986- Dolan Takes Quincy All-Star

Quincy, Ill. (September 1, 1986) – Roger Dolan of Lisbon, Iowa, won the NASCAR Busch/Winston All-Star Tour feature Monday at Quincy Raceway.

Dolan held of Steve Watts of Danville, Iowa, and Jim Swank of Hamilton in the 50-lap feature race.

In sportsman action, Marty Hull of Plainville won the feature event while Paul Jones of Hannibal, Mo., was the street stock winner


Results –


Late Models -

1. Roger Dolan, Lisbon, Iowa
2. Steve Watts, Danville, Iowa
3. Jim Swank, Hamilton
4. Steve Kosiski, Omaha, Neb.
5. Joe Kosiski, Omaha, Neb.


Sportsman –

1. Marty Hull, Plainville
2. Lonnie Bailey, Quincy
3. John Swain, Kinderhook
4. Chuck Ancell, Quincy


Street Stock –

1. Paul Jones, Hannibal, Mo.
2. Stan DeLonjay, Quincy
3. Kenny Williams, Coatsburg