1962 – Davies wins third USAC midget crown

Indianapolis, Ind. (December 30, 1962) – Jimmy Davis of Monticello, Ind., won his third straight United States Auto Club National Midget Championship title this year, it was announced today.

Davies was chased to the title by the same gentleman who finished in the runner-up spot the other two years behind Davies, Bob Wente of St. Louis, Mo.

It was first thought that Bob Tattersall of Streator, Ill., had beaten out Tommy Copp of Fresno, Calif., for the third spot by a mere 1.85 points but after a check of the points, Copp received the nod by seven points.

Final Standings


1. Jimmy Davies, Monticello, Ind. – 474.96
2. Bob Wente, St. Louis, Mo. – 416.35
3. Tommy Copp, Fresno, Calif. – 266.00
4. Bob Tattersall, Streator, Ill. – 259.00
5. Mel Kenyon, Davenport, Iowa – 228.25
6. Russ Congdon, Indianapolis, Ind. – 213.75
7. Chuck Rodee, Speedway, Ind. – 202.05
8. Allen Crowe, Springfield, Ill. – 176.05
9. Bobby Grim, Indianapolis, Ind. – 141.30
10. Billy Wood, Kenosha, Wis. – 129.50
11. Cliff Spalding, Seattle, Wash. – 124.75
12. Parnelli Jones, Torrance, Calif. – 117.30
13. Jigger Sirois, Shelby, Ind. – 101.30
14. Bob McLean, Granger, Ind. – 97.70
15. Harry Beck, Indianapolis, Ind. – 96.65

1973 – Shear champion at Wisconsin Int’l Raceway

Joe Shear in victory lane - Bob Bergeron Collection

Kaukauna, Wis. (December 28, 1973) – Joe Shear throttled his 1973 Camaro to three victories in five starts at the Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna and captured the state championship crown in the process.

The 29-year-old speedster held a 3,200 to 2,935 advantage of Dave Watson of Beloit, Wis., at the end of the five-race series.

Shear scored wins in the Spring Sizzler 50, Fall National 50 and the second leg of the Red, White and Blue State Championship Series. He also placed fifth in the “Red” and “Blue” races.

Watson wheeled his 1973 Camaro to victory in the “Blue” race while finishing second in the Fall National 50, third in the Spring Sizzler 50, fourth in the “Red” race and fifth in the “White” race.

Dick Trickle of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., won the “Red” race and finished sixth in the final point standings. Rudolph’s Tom Reffner placed third in the final standings followed by Marv Marzofka of Nekoosa and Jim Back of Vesper. Trickle and Reffner drove 1970 Mustangs while Marzofka and Back piloted 1973 Camaros.

Shear, a veteran of nine years in stock car racing, also established a new one-lap record of 21.17 seconds (85.02 mph) for the half-mile paved oval during the “White” race time trials, which drew 8,396 fans, the largest of the season.

Track officials indicated their satisfaction with the growth of the series and the $31,000 racing event will be repeated again in 1974.

Final Point Standings

1. Joe Shear – 3,200
2. Dave Watson – 2,935
3. Tom Reffner – 2,140
4. Marv Marzofka – 1,695
5. Jim Back – 1,610
6. Dick Trickle – 1,070
7. John Rank – 1,045
8. Jim Sauter – 950
9. Fred Bender – 670
10. Jim Pierson – 630
11. Steve Arndt – 630
12. Dan Bellard – 595
13. Larry Detjens – 580
14. Wally Jors – 525
15. Rich Somers – 515
16. Neil Callahan – 490
17. Red Hutchinson – 475
18. Paul Christianson – 440
19. Jerry Smith – 435
20. John Knaus - 435

Merry Christmas from Midwest Racing Archives

Blast From The Past

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1969



1970

1971



1972

1973

1988 - Kraft Outpoints Moyer for USAC LM Crown

Willy Kraft

Speedway, Ind. (December 20, 1988) – Willy Kraft of Lakefield, Minn., scored six feature victories on his way to outpointing two-time defending champion Billy Moyer for the 1988 USAC Late Model Championship Series crown.

Kraft opened the season impressively as he scored three consecutive victories at I-55 Speedway (Pevely, Mo.), Bolivar (Mo.) Speedway, and I-44 Speedway (Lebanon, Mo.). However, Moyer notched a runner-up finish and third place showing in two of those events before winning at Monett (Mo.) Speedway and held the top position after the first four events.

Both Kraft and Moyer failed to compete in the fifth event, June 12 at Salem (Ind.) Speedway, which Jim Cooper won, finishing ahead of Noel Witcher and Dick Potts.

Victories July 2 at 34 Raceway Park (Burlington, Iowa) and July 3 at the Southern Iowa Speedway (Oskaloosa) combined with a runner-up finish at Davenport (Iowa) Speedway and a third place showing July 1 at Marshalltown (Iowa) Speedway pushed Kraft into the series point lead with 300 markers.

Larry Phillips, who won the Marshalltown and Davenport events, slipped into second with 284 points, one ahead of Moyer.

Moyer scored back-to-back victories on September 16 at Bolivar and September 17 at I-44 Speedway respectively, but Kraft placed fourth and fifth in the two races to remain 49 points ahead of Moyer.

Both Moyer and Kraft failed to compete in the season finale, September 25 at Eldora Speedway (Rossburg, Ohio), giving Kraft the season title with 403 points. Moyer placed second with 359 followed by Phillips and Ken Essary.

Kraft led all drivers with six feature wins while Moyer was second with three. Phillips won two races while Cooper and Doug Ault (Eldora) came away with one victory each.

Moyer topped qualifying five times while Essary was fast timer on three occasions.

In four years of USAC late model racing, Moyer leads the all-time series with 12 victories and 19 top two finishes in 32 events.

Final Standings -

1. Willy Kraft – 403
2. Billy Moyer – 354
3. Larry Phillips – 288
4. Ken Essary – 287
5. Ray Guss Jr. – 261
6. Dick Potts – 189
7. T.J. Pauschert – 158
8. Johnny Stokes - +7
9. Charlie Sentman – 95
10. Ray Godsey - 81

1967 - Fairmont Speedway - Final Point Standings

George Trimbo - Promoter

1. Jim Edgington, Algona, Iowa -3,320
2. Marv DeWall, Jackson, Minn. – 2,490
3. Jack McCorkell, Redwood Falls, Minn. – 2,305
4. Bob Geldner, St. Peter, Minn. – 2,025
5. Dick Forbrook, Morgan, Minn. – 1,805
6. Ray Forsyth, Mankato, Minn. – 1,740
7. Virgil Kopeschka, Fairmont, Minn. – 1,550
8. Vic Dicks, Jackson, Minn. – 1,525
9. Bob Fisher, Renwick, Iowa – 1,455
10. Leo Christensen, West Bend, Iowa – 1,450
11. Junior Thaemlitz, Lakefield, Minn. – 1,450
12. Garry Sill, Fairmont, Minn. – 1,400
13. Larry Smith, Windom, Minn. – 1,310
14. Gene Schattschneider, Algona, Iowa – 1,265
15. Gale White, Laurens, Iowa – 905
16. Ray Smith, Worthington, Minn. – 875
17. Frank Wacholz, Fairmont, Minn. – 875
18. Les Wilden, Algona, Iowa – 865
19. Bill Kahler, Jackson, Minn. – 755
20. Dave Hargan, Jackson, Minn. - 620

Other notables;

23. Darryl Dawley, Sioux Falls, S.D. - 485
27. Roger Larson, Sioux Falls, S.D. - 205
35. Arnie Nimerfroh, Avoca, Minn. - 60
43. Stacy Redmond, Mason City, Iowa - 20

MRA Remembers: Joy Fair (1930-2011)

- Born September 10th, 1930

- Harry S Truman was President of the United States when Joy started his career. Fair drove in six decades -- and has made hints he wants to try for his seventh!

- First race was Pardington's Pastures Speedway in Sterling Heights, MI (14 Mile and Dequindre area)!

- Won at the International Exposition Fairgrounds in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

- Champion, 1965 Baer Field in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

- Champion, six years running, Toledo Speedway, Ohio, 1967-1972, then again in 1974, late model division.

- Late Model Champion ten times, Flat Rock Speedway, Michigan.

- 1977 Mt. Clemens Race Track, Michigan late model champion.

- Late Model Champion at Flat Rock, Mt. Clemens and Toledo, all in 1981 (at the time, Mt. Clemens was a NASCAR sanctioned track).

- Won inaugural Glass City "200" at Toledo, 1968 (Joe Ruttman also won this race, driving Joy's four-door Maverick). Joy won the race again in 1975 and 1976.

- Won nine out of 14 features at Flat Rock Speedway in 1969, including 100 lap invitational where he lapped the entire field; also won 10 of 14 features at Toledo.

- Won the 1974 Ohio State "500" championship.

- Won two ARCA Supercar (ReMAX) Series races at Toledo and at Sun Valley (now Anderson) Speedway in Indiana in 1972.

- Won over 700 short track features in 12 states and Canada. Winningest driver in state of Michigan with over 600 victories.

- Two NASCAR Grand National (now Nextel Cup) Series starts, both coming in 1956. Best finish ninth at Soldier Field, Chicago, IL. Other start was on Daytona's Beach course where he experienced a DNF (clutch).

- Won dirt all-star race inside the Pontiac Silverdome (former home of the NFL's Detroit Lions) in 1982, beating NASCAR greats David Pearson (second place), Neil Bonnett and Kyle Petty and short track ace Bob Senneker, among others.

- Inducted into the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1987.

- Car #1 retired from ARCA competition in 1999 -- first and only driver in series history to receive such an honor. Also that year given honorary ARCA lifetime membership.

- Won almost every event he finished; dominant on various types of tracks rarely seen from any other stock car driver.

- Many articles on Joy in "Stock Car Racing Magazine", "Late model Digest" and others.

- Prepared cars for some of the best short track and NASCAR drivers in the country, including: Ruttman, Dave Marcis, as well as Rick Sheppard and Dick Price, to name a few.

- Best known as, "The Fair One".
- Passed away December 10, 2011