1977 – Le Mars businessman ends racing career

Le Mars, Iowa (March 10, 1977) - Dick Morris, Sioux City, well known in the area as a top sprint car racer, has retired from racing and purchased the Chevrolet dealership in Le Mars.

Formerly Chuck Wood Chevrolet, Dick Morris officially became the new owner on February 25. In Sioux City, Dick sold cars for Kidder-Knoepfler for five years and owned his own used car business for six years.

In 1972, Dick and his family moved to Circle Pines, a Minneapolis suburb, where he owned and operated the Outpost Sports Center, a boat, snow mobile and motorcycle dealership.

Cars have been Dick Morris's main interest in life. He has spent 17 years in auto racing, winning trophies and setting track records in spring car racing from Phoenix to Shreve port and at the national sprint car races in Knoxville, Iowa.

Dick Morris has been described as a very safe driver, yet a hard charger. He consistently thrilled audiences by his performances.

When Morris was just 17, he began drag racing and brought home many trophies. Because the required racing age was 21, he told his mother the trophies were extras they were giving away. She believed him for years.

In 1961, Dick began racing 6-cylinder stock cars at Raceway Park in South Sioux City, Neb., and later at Collins Field in Le Mars. In 1969, he began racing eight cylinder super-modified cars at Sioux Falls.

During the summer of 1974, Morris won more main events in a row than any other driver. He was given awards for best sportsmanship and best looking car and rig. He came in second for the 1974 season for overall racing points.

Morris moved up to the sprint racing ranks in 1975 at Knoxville, where he earned rookie of the year honors in his first year based on driving ability. At the end of the season, Dick placed in the top 10 in points, which is unusual for a beginner.

At the Western Sprint Car Nationals at Phoenix that next October, Dick qualified for the main event by winning his heat race. This was rare for a rookie sprint car driver. However, during the main event he experienced tire trouble and had to pull out.

The year 1976 was busy for Dick. As an owner-driver, he was as much a professional driver as the professional, but you might say he was self-employed.

Starting the season in Shreveport, La., in March and from there, he competed at tracks in Dallas, Fairmont, Minn., Eagle, Neb., and Lincoln, Neb., Des Moines State Fairgrounds and Sioux Falls.

Morris broke track records at Belleville, Kans., and Sedalia, Mo. In all his sprint races, he placed within the top five cars. Racing every week at Knoxville, Dick became increasingly popular.

Morris had more quick times than any other car. During the season he had six feature wins. He placed in the top five all summer and placed second in overall points in the season's end, even though his final race there was August 7.

On Saturday, August 7 at the Marion County Fairgrounds, Morris won the trophy dash. In the consolation race he was fighting for first position with another car. At the checkered flag, they were neck and neck and were lapping other cars that had not yet finished.

Going at top speed, lap traffic caused Morris to move to the outside groove and he careened off the guardrail. His car went, straight up in the air, rolling many times before coming to a stop on the top.

Fellow sprint car driver Dick Sutcliffe was coming from behind, stopped his car in the middle of the track and single-handedly turned the car upright. After the car was turned over, it took 20 minutes to get him out.

He was in intensive care at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines for two days and was in serious condition for quite a while afterward. Des Moines and Sioux City neurosurgeons recommended that Dick stop racing because his next accident, no matter how minor, might kill him.

“Retiring from racing was a very hard decision to make, but my family means too much to race,” said Morris. “Racing gets in your blood. I hope I can get my mind off racing by diverting all my energies to working hard at running the Chevrolet dealership in Le Mars,” he added.

Full Race Jalopy

by Mike Bumbeck - Clunkbucket.com

The American Heritage Dictionary defines jalopy as a word used to describe an old, dilapidated motor vehicle – especially an automobile. The origin of the word itself is hazy.

The Ultimate Hot Rod Dictionary goes further, suggesting the word may have come into being as a result of many dilapidated automobiles sent to the Mexican city of Jalapa. The second definition of the word is the very automobile seen here. Any rough, oftentimes crudely constructed early-vintage automobile used in circle track operations during the ’40s and ’50s.

Once driven by Benny Hofer of Rock Island, Illinois, this is not just any jalopy, but a genuine 1940 two-door Ford coupe full race jalopy.

The famous jalopy now belongs to Dennis Gerdes, who picked up the car from a barn in Indiana by way of New York state. The previous owner had restified the racer as a tribute to Benny Hofer. When Dennis took delivery of the jalopy, the flathead Ford V8 was running on three-and-a-half cylinders despite a relatively recent refresh.

A fuel cell flush and a fresh Stromberg 97 were the first steps in figuring things out, but the flathead was still not up to snuff. A compression check checked out, but that very same squeeze was pushing past two blown head gaskets and into the cooling channels – wrecking all sorts of havoc.

A new set of gaskets, some aviation gasket sealant, a retorque, a set of points and the flathead runs and sounds like a race-prepped flat-knocker should.

Chicagoland Auto Racing Memorabilia and Collectibles Show

The Triple Crown Dirt Track Championships

by Kyle Ealy
Cedar Rapids, Iowa – It was a unique three-race event that covered three tracks in three states in three days. Some of the best late model drivers from a four-state area gathered to compete in the Triple Crown Dirt Track Championships in late fall of 1971.

The three tracks that would play host to these races; Tri-Oval Speedway in Fountain City, Wis., Farley (Iowa) Raceway and Freeport (Ill.) Raceway were all a little different in shape and length, so drivers would have to be on top of their game not only on the track but in the set-up of the car.

One driver summed it up best when describing the three tracks, “Tri-Oval is a demanding track, primarily because of its shape but also because it forces the driver to work. This is one track where driving skill probably is more important than the car. Farley requires a big powerful machine. The most horsepower usually wins there. Freeport requires a car that handles perfectly, because there’s usually only one groove.”

An eye-popping purse of $4,000 would be shelled out at each event including a $1,500 point fund bringing the total purse to over $13,000. Points would be earned at each race and whoever accumulated the most points over the three events would be crowned champion.

The format to the race was unique. The top five point drivers at each track would be guaranteed a spot in the 30-car feature. Thus, half the field had been selected by the time the action begun. The other 15 cars wilt come as the result of time trials and heat races.

There was one catch however; the times posted by the 15 cars already guaranteed a spot in the feature would determine their starting position. “That means you’ll have to go all out,” remarked one driver. “If you want a good starting spot, you’ll have to run fast under time.”

Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin were all represented, including Ed Sanger of Waterloo, Iowa, Bill Beckman of Monticello, Iowa, Fred Horn of Marion, Iowa, Phil Prusak of Eau Claire, Wis., Dave Noble of Blooming Prairie, Minn., Cecil Henderson of Dakota, Minn., Leroy Scharkey of Rochester, Minn., Jack Rebholz of Henry, Ill., and John Knaus of Rockford, Ill.

The ever-so tricky Tri-Oval track was the first leg of the event and on September 24th, approximately 75 drivers checked into the pit area ready to do battle. It was a chilly night, better suited for high school football than auto racing, but 2,500 braved the autumn air to watch the best in the Midwest compete.

After earning the pole position and then dominating the 50-lap feature, Ed Sanger declared that Tri-Oval would be the most challenging of the three tracks.

“I felt this was the place you had to do well if you want a shot at winning the crown,” Sanger noted after the race. “It’s the most demanding of the three tracks we’ll race this weekend. It requires more of the driver. I consider it an exceptional start for me.”

Exceptional may have been an understatement on Sanger’s part. He earned the pole position with a time of 21.47 seconds and proceeded to power out front at the drop of the green. “Fast” Eddie out dueled Tri-Oval track champion Dave Noble of Blooming Prairie, Minn., using the preferred high line throughout the contest. The only time Sanger left the groove, was to lap slower moving vehicles.

Sanger steadily crept up on the back of the pack and eventually got jammed behind four slower cars. Always the opportunist, Noble spied a small opening and crept through, into the lead. But his moment of triumph was short lived as two laps later, Sanger pushed ahead by using the inside lane while coming out of the west turn.

Ed Sanger of Waterloo, Iowa would score the victory at Tri-Oval Speedway in Fountain City, Wis., on September 24. Sanger would go on to win the overall title a week later.

Over the final 35 laps, Sanger kept charging, and Noble’s challenge faded during the stretch run. Sanger collected $700 for the victory plus lap money and a beautiful 5-foot trophy.

Noble would settle for second, with Bill Zwanziger of Waterloo, Iowa in third, John Connolly of Delhi, Iowa fourth and Cecil Henderson of Dakota, Minn., rounding out the top five.

The second leg of the race was supposed to occur at Farley the following night, Saturday, September 25th. But as it happens, when attempting to put on a special race event either early or late in the season, Mother Nature puts a sudden halt to any and all activities. The race was postponed until the following Saturday.

On Sunday, September 26th, drivers and fans converged upon the half-mile of the Stephenson County Fairgrounds in Freeport, Ill. It had rained most of Saturday and Sunday morning and afternoon, but that didn’t seem to deter any of the drivers. Well over 100 cars checked in for the evening, all of them wanting a slice of the cash pie being offered.

The evening’s program was delayed 80 to 90 minutes before time trials were able to get off the ground, and surprisingly, despite all of the rain, the track was in better than average shape.

One guy who thought the track was just right was Bill Beckman of Lisbon, Iowa. Beckman, who finished a respectable sixth on at Fountain City, had things going his way on the half-mile at Freeport.

Like Ed Sanger on Friday night, Beckman set fast time in qualifying and darted off to the lead from the pole position for the 50-lap main event. Beckman was never in any serious trouble during the race and picked up the winner’s share of the purse, $750. Sanger remained hot, finishing second behind Beckman and extending his overall point’s lead for the $1,500 bonus.

Bill Beckman of Lisbon, Iowa takes a victory lap after winning the second leg of the Triple Crown Dirt Track Championships at Freeport on September 26. - Kyle Ealy Collection

In addition to Beckman winning the feature and Sanger building up his point’s lead, the biggest excitement this evening was the owner of Freeport Raceway being arrested for going past curfew and breaking the noise ordinance.

Frank Larson of Loves Park, Ill., was arrested on multiple charges by the Stephenson County Sheriff’s department, of which two of the charges included conducting auto races after 11 p.m. and refusing to stop the race when advised of a sheriff's order that the race be halted.

Freeport Raceway had been the object of many complaints of noise during the summer’s Sunday evening racing programs. Those complaints culminated in the county board’s hiring sound engineers for about $1,000 to measure the sound levels at the races.

Larson mentioned that because of the rain delay, the event was late in getting started. When the authorities showed up, Larson explained to them that the 50-lap feature had “between 5 and 10 minutes left” and asked for a little more time. Captain Gerald Hille of the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Department asked him to stop the race, right there and then, but Larson wouldn’t and didn’t comply. The checkers waved on the feature at 11:20 p.m.

As Bill Beckman was presented his trophy in victory lane, Frank Larson was getting handcuffed and escorted off the grounds in a squad car.

“Once you start a race, you’re not going to get those fellows off the track,” Larson would say later. Race drivers from as far away as New York, Colorado and Canada came for Sunday’s race, and neither drivers nor fans would have agreed to a cancellation without the possibility of a major disturbance,” Larson added.

The following Saturday, October 2nd, the third and final event of the Triple Crown Dirt Track Championships finally got underway at Farley Raceway. Owner Irv Valentine had the track in great shape and once again, the car count was excellent with close to 90 late models checking in.

As was with the first two races, the winner of the race came from the pole position and completely dominated the championship feature. A stellar crowd was on hand with fans from Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin there to witness the grand finale.

Fred Horn receives the checkers and trophy after winning the third and final leg at Farley, Iowa on October 2. Track owner Irv Valentine is on the left. - Beetle Bailey Photo/Kyle Ealy Collection 

Fred Horn of Marion, Iowa, who set the evening’s fast time at 23.77 seconds, took the lead immediately and despite being threatened seriously twice in the race, maintained the top spot throughout. Ed Sanger was the first to attempt to unseat Horn but lost his footing on the track, losing two spots in the process. Darrell Dake gave Horn a good run for the money just past the midway point of the race, but again, Horn had too much motor.

Irv Janey of Cedar Rapids, Iowa would follow Horn across the start/finish line a quarter of a lap behind for runner-up honors with Dake, Bill Zwanziger and Terry Ryan of Davenport, Iowa rounding out the top five.

Sanger, after two strong runs the weekend before, would finish a disappointing seventh after experiencing engine problems. Sanger, however, would still accumulate 43 total points to take the $1,500 bonus and claim the overall title to the Triple Crown Dirt Track Championships. Noble and Zwanziger would finish tied for second place with 29 points apiece.

The 1971 Triple Crown Dirt Track Championships had a little bit of everything for everyone...

It was a three-day event that would last a little more than a week - each race had a dominating winner - one track had a race owner, whose motto was “the show must go on”, did just that and went to jail for it.

And it drew the best late model drivers from near and far to compete.

Looking Back at the SuperBirds

The Dodge Charger Daytona and the Plymouth Road Runner SuperBird were built for just one reason - to dominate stock car racing.

The Dodge Daytona and Plymouth SuperBird demonstrated the extremes to which the factories would go to earn victories on the nation's race tracks. The winged aero warriors graced the nation's speedways from September, 1969 until September, 1972, when major sanctioning body rule changes ended their reign.

Their legacy is one of success, having won over 45 percent of the NASCAR races they competed in, as well as scoring a total of eleven victories in ARCA and USAC.

Midwest Racing Archives takes a look back at some of the cars and their drivers…

Buddy Arrington - NASCAR Grand National - Dodge -1970

 

Charlie Glotzbach - NASCAR Grand National - Ray Nichels Dodge -1970

 

Richard Petty - NASCAR Grand National - Plymouth -1970

 

Dave Marcis - NASCAR Grand National - Dodge - 1969

 

Fred Lorenzen - NASCAR Grand National - Ray Fox Dodge Daytona - 1970

 

Pete Hamilton - NASCAR Grand National - Petty Ent. Plymouth - 1970

 

Jim Vandiver - NASCAR Grand National - Dodge Charger - 1969

 

Joe Frasson - NASCAR Grand National - Dodge -1970
Partsgeek.com - Online Auto Parts Warehouse

1963 - Tiny Lund Wins Daytona 500

Dewayne "Tiny" Lund celebrates in victory lane after winning the 1963 Daytona 500. - FloirdaStockCars.com photo

Daytona Beach, Fla. (February 24, 1963) - Drafting scientifically to save fuel, hulking Dewayne “Tiny” Lund rode into the auto racing record books today as winner of the grueling Daytona 500-mile stock car classic.

Drafting is following in the leader’s wake at high speed and being towed along in his vacuum. Lund, a comparative rookie among the racing veterans who blasted off in the field of 50 which started the "500", proved himself an expert and it netted him a 24-second victory over Fred Lorenzen of Charlotte, N.C., Sunday with 30-year-old Newton, N.C., grain broker Ned Jarrett a disappointing third.

They were running bumper to bumper, Lorenzen, Lund and Jarrett in that order, with only 15 miles to go when the pace-setting Lorenzen had to hit the pits for gasoline. Lund immediately let Jarrett take over and set the pace. And with only three laps remaining, Jarrett, too, had to halt for fuel.

That’s when the towering Lund, a 6 foot, 4 inch 270-pounder born in Harlan, Iowa, took over and drove it home through those last 10 miles for his triumph, his own gas just barely lasting.

It was a $23,350 payoff for his victory in a 1963 Ford which had been designed for another man.

Marvin Panch, the 1961 winner of the Daytona 500, had been scheduled to pilot the car, which Lund drove. But two weeks ago in practice for a sports car race, Panch crashed and Lund risked his life to pull Panch from the car.

The race was delayed an hour and 46 minutes by midday showers and the first 10 laps were run under the yellow caution flag while the track dried. Then, in the middle stages, there was another eight-lap caution drive while the car of Dick Good of Mishawaka, Ind., was removed from the backstretch racing strip.

Thus Lund didn't have a shot at the average speed record of 152.529 miles per hour establishes last year by Fireball Roberts on Daytona Beach. But his winning average of 151.966 was indicative despite the delays, of the lap speeds of 162 to 164 miles per hour with which the pack was touring the two and one-half mile asphalt oval.


Results –

1. Dewayne “Tiny” Lund
2. Fred Lorenzen
3. Ned Jarrett
4. Nelson Stacy
5. Dan Gurney
6. Richard Petty
7. Bobby Johns
8. Joe Weatherly
9. Johnny Rutherford
10. Tommy Irwin
11. Larry Frank
12. Troy Ruttman
13. LeeRoy Yarbrough
14. Rex White
15. Parnelli Jones
16. Darel Dieringer
17. Sal Tovella
18. Bob James
19. H.B. Bailey
20. Stick Elliot
21. Fireball Roberts
22. Ed Livingston
23. Jim Cushman
24. Herman Beam
25. Jimmy Pardue
26. Wendell Scott
27. A.J. Foyt
28. Jim Hurtubise
29. Red Foote
30. Johnny Allen
31. Len Sutton
32. G.C. Spencer
33. Floyd Powell
34. Frank Graham
35. John Rogers
36. Jim Paschal
37. Dick Good
38. Jim McGuirk
39. Bob Cooper
40. Paul Goldsmith

1967 - Cincy’s Ralph Latham Becomes Daytona Auto Racing Winner

Ralph Latham wins ARCA 250-miler at Daytona

Daytona Beach, Fla. (February 19, 1967) - The newest winner at Daytona International Speedway, Ralph Latham of Cincinnati, Ohio, hopes to get a chance at the richest stock car race ever held - the $200,000 Daytona 500 next Sunday.

Latham collected $5,100 for winning the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) championship Sunday and said he never put his accelerator to the floor, except on the last lap when he whipped his 1965 Plymouth past Iggy Katona’s 1965 Dodge and finished a car length in front.

If he starts in the Daytona 500, Latham will race for the $37,000 prize that goes to the winner. “I’ve got to make quite a few changes to get the car eligible for the 500,” Latham said. ‘If the car passes inspection, I’d like to run as an independent.”

Most top entries in the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing classic are factory backed with the newest and finest machinery. Latham will have to battle the 72 NASCAR drivers for one of 50 starting spots in the 500 through qualifying trials this week.

Andy Hampton (68) battles Iggy Katona (30) at Daytona

The 34-year-old Latham, a truck dispatcher, has been a regular on the ARCA circuit through the Midwest for several years and has been champion of at least one track each of the past 10 years. This was his second try on the high-banked 2.5-mile Daytona tri-oval. In last years’ ARCA 250, which Jack Bowsher won with a record speed of 164.05 miles an hour, Latham was running third when he spun with six laps to go.

“This year I didn’t have a bit of trouble,” Latham said. “We made the two pit stops we planned for fuel and never changed tires.”

Not everyone escaped trouble as three caution flags for mishaps held the winning speed to 134.008 miles per hour.

Johnny Roberts, 37, of Breckenridge, Mich., went tumbling end over end in his 1965 Ford as he came off the fourth turn. He suffered a concussion, multiple bruises and internal injuries and was taken to a hospital in serious condition. Roberts later came off the serious list but remained in the hospital. Jack Shanklin of Indianapolis also wrecked on the fourth turn. He was only bruised.

The third caution flag came out with 10 laps left and Dorus Wisecarver of Zanesville, Ohio, nearly half a mile out front in a 1966 Ford. A stalled car on the backstretch brought out the yellow flag, and the field was re-bunched behind the pace car for the last seven laps, allowing Latham and Katona to close the gap behind Wisecarver. Katona took over the lead on the restart, but lost it on the final backstretch to Latham.

Latham would fend off the ARCA veteran for the remaining six laps and take a well-deserved victory. Second place was worth $3,450 to Katona and Wisecarver received $2,200 for third. Andy Hampton of Louisville, Ky., was fourth in a 1966 Ford and won $1,125, while Bill Kimmel of Clarksburg, Ind., was fifth in a 1967 Ford and earned $800.

The fastest qualifier, Les Snow of Bloomington, Ill., blew the engine in his 1967 Dodge Charger on the second lap and didn’t drive five miles.

Results –
1. Ralph Latham
2. Iggy Katona
3. Dorus Wisecarver
4. Andy Hampton
5. Bill Kimmel
6. Gil Hearne
7. J.T. Putney
8. Coo Coo Marlin
9. Shad Wheeler
10. Rene Charland
11. Bob Dobyns
12. Dick May
13. Blackie Watts
14. Bill Seifert
15. Leon Van Atta
16. Dave Marcis
17. Neil Castles
18. Gene Borelli
19. Don Biederman
20. Bill Clemons
21. Bub Strickler
22. Roy Tyner
23. Buck Newland
24. Don Stives