May 11, 1974

May 9, 1975

May 8, 1990

1970 - Morris sweeps opening races at Oskaloosa

by Ida May Van Gendren

Oskaloosa, Iowa (May 6, 1970) - A large crowd of race fans braved the cool temperatures to watch Mel Morris, last year’s point champion, make a clean sweep at the super stock car races here at the Southern Iowa Fairgrounds track Wednesday night.

The West Liberty driver opened the S.I.R.A. 1970 season by winning the five-lap trophy dash. Morris then proceeded to capture every race in which he entered including the second heat, Australian and the big 15-lap feature event.

The track was fast and the traffic heavy as the field of cars roared into the first turn at the start of the feature race. Morris, who started on the outside front row position jumped into the lead only to lose it to John Moss of Riverside on the second lap.

Morris overtook Moss on the fourth lap to regain the lead and hold it to the checkered flag Pokey West of West Chester finished third ahead of Washington’s Mark Mosier in fourth.

Following were Bill McDonough of Cedar Rapids, Mike Brooks of Hartford, Bob Bonzer of Liscomb and Jerry Roberts of Des Moines.

The super stocks were turning laps in less than the 24-seoond bracket on the fast half-mile oval.

The red flag was dropped only once and that was on the third lap of the feature when Joel Rasmussen of Ames tangled with the fence between the third and fourth turns. He was unhurt in the accident.

Morris had to fight off a hard charging Bill McDonough to cop the trophy dash. McDonough’s Camaro was really turning on, but he just couldn’t seem to catch the Morris Plymouth.

John Moss won the light battle for the first eight-lap heat race. Moss edged out Pokey West, who came in a very close second. Mike Brooks was third. Don Hoffman of Des Moines rode along the second turn guard rail and was forced to retire to the pits on the fifth lap.

McDonough again followed Morris across the finish line in second heat. Bob Bonzer of Liscomb was in third with Jerry Roberts of Des Moines in fourth.

It was Chevy, Ford and Dodge at the finish of the six-lap consolation. Ron Hemsted of Lone Tree was first, then David Bryant of Albion and Jerry Hamm of Ottumwa.

Mel Morris managed to pass three cars in the six-lap Australian pursuit event to take another victory. Right on his bumper all the way was Bill McDonough, who had to settle for second, Mike Brooks was third.

Results –

Trophy Dash: Mel Morris, West Liberty

First Heat: John Moss, Riverside
Second Heat: Mel Morris
Consolation: Ron Hemsted, Lone Tree
Australian Pursuit: Mel Morris
Feature:

1. Mel Morris
2. John Moss
3. Pokey West, West Chester
4. Mark Mosier, Washington
5. Bill McDonough, Cedar Rapids
6. Mike Brooks, Hartford
7. Bob Bonzer, Liscomb
8. Jerry Roberts, Des Moines

1968 - Benny Outlasts Les to Win Toledo 100

Benny Parsons

Toledo, Ohio (May 5, 1968) Benny Parsons and his 1968 Ford Torino outlasted Les Snow and his 1967 Plymouth Hemi to win Sunday afternoons 100-lap main event for ARCA new cars on the Toledo Speedway high banked half-mile asphalt oval.

Parsons started on the pole by virtue of his record-breaking 19.11 second time trial. The old mark, 19.59 seconds, was set in 1966 by Iggy Katona and was also broken by Katona, Snow and Andy Hampton as well as Parsons.

Then he led for all but 11 laps when snow was in control. The two battled it out until lap 74 when the right rear tire on Snow's car failed. Les stayed in the race, writing on the rim for 15 laps, until the rear end also went out.

Parsons coasted during the final 20 laps and second-place finisher Andy Hampton was able to trim Benny's one lap lead to less than one third lap. Although he spun out on the ninth lap, Herb Shannon finished a strong third in his 1966 Plymouth, one lap behind the leaders.

Joy Fair was for in his 1966 Ford with Iggy Katona fifth in his 1967 Dodge Charger.


Results -

1. Benny Parson
2. Andy Hampton
3. Herb Shannon
4. Joy Fair
5. Iggy Katona
6. Blaine Kaufman
7. Jim Clarke
8. Larry Clemons
9. Paul Wensink
10. Bill Lemon
11. Les Snow
12. John Early
13. Dave Dayton
14. Homer Newland
15. Wayne Trinkle
16. Bill Clemons
17. Bill Maston
18. Tom Gale
19. Bill Jackson
20. Dorus Wisecarver
21. Jim Nusbaum
22. Joe Pemberton
23. Leon VanAtta
24. Red Lawrence
25. Danny Byrd
26. Ed Richardville

1964 - Hutcherson Wins at Knoxville, Sets Late Model Mark

Knoxville, Iowa (May 2, 1964) – Keokuk, Iowa’s Dick Hutcherson made a good stab at rewriting the record book on Saturday night at the Marion County Fairgrounds as he drove his 1964 Ford to victory in the Hawkeye 200 late model stock car race.

The defending International Motor Contest Association national champion shaved the one-lap record to 25.44 seconds in qualifications on the half-mile then added IMCA records for 50 and 75 miles before completing the 100-mile race in 1 hour, 27 minutes and 34 seconds.

Hutcherson finished a lap ahead of hometown rival Ramo Stott, who was driving 1964 Plymouth, with Gil Haugan of Sioux Falls, S. D., finishing third another lap behind in a 1963 Plymouth. The fourth place finisher, Bill Thomas of Lake Elmo, Minn. was another 19 laps back.

Hutcherson wiped out his own 100-mile record – a 1 hour, 29 minute and 47 second mark he set at Oklahoma City last fall. The one-lap record of 25.60 seconds, set by John Mickey of Columbus Junction, Iowa last year, was also erased by Keokuk’s Ernie Derr with a 25.45 second run. Derr dropped out of the feature after only 8 laps with mechanical failure.

Results –

1. Dick Hutcherson, Keokuk, Iowa
2. Ramo Stott, Keokuk, Iowa
3. Gil Haugan, Sioux Falls, S.D.
4. Bill Thomas, Lake Elmo, Minn.
5. Roland Wilson, Bedford, Iowa
6. Joe Kwapil, Palo, Iowa
7. Bob Jusola, Mound, Minn.
8. John Harmon, Des Moines, Iowa
9. Ralph Wilhelm, Milwaukee, Wis.
10. Don Hensley, Holden, Mo.
11. Bill Gibson, Kansas City, Kan.
12. Lennie Funk, Otis, Kan.

1971 - Hartman Wins, Derr 2nd at Knoxville

Butch Hartman

 

Knoxville, Iowa (May 1, 1971) - Butch Hartman of Zanesville, Ohio, drove his 1969 Dodge Charger to victory in the United States Auto Club late model stock car 100-lap feature at Marion County Fairgrounds on Saturday night.

Hartman took the lead on the 67th lap from Verlin Eaker of Cedar Rapids, who was driving a 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner owned by Fred Horn of Marion.

Eaker, USAC’s rookie-of-the-year in 1969, had led the race from the sixth lap, but was forced to slow down because of mud on his windshield. By the 74th lap he had slowed considerably, and nearly hit the wall. Eaker’s troubles didn’t cease. On the 83rd tour, going into turn one, the flywheel went and wiped out everything, engine and all.

Second place went to Ernie Derr of Keokuk, the 11-time International Motor Contest Association champion. However, the anticipated battle between Derr and Roger McCluskey, the USAC champion, failed to materialize.

McCluskey finished seventh, also a victim of the muddy track. Roger pitted his ‘70 Roadrunner four times because of a malfunctioning windshield wiper.

Don White of Keokuk, who is Derr’s brother-in-law, set fast time in qualifying with a 24.80 second clocking for one lap. But White had his share of problems, too, and bowed out after 19 laps because of clutch failure. There were three lead changes.

Wally Christensen of Minneapolis charged early and led through three laps. Then Dave Wall of Kansas City took over for two laps before he collided with Lem Blankenship of Keokuk. Eaker roared into the lead at that point and maintained that spot until the 67th lap.

The crowd was estimated at 6,000 for the 1971 USAC opener.

Results -

1. Butch Hartman, Zanesville, Ohio
2. Ernie Derr, Keokuk, Iowa
3. Paul Feldner, Colgate, Wis.
4. Johnny Reimer, Caledonia, Wis.
5. Terry Ryan, Davenport, Iowa
6. Bay Darnell, Lake Bluff, Ill.
7. Roger McCluskey, Phoenix, Ariz.
8. Roger Regeth, Appleton, Wis.
9. Jack Bowsher, Springfield, Ohio
10. Garry Harrison, Topeka, Kan.
11. Dick Benlich, Prairie Village, Ill.
12. Joe Booher, Lafayette, Ind.
13. Verlin Eaker, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
14. Earl Wagner, Pleasantville, Iowa
15. Dave Wall. Kansas City, Mo.
16. Sal Tovella, Chicago, Ill.
17. Steve Arndt, Janesville, Wis.
18. Paul Bauer, Chicago, Ill.
19. Dan Dickey, Packwood, Iowa
20. Gordon Blankenship, Keokuk, Iowa
21. Les Snow, Bloomington, Ill.
22. Don White, Keokuk, Iowa