Today in Racing History

 

 

May 7, 1972

 

 

 

1963 - Ernie Derr Reverts to Old Set-Up

Cedar Rapids, Iowa (May 6, 1963) - The biggest news in Midwest stock car racing circles is that Ernie Derr, five-time International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) champion, has gone back to his old system of preparing his car for races.

In case you have missed a few chapters in stock car history, Ernie is one of the racing breed from Keokuk. That city probably produces more stock car drivers per capita than any middlesex, village or farm in the U.S.

Let’s see, theirs Derr and his brother-in-law, Don White. The latter used to run neck-and-neck with Ernie in the IMCA, but now he's making money like a mint while racing with USAC (U.S. Auto Club) on Eastern tracks.

Then there's Dick Hutcherson. He’s the hottest of the Keokuk Clique this spring, as he topped the IMCA field at both Shreveport, La., and Freeport, Ill., the last two weekends.

Hutcherson and Ramo Stott, another Keokuker, will be racing with Derr in the May 19 Hawkeye 250-lap race at Hawkeye Downs. So will two other Keokuk drivers, Jim Washburn and Mickey McMahan.

Derr has been the most successful of all. He has won five IMCA season championships - the last four in succession. Last year he drove in 51 races. He won 28 of them, finished second in 10 others.

You'd think a record like that would let ol’ Ernie sit back and enjoy his weekly drives to the bank. But he got restless during the winter lay-off and finally decided to invest $6,000 with the hope of winning them all in 1963.

He hired a company of experts to “set up” his 1963 Pontiac for greater racing performance. We don't know much more about a car than the gas pedal, brakes, steering wheel and luggage trunk, but the guys who do tell us this includes strengthening the wheels, hubs, suspension and other parts that take punishment in long races.

The company altered his radiator to keep it cooler on race days. They changed the car’s rear end. We understand mechanics are permitted to do this under the IMCA stock car rules provided they don't replace the original gear housing.

Well, you can imagine how fearful the other drivers were two weeks ago when he entered his newly “set up” Pontiac at Shreveport. Beating Ernie was tough enough when he and his own crew did the motor surgery.

But when the dust cleared at Shreveport, Ernie was limping-home fifth. Last Sunday he was entered at Freeport, Ill. This time he managed to finish second behind Hutcherson, but he still was far from satisfied with the car's performance.

Ernie has raced his new mount in two other races - in the MARC circuit in Texas. He finished far down in the money list there.

So this week he reached a decision; to heck with the six thousand clams. From now on he'll go back to his old way of setting up a car. He and his mechanics went back to work.

Actually, the firm he hired is a good one. But Ernie believes their system works best on the Eastern tracks, most of which are longer (1 mile or more) and paved. In this circuit he runs mostly on half-mile dirt ovals.

So if you watch Ernie Derr race at Hawkeye Downs May 19, you'll be seeing the "old Ernie" - or, rather, Ernie with his successful old system. He'll need that old touch if he hopes to repeat as Hawkeye 250-lap champion ahead of all those other Keokuk speed demons.

Today in Racing History

 

 

May 5, 1990

 

 

 

1974 – West Liberty victory for Weedon

 

West Liberty, Iowa (May 4, 1974) – Things were different this week as it was Ron Weedon holding off the challenge of Darrell Dake to take the checkered flag at the super stock races here Saturday night.

A week ago, Dake of Cedar Rapids held off Weedon of Pleasant Valley for the victory, but this time it was Weedon who started in the fourth row. The winner wormed his way through the pack to get the lead on lap 7 and maintain it in a neck and neck battle the rest of the way.

Heat winners were Larry Jenkins of Wilton, Tom Hearst of Wilton and Ray Guss of Milan. Ken Walton of Cedar Rapids took the Australian pursuit and John Connolly of Delhi won the semi-main. The fastest time of the night was by Weedon with a 25.11.


Results -


Heat #1 - Larry Jenkins, Wilton
Heat #2 - Tom Hearst, Wilton
Heat #3 - Ray Guss, Milan, Ill.
Australian pursuit – Ken Walton, Cedar Rapids
Semi-main - John Connolly, Delhi
Feature
1. Ron Weedon, Pleasant Valley
2. Darrell Dake, Cedar Rapids
3. Mel Morris, West Liberty
4. Ken Walton
5. Curt Hansen, Dike
6. Ron Hemsted, Lone Tree
7. Tom Hearst
8. Ray Guss
9. Bill McArdle, Shullsburg, Wis.
10. Bill Hopp, Muscatine

1971 – Snider Wins Controversial Hulman Classic

 

 

Terre Haute, Ind. (May 1, 1971) - George Snider walked away with top honors as he captured the feature event of the Tony Hulman Classic on Saturday afternoon at the Terre Haute Action Track.

An estimated 14,000 race fans were on hand to view the race which was also covered live by ABC's Wide World of Sports and broadcast nationwide.

The race also I had another first in the fact that it was the richest purse ever paid for a USAC sprint car race. The purse totaled $28,538 in cash, plus extra merchandise. The official results of the feature were not obvious at the finish as Don Nordhorn, who finished second, protested for what he thought was a violation of USAC racing.

Snider was followed closely by Nordhorn and then by Sam Sessions who started sixth in the lineup. The remaining top 10 finishers in order included, Jim McElreath, Larry Cannon, Rollie Beale, Merle Bettenhausen, Butch Wilkerson, Karl Busson and Jimmy Oskie.

Nordhorn’s protest originated between the first and second turn when Johnny Parsons Jr. lost a tire with only three laps remaining in the 40-lap feature event.

The accident forced the waving of the yellow flag until the car could be removed from the track.

Under USAC rules, laps on the yellow flag do not count, so as a result the cars and their drivers circled the track awaiting the final three laps to begin.

At this point in the race, Nordhorn was in first place, a lead which he had taken from Snider only the lap before.

After circling the track for about four revolutions, the green flag was finally dropped.

It was here that George Snider shot around Nordhorn and into the lead. Nordhorn seemingly had momentary engine trouble but quickly recovered only to finish second.

On his return lap around the track, Nordhorn pulled his sprint car up in front of the control tower and jumped out. He then ran up the stairs, followed closely by his mechanic and one member of his crew.

Once in the tower, Nordhorn exclaimed, “You're not going to do that to me this time.”

After a few moments Nordhorn settle down and discussed the problem in a quiet manner with USAC officials.

At one point in the discussion Nordhorn remarked that this was not the first time of flagman had cost him prize money.

After about a 30-minute discussion USAC officials declared George Snider the winner with Nordhorn finishing second. They did state, however that Nordhorn had the right to protest the results.

Probably the loudest protesters of the afternoon where the fans, most of whom felt that Nordhorn was in the right.

The afternoon’s activities began with four heat races and a 12-lap semi-feature prior to the start of the main event. All races one off like clockwork due to the strict time schedule of ABC's Wide World of Sports.

Results –

1. George Snider
2. Don Nordhorn
3. Sam Sessions
4. Jim McElreath
5. Larry Cannon
6. Rollie Beale
7. Merle Bettenhausen
8. Butch Wilkerson
9. Karl Busson
10. Jimmy Oskie
11. Duane Carter Jr.
12. Bobby Black
13. Jim Caruthers
14. Jim Maloy
15. Jerry Poland
16. Doc Jones
17. Johnny Parsons Jr.
18. Lennie Waldo
19. Jerry McClung
20. Joe Saldana

1972 - Latham First at Winchester

Winchester, Ind. (April 30, 1972) Ralph Latham made the return of Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) new cars to the Winchester Speedway here Sunday a fast and exciting one as he won the 100 lap feature before slim crowd of about 2,500.

The race was the first for ARCA at Winchester, since 1964.

Latham, from Cincinnati, Ohio, wheeled his gold and white 1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo to the checkered flag with a three-quarter lap lead over second-place David Dayton, driving a 1972 Camaro.

It wasn't all that easy for the popular Latham; however, as he had his hands full with the veteran Les Snow and Bobby Watson until minor mishaps eliminated the competition.

Latham trailed Snow for most of the first 74 laps. The veteran campaigner had the right front tire on his 1970 Dodge shred at the 60 lap mark. Latham had run on Snow’s bumper since the 17th lap and eased around the faltering Dodge in the 75th lap and was home free.

Three laps earlier, on the 73rd circuit, Watson suddenly dropped from a close third with a broken fan belt after running nose to tail with Latham from the 60th lap. Neil Sceva was third in 1969 Ford with Snow hanging on for fourth and Ron Hutcherson, moving from a trial starting spot to claim fifth.

The days only yellow flag came out on the 51st lap when Bill Clemons had the throttle on his 1971 Hornet stick coming off the backstretch, sending him into a third turn span. In maneuvering to miss Clemons' car, Ralph Young put his 1969 Ford into the guardrail. Neither driver was hurt but both were eliminated for the day.

The yellow flag was out for 10 laps, wiping out Latham's chances for an ARCA track record for the distance. His time was 37 minutes, 42.01 seconds, more than 2 minutes slower than the existing mark of 35 minutes and 25.74 seconds set by Jack Bowsher in ARCA’s last appearance in ’64.

Bowsher's old one lap record on the half-mile high-banks did fall however. Snow you raised the 20.20 second standard with the lap at 18.79. The fastest qualifiers also broke the old mark.

Leonard Blanchard, who ran a strong fifth for most of the first 75 laps before blowing a right rear tire, won the four-lap trophy dash in 1 minute and 16.55 seconds, another track record. Bobby Junior and Ken Black won the first two heats with Latham moving from last in the eight-car field to win the third.

Results -

1. Ralph Latham
2. Dave Dayton
3. Neil Sceva
4. Les Snow
5. Ron Hutcherson
6. Iggy Katona
7. A. Arnold
8. Andy Hampton
9. Leonard Blanchard
10. Delmar Clark
11. Al Straub
12. Ed Richardville
13. Leroy Austin
14. Bob McCoy
15. Bob Thomas
16. Fred Holbert
17. Bill Green
18. Bobby Watson
19. Larry Moore
20. Bill Clemons
21. Ralph Young
22. Ken Black
23. Don Aocurso
24. Tony Schiller

1973 – Iowa Drivers Sweep Top Three Places at Sedalia

Ramo Stott was all smiles after winning at Sedalia

 

Sedalia, Mo. (April 29, 1973) – Drivers from Keokuk, Iowa, all driving Dodges, swept the first three spots on Sunday afternoon in the annual Missouri 100, won in a record time by Ramo Stott.

Stott passed veteran Ernie Derr with two laps to go in the United States Auto Club event for late model stock cars on the one-mile dirt track at the Missouri State Fairgrounds.

With some 6,000 fans looking on, Don White took third place, two laps behind the leaders.

Stott won the $15,000 race in a record time of 1 hour, 10 minutes and 44 seconds, breaking the 1970 mark set by Roger McCluskey of Tucson, Ariz., driving a Plymouth, of 1 hour and 16 minutes. The average speed of the race was 84.819 mile per hour.

The 100-miler was run without caution flags and provided Stott his second consecutive USAC victory. He won the 100-lap feature at Knoxville on Saturday night.

Jack Bowsher of Springfield, Ohio, led the first 57 laps before his Ford Torino blew a head gasket. Bowsher had earned the pole position by qualifying with a lap record of 38.17 seconds.

Al Unser of Albuquerque, N.M., completed only two laps in his Rudy Hoerr Ford before dropping out with a faulty oil pump. The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner finished 19th at Knoxville.

 

Results –

1. Ramo Stott
2. Ernie Derr
3. Don White
4. Bay Darnell
5. Butch Hartman
6. Paul Feldner
7. Ray Bolander
8. John Schultz
9. Bob Robbins
10. Dean Roper
11. Paul Sizemore
12. Jim Tobin
13. Verlin Eaker
14. Jack Bowsher
15. Jay Behimer
16. Steve Drake
17. Mickey Flora
18. Darwin Sandstrom
19. Roger Dolan
20. Irv Janey
21. Sal Tovella
22. Larry Moore
23. Lefty Robinson