1982 - Vogler grabs first USAC sprint victory of season

Rich Vogler

 

 

Kokomo, Ind. (July 21, 1982) - Rich Vogler celebrated his 32nd birthday five days early by grabbing his first United States Auto Club Sprint feature victory of the season before a full house at the Kokomo Speedway Wednesday night.

Vogler, driving the No. 51 Powers Welding/King's Custom Machine entry, started on the pole and led the 30-lap feature from start to finish.

Ken Schrader, who closed on Vogler as the two lead cars started lapping the field, challenged him. But on the 18th lap, Bob Brutto hit the first turn wall and spun to bring out the second yellow. "After the second yellow, I felt from the signals that I was getting from my crew in the infield that I was pulling away," a smiling Vogler said after the race. "I started to ease up a little then. I knew I was as fast as or faster than the rest, and I didn't want to make a mistake and spin out."

Vogler, the only man to win both the USAC Midget and the USAC Sprint titles in the same season (1980), picked up points on USAC defending sprint champ Sheldon Kinser. Kinser finished fourth in the race behind Vogler, Schrader and Steve Long.

Before the race, Kinser led with 378 points. Vogler was second with 239, Danny Milburn was third with 190 and Steve Long was fourth with 189. Milburn finished fifth in the race, so Long trades places with him in the point’s race.

It was a record shattering night for the "Thunder and Lightning" Division as Tom Bigelow's qualifying time of 16.640 seconds was broken by four drivers.

Kelly Kinser, winner of three features at Kokomo this season, is the new record holder with a 16.368 clocking. Also shattering Bigelow's mark was Sheldon Kinser (:16.454), Schrader (:16.449) and Jac Haudenschild (:16.630).

A USAC heat record was set in the first heat by Johnny Parsons with a time of 2:17.59. That record lasted until the next heat when Sheldon Kinser, who started last in the inverted order of fast times, roared to the front and won with a clocking of 2:16.53.

The third heat went to the hard driving Schrader who also started at the back of the pack. On lap one, Larry Martin and Gary Irvin banged together and got crossways between turn one and two. Irvin's car was damaged and did not restart. Kokomo's Tim Bookmiller made the feature by finishing fourth behind Milburn and Bimbo Atkins.

The fourth heat was won by Frankfort's Terry Pletch with Haudenschild second. Haudenschild, who won the USAC feature at Eldora Speedway Saturday, was banging wheels with Jerry Nemire throughout the hotly contested race.

Tom Bigelow won the semi-feature.

Results –

Feature:

1. Rich Vogler
2. Ken Schrader
3. Steve Long
4. Sheldon Kinser
5. Danny Milburn
6. Mark Alderson
7. Tom Bigelow
8. Bill Tyler
9. Tim Bookmiller
10. Kelly Kinser

Heat winners: Johnny Parsons, Sheldon Kinser, Ken Schrader & Terry Pletch

Semi: Tom Bigelow

Fast Qualifier: Kelly Kinser (16.368)

1968 - Foyt hot in Miller 200 victory at State Fair Park

 

 

Milwaukee, Wis. (July 14, 1968) - A. J. Foyt, chasing a record purse in Milwaukee's hottest weather of the year, stayed atop the U.S. Auto Club stock car standings with a victory Sunday in the Miller 200 at State Fair Park.

Foyt, of Houston, Tex., had an early duel with Butch Hartman of South Zanesville, Ohio, but took the lead on the 60th lap in his 1968 Ford Torino, and finished more than two laps ahead of runner-up Al Unser's 1968 Dodge Charger.

Hartman had been the top qualifier. The engine went out in his 1968 Plymouth on the 71st lap, and he took over Roger McCluskey's 1968 Plymouth Roadrunner on the leader's 132nd lap.

Foyt averaged 95.897 miles an hour over the mile oval, including 21 laps under a caution flag.

The purse was $51,960, a record for stock cars on a mile track. Foyt won $10,948, and Unser got $6,370.

Foyt also got 400 points toward the standings on the U.S.A.C. stock circuit, and now holds the lead with 1,200 points

The temperature was officially 91, Milwaukee's hottest day of the year to date. And humidity was estimated at 70 per cent, with estimates of the temperature on the track exceeding 100 degrees.

“I was dying,” Foyt said. “It was the hottest race of my career.”

“They threw water on me when I came into the pits,” he said, “but that was good for only four or five laps.”

McCluskey turned his car over to Hartman, and quickly sought out a tub of ice water into which to stick his feet. Hartman finished fourth, winning $2,810 for owner Norm Nelson of Racine. Nelson, in another 1968 Plymouth, had to make three pit stops and finished fifth for $2,017. Third was Jack Bowsher for $4,389.

Don White of Keokuk, Iowa, who had been challenging Foyt for the U.S.A.C. lead, was only nine seconds behind the Texan when his engine overheated on the 176th lap. White, the U.S.A.C. stock car defending champion, finished 20th.

Terry Parker of Chicago was sixth, Jack Knippel of Brookfield seventh, Lamarr Marshall of Louisville, Ky., eighth, Bob Wawak of Villa Park, Ill., ninth, and Dick Trickle of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., finished 10th.

Results –

1. A.J Foyt
2. Al Unser
3. Jack Bowsher
4. Roger McCluskey
5. Norm Nelson
6. Terry Parker
7. Jack Knippel
8. LaMarr Marshall
9. Bobby Wawak
10. Dick Trickle
11. Dave Whitcombe
12. Roger Regeth
13. Tom Jones
14. Keith Ploughe
15. Fred Zack
16. Len Blanchard
17. John Kennedy
18. Tom Klippel
19. Glen Bradley
20. Don White
21. Dave Marcis
22. Jim Perry
23. Gene Marmor
24. Bob Haack
25. Paul Feldner
26. Sal Tovella
27. Rick Kleich
28. Bill Nelson
29. Jim Lord
30. Butch Hartman
31. Jerry Kemperman
32. Frank Freda
33. Parnelli Jones
34. Jerry Smith
35. George Rondelli
36. Arnie Gardner
37. Gordon Gorman
38. Art Pollard
39. Rich Oertel
40. Dave Hirschfield

Today in Racing History

July 13, 1985

 

Fred Lofgren of Bensonville, Ill., won the Pontiac Trans Am "50" Stock Car Championship at Santa Fe Speedway in Hinsdale, Ill., on July 13, 1985. Runner-up Tony Izzo (left) and third-place finisher John Provenzano (right) join Lofgren on the podium.

 

1994 - Kenseth, ‘perfect car’ prevail

Matt Kenseth

 

 

 

Oregon, Wis. (July 12, 1994) – The nickname “Matt the Brat” has stuck with Matt Kenseth for years.

 

After Tuesday night, it’s probably safe to say it will stick around awhile longer.

And Rich Bickle Jr. likely thought up a few more choice names for the 22-year-old Cambridge driver after a late-race incident between the two provided a dramatic and controversial conclusion to the Miller Genuine Draft Nationals at Madison International Speedway.

Following the 250-lap feature, Bickle was fuming about what happened on lap 236 as he attempted to pass inside Kenseth in turns three and four.

Bickle, an Edgerton native who now lives in Concord, N.C., and races regularly on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit, and Kenseth made contact, sending Bickle to the infield grass in turn four and knocking him out of contention for his second Miller Nationals title.

“I had him beat and he knew I had him beat,” said Bickle. “He wrecked us. That’s all there is to it…He drove over the right front and tried to run me down into the grass.”

“I should have just taken him out instead of trying to be a nice guy. Nice guys finish last. It shows again.”

Kenseth, meanwhile, said he wasn’t sure exactly what happened.

“I don't know if he got (in the corner) too hard or if I came down,” said Kenseth, who enjoyed an $8,000 payday with his winning point total of 6,975. “I don’t know. We just got together real hard and I saved it. I’m just happy we won.”

“This is the biggest win of my career,” he said. “I’m real happy for Nielsen Racing. He (Fred Nielsen) really wanted to repeat.”

Ironically, the car Kenseth drove is owned by Nielsen, the same man who fielded Joe Shear’s winning entry for the 1993 Miller Nationals.

Early in Tuesday’s race it appeared Shear (who now runs his own team) might have a strong enough car to make it two in a row. Shear led the first 29 laps before Kenseth took over on lap 30 and made it look relatively easy the rest of the way.

“Talk about a perfect race car,” said Kenseth, the late model point’s leader at MIS this season. “They’re pretty easy to drive when they run like this.”

Except for the incident with Bickle, Kenseth had only one other close call. He hit some oil in turn two of lap 165 and nearly hit the wall.

“I happened to hit that oil just right with the left front tire,” he said. “The car shot straight toward the fence and I thought we were done right there.”

Butch Miller, the current ASA point’s leader, finished 1.76 seconds back to place fifth overall (3,980 points). Winston Cup regular Ken Schrader was third in the race and second overall (4,935) and Scott Hansen, the first-round leader, finished third overall (4,275) and seventh Tuesday night.

Miller, though, could never make a solid run at Kenseth. “We ran a really, really good race,” said Miller. “We had a really strong car, but we didn't have anything for Matt.”

“Matt not only had a good car, but he knew how to drive it. The guy has really come a long way.”

Miller said Kenseth has a bright future as a driver. “He’s a lot smarter than the first time I saw him race,” Miller added.

Bickle started 21st and gradually worked his way to the front. He was helped by a yellow flag with 20 laps remaining when Robbie Reiser’s car developed ignition problems.

But after his spinout on lap 236, all Bickle could hope for was a top-five finish. He wound up fourth overall (4,175 points) after finishing sixth Tuesday night.

In other action, Al Schill won the 10-lap semi-feature, Hansen took the 10-lap dash between NASCAR and Midwest drivers and Lowell Bennett and Jay Sauter were 1-2 in the last-chance race to advance to the feature.

 

Results –

1. Matt Kenseth
2. Butch Miller
3. Ken Schrader
4. Bryan Reffner
5. Joe  Shear
6. Rich Bickle
7. Scott Hansen
8. Jason Schuler
9. Brian Hoppe
10. Rich Lory
11. Ron Breese Jr.
12. Tim Sauter
13. Lowell Bennett
14. Robbie Reiser
15. Jay Sauter
16. Doug Herbst
17. Scott Wimmer
18. Jim Weber
19. John Olson
20. Mark DiMaggio
21. Conrad Morgan
22. Dick Trickle
23. Ken Lund
24. Stan Fox

1969 – Kenyon lives up to billing; sweeps Hales Corners

Mel Kenyon en route to winning at Hales Corner

 

Franklin, Wis. (July 11, 1969) – Mel Kenyon’s new car was ready Friday night and so was he, much to the appreciation of the race fans and to the dismay of other drivers in the United States Auto Club midget program at Hales Corner Speedway.

Kenyon, the three-time and defending champion, scored a near sweep, ending a drought of nearly a month. He demolished his old car on June 14th in Lansing, Mich., and had been shut out since.

Friday night was the Lebanon, Indiana veteran’s turn to do the shutting out and he came awful close to doing so. He finished second in time trial qualifying to Bill Engelhart of Madison, Wis., who was fast qualifier on the night, clocking in at 61.87 miles per hour. Otherwise, he won all that he could – the 50-lap feature, the 10-lap heat and the 6-lap trophy dash.  The feature victory was the 55th of his career, which increased his own USAC record.

More impressive than his victories, however, was the way he scored them. He drove a tight line, passing on the inside, which brought the desired response from the crowd of 4,452. Kenyon’s driving earned him $578 of a $3,385 purse.

Starting seventh in the feature, he escaped a pile-up on the first lap – which knocked out four cars – and passed Bob Hauck for the lead on the 23rd circuit. After that, it was smooth sailing, holding off a slight challenge by Engelhart and winning by 100 yards. Hauck was third followed by Larry Rice and USAC point’s leader Bob Tattersall.

Two cautions periods slowed Kenyon’s overall winning average speed to 53.54 miles per hour.

For the crowd favorite Engelhart, it was a bittersweet night. He was the fastest qualifier and won his heat but lost twice in combat with Kenyon. He worked his way through the pack nicely into the second spot in the feature but was quickly dusted in his attempts to catch Kenyon.

Engelhart lost the trophy dash with the finish line in sight. Kenyon swooped off the fourth turn and down the inside groove, putting the nose of the car just ahead of Engelhart’s car. Engelhart picked up $424 for his efforts on the evening.

Feature Results –

1.  Mel Kenyon, Lebanon, Ind.

2.  Bill Engelhart, Madison, Wis.

3.  Bob Hauck, Joliet, Ill.

4.  Larry Rice, Linden, Ill.

5. Bob Tattersall, Streator, Ill.

1953 - McGee wins feature at Burlington oval

Burlington, Iowa (July 10, 1953) Fibber McGee copped the feature event Friday night at the Burlington Speedway track.

The race was a battle between McGee and Les Dykes with the number one spot exchanging hands several times before McGee finally pulled across the finish line for the checkered flag. Following Dykes, who finished second, was Hal Schroeder in the third position. McGee also finished first in two other races during the evening.

The hood of Kenny Gahn’s car went up against the windshield on the third lap of the feature, but Gahn still managed to finish out the race despite the handicap.

Red Untiedt, a consistent winner on his track and winner of a 40-lap feature at Davenport on Thursday night, was unable to compete in the main event because of mechanical trouble.

In the trophy dash the four winners of the proceeding races battled it out for first place with Les Dykes leading until the eighth lap when he hit a rut and bounced into second place while Fibber McGee took over first.

Red Untiedt now leads all other drivers under NASCAR’s point system. Drivers are awarded points on the basis of the number of races in which they finished and the order in which they crossed the finish line. Under this point set-up Untiedt has 234 points compared to his closest rival, Les Dykes, who has 190 points.

These points are the determining factor in which driver is awarded the championship trophy at the end of the season.

Results –

Feature – Fibber McGee

Trophy Dash - Fibber McGee

Consolation - Al Samberg

First heat – Red Untiedt

Second heat – Fibber McGee

Third heat – Les Dykes

1977 - Hansen Wins DM Mid-Season Title

Curt Hansen is joined in victory lane by promoter George Barton.

 

 

 

Des Moines, Iowa (July 9, 1977) - Curt Hansen of Dike was up to his old trick of winning features Saturday night as he captured the mid-season championship at the State Fairgrounds.

Hansen, driving a 1977 Camaro, charged out of the front row and led all the way for a 50-yard victory before a crowd of 6,500.

Hansen, who earned the pole position by virtue of leading in the point standings, held leads of up to 200 yards over Ed Sanger of Waterloo.

Only a yellow flag on the eighteenth lap slowed Hansen.

So what does a driver do when he has a comfortable lead?

"Unfortunately, having such a big lead can lead to bad things," said Hansen. "A comfortable margin always makes you nervous.

"You're checking your gauges and waiting for something to go wrong. It's even worse to get too cautious in the corners.”

"But tonight everything clicked. The car has been perfect for the last week. We've made changes, such as changing the weight in the rear end and altering the tread whip and we've either finished first or second."

Hansen, who has captured four features wins here this season, pocketed $750 for his effort - $550 for the feature, $150 for lap money and $50 for a third-place finish in the second heat.

Bill Rice of Des Moines finished third and Joe Merryfield of Des Moines, still seeking his first feature triumph here this season, was fourth.

Rocky Hodges of Des Moines jolted season point leader Bill Davis to capture the sportsman mid-season championship in a race that had five caution flags.

"This is the best I've ever done on a half-mile track," said Hodges, who passed Davis on the straightaway of the sixth lap and held the lead for good.

"We put in a new intake manifold and it was also the first time the brakes have stayed on during the entire race here," added Hodges, who drove a 1971 Camaro.

Davis, in a 1972 Camaro, pulled to within 10 yards of Hodges on the seventh lap, but fell victim to a restart and edged Rick Merryfield by a bumper to claim second place.

"Rocky's car was running better than mine and it got hooked on the track," said Davis. "We got caught when they started the race again and we had two different tires on the front."

Denny Rosenberg of Grimes captured the first sportsman heat and was making a move from his sixth position on the seventh lap of the feature when he encountered car problems.

"Something in the transmission locked," said Rosenberg, "and there's no telling how good we would have finished.

"I thought it was the best we've run out here all season," added Rosenberg, who is sixth in the point standings.


Results -

Late Model –

1. Curt Hansen
2. Ed Sanger
3. Bill Rice
4. Joe Merryfield
5. Don Hoffman
6. Stan Stover
7. Arnie Braland
8. Dave Chase
9. Ron Tilley
10. Darrell Sells
11. John Jones
12. Tim McDonough
13. Don Wallace
14. Fred Knapp
15. Lefty Robinson

Sportsman –

1. Rocky Hodges
2. Bill Davis
3. Rick Merryfield
4. Billy Geil
5. Chuck Anderson
6. Dave Farren
7. Del McDowell
8. Don Smith
9. Steve Myers
10. Wendell Folkerts