1982 – Watson Outruns Field in Red, White, & Blue Opener

Dave Watson won the Red, White, and Blue Series opener at Wisconsin International Raceway. Joining the winner are Old Style distributor representative Al Baer, Miss WIR Tara Skalmusy, and Dick Stout, also of Old Style. – Gary Vercauteren Photo

Kaukauna, Wis. (June 13, 1982) – Dave Watson’s 1982 Firebird could do nothing but go fast on Sunday afternoon at Wisconsin International Raceway, as he wheeled the car to a quarter-lap victory in the first race of the Old Style Red, White & Blue State Championship Series before a crowd of 6,712.Watson took the lead on the 34th lap as he slipped past Steve Burgess for second place and leader Ton Reffner ducked into the pits at the same moment with engine problems after setting a torrid pace during the early portion of the contest.

Willie Goeden put his car into the early lead and raced wheel-to-wheel with fellow front-row starter Kevin Stepan. Reffner roared past Goeden along the backstretch on the fifth lap while Burgess moved into second on lap 6 and J.J. Smith tucked himself in behind Burgess on lap 7 to hold down third spot.

Reffner smoothly eased to a six-car length lead over Burgess and Smith by lap 25. Watson, meanwhile, made his move and overtook Smith for third on lap 27 and then moved past Burgess on lap 34 as Reffner fell out of the event with mechanical problems.

Results –


1. Dave Watson, Milton, Wis.
2. Joe Shear, Beloit, Wis.
3. Jim Sauter, Necedah, Wis.
4. John Ziegler, Madison, Wis.
5. J.J. Smith, Appleton, Wis.
6. Jim Weber, Roseville, Minn.
7. Mike Miller, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
8. Wayne Roffers, Oneida, Wis.
9. Ted Musgrave, Grand Marsh, Wis.
10.Terry Baldry, Omro, Wis.
11.Willie Goeden, Kewaskum, Wis.
12.Bob Iverson, Hyde, Mich.
13.Al Schill, Franklin, Wis.
14.Steve Burgess, Eau Claire, Wis.
15.Tom Reffner, Rudolph, Wis.
16.Jerry Wood, Cottage Grove, Wis.
17.Marv Marzofka, Nekoosa, Wis.
18.Kevin Stepan, Mosinee, Wis.
19.Gary Roehrborn, Kimberly, Wis.
20.Wayne Lensing, Rockford, Ill.

1973 - Connolly Scores Illowa 101 Victory

John Connolly of Delhi, Iowa, won the Illowa 101 at Davenport. IMCA official Larry Shipley (left) presents the trophy while Woody Brinkman (right) presents the checkered. – Beetle Bailey Photo

Davenport, Iowa (June 12, 1973) – John Connolly of Delhi, Iowa, took the lead on lap 70 Tuesday night and held on to win the Illowa 101 International Motor Contest Association late model stock car race at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds.

Connolly, driving a 1969 Ford Torino, notched $500 for his efforts before an estimated crowd of 3,500.

Second place went to Gary Brooks of Grand Prairie, Tex., driving a 1972 Monte Carlo.

Connolly took an early lead on the fourth lap, being challenged by Ron Weedon of Pleasant Valley, Iowa, for the entire early portion of the race.

Weedon passed Connolly on the backstretch on the 27th circuit and a three-car battle ensued between the two drivers and Jim Tobin of Hudson, Ill.

Connolly lost his windshield on lap 55 and was forced to the pit area with Weedon taking control and Tobin settling into second. A flat tire on lap 68 pushed Weedon to the sidelines, allowing Tobin to move into the lead for the first time.

On lap 70, Tobin’s engine began to overheat, helping Connolly to open up a commanding lead and breezing to the win. Just eight cars finished the race.

Martha Wideman of Lufkin, Tex., the first woman driver in IMCA history, finished eighth in the-car field.

Results –

Heat #1 – Ron Weedon, Pleasant Valley, Iowa
Heat #2 – Jim Tobin, Hudson, Ill.
Feature –
1. John Connolly, Delhi, Iowa
2. Gary Brooks, Grand Prairie, Tex.
3. Tom Frasher, Jefferson City, Mo.
4. Ron Weedon
5. Gordon Blankenship, Keokuk, Iowa
6. Ron Dendy, Arlington, Tex.
7. Robert Gander, Bunceton, Mo.
8. Martha Wideman, Lufkin, Tex.
9. Jim Tobin
10.Larry Lynch, Garland, Tex.

1967 – Unser, Weld Capture Victories

Greg Weld (92) and Bobby Unser (1) battle it out at The Action Track. 

Terre Haute, Ind. (June 11, 1967) - Bobby Unser of Albuquerque, N. M., and Greg Weld of Kansas City, Mo., won 30-lap sprint car races at the Action Track Sunday.

Unser led the first feature from the first lap and was leading in the second feature race when his engine blew on the 17th lap. Weld finished second in the first race and took over the lead in the second when Unser dropped out.

George Snider of Fresno, Calif., won the semifinal race. Bud Tinglestad of Hawthorne, Calif., was the fastest qualifier.

Top qualifying time of the day was posted by Bud Tinglestad with a time of 23.39 seconds. Johnny Rutherford holds the record for the fastest qualifier for sprinters at the Action Track — 22.76 seconds.

No times were posted for any of the races Sunday afternoon as the yellow light was flashed during each race due to spins.

Roger McCluskey holds the winning time for a 30-lapper at the local track — 12 minutes and 14 seconds, set in June of 1963. McCluskey, the Tucson, Ariz., driver who made a clean-sweep of the Twin-30's at the Action Track in 1966 was entered for Sunday's events but was unable to get to Terre Haute from Le Mans, France, where he competed in the 24-hour road race, in time for the action here.

The five fastest qualifiers of the day were Tinglestad, Unser, 23.92, Weld, 24.04, Don Thomas, 24.52, and Frank Secrist, 24.63.

Jim Hurtubise, making his first start in sprint cars since his accident in a big car race at Milwaukee on June 7, 1964, experienced trouble in his qualifying runs when his racer began spewing oil. However, he took over the auto driven by Tingelstad in the first feature event, and although starting in last place in the second 30-lapper, pushed it to a sixth-place finish. Johnny Rutherford, sidelined last year with racing injuries, qualified with a time of 25.34 seconds, then ran into trouble in the semi-feature when he blew a tire on the fourth turn. He was out of competition for the day.

In the first feature of a long afternoon of racing, Tinglestad was on the pole with Unser on the outside. Lined up behind the pair were Weld, Thomas, Frank Secrist, Wib Spaulding, Sonny Ates, Chuck Booth, Bob Wente, George Snider, Ralph Liguori, Bill Puterbaugh, Rollie Beale and Jerry Daniels.

Order of finish for the event was Unser, Weld, Tinglestad, Liguori, Puterbaugh, Thomas, Booth, Beale, Ates, Spaulding, Snider, Secrist, Wente and Daniels.

Weld won $1,531 of the total $9,440 day's purse for his finishes. Weld, a 23-year-old, has been driving for eight years. He said he started when he was 15, but "the cars I started out with didn't run very fast."

Thirty-four cars qualified for the action during the afternoon.

About 8,000 fans were on hand for the day’s action. Some grew a bit impatient because of a long delay between the semi-feature and first feature event as track crews tried to iron the track out with water to improve running conditions and establish a safe track with a good “cushion.”

An official out to check Rutherford's spin in the semi-feature provided onlookers with a chili when it was left unattended on the top of the fourth turn and started to roll down into the path of the racers who were driving under a yellow flag. An unidentified spectator vaulted into the vehicle and drove it away from the path of the race drivers.

Unser and Weld, besides receiving their winning purses, were awarded kisses by Janice Cruse, the "500" Festival Queen, and each received a .30 caliber rifle.


Results –


Feature #1 -

1. Bobby Unser
2. Greg Weld
3. Bud Tinglestad
4. Ralph Liguori
5. Bill Puterbaugh
6. Don Thomas
7. Chuck Booth
8. Rollie Beale
9. Sonny Ates
10.Wib Spaulding


Feature #2 - 

1. Greg Weld
2. Rollie Beale
3. Don Thomas
4. Bill Puterbaugh
5. Chuck Booth
6. Jim Hurtubise
7. Bob Wente
8. Ralph Liguori
9. Bobby Unser
10.Sonny Ates

1972 - Derr Pulls Out - Moss Wins Fairgrounds’ Feature

John Moss

Des Moines, Iowa (June 10, 1972) - Ernie Derr of Keokuk may have had the right idea Saturday night.

With John Moss of Iowa City starting in the front row of the late model stock car feature, Derr chose to withdraw from the race. As it turned out Moss, driving a 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner, easily won the race, although Ramo Stott of Keokuk, Don Hoffman of Des Moines and Dave Chase of Council Bluffs did offer some late challenge before 9,242 fans.

The track was unusually slick and as a result there were more than the usual number of spinouts and accidents.

Saturday night’s late model program promised to be one of the best ever with Derr and Stott present.

Ramo, the 1970 and '71 Automobile Club of America (ARCA) champion and present United States Auto Club (USAC) competitor, was making his first appearance of the season here.

Derr, the 12-time International Motor Contest Association champion, was too. He drove in the first heat race – Moss also started on the front row in that one too – and finished second with Moss winning.

Derr loaded his 1970 Charger before the feature started. When asked why, he said, "I race that car to make money, and there is no way I can win with Moss in the front row.”

“It was my understanding there would be time trials, but under the point system, all new-comers have to start at the rear.”

Johnny Beauchamp of Harlan, Iowa, the co-promoter with Homer Melton of Rock Island, Ill., tried to get Derr to change his mind, but he was having nothing of it.

Derr said he believed the fair way to race was with positions determined by time trials.

Moss, who stands 6-foot 4-inches and weighs approximately 225 pounds, led all the way in the 25-lapper. Even being slowed down by way of two caution flags failed to slow his momentum.

Stott, driving a 1972 Challenger, moved into second place on lap 11 and started cutting away at Moss’ margin slightly.

On lap 18, Chase started challenging Stott and both drivers had moved within respectable distance behind Moss.

Chase, arriving late to the track because he and his crew worked on the car until 5:30 repairing damage sustained on Memorial Day in Harlan, Iowa, hit the wall on the second turn on lap 22.

“I was over driving in the turn,” said Chase, who finished seventh.

The yellow flag for Chase brought Stott and now Don Hoffman of Des Moines closer to Moss. Hoffman would get by Stott on the lap 24 but Moss was on cruise control and won easily.

Results –

Heat #1 – John Moss, Iowa City
Heat #2 – Joe Merryfield, Des Moines
Feature –
1. John Moss
2. Don Hoffman, Des Moines
3. Ramo Stott, Keokuk, Iowa
4. Sonny Morgan, Blue Earth, Minn.
5. George Barton, Ankeny, Iowa
6. Joe Merryfield
7. Dave Chase, Council Bluffs
8. Phil Reece, Des Moines
9. Bill Schwader, McCausland, Iowa
10.Don Davidson, Des Moines
11.Buggy Vincent, Nevada
12.Ken Davidson, Des Moines

1981 – Wisconsin Racer Wins Miller 100

Leon Plank won the annual Miller 100 at Hawkeye Downs Speedway. Joining Plank in victory lane is Candi Niner of Ottumwa. - Bill Haglund Photo

Cedar Rapids, Iowa (June 9, 1981) - Leon Plank has had nothing but bad luck at the Hawkeye Downs Speedway in the past.

Last season the Eau Claire, Wis., driver led the Yankee Dirt Classic for 99 laps, only to be outsprinted by Rodney Combs of Lost Creek, W.Va., on the final lap. And earlier this year, at the Downs' first special event, Plank crashed and was unable to finish.

But Tuesday night Plank had all the luck he needed, and a little more. He outlasted 28 drivers and nipped Viola's Ken Walton to win the ninth annual Miller 100 at Hawkeye Downs.

“I had some luck and I needed it,” said an excited Plank after receiving his trophy. “My car didn't feel good at the beginning of the race, but we made some changes that definitely helped.”

Plank, who had the fourth fastest qualifying lap with a 23.669 second clocking over the half-mile oval, took control of the 50-mile race on the 78th lap. That's when Joe Merryfield of Des Moines and Steve Kosiski of Omaha pulled off the track with car problems.

Merryfield, who had held the lead since the 28th lap, pulled off the dirt track after Kosiski was black flagged for having debris hanging from the rear of his car. After two laps had passed however, Merryfield returned to the race and ended with 94 laps, placing seventh overall.

Tom Hearst, who started in the second spot, grabbed the early lead and held on to that position until the 27th lap when his distributor broke, forcing the Wilton driver to pull out of the race.

“The car was running real good,” said Hearst, last year's Hawkeye Downs point champion. “But I started to feel the timing get worse and worse, then finally she just wheezed out.”

Only four yellow caution flags were brought on during the 100-lap benefit.

One was for Curt Hansen, the only two-time champion in Miller 100 history, when he hit the wall on the first turn of the 86th lap. His new # 9 car had to be towed off the track, but the Dike driver completed enough laps to place him eighth in the final standings.

Don Hoffman, who was the pole sitter with the fastest qualifying time of 23.233 seconds, was also involved in an accident. The Des Moines driver was caught in a pile-up on the final corner of the 17th lap and had to be towed from the track.

Pete Parker of Walcott completed 99 laps to finish third behind Walton. Mike Frieden of Cedar Rapids was fourth and Ron Schreiner of Eleva, Wis., was fifth.

In other action, Dave Birkhofer of Muscatine raced to an easy victory in the 15-lap “B” feature. Ron Jackson of Burlington followed, with Denny Miller of Cedar Rapids third.

Billy Moyer of Des Moines won the trophy dash, which involved the top eight qualifiers. Moyer, who had the third fastest clocking in the time trials, was followed by Parker and John Provenzano of Aurora, Ill.


Results –


1. Leon Plank, Mondovi Wis.
2. Ken Walton, Viola
3. Pete Parker, Walcott
4. Mike Frieden, Cedar Rapids
5. Ron Schreiner, Eleva, Wis.
6. Roger Bruggeman, Dubuque
7. Joe Merryfield, Des Moines
8. Curt Hansen, Dike
9. Steve Kosiski, Omaha
10.Dave Chase, Council Bluffs

1975 – Moore Wins Salem USAC Go

Larry Moore

Salem, Ind. (June 8, 1975) – Larry Moore of Dayton, Ohio, won his first-ever United States Auto Club late model stock car race with a victory in Sunday’s 100-lap event at the half-mile paved Salem Speedway.

Moore, driving in place of Roger McCluskey, led from start to finish with Butch Hartman, winner of USAC’s first two races, placing second and Ralph Latham third. The original second-place finisher, Jeff Bloom, was disqualified after the discovery of an illegal roller cam in his Camaro.

In the feature, Jim Bowsher and George Coonrod tangled on lap 21, sending Coonrod into the wall in turn one. No one was hurt.

Point leader Hartman set quick time in qualifying, touring the high-banked track in 19.332 seconds. Even though he started from the pole position, he could never get around Moore and in the late stages of the race, was lapped by the winner.

Results –

1. Larry Moore
2. Butch Hartman
3. Ralph Latham
4. Bay Darnell
5. Terry Ryan
6. Ken Simpson
7. Les Gittemeier
8. Tony Bettenhausen
9. Chuck McWilliams
10.Ramo Stott
11.Gary Bowsher
12.Harold Fair

1959 – 10,000 See Folse Win Futurity

Pete Folse is presented the beautiful Gaylord White Memorial trophy by Dr. Robert Johnson, administrative assistant to Iowa Governor Herschel Loveless.

Des Moines, Iowa (June 7, 1959) – Pete Folse, the wise-cracking veteran of the dirt tracks, had room to spare in winning the 25-mile Gaylord White Memorial feature of the fifth annual Hawkeye Futurity auto race before 10,000 Sunday at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

It wasn’t until motor ills forced two previous leaders to the sidelines that the grizzled Floridian moved to the front on the 12th lap. He finished 700 yards ahead of second-place Jim Hurtubise of New Lennox, Calif. 

Folse’s winning time was 23 minutes and 48.75 seconds.

There were no serious accidents despite a hard, slippery racing surface which made the going dangerous through the late laps of the race.

Third place went to Parnelli Jones, reportedly a red-hot driver from the California Racing Association, in a Chevrolet-powered outfit. Lee Drollinger of Champaign, Ill., grabbed fourth and fifth went to Harold Leep of Wichita, Kan., who nosed out Buzz Barton of Tampa, Fla.

Folse, driving thee same Offenhauser that Bobby Grim won in last year, was a bad third-place through the first five laps. Herschel Wagner of Hickman Hills, Mo., a contender who won the pole position with a qualifying time of 25.01 seconds led the field at that stage.

Then Arnold Knepper of Belleville, Ill., caught Wagner on a turn going into the 6th lap and kept the lead on until the 9th when a valve trouble put him out of the race.

Wagner regained the lead but only briefly. On lap 12, with Folse riding his exhaust stack, Wagner experienced brake failure and was forced to quit.

Mickey McCormick of Hutchinson, Kan., challenged Folse for the next few laps but dropped out with a broken piston on lap 16.

Jones took up the next pursuit and lasted until lap 38. The Californian almost spun on a high turn, slowed to avoid it and was passed by Hurtubise, who had moved up from ninth position.

At that stage, seven of the original 20 starters were in the pits and no one was in contention.

Hurtubise wheeled off the best 5-mile qualifying heat mark with a time of 4 minutes and 18.77 seconds, only two seconds from matching a 1936 mark set here by the late Gus Schrader, the Cedar Rapids race pioneer.

Results –

Heat #1 – Jim Hurtubise, New Lennox, Calif.
Heat #2 – Ned Kirkpatrick, Hartford, Ill.
Heat #3 – Ken Rubright, Rock Falls, Ill.
Heat #4 – Bill Nelson, Wichita, Kan.
Consolation – Arnold Knepper, Belleville, Ill.
Feature –
1. Pete Folse, Tampa, Fla.
2. Jim Hurtubise
3. Parnelli Jones, Torrance, Calif.
4. Lee Drollinger, Champaign, Ill.
5. Harold Leep, Wichita, Kan.
6. Buzz Barton, Tampa, Fla.
7. Don Carr, St. Petersburg, Fla.
8. Jerry Blundy, Galesburg, Ill.
9. Ned Kirkpatrick
10.Bill Nelson
11.Dick Ritchie, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
12.Fritz Tegtmeier, Elgin, Ill.