1985 – Kraft Cruises to NDRA Win at I-70

By Tom Wilson

Odessa, Mo. (July 20, 1985) – Willy Kraft of Lakefield, Minn., took over the lead on the 32nd lap of the 50-lap NDRA-sanctioned Dodge “Super National 100” at I-70 National Speedway Saturday night and cruised to victory to capture the $5,500 first prize of the $50,000 purse.

After the strains of “Dixie” faded away from over the P.A. system, the green flag waved to start the 50-lap late model feature.

The fast time from Friday night, Charlie Swartz, jumped into the lead from his front row starting position with Billy Moyer Jr., and Kraft pulling in tightly behind him. With the laps flying by, the leaders hit slower traffic by lap 10. A slick move on lap 11 let Kraft get by Moyer for second position. The following lap, Jeff Purvis, who started in the sixth position, moved into fourth.

The four drivers chased each other for nine more laps when Moyer slid high in turn four and dropped back two positions, moving Purvis and hard-running Larry Phillips up to third and fourth, respectively. The race continued at a blistering pace and collected almost continual traffic.

On lap 32, Swartz found himself trapped on the high side of the track, allowing Kraft to jump into first place. Swartz recovered enough to slide into second while Purvis and Phillips continued to battle for position. On lap 40, Phillips was able to move around Purvis for third.

A yellow flag on lap 42 slowed the field and it was a bumper-to-bumper restart when the green flag dropped. Kraft was able to get a good jump on the start, but Swartz couldn’t shake Phillips.

With Swartz and Phillips slugging it out, Kraft built a comfortable margin for himself. On lap 49, Phillips dodged low on Swartz and slid into second. Purvis finished fourth and Moyer rounded out the top five finishers.


Results –

1. Willy Kraft
2. Larry Phillips
3. Charlie Swartz
4. Jeff Purvis
5. Billy Moyer Jr.
6. Kenny Brightbill
7. T.J. Pauschert
8. Rick Aukland
9. Dhon Hauserman
10.Jerry Inmon
11.Tom Helfrich
12.Doug Ingalls
13.Henry Robinson
14.Eddie Pace
15.Buddy Boutwell

1968 – Allison Wins Inaugural Bristol GT-300

 

Donnie Allison

Bristol, Tenn. (July 20, 1968) – Donnie Allison of Hueytown, Ala., grabbed the lead with 190 laps to go, and held on to win the caution-marred Bristol 300 grand touring international run at the Bristol International Speedway on Sunday afternoon.

The victory was worth $1,430 for Allison, who piloted a 1968 Mustang, with an average speed of 71.854 miles per hour.

The race was marred by six caution flags which slowed the pace considerably, with the most spectacular one involving Arnett Autry of Norfolk, Va. Autry lost control of his 1967 Camaro and slammed the retaining wall on the back stretch, bouncing high in the air, and almost overturning. He was treated at the field hospital and released.

Allison, who started the race on the pole, alongside Bunkie Blackburn, grabbed the lead for the first time on lap 23.

The lead changed hands eight times during the race between four different drivers, Blackburn, Allison, Tiny Lund of Cross, S.C., and Bud Moore of Charlotte, N.C., both driving 1968 Cougars.

Lund, however, was forced out after 177 laps when he bumped Frank Sessoms of Darlington, S.C., driving a 1968 Camaro, causing radiator damage.

Blackburn, of Daytona Beach, Fla., driving a 1968 Camaro, was forced out of the race when he lost control on the backstretch and damaged the front end of his car.

Blackburn and Lund out of the race, it developed into a two-car battle between Moore and Allison.

Allison opened up a narrow lead and as the race went on, opened up a three-lap lead on Moore with 70 laps remaining in the race.

Of the 24 cars that started, only 16 were on the track when the race ended.

Moore finished second with Bob Burcham of Chattanooga, Tenn., in third, driving a 1968 Javelin. Harold Dunaway of Charlotte, N.C., was fourth and Bob Yuma, Melbourne, Fla., rounded out the top five.

Country and western singing star Marty Robbins of Nashville, driving a John Sears 1967 Dodge Dart, blew an engine on the 83rd lap. He was running in fifth when he was forced out.


Results –

1. Donnie Allison
2. Bud Moore
3. Bob Burcham
4. Harold Dunaway
5. Bob Yuma
6. Frank Sessoms
7. Roy Tyner
8. Jack Ryan
9. Al Arnold
10.Peter Gregg
11.Jim Allen
12.Dick Staples
13.Al Straub
14.Lee Cutler
15.Jim Vandiver
16.Buck Baker
17.Tiny Lund
18.Arnett Autry
19.Jim Hall
20.Marty Robbins

1986 – Moyer Takes NDRA Win at I-44

 

Billy Moyer Jr. 

Lebanon, Mo. (July 19, 1986) – If at first you don’t succeed…was Billy Moyer Jr.’s theme as he made his second trip to I-44 Speedway in as many weeks.

Not quite satisfied with last week’s second place finish, Moyer qualified for the pole position through his qualifying heat and National Dirt Racing Association combined passing points.

He took the lead at the drop of the green and led wire-to-wire in the 25-lap late model feature. Larry Phillips finished second and first half point’s leader Ken Essary was third.


Results –


1. Billy Moyer Jr., Batesville, Ark.
2. Larry Phillips, Springfield
3. Ken Essary, Galena
4. Leslie Essary, Galena
5. Roger Hines, Joplin
6. Darry Mooneyham, Aurora
7. T.J. Pauschert, Carlile, Ark.
8. Skip Thompson, Mountain Grove
9. Rex McCroskey, Springfield
10.Don March, West Plains

1959 – Zwanziger Sets Record in 50-Lap Mid-Season Race

 

Karla Prummitt of Fredericksburg makes the Tunis Speedway mid-season championship trophy presentation to Bill Zwanziger after the Waterloo driver set a new 50-lap record.

Waterloo, Iowa (July 19, 1959) – Bill Zwanziger of Waterloo drove his late model to a record time in the 50-lap mid-season modified stock car championship at Tunis Speedway Sunday night before 5,520 fans.

Zwanziger took over the lead on the fourth lap, breezing by Harry Petersen on the inside of the fourth turn, and was never challenged the remaining 46 laps. Zwanziger’s car was powered by a completely new engine, the old one having been ruined in last week’s race.

Point leader Charlie Moffitt had started on the pole position but lost the race to the first turn to Peterson, who started alongside Moffitt on the front row.

Peterson would hang on to finish second followed by Moffitt in third and John Moss taking fourth. That trio ran most of the way in a tight parade. Carroll Jensen, who started from the rear of the field, rounded out the top-five finishers.

Zwanziger started on the inside of the third row, beside Bob Posekany, and behind Cal Swanson and Moss. On the first lap, he squeezed by those three and took second away from Moffitt a lap later.

When he caught and passed Petersen on the fourth lap, he began widening his lead and heading for a new record of 15 minutes and .75 seconds, bettering Bob Hilmer’s 1957 marks of 15 minutes and .85 seconds for a 50-lap race.

Before 10 laps were in the books, Zwanziger had already lapped his first car. John Mullink, a victim of a wide spinning slide, was the first driver to be lapped. Several others, including Posekany, Jerry Sherbon, Gale Card, and Dan Feckers, fell a lap behind before the race had reached the halfway mark.

Defending mid-season champion Gene Peterson pulled out late in the race with engine problems.

An out of town driver, Tuffy Meyers of Big Rock, was eligible to start on the tail end of the 50-lapper but instead chose to run the 20-lap consolation, which he won. He also won the first heat after starting at the rear.

Dick Krafka won the second heat and Arnie Spore was the third heat winner.


Results –

1. Bill Zwanziger
2. Harry Petersen
3. Charlie Moffitt
4. John Moss
5. Carroll Jensen
6. Bob Hilmer

1984 – Lekander Tops Farley ‘Busch Bash’

Bob Lekander (left) won the “Busch Bash 50” at Farley Speedway. Joining Lekander in victory lane is his father, “Zip” and Hawkeye Racing News’ Keith Knaack. – Dick Kleindolph Photo

Farley, Iowa (July 18, 1984) – Bob Lekander got a break to start on the front row, and he made the most of it, as he won the “Busch Bash 50” feature Wednesday night at Farley Speedway.

Lekander was slated to start in the second row, but veteran Darrell Dake had motor problems and dropped from the front row to the rear of the field, moving Lekander up a notch.

Lekander led from start to finish, closely followed during the event on a couple of occasions. First to challenge was Scott Braun of Cedar Falls, who dropped back when he got sideways during an attempt to pass Lekander and took Ken Walton with him. The Curt Martin of Independence applied pressure but was unable to get by the Burlington driver.

The win also gives Lekander the point lead, 99 -98, over Walton in the six-race “Busch Bash” series.


Results –


Heat #1 – Roger Bruggeman, Dubuque
Heat #2 – Harley McWilliams, Platteville, Wis.
Heat #3 – Ken Walton, Viola
Heat #4 – Garry Tigges, Durango
Semi-main – Mark Keltner, Morning Sun
Feature –
1. Bob Lekander, Burlington
2. Curt Martin
3. Lynn Idler, Ionia
4. Ken Walton
5. Bill Breuer, Wapello
6. Mark Keltner
7. Scott Braun, Cedar Falls
8. Ed Sanger, Waterloo
9. Jay Johnson, Wapello
10.Bob Jaeger, Dubuque
11.Rick Wendling, Hazelton
12.Terry Gallaher, Hannibal, Mo.
13.Tim Murray, Des Moines
14.Denny Whitlock, Riverside
15.Denny Ansel, Dubuque

1981 – Walton Takes NSCA Main at Eldon

 

Ken Walton won the "Pepsi-Mountain Dew" late model special at Eldon Raceway. - Lee Johnson Photo

Eldon, Iowa (July 17, 1981) – Ken Walton of Viola won his second straight Pepsi-Mountain Dew special feature and second straight in National Speedways Contest Association competition in three nights at the Wapello County Fair on Friday night.

Two nights earlier, he won the 35-lap feature at the Pepsi-Mountain Dew special at Oskaloosa.

Don Hoffman of Des Moines was second and Bill Beckman of Monticello took third.

Curt Hansen of Dike led the first nine laps then Walton took over. Hoffman slipped past him on the 31st go-round but Walton regained the lead a lap later and then pulled away in the remaining few laps to score the victory.

Jim Brown of Ottumwa was the winner in the 15-lap sportsman race, leading green to checkered. Bill Pumphrey of Eldon was second and Jay Johnson of Morning Sun took third.


Results –

Time Trials- Bill Beckman, Monticello
Heat #1 – Vic Bentlage, Jefferson City, Mo.
Heat #2 – Ken Walton, Viola
Feature –
1. Ken Walton
2. Don Hoffman, Des Moines
3. Bill Beckman
4. Curt Hansen, Dike
5. Tony Stewart, Washington
6. Vic Bentlage
7. Ed Pilcher, Bloomfield
8. Ron Cochran, Marshalltown
9. Kenny Fenn, Washington
10.Sonny Findling, Kirksville, Mo.
11.Ken Jackson, Burlington
12.Denny Banks, Washington
13.Harley Harrelson, Brashear, Mo.
14.Dan Dickey, Packwood
15.Ron Jackson, Burlington
16.Johnny Johnson, Morning Sun

1978 - Robison Steals Downs’ Sprint Car Show

 

Bill Robison

Cedar Rapids, Iowa (July 16, 1978) - Jack Miller is a man of his word. At least when talk centers around sprint car racing.

“These drivers will put on quite a show for you tonight,” explained Miller, before sitting in behind the microphone to announce the sprint car races at Hawkeye Downs Sunday night. “You won't find any better racing around. This is excitement at its best.”

And Miller didn't let anybody down as 23 drivers invaded the Downs in front of an estimated crowd of 3,700, with Topeka, Kansas’ Bill Robison stealing the show, including victories in the Trophy Dash, the first heat and the A-Main feature event.

In the feature, the hard-charging pilot had to fend off a steady charge by crowd favorite Eddie Leavitt of Kearney, Mo., two-time national sprint car champion. Robinson started on the outside of row one and led the 20-lap event from start to finish while Leavitt started sixth on the starting grid and finished second.

Leavitt had qualified for the evening’s races with the fastest time, a 22.257 second clocking on the half-mile Downs oval but was sidelined for a major part of the program when he hit the wall in turn three just before taking the green flag in the Trophy Dash to start the evening's races. He qualified for the A-Main feature with a half-lap victory in the B-Main event.

The Knoxville-based sprint car program was making its second stop in Cedar Rapids this summer, featuring top drivers from five states.

“Sprint car racing is really a spectator sport,” said Miller. “These cars have 500-600 horsepower and weigh only 1,500 pounds. It’s the open cockpit that makes it so exciting.”

Though there were no serious accidents in Sunday's competition, Miller said that injuries are common in this type of racing, and that more cars would have raced Sunday if they hadn't been damaged at Knoxville on Saturday night.

The small cars reach top speeds of nearly 100-mph on the straight-aways on a half-mile track such as the Downs and the racing is guaranteed to be competitive.

Ralph Blackett and Mike Pinckney, both of Des Moines, captured their respective heat races and Steve Hainline of Bonaparte won the Australian Pursuit with Robinson second.


Results –


1. Bill Robison, Topeka, Kan.
2. Eddie Leavitt, Kearney, Mo.
3. Shane Carson, Oklahoma City, Okla.
4. Randy Smith, Des Moines
5. Mike Pinckney, Des Moines
6. Ralph Blackett, Des Moines
7. Con Edwards, Ankeny
8. Cliff Blundy, Alpha, Ill.
9. Mike Brooks, Knoxville
10. Steve Hainline, Bonaparte