West Liberty's Spring Championship (1977 - 1986)

By Kyle Ealy

West Liberty, Iowa – One of the most highly anticipated racing events at the beginning of each season was the Spring Championships, held at the Muscatine County Fairgrounds during mid to late April.

The idea of the Spring Championships was started by long-time promoter Dale Gegner of Brighton, Iowa, and it would prove to be popular with drivers and fans alike.

An all-time record crowd of 9,000 would see stock car racing at its best on April 16, 1977. The day had ideal weather, an excellent racing surface and 81 cars in the pits. Late Models and Sportsman were vying for a $5,000 purse.

Drivers from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Ontario, Canada were on hand for the season opener. But it was an Illinois driver, Duane Steffe from East Moline, who showed everyone the fast way around the track, winning the 25-lap feature.

Steffe started on the outside of the front row and took the lead immediately. Doing superb driving in only his second time out in a new Camaro, Steffe would fend off challenges by Steve Keppler of Marion, Iowa, and polesitter Gary Webb of Davenport, Iowa, early on in the contest. Ray Guss of Milan, Ill., and Tom Hearst of Wilton, Iowa, would soon join the battle and both would eventually get past Webb and battle Keppler for second. While those three hot shoes battled back and forth, Steffe checked out and sailed to victory. Keppler, Guss, Hearst and Ron Weedon of Pleasant Valley, Iowa, rounded out the top five. 

 

 

Jim Burbridge of Delhi, Iowa, Bill Zwanziger of Waterloo, Iowa, Ron Hemsted of Lone Tree, Iowa, Gary Crawford of Independence, Iowa, and Don Hoffman of Des Moines were heat winners and Hemsted also won the 15-lap consolation. 

The evening got off to a fast start with three drivers breaking the track record in time trials. Dike, Iowa’s Curt Hansen’s 1975 mark of 24.21 seconds would be broken first by Tom Hearst at 24.11 seconds. Ray Guss would lower it a little more, touring the half-mile in 23.98 seconds. Last but not least - Ken Walton of Viola, Iowa, would become the new track record holder with a time of 23.69 seconds.

Kenny Fenn of Washington, Iowa, and Ron Pallister of Wapello, Iowa, won their heats and then battled it out in the Sportsman main event. Pallister had the pole and led the first half of the race but it was the veteran Fenn getting by Pallister for the lead and the eventual win.

With the huge success of the event, promoter Dale Gegner knew a good thing when he saw it and was already making plans for next year’s season opener.

The second edition of the Spring Championship took place on April 15, 1978, before 6,000 race fans. Seven states represented the 54 Late Models and 26 Sportsman, with drivers competing for a whopping $10,000 purse.

The Late Model feature was made up of the 20 fastest qualifiers, with top six cars inverted. That place Ed Sanger of Waterloo, Iowa and John Simenec of Rock Island, Ill., on the front row for the 30-lapper.

Simenec grabbed the lead at the drop of the green and held off all challengers for the first 17 circuits. On the 18th lap, however, Simenec’s “Tri-City Buggy” Camaro developed engine problems, forcing the disappointed driver to the pit area. Mike Niffenegger of Kalona, Iowa, who had been running behind Simenec for the last 10 laps, suddenly found himself in the lead.

 

 

Although he was given some tough competition from Bill Martin of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and then Gary Crawford of Independence, Iowa, “The Flying Dutchman” wouldn’t relinquish the top spot and held on to collect the $1,000 first prize. Crawford would hang on for second with Martin taking third. Tom Hearst and Roger Dolan of Lisbon, Iowa, would finish fourth and fifth.

Bob Kosiski of Omaha would set fast time while Duane Steffe, Jim Burbridge, Martin, Curt Hogue of Ames, Iowa and Bill Breuer of Wapello, Iowa, were heat winners. Rom Hemsted won the semi-main.

In December of 1977, Steve Becker of Atkins, Iowa, had lost his life in an auto accident. Becker had been the ’77 Sportsman champion at West Liberty, so to honor Becker, the Sportsman race was suitably named the “The Steve Becker Memorial Race”.

Mark Keltner of Morning Sun, Iowa, would win the first annual race, leading start to finish in the 20-lap main event. Gail Brenner of Wilton took second followed by Randy Adams of Muscatine, Iowa. 

The air was chilly but the racing action hot on April 14, 1979, as the third annual Spring Championship launched the season’s competition. Despite the cold weather, another hearty crowd of over 6,000 filled the stands in anticipation of the first racing of the season.

Curt Hansen would capture the 35-lap Late Model headliner and take home $1,000 for his efforts. The Dike, Iowa, hot shoe would also set fast time and win his heat. Hansen brought two cars to the party, using his Camaro to qualify and race in the feature, and driving his Olds Cutlass to victory in his heat race.

 

 

With the six fastest qualifers inverted, Hansen had a third row starting spot for the start of the feature, but by lap 5 he had wormed his way to second spot behind early leader Pete Parker of Kaukauna, Wis. When Parker's engine soured with only 10 laps scored, Hansen grabbed the top spot. From there on, it was easy sailing for Hansen as he ran unchallenged for the remaining 25 circuits.

The Late Model main was not without its casualties as a melee in front of the judge’s stand at the drop of the green caused serious damage to Darrell Dake of Cedar Rapids, Gary Webb of Davenport, Iowa, Mel Morris of West Liberty and Don Hoffman of Des Moines. Who were out of action for the rest of the night.

Mike Niffenegger, last year’s champion, got mixed up with Hansen on lap 4, drifted high into the turn four wall, damaging his car to the point he was forced to retire early.

Roger Dolan, the 1978 point champion at the half-mile, tangled with Joe Merryfield of Des Moines a few laps later, went into a flip, and ended his evening early as well.  

Ed Sanger, John Connolly of Delhi, Iowa, Dave Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa and Steve Keppler would win the war of attrition to round out the top five.

Darrell Sells of Waverly, Iowa, Gary Crawford, Hansen, and Sanger would score heat wins while Jim Burbridge of Delhi, Iowa, won the semi-main.

In Sportsman action, Tony Stewart of Washington, Iowa, won his heat and then cleaned house in the feature, winning the 25-lapper easily. George Liebfried of Rickardsville, Iowa, was second and Bryan Housely of Bettendorf, Iowa, was third.

 

 

With ideal weather, a fast track, a great crowd on hand and 70 stock car drivers hungry for action, the fourth annual Spring Championship took place on April 19, 1980. Once again, a substantial purse of over $10,000 was being offered.

A new track record would be established in time trials with Johnny Johnson turning a new time of 23.245 seconds, breaking Ken Walton’s three-year-old mark set in the inaugural race. The six fastest timers were Johnson, Mike Niffenegger, Ron Jackson of Burlington, Iowa, defending winner Curt Hansen, Gary Webb and Mel Morris, and these top six were inverted to start the feature.

This gave hometowner Mel Morris, driving the car of John Moss, the pole position. Ironically, the two fastest timers, Johnny Johnson and Mike Niffenegger, would have to start the main event in the back row, as they were driving cars other than the ones they qualified with. Both had problems with their own cars in heat action. Johnson went with his back-up car while Niffenegger borrowed a car owned by Butch Cassidy of West Branch, Iowa.

Morris would immediately jump into the lead with Ron Jackson settling in behind him. Morris would continue to set a torrid pace until he drifted high in turns one and two, allowing Jackson to slip by and claim the top spot.

From there, Jackson would never look back, leading the remaining 26 laps - taking the win and the $1,000 paycheck to accompany it. Leon Plank of Eau Claire, Wis., would be the hard charger of the evening, starting 15th and finishing second, but still well behind Jackson as the checkers flew. Curt Hansen, Roger Dolan and Gary Webb would round out the top five.

Late Model heat winners were Johnny Johnson, Bill Beuer, Dolan, Hansen and Verlin Eaker of Mechanicsville, Iowa. Bill Zwanziger of Waterloo, Iowa, would claim top honors in the semi-main.

In Sportsman action, Ron Weedon pf Pleasant Valley, Iowa, driving his faithful “Old Blue”, took the lead from Ron Pallister of Wapello, Iowa, on the second lap, and sailed to victory. Mark Keltner would also get by Pallister on the next to last lap to finish second while Pallister settled for third.

 

 

More than 50 Late Models squeezed into the pit area at West Liberty Raceway on April 18, 1981, as the fifth annual Spring Championship kicked off the Iowa racing season.

Racing veteran Mike Niffenegger would become the first two-time winner of the popular event, winning the 30-lap Late Model feature and carrying home the $1,000 top prize.

Hungry for racing after a long winter, a great crowd was on hand and watched many of the top drivers from Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin battle it out.

Johnny Johnson’s track record of 23.245 seconds was broken by all of the six fastest qualifiers and was now owned by Tom Hearst of Wilton, Iowa, the defending track champion. He turned the half-mile in 22.522 seconds.

The top six qualifiers were inverted with Niffenegger inheriting the pole position. As the race got underway, Niffenegger jumped into the lead and was never headed, leading all 30 circuits. He was never comfortable, though, as Curt Hansen, Hearst, Johnson and Gary Webb, who finished second, third, fourth and fifth respectively, made it a battle royal to the end.

Ray Guss Sr. of Milan, Ill., was in the third spot for most of the race, but mechanical problems towards the end of the race dropped him back in the field and he finished 12th.

Heat winners were Hearst, Dave Sidwell of Solon, Iowa, Pete Parker, now driving out of Walcott, Iowa, and Niffenegger. Keith Remley of Blue Grass, Iowa, won the semi-main.

Gail Brenner of Wilton, Iowa, won his heat and then took the win in the Sportsman 20-lapper. The feature ended none too soon for Brenner, as he climbed out of his car and was ready to accept his trophy, the radiator hose burst and steam engulfed his car.

West Liberty Raceway would experience change for the 1982 season. Larry Kemp and Johnny Johnson had taken over the promotional reigns from Dale Gegner but fortunately for drivers and fans, the Spring Championship remained.

 

 

Dick Schiltz of Waterloo, Iowa, would capture the 50-lap NASCAR Grand American Late Model feature in convincing fashion at the sixth annual Spring Championship on April 24, 1982. Schiltz started the race on the outside of the front row and dominated the event. He finished well ahead of runner-up Jim Burbridge, who started on the pole.

Roger Dolan would prove to be the stiffest competition for the low-flying Schiltz, but Dolan’s hope for glory ended midway through the contest when he slammed the turn three retaining wall hard.

Dolan started on the third row after posting fast time and the mishap occurred while he and Schiltz were working lapped traffic. Dolan’s slammed into the wall and rode it around perhaps 150 feet before coming to a stop.

That ended the race for first but the battle for second waged among Burbridge, Rollie Frink of Davenport and Steve Keppler, who finished in that order. Kenny Fenn of Washington came in fifth.

Duane Steffe, Frink, and Jim Thruman of Freeport, Ill., were heat winners.

For sheer excitement, it would be tough to beat the two-car race between Scott Sells of Waverly, Iowa, and Greg Hunter of Independence, Iowa, in the 15-lap Sportsman feature. Hunter dominated, but Sells made a move on the inside of turn one on the white flag lap and came out the winner.

Twenty-five IMCA Modifieds began the evening and the feature race went to Arlo Becker of Atkins, Iowa, in his familiar #88 AMC Gremlin. It didn’t come easy for the 1981 Cedar County Raceway champion as Mike Wilson of Rock Island, Ill., pushed Becker the whole way until the final lap when his engine expired.

 

Fifty-Six Late Models lined the pit area with each one of them looking for the $1,000 prize when the seventh annual Spring Championships took place on April 23, 1983. A crowd of 5,000 plus braved chilly temps and windy conditions to witness Eastern Iowa’s first race of the season.

Rick Wendling of Hazelton, Iowa, jumped from the pole position to take an early lead in the 30-lap Late Model contest. Dave Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, who started on the outside of the third row, charged past four cars to settle into second place by the time the first lap was scored official.

Wendling would continue to set the pace until he and Birkhofer encountered slower traffic by lap 11. Wendling would have issues getting around a slower car as the pair exited turn four, allowing Birkhofer to slip inside as they entered turn one to take the lead.

While Birkhofer opened up a sizeable margin, a four-car battle for second place ensued between Wendling, Rollie Frink, defending champion Dick Schiltz and Roger Dolan.

A yellow flag on lap 25 bunched up the field, setting the stage for a five-lap sprint to the finish. With the track cleared, Dolan and Schiltz were able to keep Birkhofer in their sights but neither could mount a challenge as they exchanged positions between themselves.

Schiltz finished second followed by Dolan with Rick Wages of Moline, Ill., and Frink rounding out the top five.

Heat winners were Frink, Wendling, Mark Keltner of Morning Sun, Iowa, Denny Osborn of Cedar Falls, Iowa, and Birkhofer. Tom Hearst won the C-feature and Ed Sanger was the B-feature winner.

Mike Schulte of Norway, Iowa, won both his heat and the 20-lap feature in the IMCA Modified division. John Brumley of Riverside, Iowa, finished second and Todd Jensen of Waterloo, Iowa, took third.

Steve Watts of Danville, Iowa, driving a brand-new Dodge Challenger was untouchable as he won the Street Stock feature.

 

 

The 1984 Spring Championship would take several weeks to get underway. Originally scheduled for April 14, rainy weather postponed the event until the following Saturday, April 21. However, snow would come into play that Saturday and the race would be re-scheduled for April 28.

The saying, “The third time’s a charm” would prove true as April 28, 1984, would see the eighth annual Spring championships come alive. A tally of 42 Late Models, 24 IMCA Modifieds and 25 Street Stocks signed in at the pit shack.

Ed Sanger would start on the outside of row one in the 35-lap Late Model feature and quickly jumped into the lead ahead of polesitter Hal Russell of Blue Grass, Iowa. The veteran waited out a couple of early cautions before opening up a lead while some of the faster qualifiers were working their way up from the fifth and sixth rows.

While Sanger checked out, the rest of the field raced for second place with fast qualifier Johnny Johnson, Bob LeKander of Burlington, Iowa and last year’s winner Dave Birkhofer doing the majority of the sparring. Each driver held down that spot at least twice before Birkhofer won the battle. LeKander would nail down third place while Johnson held on for the fourth spot. Ken Walton rounded out the top five.

Walton, Birkhofer, Ron Pallister of Wapello, Iowa and Curt Martin of Independence, Iowa, won heat races and Frank Springsteen of Morning Sun, Iowa, was the B-main winner.

Former IMCA Modified national champion Dale Fischlein of Davenport, Iowa, took the lead in the Modified main event but after five laps, his engine went up in a puff of smoke and he limped to the pit area.

Mike Cothron of Moline, Ill., inherited the lead after Fischlein’s exit and fended off Todd Jensen and then Mike Frieden of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to score the victory.

Rod Smith of Monmouth, Ill., set the pace early on in the Street Stock headliner but it was not to be, as Ron Barker of Dubuque, Iowa, slipped past him five laps from the finish to take the win.

 

 

The 1985 season would see yet another change in management at West Liberty as Al Frieden would be calling the shots. Frieden announced that there would be changes at the half-mile. Fortunately, the Spring Championship was not one of them.

More than 90 cars were in the pits and an estimated 3,000 lined the grandstands as the ninth annual Spring Championships took place on Saturday, April 20, 1985.

Tom Hearst would win the Late Model headliner, but he would need to take the lead twice to accomplish the 40-lap victory.

Ken Walton would lead the first five laps before Hearst took over on lap 6. However, on lap 16, Hearst suffered a flat tire and was forced to the sidelines during the caution period. A quick tire change in the pit area brought Hearst back on the track but to the rear of the field.

Walton took the green flag and settle comfortably into the lead while Hearst started his charge through the field. By lap 20, the Wilton, Iowa, veteran was in 15th, by lap 27 he was in 10th, and by lap 34 he was in the top five.

On lap 35, Hearst would pass both Dave Birkhofer and Rollie Frink to take over third place and a lap later, speed by Terry Gallaher of Quincy, Ill., for second. On lap 37, Hearst would power by Walton to regain the top spot. Walton would exit a lap later with a broke spindle. 

Hearst would win by several car lengths over Terry Gallaher with Frink, Birkhofer and Scott Sells rounding out the top five.

Bob Hill of Story City, Iowa, Hearst, Frink and Scott Sells of Waverly, Iowa were heat winners and Curt Martin took the semi-main.

Rick Wages of Moline, Ill., led from start to finish in winning the IMCA Modified feature over Dave Hammond of Camanche, Iowa and Hershel Roberts of East Moline, Ill.

Scott Megonigle of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was dominant in the Street Stock division, winning the heat and feature.

 

 

The tenth and final Spring Championship brought the promise of exciting stock car racing and a $16,000 purse attracted nearly 130 competitors on April 19, 1986. A crowd estimated at 3,500 witnessed 20 events on the half-mile.

An unofficial car count registered 26 Late Models, 56 IMCA Modifieds, 29 Street Stocks and 16 Bombers.

Davenport, Iowa, native Dale Fischlein, driving out of Independence, Iowa, went from a heat race disqualification and dead last starting position in the feature to victory lane in the Late Model 50-lapper.

Fischlein capture the third heat but was disqualified when his car failed to meet the minimum weight by 20 pounds. Because of the disqualification, Fischlein was required to start dead last in the 24-car field.

Steve Johnson of Low Moor, Iowa, led the first three laps before being passed by Jay Johnson of Wapello, Iowa, who led through lap 18. Roger Dolan would take command on lap 19 before Johnson got it back on lap 22. Johnson would lead until lap 25 before Dolan regained the top spot and led through to lap 29. Fischlein had made his way through the field and was in fifth.

Rollie Frink would get involved in the battle up front and pass Dolan on lap 30 and lead to lap 33 when Dolan took charge for the third time. However, Dolan would suffer a flat tire on a lap 34 caution period and restarted at the rear after a tire change. Fischlein had made his way to third.

On the restart, Frink would take charge with Bill Breuer and Fischlein hot on his tail. Fischlein would pass Breuer on the backstretch and on lap 37, make his move around Frink for the lead.

Two laps later, however, Fischlein would lose his spot at the front momentarily as Frink got past him on the backstretch only to see Fischlein regain the point as the pair exited turn four.

Fischlein would spend the remaining 10 circuits holding off Frink’s advances before finally taking the Johnny Oberthien’s checkers to seal the win. Frink, Breuer, Darrell Dake, and Curt Martin rounded out the top five.

The IMCA Modified feature aw a tremendous see-saw battle between Gus Hughes of Monticello, Iowa, and Steve Boley of LeClaire, Iowa. But the match race ended when Boley’s car overheated and headed for the pits. Hughes eventually was overtaken by Butch Cole of Kewaunee, Ill., who went on to win the non-stop 20-lapper.

Larry Richardson of West Liberty survived a crash-filled 15-lap Street Stock feature to post the win and Lyle Pearson of Martelle, Iowa, won the Bomber main.

The West Liberty race would continue but the name on the marquee would no longer be the “Spring Championship”. The next year, Promoter Al Frieden would have a three-day event at the three tracks he promoted, Cedar Rapids, West Liberty and Dubuque and call it the “The Weekend Spectacular”.

Update.....

 

Update to our Midwest Racing Archives readers....Hard-drive recovery has been a success with over 80% of data recovered. A special thanks goes to Evans Computer Consulting of Hiawatha, Iowa, for their tireless efforts in the recovery process. I should have a new story posted this weekend.

Until further notice....

To our loyal readers....For the immediate future, postings on Midwest Racing Archives' website will be on a limited basis until further notice.

Last Sunday, January 28, my external hard-drive crashed and with it, 2500+ photos, years of research, and stories I've written over the past 10 years.

It will take some time to recover my losses, so I ask everyone for patience as I start that process.
Thanks for your understanding.

Kyle Ealy
Editor - Midwest Racing Archives

The Tiny Lund Memorial: Honoring the Big Man

 

by Lee Ackerman
Omaha, Neb. - On August 17, 1975, racing lost one of its down-home heroes when Tiny Lund was killed as a result of an accident at the Talladega Super Speedway. The gentle giant from Harlan, Iowa was a crowd favorite. He became a legend in 1963 pulling Marvin Panch from a burning sports car at Daytona, then taking Panch’s place driving the Woods Brothers #21 and winning the Daytona 500.

In 1975, four days before his fatal accident at Talladega, Lund won a race at the Summerville Speedway in South Carolina called the Patriot 200. To honor Lund’s memory the race became known as the “Tiny Lund Memorial.” In 1976, Ray Allison won the race renamed the “Tiny Lund Memorial.” Dirt Late Model legend Buck Simmons won in 1977, Al Bailey in 1978 and another Dirt Late Model legend Freddy Smith in 1979.

The Fifth Annual Tiny Lund Memorial saw the first repeat winner as Baldwin, Georgia’s Buck Simmons got by Larry Moore with just eleven laps remaining and drove to a three second victory in the 100-lap affair. Moore finished second with Rodney Combs, Jack Pennington and Sammy Sommers rounding out the top five.

Moore, who started on the pole was the dominate car in the event, leading the most laps before brake problems in the final stages of the races allowed Simmons to make his move. Another strong challenger was Freddy Smith who was battling the leaders when he was pinched high by Mike Head and was eliminated from competition. Qualifying race winners were; Sommers, Billy Manor, Leon Archer and Haskell Willingham.

Larry Moore

 

The 1981 Tiny Lund Memorial could be called “turnaround is fair play” as Larry Moore returned to the Summerville Speedway and this time would not be denied. Moore put his Tri-City Camaro out front at the start and stayed there the whole 100 laps in picking up a nine second win over his teammate and ironically the driver who defeated him the previous year, Buck Simmons. Moore pocketed $3,300 for the victory.

Tire wear played a major part in the outcome of the race as several drivers’ tires went away in the late stages.  In the early stages of the race Moore managed to stay just ahead of a tight scramble behind him which included Leon Archer, Jack Pennington, Buck Simmons, Mike Duvall and Charley Powell III.

As the race wore on, Moore was able to charge to the finish line and win by a comfortable margin while several earlier challengers faded. Simmons held on for second, Pennington finished third with Leon Archer fourth and Powell III getting around Duvall for fifth on the last lap. Archer and Duvall admitted after the race that they had their tires mixed up and had the wrong compound on.

One driver who was unable to make a run at a repeat win was Kings Mountain, North Carolina’s Freddie Smith. The 1979 race winner destroyed his B & D Boilers Camaro in practice, the result of a stuck throttle which sent him slamming into the third turn retaining wall. Smith’s car was a total loss.

Freddie Smith

 

It seems that to win the Tiny Lund Memorial you first must have bad luck the year before. Larry Moore proved that concept in 1981 and Freddy Smith proved it in 1982.

Smith started things off by out qualifying the field as he posted a lap of 17.217 seconds around the 4/10ths mile oval. Starting on the pole, the driver who became known as “The Southern Gentleman” then led the 100-lap main event from start to finish.

 

Smith’s win was not a cakewalk however, as he was constantly pressured by Larry Moore and Jack Pennington as the trio weaved through slower traffic. At the end Smith’s margin of victory was just 1.7 second over Moore with Jack Pennington finishing third and Fulmer Lance fourth.

The race turned out to be one of little attrition as 19 of the 26 starters were running at the finish, the most of any of the seven Tiny Lund’s held up to that time. One contender you did not last long was two-time race winner Buck Simmons. The 1977 & 1980 race winner lasted just 19 laps before the engine in his Firebird expired.

Misfortune would once again decide the outcome of the Tiny Lund Memorial in 1983. Buck Simmons looked like the races’ first three-time winner, as after out qualifying the field with a lap of 17.491 seconds Simmons was leading the race on lap 71 when his Barry Wright #41 misfired going down the backstretch and coasted to a stop in turn three.

Buck Simmons

 

The magneto in Simmons’ engine had broken leaving him without power. Second running Jack Pennington of North Charleston, South Carolina, always in the mix for a win at the Tiny Lund assumed the lead and drove his B & D Boilers Firebird to the win and a check for $5,000.

 

Finishing right on Pennington’s bumper was another car sponsored by Beadie Lynch’s B & D Boilers in the person of two-time race winner Freddy Smith. Larry Moore finished third, Leon Sells fourth and Mike Head fifth. Head had earlier won the consolation race which earned him a starting spot near the end of the 23-car starting field.

While Simmons had dominated the race, at the start outside pole sitter Fulmer Lance had gotten the jump on him only to surrender the lead to Simmons in turn four. Lance then started to fade as Pennington passed him two laps later. Lance had tire issues throughout the race and finished ninth. At the halfway mark it was Simmons, Pennington, Moore and Smith. After Simmons left the race, Smith got by Moore on lap 83, taking second with Sells getting by Head in lapped traffic late in the race for fourth.

Fate or luck one again played a part in the outcome of the 1984 edition of the Tiny Lund. Larry Moore, then racing out of Seneca, South Carolina avoided a major accident on lap 30 and then held off the late race charge of Rome, Georgia’s Buddy Morris to become the races third two-time winner.

Jack Pennington was leading the race on lap 30 and working his way through lapped traffic when a multi-car accident was triggered that eliminated race leader Pennington with major front-end damage. The accident also took out second running Lee McCallister and damaged the car of fourth running Freddy Smith. Moore, running third at the time just barely slipped through the mud on the low side and assumed the lead.

When the race resumed, Moore was able to open a good-sized lead over second place Ricky Brant. Meanwhile, Smith had returned to the race after making repairs, but was caught up in a battle with Hal McGraw. On lap 74, Morris moved around Brant for second and started to chase down Moore. A lap 84 caution tightened the field up and although Morris was all over Moore he could not get around as Moore picked up his second Tiny Lund Memorial. Morris was second, Brant third, Al Bailey fourth and Charley Powell III fifth.

The 1985 version of the race was sanctioned by the NASCAR Busch All Star Tour Super Series and Chattanooga, Tennessee’s Ronnie Johnson making his first visit to Summerville out charged pole sitter Gene Chupp into the lead at the drop of the green and lead the entire 100 laps to pick up the win. “I’ve always wanted to come to this race, now I wish I had been coming before, exclaimed Johnson after the race.

Chupp ran second until about the halfway point of the race when local favorite Charlie Powell III powered by as Chupp went high. Powell III was able to keep pace with Johnson until the end of the race when Johnson was able to put more distance between the two. Powell was happy with his second-place finish and noted after the race “We did pretty good for having a 350 motor against his 402, but the car was pushing so bad I couldn’t turn it from lap 40 on.”

Mike Head finished third and Chupp fourth. Two drivers who made valiant efforts but came up short were Mike Duvall who charged from 11th to fifth only to have a flat tire and Buddy Morris, who after spinning out went to the tail and charged back to sixth.“We ran well at Summerville,” Freddy Smith recently recalled. “Because we done so well there, it led to us getting Beadie Lynch as a sponsor.”

Following the 1986 racing season, the Summerville Speedway was paved and remained a NASCAR weekly racing series track for years to come. But by 2004 it was struggling to draw fans and the track was closed and sold to the Landcraft Development Company ending a four-decade run as the place to be on Saturday nights.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

 

 

We wish our Midwest Racing Archives readers a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

- Kyle Ealy and Lee Ackerman

 

 

 

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1976

The 1988 Iowa Firecracker Jamboree

 

 

By Kyle Ealy

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – With its once-stellar stock car series now but a distant memory, the United States Auto Club decided it still needed a full-bodied racing division to complement its highly successful open wheel program.

Getting away from the traditional full-sized stock car that had been a staple of that division for over 30 years, USAC officials went down a different path and capitalized on one of the most dynamic forms of racing; late models.

From 1985 to 1988, the United States Auto Club would sanction dirt late model racing and some of the biggest stars in the sport would compete under their banner.

In 1987, the USAC Dirt Late Model Series came to Iowa during the July 4th weekend for a three-race sked (Cedar Rapids, Burlington and Marshalltown). It was appropriately named, “The Iowa Firecracker Jamboree”.

Due to the success of the promotion, USAC officials and Iowa promoters decided to give it another try for the 1988 season.

Burlington, Davenport, Marshalltown and Oskaloosa would be the sites for the for the four-day weekend of racing.

 

 

On Friday, July 1, the USAC cars and stars rolled into Marshalltown, Iowa, and before a capacity crowd, Larry Phillips won the hard-fought 40-lap feature. The Springfield, Mo., veteran outdistanced Billy Moyer Jr. and Willy Kraft to the finish line for the victory.

Phillips’ win was hard-fought as he and Moyer Jr. often raced side-by-side as they dueled through lapped traffic. On several occasions, Moyer Jr. actually took the lead but Phillips decision to run the low groove paid off in the long run. Moyer hung on for second while Kraft took third. Ken Essary of Galena, Mo., who earlier had set a new track record in qualifying (15.173 seconds), grabbed fourth while Dick Potts of Morocco, Ind., rounded out the top five. The highest finishing Iowan was Johnny Johnson of Wapello who finished ninth.

Late model heats were won by Essary, Phillips, and Moyer Jr. while Jim Rarick of Taylorville, Ill., took the last chance race.

The series would head to Burlington, Iowa, and 34 Raceway, on Saturday, July 2. Once again, race fans came from near and far as a standing room only crowd was on hand to witness the action.

 

 

Willy Kraft of Lakefield, Minn., would jet to a straightaway advantage early in the 40-lap contest and lead from start to finish in winning his fourth series race of the year. But it was anything but easy...

Larry Phillips, who had made an engine change and had to qualify out of the last chance race, cleared himself from the field and slowly began to reel in the leader and by lap 21 had caught up with Kraft. Phillips was able to stick the nose of his car to the inside of Kraft on numerous occasions in the corners, but Kraft would maintain the lead in the straightaways. By lap 30 Phillips would stay close until he over-compensated his car and dropped off the topside of turn 2 on lap 30.

Billy Moyer Jr. would take up chase after Phillips’ mistake and he too, would give Kraft fits until the very end. When Kraft fish-tailed on the last lap, Moyer Jr. made a last-ditch charge for the checkered, but Kraft was able to straighten his car out and hold on for the win. Moyer Jr. would settle for second, Phillips recouped to take third, followed by Ken Esssary and Ray Guss Jr. of Milan, Ill.

Once again, Johnny Johnson would be the highest finishing Iowan with an eighth place showing. Heat winners were Esssary, Dick Potts, Kraft, and Guss Jr. Phillips won the last chance race. Moyer Jr, set fast time on the evening, touring the 3/8-mile high-banked clay surface in 15.539 seconds.

Kraft would follow up his Saturday night performance with another stellar showing at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa. The current USAC point leader would score his second consecutive late model victory as he topped the 40-lap headliner on Sunday, July 3.

Rick Egersdorf of St. Paul, Minn., would lead the opening lap of the contest but Kraft would take command as the field came to the start/finish for lap 2. Unlike the night before, Kraft would have an easy time of it, leading the race by a straightaway at times. Dick Potts would be a distant second followed by Larry Phillips, Tom Hearst of Wilton, Iowa, was the highest finishing Iowan in fourth and Jeff Hinkemeyer of St. Cloud, Minn., in fifth.

Ken Essary, Kraft, and Larry Phillips were heat race winners and Jim Rarick won the last chance race.  Billy Moyer Jr., was fast qualifier for the evening, cruising the big half-mile in the time of 20.364 seconds.

 

 

The fourth and final race would take place at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds in Davenport, Iowa, on Monday, July 4.

With fireworks crackling in the background, Larry Phillips would return to victory lane, leading wire to wire on the third-mile dirt oval. Phillips was never challenged as he built a huge lead in the early going and cruised to an easy win. Willy Kraft would finish a distant second, Ken Schrader of Fenton, Mo., grabbed third, Ken Essary took fourth and Ray Guss Jr., rounded out the top five. Johnny Johnson was the top finishing Iowan in seventh. The main event started on a sour note as fast qualifier (15.598 seconds) Billy Moyer Jr. blew a motor at the wave of the green flag.

Heat winners were Moyer Jr., Ray Guss Jr., and Willy Kraft. The last chance winner was “The Racing Auctioneer” Charlie Sentman of Waveland, Ind.

The Davenport race was coined “The Final Conflict” and maybe it was pure coincidence but it would be the final appearance in Iowa for the USAC late model division. Despite the popularity of dirt late models, it just didn’t fit the mold for the United States Auto Club.

Making a decision to showcase their open wheel divisions (sprints and silver crown), long the calling card of the United States Auto Club, they decided to shut down the late model series after the 88’ season.

However, with the World of Outlaws and the American Late Model Association co-sanctioning, there would be another Iowa Firecracker Jamboree in 1989.

But that’s another story….

1964: The Keokuk Connection and a Perfect Season in IMCA Stock Car Racing

by Lee Ackerman

Keokuk, Iowa - By the start of the 1964 season, it was becoming very obvious that drivers from Keokuk, Iowa were a major factor in IMCA Stock Car Racing. Don White had won three IMCA Stock Car Championships and had moved on to run with the United States Auto Club, where he would win two USAC Stock Car Championships and become the all-time winningest driver in USAC Stock Car history with 53 wins.

The remaining three giants of Keokuk racing, Dick Hutcherson, Ernie Derr and Ramo Stott had finished the 1963 IMCA racing finishing first, second and third in the points, (Hutcherson, Stott and Derr) and had managed to win 51 of the 56 features contested along the way. But no one could imagine what the three were going to accomplish in 1964.

The 1964 IMCA Late Model Stock Car season turned out to be one of the most remarkable accomplished in sports.  At the end of that season, the series had contested 56 races and ALL 56 were won by one of three drivers hailing from an unassuming Iowa river town on the Mississippi River called Keokuk.

 

Dick Hutcherson

 

 

A record crowd of 10,000 fans welcomed the series to the annual season opener at the Louisiana State Fairgrounds in Shreveport. Dick Hutcherson in his new 1964 Ford broke Ernie Derr’s track qualifying record with a lap of 26.08 and appeared to have things under control until a faulty distributor condenser forced him to cut down his speed and he ended up finishing third. Ernie Derr took control of the race on lap 56 and go on to win the race with Ramo Stott finishing second. Derr was driving a 1964 Dodge as his new 1964 Plymouth had not yet arrived.

Hutcherson countered with a win on May 2 at Knoxville, Iowa, winning the 200-lap feature with pressure from Stott throughout most of the race. Hutcherson set a new IMCA qualifying record as well as new marks at 50, 75 and 100 miles. Ernie Derr countered by winning a 250-lap affair at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids, but Hutcherson slipped by Stott early in the Memorial Day Classic at Topeka and went on to best Stott for the win. Derr appeared to have third nailed down until an axle went out.

The next day, Derr and Stott each scored a 50-lap win back at Hawkeye Downs. Hutcherson countered again with wins at Memphis, Mo., and Donnellson, Iowa. The trio swapped wins back and forth over the next several races with Stott winning the annual 200-lap Kansas International at Topeka, on the 4th of July holding off Hutcherson by a nose. Ernie Derr was six seconds back in third. At this point in the season, Hutcherson held a 213 point lead over Derr with Stott just 13 points further back.

The drivers were greeted by a wet and heavy track at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines on July 12 for the annual running of the Iowa International 300. Stott led most of the first 150 laps, but for safety reasons, the race was halted and regarded. After the restart, Hutcherson took to the heavy and wet track like a duck to water and drove away to the win before 15,000 fans. Bob Reynolds of Edmonds, Okla., got by Stott for second, with Derr, finishing fourth.

 

Ernie Derr

 

Not only did the win increase Dick Hutcherson’s point lead, but he then set off and proceeded to win eight more races in a row, with two wins each at Minot, N.D., Fargo, N.D., Cresco, Iowa and Hibbing, Minn., in a run that put the championship pretty much out of reach. The second Fargo show saw Hutcherson wage a tremendous dogfight with both Stott and Derr in the 100-lap affair before Derr retired with a blown rear end and Stott with a broken distributor wire.

Finally, at the Southern Iowa Fair in Oskaloosa on August 5, Ernie Derr broke Hutcherson’s streak by winning the 100 lap race with Hutcherson and Stott following in second and third. The victory started a bit of a winning streak for Derr as starting with the win at Oskaloosa he would win seven of the next eight, with Stott winning at La Crosse, Wis.

August 22nd brought the series back to Des Moines for the Iowa State Fair and Hutcherson regained his momentum by winning their and then followed by with two wins at the Missouri State Fair, one on the half-mile and one on the mile. Stott then won back at Des Moines in a 250-lap affair.

It was then off to the annual trek to the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul. But in 1964 something had changed. The track had been paved. Some IMCA driver had trouble with the unfamiliar racing surface, Dick Hutcherson wasn’t one of them. He set fast time all three days they were held and then went on to win three of the four features, with Stott winning the other.  The final of these races was the North Star 400, scheduled for 400 laps it was cut short by rain at the 375 lap mark, with who else, but Hutcherson at the front of the field.

Back on the dirt the trio swapped wins again, with Stott winning five times, Hutcherson 4 times and Derr twice leading up to the last four races of the season to be held back at Shreveport.

 

Ramo Stott

 

The four events held at Shreveport can be summed up in one name; Dick Hutcherson. Hutcherson won all four features. The last race of the season proved to be an exciting one as Derr, Stott, Hutcherson and Lenny Funk all held the lead at one time or another. Hutcherson took over the lead for good with 10 laps remaining when Stott had to pit for refueling in the 150-lap race.

This ended, one of the most amazing seasons in auto racing history.  Dick Hutcherson won 29 times on his way to winning his second straight IMCA championship. Ramo Stott won 12 times and finished second in the points with Ernie Derr recording 15 wins and third place in the championship race.

Dick Hutcherson left IMCA following the 1964 season and headed south to NASCAR country.  In 1965, he won nine races in the Holman-Moody Ford and finished second to Ned Jarrett it what is now the Nextel Cup series. Dick would win 22 poles and score 14 wins before retiring at the end of the 1968 season. Later he would be a successful crew chief and then go on to co-found Hutcherson-Pagan Racing. If you ever attend a race of one of NASCAR’s three major series you can count on seeing the Brown and Orange Hutcherson-Pagan hauler somewhere in the pits.

Ramo Stott stayed in IMCA four more years finishing second each of those years to Ernie Derr. In 1965 and 1966 the two combined to win 72 of the 74 IMCA Stock Car races held. Stott would leave IMCA after the 1968 season and go on to race in ARCA and USAC. Stott would win the ARCA Championship back-to-back in 1970 and 1971 and then win the USAC Stock Car Championship in 1975. He would also claim the pole position for the 1976 Daytona 500.

Ernie Derr remained a regular in the IMCA series through the 1971 season. While he did race a few times in other series, he is remembered mostly for his accomplishments in IMCA. Those accomplishments include a staggering 328 career wins and 12 championships. When you mention IMCA stock car racing, the first name that has to come to mind is; Ernie Derr.

In the 29 year history of the IMCA Stock Car Series (1949-1977), Keokuk drivers won 18 championships. From 1953 thru Ernie Derr’s retirement following the 1971 season, only with Johnny Beauchamp’s championships in 1956 and 1957 did the championship go to a driver who did not hail from Keokuk.