1965 – Turner Captures First American 500

 

Curtis Turner

Rockingham, N.C. (October 31, 1965) – They said he was through. Over the hill, they said. Too old and his reflexes too slow to make a successful return to modern stock car racing. The speeds had gotten too fast for old timers like him, and he may hurt himself.

That’s what they said, but Curtis Turner, the man they were talking about, proved that he still had the ingredients to be a successful driver, and much of the ability left which once made him NASCAR’s biggest drawing card.

Turner, who was suspended from NASCAR in 1961 for trying to organize drivers into the Teamster’s Union, and finally reinstated a few months ago, drove a factory-backed 1965 Ford across the finish line 11 seconds ahead of Cale Yarborough Sunday to win the inaugural American 500 stock car race.

Overcoming such handicaps such as broke ribs and weakening brakes, the 42-year-old Turner took the lead on the 474th lap and withstood one challenger after another to win his first race since returning to NASCAR.

First-place money was $13,090 and the winner averaged 101.942 miles per hour over the brand-new one-mile asphalt.

Yarborough, and the third and fourth place finishers, Marvin Panch and G.C. Spencer, also drove Fords. Richard Petty finished fifth in Jim Paschal’s hemi-powered Plymouth, which he took over on lap 126 after wrecking his car on a lap 58 three-car pile-up.

Some 40,000 fans filled North Carolina Speedway to watch the 500-mile race in which the lead changed hands 15 times. The event was slowed by eight cautions flags which waved for a total of 53 laps.

Junior Johnson of Ronda, N.C., who started on the outside of the front row, took the lead on the first lap, and held it until lap 46 when he pitted. He regained the lead on lap 49 and led it through lap 89. The Ford driver was battling Bobby Isaac of Catawba, N.C., for the lead and the two were running side-by-side down the backstretch with Johnson on the outside and Isaac on the inside.

Going into the third turn, Turner, who was running third at the time, decided he would get into the thick of things. He pulled inside of Isaac, touched him a little, and Isaac was forced into Johnson who slid into the guardrail.

Johnson pitted, changed tires, and returned to the track but was out of serious contention and then his engine blew on lap 154 and he was finished for the day.

After Johnson hit the wall, Isaac took over the lead and kept it until lap 99. Turner grabbed the top spot on lap 100 and held it for 45 laps. Then Panch led, then Turner again before Petty, now driving Paschal’s car, took over on lap 276 and led through lap 359 when he developed mechanical issues.

After Petty dropped out of contention, it was narrowed down to a race between Yarborough and Turner. Turner led from laps 360 to 364, and Yarborough led for the first time on lap 365. Turner took over again on lap 379, and Yarborough went back into the lead on lap 439 and led until Turner took over for good on lap 474.

The last time Yarborough took the lead was when Turner made his final pit stop, and it was apparent that Yarborough would have to stop once more for fuel. He stopped for 12 seconds on lap 474, but it was long enough to give Turner a half-lap lead or a 17-second margin.

Yarborough was never able to cut Turner’s advantage to less than six seconds.


Results –


1. Curtis Turner, Charlotte, N.C.
2. Cale Yarborough, Timmonsville, S.C.
3. Marvin Panch, Daytona Beach, Fla.
4. G.C. Spencer, Inman, S.C.
5. Jim Paschal (Richard Petty relief driver)
6. J.T. Putney, Arden, N.C.
7. Dick Hutcherson, Keokuk, Iowa
8. Elmo Langley, Landover, Md.
9. Buck Baker, Charlotte, N.C.
10.Paul Lewis, Johnson City, Tenn.

1978- Carson Finds New Ride, Cops Eldora Outlaw Main

 

Shane Carson won the 40-lap World of Outlaws sprint car feature at Eldora Speedway. - Jim Carmichael Photo

Rossburg, Ohio (October 29, 1978) – Shane Carson turned a last-minute car shopping expedition into a $10,000 bonanza by winning Sunday afternoon’s 40-lap World of Outlaws sprint car program at Eldora Speedway.

After being informed Friday that his regular car owner, Bob Trostle, decided not to enter Carson’s mount in the program, the Oklahoma pilot hurriedly sought another ride for the final show of the season and found one from Harold and Dick Nickels.

However, it still seemed that Carson was destined to finish no higher than third in Sunday’s headliner when Steve Kinser, the series’ driving king, and Rick Ferkel dominated the early stages of the main event.

Kinser, who claimed the top spot on lap 5, was eliminated when his racer was struck by a tire which came off of early frontrunner Jim Linder’s machine.

Kinser’s departure allowed Ferkel to inherit first place, but “The Ohio Traveler’s” victory hopes ended on lap 25 when his car’s engine gave way.

The turn of events catapulted Carson into first place which he never relinquished. At the finish it was Carson followed by Charlie Swartz, Doug Wolfgang, Dub May, Fred Linder and Bobby Allen.


Results –


1. Shane Carson
2. Charlie Swartz
3. Doug Wolfgang
4. Dub May
5. Fred Linder
6. Bobby Allen
7. Don Mack
8. Norman Martin
9. Smokey Snellbaker
10.Danny Smith

1962 – Foyt Wins Golden State 100

 

A.J. Foyt accepts his trophy from California State Fair president Farrell Wrenn (right) after winning the Golden State 100. Dick Wareing, the trophy sponsor (left) and race promoter A.J. Agajanian (behind Foyt) joins in the post-race festivities. - Bill Piggot Photo

Sacramento, Calif. (October 28, 1962) – A.J. Foyt likes to ride the high road.

And this is the route he traveled to win the Golden State 100 championship dirt car race on the California State Fairgrounds on Sunday afternoon before a throng of 12,400.

Foyt was in command of the situation beginning with the seventh lap as he shattered a track record in being clocked for 100 miles in 1 hour, 2 minutes and 59.14 seconds. His time represented a speed of 97.22 miles per hour.

The Houston, Tex., speedster who dominated the 1961 United States Auto Club competition, also set a record for the 50-mile distance as he timed in 31 minutes and 48.05 seconds.

For his afternoon ride over a surface deemed excellent by the contestants, Foyt pocketed $3,970 from the record purse of $19,115 and lap awards and accessory money raised his total earnings to $5,720.

The personable Foyt, whose triumph was a popular one with the big crowd, said he likes to ride high on the track and after the first few laps, began his descent to the outside groove.

“I trailed Jim (Hurtubise) low for the first few laps,” Foyt recounted. “but soon found out I couldn’t get anywhere low, so I moved up to the high side. For me, I can get more speed out of the car riding against the cushion.”

Foyt’s record smashing performance was accomplished despite a slipping clutch which bothered him during the last 20 circuits. He admitted afterwards that he slowed down rather than risk being forced out at such a late stage in the race.

Foyt, who is the third driver in the history of the Golden State 100 to win more than once, his other being in 1960, said he did not push his car and preferred to cling to his lead and “ride it out.”

During his victorious spin, Foyt nearly lapped the field as he had a 24-second bulge on the second-place finisher, Don Branson of Champaign, Ill., who was trailing the winner by three-quarters of a mile.

It didn’t take long for Foyt to catch up to the tail end of the 18 starters as he began overtaking them on lap 19 and continued the process until he was forced to ease up on the throttle due to the slipping clutch.

Hurtubise, the early pace setter for the first six laps, settled for fourth behind Branson and Elmer George of Speedway, Ind., who came with a rush in the final 10 laps to gain third place.

Hurtubise, a former Golden State winner, held onto second for 32 laps before being passed by Jim McElreath of Arlington, Tex. McElreath eventually retired on lap 61 with a brake problem.


Results –


1. A.J. Foyt, Houston, Tex.
2. Don Branson, Champaign, Ill.
3. Elmer George, Speedway, Ind.
4. Jim Hurtubise, Lennox, Calif.
5. Parnelli Jones, Torrance, Calif.
6. Troy Ruttman, Dearborn, Mich.
7. Johnny Rutherford, Fort Worth, Tex.
8. Lloyd Ruby, Houston, Tex.
9. Chuck Booth, Sacramento, Calif.
10.Len Sutton, Portland, Ore.

Jim Hurtubise (56) leads eventual winner A.J. Foyt (14) and Don Branson (7) during the 1962 Golden State 100. - Dave Friedman Photo

1968 – Derr Captures Ninth IMCA Crown

 

Ernie Derr claimed his ninth IMCA national stock car championship with his victory in the 150-lap season finale at State Fair Speedway. Joining Derr in victory lane is Derr’s crew chief Andy Anderson (far left), starter Russ Brown (far right) and former IMCA stock car champion Herschel Buchanan. – Billy Upshaw Photo

Shreveport, La. (October 27, 1968) – Getting a swift job from his pit crew, Ernie Derr put the finishing touches on his ninth national International Motor Contest Association stock car championship by capturing the 150-lap feature at the Louisiana State Fair Speedway on Sunday afternoon before a standing room only crowd.

Derr’s 1968 Dodge flew past the checkered flag a half lap ahead of Lenny Funk, “The Flying Wheat Farmer,” who stayed with Derr all afternoon long.

The winning time of 1 hour, 8 minutes and 35.59 seconds was a “fast time” for Derr since he had to start the race in sixth position. Rules for the feature race state that the six fastest cars in time trials must be inverted. The track record of 1 hour, 7 minutes and 18.17 seconds set last year by Derr did not have these rules.

The other half of the “Keokuk Komets,” Ramo Stott, unfortunately lost valuable time on the 31st lap. Stott was the leader from the ninth lap. Hiss pit stop could have very well been the reason why Derr was the winner and Stott was not. While he came off the track to get his windshield clean and other minor operations, Stott was unable to get his car re-fired.

After having more than a half-dozen men try to push-start and failing, the crew waved a tow truck to give the car the acceleration the car needed to get the motor running. It was during that pit stop that valuable time was lost for Stott.

Stott did make a valiant effort to try and catch both Derr and Funk, but the two and a half lap lead was just too much to overcome.

Lewis Taylor’s 1967 Plymouth set the early pace for the starting field of 25 until Stott charged past on lap 9.

Following the first 10 times around the half-mile dirt, the top five in order were Stott, Taylor, Derr, Funk and Harold Young.

During the early stages of the race, the drivers were required to make a mandatory 30-second pit stop. Some drivers came in as early as lap 12 while others waited until the 50-lap mark. Taylor was one who elected to stop towards the latter and held the lead from lap 32 until lap 51 when his pit stop cost him time.

It was there that Derr jumped into the lead and carried that position to the finish.

Funk piloted his ’66 Ford past Taylor on the 55th go-round for second place and it was apparent that the Otis, Kan., driver was going to have something to say about the finish.

Meanwhile, Stott was gradually making up the time he lost during his long pit stop. Ramo had pulled into the third slot by lap 70 but still trailed Derr and Funk by two laps.

After eight encirclements, Funk was only five car lengths behind Derr while Stott trailed Funk by two laps. Taylor, gradually slipping, was still in the race at that point, but two laps behind Stott.

During the next 30 laps, Derr poured it on as Funk began to slowly slip.

When the 110th lap was completed, Funk was a quarter of a lap behind. By this time, Tony Barcelona’s ’64 Ford had moved into the fifth spot when Taylor came into the pits, finished for the day.

When Funk came in for his final pit stop of the day on lap 122, it looked as though he may be able to catch Derr due to the seemingly fast work of his crew.

But if any crew deserves a Pulitzer Prize for its quickness, it was the pitmen of Derr.

As the red and white Dodge Charge came to a halt, one crewman was already pouring gas needed to finish the tank of the winning car. Ten seconds later, Derr was back on the track and still ahead of Funk who could get no closer than half a lap.

Stott didn’t make it to the pits until lap 138. Although stopping just moments, he couldn’t gain any ground on Derr and Funk to the finish.

As Derr crossed the finish line, Funk was half a lap behind. A bewildered Stott came in third while two Fords nailed down fourth and fifth. Barcelona was five laps ahead of Dale Keeling’s ’64 Ford. Only seconds behind Keeling was Fred Whisler, also in a ’64 Ford.

Pausing for a moment after the race, Derr commented about claiming his ninth national championship, “It feels great to win.”


Results –


1. Ernie Derr, Keokuk, Iowa
2. Lenny Funk, Otis, Kan.
3. Ramo Stott, Keokuk, Iowa
4. Tony Barcelona, Houston, Tex.
5. Dale Keeling, Dixon, Mo.
6. Fred Whisler, Independence, Mo.
7. Larry Ball, Independence, Mo.
8. Vic Elson, Ash Grove, Mo.
9. Butch Hall, Russell, Minn.
10.Phil Cronin, Houston, Tex.
11.Bob Perry, Springfield, Mo.
12.Joe McIntyre, Dallas, Tex.
13.Lewis Taylor, Shawnee, Kan.
14.Karl Stouffer, Independence, Mo.
15.Harold Young, Kansas City, Mo.
16.Thurman Lovejoy, Kansas City, Mo.
17.Dick Johnson, St. Paul, Minn.
18.Roger Blomquist, Minneapolis, Minn.
19.Paul Feldner, Colgate, Wis.
20.Sandy Sandstrom, Kansas City, Mo.

1975 – Midwest 300 to Waltrip

 

Darrell Waltrip is on the receiving end of victory kisses from his wife Stevie (right) and Miss Salem Speedway after winning his second Midwest 300 at Salem Speedway. – Photo Courtesy of Steve Stubbs

Salem, Ind. (October 26, 1975) – Darrell Waltrip of Franklin, Tenn., who has never lost in 10 feature races at Salem Speedway, held off a late charge from Randy Sweet and won the last of the three 100-lap contests in the Midwest 300.

Larry Moore led from the opening lap to the 61st circuit before sliding in oil and slamming into a guardrail.

Waltrip had been locked in a duel with John Anderson in the first 100-lapper before both of them got tangled on the main straightaway with Carl Smith and Ron Hayes. Anderson couldn’t continue and Waltrip lost enough time to finish second to Sweet.

Moore won the second 100-lapper as the first two races determined the field of 24 for the third race.

A crowd of 6,191 were in attendance.


Results –

Feature #1 –

1. Randy Sweet, Portage, Mich.
2. Darrell Waltrip, Franklin, Tenn.
3. Rick Knotts, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Feature #2 –

1. Larry Moore, Dayton, Ohio
2. Tom Reffner, Rudolph, Wis.
3. Terry Bivins, Shawnee, Kan.

Feature #3 –

1. Darrell Waltrip
2. Randy Sweet
3. Tom Reffner
4. John Anderson, Warren, Mich.
5. Moose Myers, Fort Wayne
6. Rick Knotts
7. Terry Bivins
8. Mark Lamoreux, Bloomington, Minn.
9. Joe Wallace, Leavenworth, Kan.
10.Larry Schuler, Lockport, Ill.

1962 – Hutcherson Wins at Shreveport

 

Dick Hutcherson 

Shreveport, La. (October 21, 1962) – Smiling Iowan, Dick Hutcherson jumped out front on the first lap and was never headed Sunday afternoon in the 100-lap feature at International Motor Contest Association-sponsored stock car races on the State Fairgrounds half mile.

Hutcherson, one of several IMCA drivers hailing from Keokuk, Iowa, picked up $250 for his winning effort, beating out fellow townsman Ernie Derr for the top spot as the capacity crowd looked on. Derr was the winner last April when the IMCA stock car season opened.

Hutcherson, who piloted a ’62 Ford, said that getting out front early was the major factor in his victory.

The drivers had to peer through mud-splattered windshields on this gray Sunday afternoon after hard rains on Saturday had made the track slippery and treacherous.

Finishing behind Hutcherson and Derr, who won $190, was Bob Reynolds of Edmond, Okla., who pocketed $140 for finishing third.

Fourth went to Lenny Funk of Otis, Kan., while John Mickey of Columbus Junction, Iowa, rounded out the top-five.

While Hutcherson was cruising to an easy victory, the attention of the fans was focused on a red-hot race between Derr and Ramo Stott. Stott, riding herd on a ’62 Pontiac, had managed to stay ahead of Derr, the 1961 IMCA stock car national champion, for 79 laps. But on the 80th round, Derr wheeled his Pontiac even with Stott, and after a bumping session, moved ahead.

Stott never got a chance to come back into contention as his car went out on lap 87 due to engine trouble.

Hutcherson maintained at least a half-lap advantage through the latter stages of the race. His winning time for 50 miles was 45 minutes and 8 seconds.

Darrell Dake of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Hutcherson were heat winners. Funk took the win in the 10-lap consolation race.


Results –


1. Dick Hutcherson, Keokuk, Iowa
2. Ernie Derr, Keokuk, Iowa
3. Bob Reynolds, Edmond, Okla.
4. Lenny Funk, Otis, Kan.
5. John Mickey, Columbus Junction, Iowa
6. Newt Bartholomew, Carlisle, Iowa
7. Ramo Stott, Keokuk, Iowa
8. Paul Jett, San Antonio, Tex.
9. Butch Hall, Russell, Minn.
10.Jerry Douglas, Wichita, Kan.
11.Eddie Harrow, Corpus Christi, Tex.
12.Darrell Dake, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

1979 – Southern Fall Nationals Finale to Combs

 

Rodney Combs

Jackson, Tenn. (October 20, 1979) – Rodney Combs of Cincinnati, Ohio, took the lead at the outset and withstood a late charge by Larry Moore of Dayton, Ohio, to win the 100-lap National Dirt Racing Association-sanctioned late model feature at Fairgrounds Speedway on Saturday.

A crowd of 2,800 watched the second main event of the two-night Southern Fall Nationals as Combs pocketed $5,000 for the victory.

Combs, who captured the pole position in Friday’s qualifying time trials, never trailed in the race but was seriously challenged by Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, the third fastest qualifier, in the early stages of the race until a broken crankshaft forced him to retire.

Moore, the current NDRA point leader, started 16th, and moved his way through the field. He took over fourth spot on lap 80, third on lap 86, and second place on lap 93. Despite a late charge, he finished two-tenths of a second behind Combs at the checkered.

“If Moore could have gotten a late caution flag, there is no question he would have won the race,” said speedway president Bill Way Jr. Combs average lap time from lap 80 to the end was 16.20 seconds. His lap qualifying time was 17.43 seconds.

Jerry Inmon of Bruce, Miss., who is second in NDRA points, finished fourth behind Ed Sanger of Waterloo, Iowa. Defending NDRA national champion Leon Archer of Griffin, Ga., qualified eighth but dropped out after only 23 circuits.

Archer was trying to avoid a slower car in front of him that had turned sideways when it was pushed behind another car. Archer car crashed into the guardrail, breaking his front wheel axle.

At 6 a.m. Sunday morning, Archer had sold the car, a Howe Camaro, to Inmon for $26,000, reported Bill Way.

Results –


1. Rodney Combs
2. Larry Moore
3. Ed Sanger
4. Jerry Inmon
5. Tom Bartholomew
6. Tom Helfrich
7. Don Hobbs
8. Ken Essary
9. Roger Chism
10.Phil Gregory
11.Gene Chupp
12.Ronnie Johnson
13.Buck Simmons
14.Don Hester
15.Bobby Swayer
16.Jeff Purvis
17.Joe Ross
18.Mike Melius
19.Pete Parker
20.Leon Archer