1981 – Kirk, Druschel, Fitzpatrick Win at Vinton Opener

 

Bill Kirk of Salix made the long journey worthwhile as he won the open competition late model feature at Vinton Speedway. Karl Haglund makes the trophy presentation. – Bill Haglund Photo

Vinton, Iowa (April 5, 1981) – Race cars from all four borders were on hand Sunday afternoon as Vinton Speedway became the first Iowa racetrack to open for the 1981 season.

Traveling the greatest distance was undoubtedly Bill Kirk of Salix, Iowa, a small farming community near Sioux City, Iowa. Kirk, who farms near Salix, competed in special races in Sedalia, Mo., on Saturday before driving the 300 miles to Vinton before Sunday afternoon’s races. He then drove the 300 miles from Vinton to Salix after Sunday’s program.

However, Kirk made the trip somewhat worthwhile as he captured the open competition feature event after running 16th Saturday afternoon in Missouri after he burned two spark plug wires in the feature race.

Twice during Sunday’s feature event Kirk drove too hard into the third turn and went off the north end of the quarter-mile track. However, his lead was so great he was able to maintain his advantage even with his miscues.

Larry Druschel of Vinton captured the opening IMCA modified feature. Druschel had been running second, battling leader Bernie Juliar of Hudson, Iowa, for a number of laps when Juliar’s car suddenly lost power. That put Druschel out front, and the Vinton pilot held off the challenges of Jim Cunningham of Garrison, Iowa, to capture the win.

Mike Fitzpatrick of Grundy Center, Iowa, started where he left off last season as he captured the roadrunner main event after a race-long duel with Jeff Aikey of Cedar Falls, Iowa. After the race Aikey’s engine was claimed but he refused to sell and Craig Coventry of Independence, Iowa, was awarded second place.


Results –


Roadrunner -

1. Mike Fitzpatrick, Grundy Center, Iowa
2. Craig Coventry, Independence, Iowa
3. Dave Swarts, Cedar Falls, Iowa
4. Dwayne Burkey, Vinton, Iowa
5. Mike Krall, Waterloo, Iowa
6. Max Leonard, Atkins, Iowa


IMCA Modified –

1. Larry Druschel, Vinton, Iowa
2. Jim Cunningham, Garrison, Iowa
3. Greg Seitz, Waterloo, Iowa
4. Daryl Stout, Vinton, Iowa
5. Dave Kramer, Atkins, Iowa
6. Mike Sampson, Waterloo, Iowa
7. Gary Kaune, Waterloo, Iowa
8. Bernie Juliar, Hudson, Iowa


Open Competition –

1. Bill Kirk, Salix, Iowa
2. Todd Jensen, Waterloo Iowa
3. Keith Braun, Cedar Falls, Iowa
4. Greg Hunter, Independence, Iowa
5. Bill Breuer, Wapello, Iowa
6. Duane Van Deest, Grundy Center, Iowa
7. Dave Gerner, Garber, Iowa
8. Duane White, Vinton, Iowa

1970 – Lund Survives Crash, Wins Lakewood ‘100’

 

DeWayne "Tiny" Lund

Atlanta, Ga. (April 5, 1970) – Lakewood Speedway got its 1970 season off with a bang on Sunday. The race, won by Tiny Lund in a Camaro, was literally a smashing success from the start.

A field of 21 cars, led by Lund and Jim Paschal on the front row, was all set for the green flag when Ernie Shaw, who had put his Mustang into the guardrail during time trials, decided he couldn’t make it and pulled into the pit area.

About a minute later, 13 other drivers were wishing they had been as far sighted.

Lund and Paschal took the green in a swirl of dust with Paschal’s Javelin also belching smoke, and by the time Bobby Wilson’s Camaro, in the fourth row, got to the starter, it was impossible to see.

Somehow, Wilson got sideways, and when he got sideways, that was all she wrote – for everyone behind him. The rest of the field charged head-on into the sea of dust and Wilson’s Camaro with the end result being 13 re-designed race cars.

That was only openers. It was that kind of day for the 4,000 race fans at the track.

That, for the most part, took care of Lund’s competition although Ken Rush and Charlie Blanton, also in Camaro’s, led some of the time.

Blanton took the lead late and put the finishing touches on the day’s activities. He got in first by virtue of pit stops by Lund and Rush, who finished second, and for a while it looked like he was going to try and go all the way without pulling himself in.

However, he spun on the fourth turn of the 95th lap, and virtually ran out of gas, roared down the straightaway and into the pits – backwards.

“I thought about stopping and telling him he was going the wrong way,” Lund said jokingly after it was over. He had averaged 75.62 miles per hour for the 100 laps over the one-mile course and collected $1,200 of the $8,600 purse.


Results –


1. Tiny Lund
2. Ken Rush
3. Wayne Andrews
4. Charlie Blanton
5. Buck Baker
6. Jimmy Vaughn
7. T.C. Hunt
8. Frank Sessoms
9. Joe Huss
10.Phil Willis

1964 - Ford Driver Wins Americana Race

 

Tom Dill

Mineral Wells, W.Va. (April 5, 1964) - Tom Dill of Erie, Pa., rode the last one and a half laps on a flat tire in his 1964 Ford to win, unofficially, the first running of the Americana 300 Sunday at West Virginia International Speedway.

Dill, driving his first race this season, forged into the lead on the 219th lap as Virgil Barbee pitted his 1963 Pontiac. Barbee had moved out front on the 154th lap when front-running Andy Hampton's 1964 Pontiac wouldn't fire up after a pit stop.

Once in the lead, Dill moved his Ford out to a comfortable margin over Barbee, retained first by making a quick 22-second stop to take on gas and was breezing along to sure victory when a tire blew.

He had to slow his car considerably from the pace of about 62.5 miles-per-hour around the ¾-mile oval and limped home ahead of Barbee by one and a half seconds. His winning average speed was 57.50 miles per hour, and he collected $1,250 for the win.

Only 16 of a starting field of 37 cars were running at the finish. Most of the Auto Racing Club of America's big-name drivers were shackled by some kind of trouble throughout the race witnessed by an estimated 7,000 fans.

Jim Cushman, who started on the pole in his 1964 Plymouth after turning in top qualifying speed of 65.20 for the race, paced the field for about 30 laps before Hampton nosed his Pontiac ahead. Jack Purcell charged into first in a 1964 Ford but banged into the retaining wall and gave Hampton room to pass.

Hampton’s car was running good until his pit stop. It required the pushing hands of 10 mechanics to get his Pontiac re-fired again.

Earl Balmer, who was expected to set a fast pace in his 1964 Plymouth never got the car in the race. It blew a piston in practice, but the hard-charging driver got a ride when teammate Ramo Stott offered his Plymouth to Balmer, who is in the running for the ARCA point’s championship.

Despite an early pit stop, Balmer had the car turning the fastest laps around the speedway. He dropped out of contention with a series of fender-benders which resulted in blown tires.

Nelson Stacy, who’s 1964 Ford arrived too late for practice Saturday, found his car wasn't geared right for the course. A blown engine let his watch most of the race.

Other top drivers such as Jack Bowsher and Iggy Katona spent most of the afternoon in and out of the pits.

Dill, who started in the 15th position, said he ran until he was low on fuel before making his pit stop.

He explained that he was sure no tire change would be needed. He said he didn't hit the wall but that the tire wore through on the backstretch where he could regain control of the car without losing too much time.

Musgrave, the third-place finisher, lodged a protest after the race. The dispute arose when the scorer assigned to his car quit on the 185th lap. Musgrave claimed victory.


Results –


1. Tom Gill
2. Virgil Barbee
3. Elmer Musgrave
4. Homer Newland
5. George Swope
6. Don Arnold
7. Paul Parks
8. Jim Cushman
9. Wayne Bennett
10.Clyde Parker
11.Dick Freeman
12.Iggy Katona
13.Dick Dunlevy
14.Andy Hampton
15.Joy Fair
16.Harold Smith
17.Jack Purcell
18.Bud Harless
19.Jesse Baird
20.Earl Balmer
21.Jack Shanklin
22.Jack Bowsher
23.Henley Gray
24.Jerry Norris
25.Blaine Kauffman
26.Ken Rieler
27.Jim Welty
28.LaMarr Marshall
29.Paul Clark
30.Roy Wathen
31.Nelson Stacy
32.Danny Byrd
33.Ken Kline
34.John Sommerville

1987 – Purvis, Mason Notch Tri-City ‘Outlaw’ Wins

 

Granite City, Ill. (April 4, 1987) – “I didn’t think we’d get this show in because of the cold temperatures, but drivers and fans supported us, and we didn’t disappoint them,” said Bert Emick, after completing a two-day late model show at Tri-City Speedway.

Jeff Purvis of Knoxville, Tenn., and John Mason of Millersburg, Ohio, were the winners of the twin 50-lap features.

The “Outlaw National 100” drew 38 late models from 12 states in freezing temperatures.

On Friday night, Purvis set fast time with a 20.941-second clocking on the half mile. Preliminary heat race wins went to Bo Smith of St. Charles, Mo., Tom Hearst of Wilton, Iowa, and Ray Godsey of Bedford, Ind. Godsey also won the 20-lap Race of States feature which pitted the 12 fastest qualifiers from each of 12 states.

Record low temperatures greeted drivers and fans on Saturday but officials were determined to run the program because quite a few people had driven great distances for the event.

The last chance race gave seven more drivers an opportunity to advance to the A-main. They were Craig Leist of Piketon, Ohio, Wayne Brooks of Arkansas, Ohioan Ben Hess, Rick Standridge, Bill Asbury, Keith Altiers, and Kevin Claycomb.

In the first 50-lapper, Purvis was on the pole with Billy Moyer Jr. sharing the front row. At the drop of the green, Moyer took command and led the first 12 laps. Moyer and Purvis swapped the lead for several laps until Purvis took control and picked up $5,000 for the win. Jack Boggs, Moyer, Larry Phillips, and Bo smith rounded out the top five.

With the field inverted for the second 50-lapper, polesitter Pete Parker of Kaukauna, Wis., was the early leader with Kevin Gundaker and Dick Taylor in tow. Purvis, who had started 15th, ran Parker down and passed him at the halfway mark. Action was hot and heavy as Boggs and Moyer battled their way from the back of the field to the front.

John Mason, who started on the tail, found the high side of the track to his liking and with 20 laps to go, passed Boggs and Moyer to slide into second behind Purvis, who was a full straightaway ahead. Mason whittled away at Purvis’ lead and with nine laps to go, brought the crowd to their feet as he passed Purvis for the lead to take the checkered and the $5,000 first prize.

Mason and Purvis were followed by Moyer, Boggs, and Parker.


Results –


Feature #1 –

1. Jeff Purvis
2. Jack Boggs
3. Billy Moyer Jr.
4. Larrry Phillips
5. Bo Smith
6. Wayne Brooks
7. Tom Hearst
8. Ray Guss Jr.
9. Lance Matthees
10.John Mason


Feature #2 –

1. John Mason
2. Jeff Purvis
3. Billy Moyer Jr.
4. Jack Boggs
5. Pete Parker
6. Bo Smith
7. Tom Hearst
8. Lance Matthees
9. Kevin Gundaker
10.Steve Francis

1974 – Opperman Nips Snider at Eldora

 

Jan Opperman drove the Bogar Special to victory in the 40-lap USAC sprint car feature at Eldora Speedway. - John Mahoney Photo

Rossburg, Ohio (March 31, 1974) – Jan Opperman of Beaver Crossing, Neb., roared into the lead from his third starting slot and went on to win the 40-lap United States Auto Club sprint car feature at the half-mile, high-banked Eldora Speedway.

Opperman led for the first 23 laps until George Snider, driving last year’s second place point winner Lee Kunzman’s car, took the lead when Opperman drifted high in turn three. The hard-charging Opperman recaptured the lead again on the same turn three laps later.

Midway through the race, Opperman was hit by a flying rock on the upper lip. The blow loosened some teeth and split his lip, but the injury failed to slow him.

The race was run in front of approximately 6,500 fans that braved the 40-degree temperatures. Hot laps and qualifications were delayed three hours because of the track. Rains and heavy snow flurries caused the track to be on the muddy side and caused the track crew to work from 7am to 3pm before any of the cars were able to get on the track.

The damp conditions caused the track to be rough in spots with the roughest section on turn two where several cars lost their belly pans and various other parts.

However, much to the credit of the track crew and the drivers, there were no yellow flags for accidents.

Opperman owned the day, however. The relative newcomer to the USAC circuit grabbed the season point lead upping his total to 81 points.


Results –


1. Jan Opperman
2. George Snider
3. Bruce Walkup
4. Lee Osborne
5. Duane Carter
6. Sam Sessions
7. Jerry Nemire
8. Rollie Beale
9. Johnnie Parsons
10.John Toth

1970 – Pelican 200 Still Property of Derr

 

To the victor went the spoils; Ernie Derr returns to the winner’s circle at Shreveport. – John A. Moore Photo

Shreveport, La. (March 22, 1970) – Yes, Ernie Derr won Sunday’s 17th running of the Pelican 200 at State Fair Speedway. Did you really expect someone else to roll into the winner’s circle?

The dapper 47-year-old veteran from Keokuk, Iowa, not only won his seventh Pelican 200, and fourth in a row, he left the combined opposition – 18 other cars that showed up for a Sunday afternoon drive – strewn at least eight laps back of the exhaust pipes of his ’69 Dodge Charger.

It was a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon for Ernie. He pocketed $1,066 of the $5,000 in prize money put up by the International Motor Contest Association and promoter Bud Carson.

Derr’s Dodge, rolling effortlessly under the power of a 426 cubic inch hemi engine, covered the 100 miles around the paved half-mile oval in 1 hour, 20 minutes and 21.54 seconds. That will stand as a new Pelican 200 record of sorts since this was the first of the breed run on the newly-laid asphalt.

Gene Newsome of West Monroe, La., surviving gamefully in a ’66 Chevelle as one by one the field of pursuers dragged back into the infield, nabbed the $500 second-place prize although only on the 192 lap when Derr took the checkers. A close third, also on the 192nd lap, was Irv Janey of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in a 1970 Plymouth.

Derr and Janey were two of the three factory-backed entries in the 19-car field that made it to the starting lineup. The other driver, Ron Hutcherson of Keokuk, Iowa, in a ’70 Ford, was running a comfortable third when he creamed the wall coming off of turn two on lap 124, tearing up the front end.

Grabbing fourth and fifth place while spinning into their 189th laps were two Louisianan’s, Royce Whitlock of Monroe and Freddy Cook of West Monroe, both driving older models Chevelle’s.

But it was another Louisiana contender who made the only serious run at Derr, who was to win his 275th race of his career with faultless precision.

Baton Rouge’s Freddy Fryar, in a ’66 Chevelle, ran bumper-to-bumper with Derr for 136 laps – actually taking over the lead on four different occasions – before retiring with a smoking engine.

Earlier in the day, Fryar and Janey tied for the best time in qualifying with identical clocking’s of 22.56 seconds. Derr was content with his 22.65 second spin. All times were far off the track record of 21.58 seconds set by Derr at last fall’s State Fair.

It was a two-car race for half the grind as Derr and Fryar spent time drafting, tailgating and slingshotting past each other. Fryar caught Derr on lap 25 but Derr regained the lead one lap later. Fryar went back in front on lap 37 just before Tommy Taylor of Dallas, Tex., caromed off the fence.

Fryar later overhauled Derr on the 72nd lap - by now both were lapping Janey and Hutcherson in the third and fourth spots – as Ernie got boxed in a by a slower car. But Fryar’s mount began spewing smoke shortly thereafter and by lap 98, Derr was in front for good.

The clincher came when Derr required only a 25-second pit stop on lap 127 and Fryar needed over a minute and a half on lap 130. When Freddy went out for good on lap 136, Ernie eased back and coasted from there.

Thus, started the IMCA’s 55th season on the Midwest fair circuit; with a crowd of 6,600 looking on as Derr launched his campaign for his 11th IMCA stock car driving title.

He won’t test drive his 1970 Dodge Charge until April, but he didn’t need it Sunday. His ’69 model – one of two he’s been taking to the track – has done okay.

“This is 12 races for this car,” he grinned at the finish. “I’ve only lost me one race.”


Results –


1. Ernie Derr, Keokuk, Iowa
2. Gene Newsome, West Monroe, La.
3. Irv Janey, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
4. Royce Whitlock, Monroe, La.
5. Freddy Cook, West Monroe, La.
6. Butch Hall, Russell, Minn.
7. Moulton Story, Shreveport, La.
8. Chuck Arnold, Baton Rouge, La.
9. Ray Ingalls, Longview, Tex.
10.Mel Morris, West Liberty, Iowa
11.Phil Cronin, Houston, Tex.
12.Freddy Fryar, Baton Rouge, La.
13.Sandy Sandstrom, Kansas City, Mo.
14.Ron Hutcherson, Keokuk, Iowa
15.Bill Stark, Des Moines, Iowa
16.Jerre Wichman, Kansas City, Mo.
17.Gordy Blankenship, Keokuk, Iowa
18.Tommy Taylor, Dallas, Tex.
19.Tony Barcelona, Houston, Tex.

Ernie Derr (1) goes neck-and-neck with Freddy Fryar (301) during the Pelican 200 late model stock car race. – John Moore Photo

1977 – McElreath Captures USAC Sprint Opener

James McElreath (left) is joined by his father Jim after winning the USAC sprint car season opener at Salem Speedway.

Salem, Ind. (March 20, 1977) – Young James McElreath led from start to finish to capture the United States Auto Club’s season opening sprint car show on the high banks of Salem Speedway.

McElreath, whose father, Indianapolis 500 veteran Jim McElreath, serves as chief mechanic, took the green flag from the inside of the front row and led all 50 circuits for his third career USAC sprint car win.

Pavement toughie Bob Frey followed McElreath across the finish line, while ’73 titlist Rollie Beale was third. Gary Irvin came home fourth and ’76 dirt champ Billy Cassella rounded out the top five.

The feature had only one yellow flag and that came on the 41st circuit when Sheldon Kinser, running third, lost control coming off the fourth corner and spun into the infield. Kinser and machine were okay and restarted.

Defending champion Duane “Pancho” Carter had fast time in qualifying but lost an engine in his heat race. Carter’s crew had the motor out and replaced in 35 minutes and Pancho went out and won the semi-feature. However, 10 laps into the feature, he dropped out with mechanical issues.

Gary Bettenhausen, who has been working all winter on a new upright design, got to run only hot laps before USAC officials disqualified his machine for having illegal fuel tanks.


Results –


1. Jim McElreath
2. Bob Frey
3. Rollie Beale
4. Gary Irvin
5. Billy Cassella
6. Bruce Walkup
7. Joe Saldana
8. Jerry Weeks
9. Bill Engelhart
10.Jim Hettinger