1983 - Schill Overall Winner in Grundy's ARTGO

 

Al Schill won the first 50-lap feature and took second in the finale to claim the overall performance in the ARTGO Chicagoland Opener at Grundy County Speedway. – Don Thies Photo

By Stan Kalwasinski

Morris, Ill. (April 23, 1983) – Al Schill and Dick Trickle each captured 50-lap feature races with Schill taking the overall championship in ARTGO Racing’s Chicagoland Opener late model special at Grundy County Speedway on Sunday afternoon.

Schill, a 38-year-old speedster from Franklin, Wis., recorded his first ARTGO win of the campaign wheeling his 1983 Firebird to victory in the opening 50-lap event.

A field of 20 starters took the green flag with polesitter Mel Walen charging into the lead. Walen and his 1982 Firebird stayed on top for the first two laps with Schill, who started alongside Whalen on the front row, taking command on lap 3.

Walen would take back first place on lap 6, then relinquish back to Schill on lap 9, who would then set the pace for the rest of the race, which saw three yellow flags fly for minor spins.

At the 25-lap mark, Schill was trailed by Joe Shear, Walen, Jay Sauter, Dave Weltmeyer, and Jim Sauter. Schill maintained a comfortable margin for the second half of the race, finishing one-half of a straightaway ahead of second place Shear.

Rounding out thee top five in the first 50-lapper was defending ARTGO titlist Jim Sauter, Dick Trickle, who made a hard-driving comeback from a early spin, and Weltmeyer.

Trickle would wheel his 1982 Firebird to victory in the second 50-lapper. Coming from his eighth starting position, the Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., driver, recorded his second ARTGO win of young season and his 30th career victory to remain atop the series’ point standings.

Another field of 20 answered the call for the second 50, with Jim Weber of Roseville, Minn., who started on the outside of the front row, setting the early pace in his 1981 Camaro as Trickle quickly began cutting a path towards the front. The 41-year-old veteran charge underneath Weber on lap 19 as the pair powered through turns one and two.

Once on top, Trickle wasted little time showing his stuff as he quickly moved into a comfortable lead. The 25-lap rundown found Trickle in first, followed by Weber, Tom Musgrave, Schill, Jim Back, and Mark Malcuit.

Despite a couple of caution flags waving, Trickle held a quarter of a lap lead at the dropping of the checkered flag. Rounding out the top five were Schill, Weber, Musgrave, and Malcuit.

A total of 41 cars were on hand for the afternoon’s competition on the high-banked half-mile paved oval.


Results –


Feature #1 –

1. Al Schill, Franklin, Wis.
2. Joe Shear, Beloit, Wis.
3. Jim Sauter, Necedah, Wis.
4. Jay Sauter, Necedah, Wis.
5. Dick Trickle, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
6. Dave Weltmeyer, Harvey
7. Mark Malcuit, Strasburg, Ohio
8. Tom Musgrave, Glenview
9. Jim Back, Vesper, Wis.
10.Mel Walen, Shakopee, Minn.


Feature #2 –

1. Dick Trickle
2. Al Schill
3. Jim Weber, Roseville, Minn.
4. Ted Musgrave
5. Mark Malcuit
6. Jim Sauter
7. Dave Weltmeyer
8. Joe Shear
9. Jim Back
10.Mel Walen

1973 - Harrison Triumphs at Topeka

 

Gerry Harrison won the 50-lap IMCA stock car feature at the Mid-America Fairgrounds - Troy Harrison Collection

Topeka, Kan. (April 23, 1973) – Gerry Harrison, who had nothing but trouble at the Mid-America Fairgrounds on Saturday night, had nothing but good fortune on Sunday afternoon, winning the 50-lap late model stock car feature with his 1972 Monte Carlo in front all the way.

Saturday night’s winner, Tom Frasher of Jefferson City, Mo., finished second in his Camaro and was the recipient of a $100 bonus for being the top place finisher in the two days of racing.

Harrison, who won the pole position with a time 17.46 seconds, beat Jim Hagar of Liberty, Mo., through the first two turns on the first lap and kept his car well ahead of the rest of the field for the remaining 49 circuits.

There were about half as many cars (25) and half as many fans on hand for the afternoon of racing on the quarter-mile as there were for the Saturday night program on the half-mile.

As was the case on Saturday night, not many of the starters finished the feature. Twenty cars took the green flag and only seven were left at the finish. Mechanical troubles were the main issues as only minor spinouts brought out the yellow flag.

Gary Jellison of Topeka, Kan., who started the feature five points ahead of Frasher in the contest for the extra money, moved up to second place early in the chase and held it until lap 22 when the driveshaft let go on his Plymouth.

Meanwhile, back in the pack, Frasher was waiting for the field to thin before making his move. He was in seventh place when he started his move to the front on lap 18.

He had moved to fifth when Jellison dropped out and took over third passing Jerre Wichman of Kansas City on lap 29. Four laps later, Wichman came to a halt in front of the grandstand and was out of action.


Results –


1. Gerry Harrison, Topeka
2. Tom Frasher, Jefferson City, Mo.
3. Jim Dreasher, Topeka
4. John Nitsch, Topeka
5. John Beaman, Council Bluffs, Iowa
6. Sam Randol, Topeka
7. Garry Truelove, Trimble, Mo.
8. Jerre Wichman, Kansas City
9. Gary Jellison, Topeka
10.Bud Dibben, Gladstone, Mo.

1984 – Schiltz Wins Western World Title

 

Dick Schiltz won the Western World Late Model Stock Car Championship at Manzanita Speedway. - Todd Healey Photo

Phoenix, Ariz. (April 21, 1984) – Dick Schiltz took advantage of a late restart in the race and captured the Western World Late Model Stock Car Championship Saturday night at Manzanita Speedway.

Jack Ickes had wrestled the lead away from Bill Black of Phoenix on lap 8 and had built a comfortable margin over the rest of the field.

Schiltz, who started in the fifth row, made his way through the field and was running second to Ickes by about 2.5 seconds when defending champion Joe Wallace brought out the caution flag in the 35th lap of the 40-lap main event.

It was the break that Schiltz needed. On the restart, Schiltz blasted to the high side of the track, passed Ickes between the first and second turns, and was in the lead entering the backstretch.

Schiltz would fend off Ickes for the last four circuits to claim the top prize.

“Sure, the flag helped,” said Schiltz, of Waterloo, Iowa. “It also gave us a chance to adjust the brakes.”

Schiltz also received another break right before the start of the feature when he borrowed the transmission from Terry Belcher’s disabled car.

Ickes blamed nobody but himself for allowing Schiltz to get by him on the restart.

“We just outguessed ourselves on the gears,” a dejected Ickes said afterwards. “I couldn’t get out of the corners very well.”

Ickes may have held Schiltz off for the last five laps without any caution flags. But the yellow narrowed his lead, and Schiltz took less than one lap to move into first place.

Pole-sitter Red Dralle of Evansdale, Iowa, finished third, followed by Rick Sipes of Tucson, and George Brazil Jr. of Albuquerque, N.M.

Wallace couldn’t escape the car problems that had been hampering him since Friday’s qualifications. Wallace finished sixth in the consolation race to transfer to the semi-main, but he spun out and blew a tie early in that race. He was added to the feature event on thee promoter’s option.

Wallace didn’t fare much better there, becoming involved in a minor wreck on lap 3, and then bringing out the yellow flag when he stalled on lap 35.

Larry Phillips of Springfield, Mo., winner of the 1982 Western, put on quite the driving performance in the preliminary races. Phillips, who crashed in a qualifying race on Friday, came out of the second row to win the 12-lap consolation and then came from 11th to first in the semi-main to earn a spot in the feature. However, lady luck deserted him as his gear box let go early on and he was finished for the night.


Results –


1. Dick Schiltz
2. Jack Ickes
3. Red Dralle
4. Rick Sipes
5. George Brazil Jr.
6. Bill Black
7. Dean Vance
8. Bill Cheesbourg
9. Mike Gibson
10.Mark Harger

1978 – Simenec Leads at Davenport

 

John Simenec

Davenport, Iowa (April 21, 1978) – Rock Island’s “Flying Fireman,” John Simenec, won the late model feature during professional stock car races at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds on Friday night.

It was an added thrill for Simenec to lead the pack after 25 laps around the half-mile after he narrowly missed victory in last week’s season opener. He came from the rear of the field but lost to Mel Morris of West Liberty, who finished fourth in this week’s feature.

Battling it out for runner-up honors was Tom Hearst of Wilton, who crossed the line inches ahead of Duane Steffe of Colona, Ill.

The late model semi-feature saw a battle between Davenport’s Rollie Frink, who took an early lead in the 12-lap event only to be overcome by Verlin Eaker of Mechanicsville, Iowa.

Steffe, Simenec, and Gerry Reeder of Peoria, Ill., were late model heat winners.

In sportsman action, Gary Kerres of Edgington, Ill., won both his heat and feature.


Results –

Heat #1 – Duane Steffe, Colona, Ill.
Heat #2 – John Simenec, Rock Island, Ill.
Heat #3 – Garry Reeder, Peoria, Ill.
Semi-main – Verlin Eaker, Mechanicsville
Feature –
1. John Simenec
2. Tom Hearst, Wilton
3. Duane Steffe
4. Mel Morris, West Liberty
5. Ron Jackson, Burlington

1975 – Downs Opener to Walton

 

Ken Walton captured his hometown late model feature victory for the first time ever on the half-mile dirt of Hawkeye Downs.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa (April 20, 1975) – Cedar Rapids’ Ken Walton won his first-ever late model feature event on the Hawkeye Downs’ half-mile oval Sunday night, the inaugural program for the 1975 season.

Walton was trailed by Waterloo’s Bill Zwanziger throughout the 25-lap feature. Stan Stover of Waterloo was third followed by Steve Keppler of Marion and fast timer Jim Strube of Peoria, Ill. Strube’s time in qualifications was 25.77 seconds.

Bill Barthelmes of Troy Mills captured the semi-main while heat wins went to Bill Rice and Bland Robinson, both of Des Moines, and Darrel Dake and Walton, both of Cedar Rapids.

Bill Douglas of West Liberty won the sportsman feature.


Results –

1. Ken Walton, Cedar Rapids
2. Bill Zwanziger, Waterloo
3. Stan Stover, Waterloo
4. Steve Keppler, Marion
5. Jim Strube, Peoria, Ill.
6. Fred Horn, Marion
7. Phil Reece, Des Moines
8. Ron Prymek, Iowa City
9. Bill Rice, Des Moines
10.Duane Steffe, East Moline, Ill.

1986 - Papini Rules in Rockford Lidlifter

 

Al Papini III won the late model season opener at Rockford Speedway. 

Rockford, Ill. (April 19, 1986) – Al Papini III led all 30 laps to win the late model feature, which highlighted Rockford Speedway’s 39th season-opening show Saturday night.

Papini built a commanding lead in the early laps but a yellow flag on lap 24 allowed 1984 track champion Bobby Hacker and defending titlist Jimmy Pierson to close in on the frontrunner.

However, Papini got the jump on his rivals when the green flag reappeared and withstood the challenges of Hacker and Pierson the rest of the way to score the victory.

Pierson overtook Hacker in the closing laps to take second while Hacker settled for third. Dennis Miller and Tim Melvin rounded out the top-five finishers.

Defending American Short Tracker champion Steve Erickson picked up where he left off in 1985, capturing the division’s trophy dash and feature. Fastest qualifier Bryan Young came in second in the feature with Steve Dickson, Sid Papini, and George Sparkman rounding out the top-five.

Don Duich was declared the winner of the roadrunner feature when apparent victor Chris McQuality was disqualified for weight infraction.


Results –


Late Model –

1. Al Papini III, Machesney Park
2. Jimmy Pierson, Milton, Wis.
3. Bobby Hacker, Loves Park
4. Dennis Miller, Beloit, Wis.
5. Tim Melvin, Machesney Park


American Short Tracker –

1. Steve Erickson, Roscoe
2. Bryan Young, Loves Park
3. Steve Dickson, Loves Park
4. Sid Papini, Loves Park
5. George Sparkman, Loves Park


Roadrunner –

1. Don Duich, Rockford
2. Glen Stout Jr., Beloit, Wis.
3. Bruce Tucker, Rockford

1975 – Ottinger Wins Speedway 200

 

L.D. Ottinger

Nashville, Tenn. (April 19, 1975) – L.D. Ottinger of Newport played a waiting game for the first quarter of the race while other big-name drivers dropped out, then he turned the 200-lap feature into a cakewalk at Nashville Speedway Saturday night.

For most of the big names in the race, the night was a disaster. Jack Ingram, the Late Model Sportsman national champion, was unable to start the race. A new distributor wouldn’t allow the engine to fire.

Grand National star Buddy Baker lasted exactly half a lap before someone bumped him, causing him to wreck. On the restart after that accident, Darrell Waltrip and Alton Jones, both Grand National drivers, were coming out of the fourth turn and fighting for the lead when they tangled with each other. Cale Yarbrough, another Grand National star, was right behind them.

All returned to the race, although briefly. None of them were around for the 20-lap mark. Coo Coo Marlin lasted until the midway point but was never a factor.

Morgan Shepherd led briefly, but on a pit stop his crew broke a stud. He lost two laps and in trying to catch up, ended up in the wall. The list of bad luck went on and on. Neil Bonnett, driving Bobby Allison’s race car while Bobby watched, could last only 58 laps out front.

By this time, Ottinger was out front. He gave way to Jerry Lawley only after a pit stop. He was running flawlessly. With 130 laps gone, Ottinger had a half-lap lead over Tiny Lund of Cross, S.C. Eight laps later when a caution flag came out, that lead had increased to three-quarters of a lap.

The caution allowed Lund and the rest of the field to bunch up, but even that didn’t help. At the checkered flag, only Lund was on the same lap as Ottinger. Jerry Lawley was third, a lap back. Butch Lindley of Greenville, S.C., finished fourth and Nashville’s Bobby Hargrove was fifth.

The race may have been the quietest in years. A new rule requiring mufflers allowed conversation in the grandstands but provoked some shouts in the pit area.

The lack of an adequate muffler cost Lindley the pole position and a new track record. He had a time of 20.59 seconds in a run with an illegal muffler.

He requalified, along with Waltrip, Ingram and Ottinger, who also got caught violating the muffler rule. This time, Lindley could do no better than 21.44 seconds.

A crowd of 15,000 watched the season-opening race.


Results –


1. L.D. Ottinger, Newport, Tenn.
2. Tiny Lund, Cross, S.C.
3. Jerry Lawley, Pensacola, Fla.
4. Butch Lindley, Greenville, S.C.
5. Bobby Hargraves, Nashville, Tenn.
6. P.B. Crowell III, Franklin, Tenn.
7. Freddy Fryar, Chattanooga, Tenn.
8. Ned Webb, Cincinnati, Ohio
9. Brad Teague, Johnson City, Tenn.
10.Don Guignard, Knoxville, Tenn.