This week in history

1994 - Randy Belk took advantage of Shane Essary's misfortune to win the late model feature at Monett (Mo.) Speedway on Sunday, June 26. Essary jumped to the early lead in the 25-lap encounter and was making shambles of the field when he suddenly pulled to the infield with engine woes with only a few laps left. Belk took over from there and grabbed the win, his first of the season. Rich Lebow, Darrell Mooneyham, Rex McCroskey and Leslie Essary followed Belk across the finish line. In other action, Kelly Bremer took top honors in the IMCA modified feature and super stock driver Brett Henry and Deana Stockton were married in a ceremony that took place on the frontstretch.

1988 - George Snider of Bakersfield, Calif., moved into the lead on round 87 and then went on to take the checkered in the 100-mile USAC Valvoline Silver Crown event Sunday afternoon, June 26th. Snider moved ahead of leader Steve Chassey of Carmel, Ind. and won by a two-second margin over Richmond, Ohio's Gene Lee Gibson. Fast qualifier Johnny Parsons (120.866 mph) of Speedway, Ind., finished third in a race that saw a record 8 lead changes amongst the 31 car field.

1983 - Dean Roper won his second consecutive USAC stock car race of the season on Saturday afternoon when he captured the DuQuoin 100 at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds on June 25th. Roper, the defending USAC champion, held off a late charge by Joe Wallace for the victory. Roper moved around Wallace on the sixth lap and paced all but two of the remaining go-rounds of the race. Wallace, Ramo Stott, Butch Garner and Rick O' Brien rounded out the top five finishers.

1977 - Bob Hilmer of Dysart, Iowa won the 25-lap late model feature at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds in Webster City, Iowa on Saturday, June 25. Hilmer started in the fourth row and had his work cut out for him but managed to work his way through the field. On lap 12 he passed Jerry Holtkamp of Williams for second and two laps later, overtook race leader Bruce Sommerfeld of Fort Dodge for the top spot and held on for the final 11 laps. Sommerfeld, Holtkamp, Dan Nesteby and Bob Shryock were the top five. In the sportsman feature, Al Urhammer of Radcliffe out dueled point leader Keith Conroy of Jefferson to win an exciting 15-lap feature.