1972 - Martin tops Oskaloosa main event

Bill Martin

Oskaloosa, Iowa (June 15, 1972) - Bill Martin brought his Monte Carlo from Council Bluffs and took home the big super stock feature event here at the Southern Iowa Speedway Wednesday night.

The races were run on the Thursday rain date because of the rain Wednesday. Waiting one day certainly didn’t slow Martin any as he became the sixth different feature winner in the seven weeks of racing so far. Bill put the big Chevy out front at the drop of the green flag and never relinquished it to take the checkers 25 laps later.

Joe Merryfield of Des Moines started behind Martin and finished right there in second spot. There was a whale of a battle going on back in the pack during the first half of the race. Fighting at times three abreast for third position were John Moss, Curt Hansen and Ed Sanger.

On lap 20, an oil leak caught fire under John Moss’ car. He kept going to the alarm of the fans and the flames subsided on lap 23. Moss picked up third spot followed by Ed Sanger, Pokey West and Ron Hemsted.

Bill Newman of Burlington captured the wreck filled semi-main event. Ed Pilcher of Bloomfield jumped out front and held the lead until Newman slipped under and passed him on the second turn of the ninth lap of the 15-lap race. The first red dropped when on the fourth lap John Meyer got crossed up on the back stretch causing a chain reaction pile up. Meyer was second at the time. On the seventh lap Tim McDonough and Ron Perdock got together and Perdock slammed into the outside fence in front of the grandstand hitting the flag stand pole (damaging it). He then spun back down the track brushing against the fence in front of the judges stand, spinning wildly back across the track and into the guard rail once more before coming to a halt.

But the action wasn’t over yet as the fans next saw Pilcher landing up against the rail in the third turn after another car went wide and into him.

Red Dralle of Waterloo won the 10-lap non-stop first heat race by a good margin over Curt Hansen. Martin also copped the second heat. Joe Merryfield barely edged out John Babb of Ottumwa on the last lap to place second.

Curt Houge of Ames took the twice red flagged third heat. As Houge took the checkers, Pokey West and Ron Hemsted were right on his bumper in a side by side finish. West pulled along side Hemsted at times, during the race. Then at the last minute Pokey managed to edge past him at the finish line.

Joe Merryfield of Des Moines led all the way to win the Australian pursuit.

Results -

First Heat:

1. Red Dralle, Waterloo

2. Curt Hansen, Dike

3. Ed Sanger, Waterloo

4. George Barton, Ankeny

Second Heat:

1. Bill Martin, Council Bluff

2. Joe Merryfield, Des Moines

3. John Babb, Ottumwa

4. John Moss, Iowa City

Third Heat:

1. Curt Houge, Ames

2. Pokey West, West Chester

3. Ron Hemsted, Lone Tree

4. Don Hoffman, Des Moines

Australian Pursuit:

1. Merryfield, Des Moines

2. John Moss

3. Ed Sanger

4. Bill Newman, Burlington

Semi-Main:

1. Bill Newman, Burlington

2. Tim McDonough, Cedar Rapids

3. Bob Bonser, Liscomb

4. Dan Clement, Rhodes

5. Ed Pilcher, Bloomfield

6. Ron Perdock, Washington

7. Ken Boyse, Kalona

8. Bob Hilmer, Dysart

9. John Meyer, Brooklyn

10. Gary Allensworth, Des Moines

Feature:

1. Bill Martin

2. Joe Merryfield

3. John Moss

4. Ed Sanger

5. Pokey West

6. Ron Hemsted

7. George Barton

8. Dan Clement

9. Red Dralle

10. Tim McDonough