The race
is the largest purse event annually for midget race cars and was held in
conjunction with the North Central Kansas Free Fair.
Gregg
has always been considered a contender for the championship, but has been
plagued with problems in his first three nationals. Car problems held him back
for two years and last year he rolled during a heat race of the finals.
This
year he had to hold off Tripp and later Fox who had come from their fifth row
starts in the inverted starting field. Tripp caught Gregg about halfway through
the 30 lap race, and Fox caught the front runners shortly after a yellow flag
restart, but neither could get around Gregg.
It
appeared on the final lap that Tripp might finally get the job done. The three had
caught up with a large group of cars and Gregg appeared to get caught behind a slower
car high on the track. Tripp went under Gregg, but as they came across the finish
the cars higher on the track were running faster, and Gregg edged Tripp by a half
of car length.
The
championship race capped a three day race program which included an excellent
field of 59 cars.
There
were quite a number of drivers who looked good various times during the weekend.
Tripp set fast time for the Thursday night field with a 19.92 clocking, followed
by Gene Brown of Phoenix , Ariz.
Gregg
came back to win the trophy dash. Heat race winners were Gary Byers of
Logansport, Ind., Gene Gennetten of Parkville ,
Mo.
In
the main event it was Brian Renshaw who held off Tripp for a third of the race
to win. The next night Renshaw scratched that car's sure entry at the front of
the championship race so he could drive for his regular car owner. He had won
the Thursday feature in a car he owned himself.
Following
Renshaw and Tripp in the Thursday night main were Gennetten, Steve Troxell of Denver Mission Viejo , Cal.
Fox
dominated the Friday night preliminary, setting quick time of 19.61seconds, fast
for the entire field. Others under 20 seconds were Bruce Field of Lockport,
Ill., at 19.898 and Casey Slocum of Denver ,
Colo. Kansas City
Fox
dominated the main event coming from the fifth row to win. He was followed by
Hayes, Slocum, Field, Mark Passerrelli of Phoenix ,
Ariz. Englewood , Colo. Broomfield , Colo. Kansas City Denver ,
Colo.
As
the Saturday night finals began only six spots had been filled for the championship
race. From Thursday night came Tripp, Gennetten and Toxell, by virtue of Brian
Renshaw scratching his first place car. From Friday night came Fox, Hayes and
Slocum.
The other
16 cars, including Gregg, had to qualify from the heat races of semi-main event.
In the trophy dash among the fastest six from the first two nights Slocum held off
the potent field. Then heat-race winners were Rod Ullery of Englewood, Colo.,
Garry Bell of Memphis, Tenn., Strickland, and finally Gregg to qualify for the
championship race. The consolation race went to Jack Yeley of Brownsburg , Ind.
The
front ten cars were inverted for the main event championship race which put
Hayes and Zerbe on the front row, Strickland and Gregg on the second row, Slocum
and Toxell on row three, Field and Gennetten on row four and Tripp and Fox on
row five.
The
main started without accident for the first time in years, and the cars began exchanging
positions. A yellow flag dropped only once during the race when Slocum spun on
the backstretch and went down to the bottom of the track. About the same time
Field had a fire in his car and pulled into the pit.
The
ensuing restart closed up the spaces in the field leading to the exciting finish
as Gregg held off the challenges of Tripp and Fox, the 1979 and 1980 champion.
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