Ramo Stott - Sal Picalo Photo
A crowd of more than 6,000 was on hand as Stott, driving in
1972 Plymouth, took the lead for keeps 14 miles from the finish from Ernie Derr
and went on to beat his fellow townsman by about a city block.
This was also a carbon copy of the USAC stock-car race here
in April of 1973, when Stott edged Derr. But on that one Stott took the lead
with only two laps to go.
Stott and Derr, in a 1972 Dodge, were the only drivers to
navigate the entire 100 laps. Irv Janey of Cedar Rapids , Iowa Racine , Wis. Plymouth
Larry (Butch) Hartman of South Zanesville, Ohio, the USAC
stock-car champion, had the best mark in the time trials, guiding a 1973 Dodge
around the track in 39.8 seconds.
This put Hartman on the pole and he led the first 13 laps.
Stott quickly moved up from his sixth starting position and took the lead by
going low on Hartman between the number one and number two turns and pulling
away on the backstretch.
On lap 17 Hartman ducked into the pits with a broken
accelerator cable. He was filed last down when he returned to the track and was
not a factor in the finish. He was credited with seventh place.
Janey, the second-fastest qualifier, then tucked himself
behind Stott, and on the 43rd lap used the identical tactic between turns one
and two to take the lead.
Janey stopped for fuel on lap 60 and Stott regained the
lead. On the next lap the left rear tire blew out on Janey's car, and after
another pit stop, he was one lap behind.
Derr, biding his time, shot into the lead on lap 76 when
Stott pitted for fuel and two new right side tires. Derr had made a pit stop
earlier for fuel and never lost a position.
The only yellow flag during the race occurred on the 74th
lap when the driveshaft system fell out of a 1974 Dodge driven by Jigger Sirois
of Hammond, Ind. Only six laps were run under the caution flag.
Stott hugged the bumper of Derr from the 76 lap on. And he
dipped underneath Derr in turn three on the 85th lap, came out in front and
took it from there.
“I'm just glad the car held together,” Stott said of his
rough ride. “I guess the track was not as rough in the turns as it was last
year, but it sure shook hard on the straightaways.”
“I just thought I could get around him (Derr),” Stott
continued, “and when I did I just sat in it and sailed.”
Stott said the tires he had put on late in the race seemed
to hold to the track better.
Derr, who now has finished second in five USAC dirt races
this year, drove with a handicap when the windshield dropped out. The glass was
held in the car simply because it fell back onto the rear view mirror.
“Rocks just kept hitting it,” Derr said afterwards. “The
track got awfully rough. But at the end Ramo was just running faster.”
“At track could break and anvil,” said Hartman, as he again
failed to land a high finishing position here. “I think the track just shook
everything out of the car.” The windshield was broken on Hartman's car, too.
Nelson, the current USAC point leader, and like Hartman, a
three-time champion, was more than satisfied with his fourth-place finish.
“When I saw that Butch was in trouble early I made up my
mind to finish the race and get the points.” Nelson went into the race with a
50 point lead over Hartman. Nelson added 160 while Hartman collected under 130.
Nelson continued on the driving of Stott. “The way Ramo
drove you either win the race or you don't finish.”
Stott, winning his second race of the year on the circuit,
collected $2,700 of the $15,000 purse. Stott's other victory came in Salem , Ind.
Results -
1. Ramo Stott
2. Ernie Derr
3. Irv Janey
4. Norm Nelson
5. Ken Rowley
6. Paul Feldner
7.Butch Hartman
8. Jim Marshall
9. Paul Sizemore
10. Marcus Phelps
11. Don White
12. Steve Drake
13. Larry Cope
14. Jigger Sirois
15. Jay Behimer
16. Dave Logan
17. Larry Phillips
18. Terry Ryan
19. Gary Wroan
20. Russ Derr
21. Mike Derr
22. Dean Roper
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