Cedar
Rapids, Iowa (June 5, 1979) – Verlin Eaker of Mechanicsville, Iowa, took the
lead away from Mike Niffenegger of Kalona, Iowa, on the 45th lap Tuesday night
and won the $10,750 Miller 100 late model stock car classic at Hawkeye Downs
Speedway.
It marked
the second straight 100-lap win at Hawkeye Downs for Eaker, who won the rich
Yankee Dirt Track Classic last September.
Eaker
started in the third row of the feature and chased Niffenegger much of the
early going. Niffenegger shot out from his outside front row starting slot and
led the first 41 circuits on the half-mile oval before Eaker got past him.
However, Niffenegger recaptured the lead from Eaker on the next lap, but could
hold it for only three more laps before Eaker got around him for good.
While Eaker
worked his way past the front traffic, Leon Plank of Mondovi, Wis., fell into
third place behind Niffenegger, but he eventually fell off the pace.
The main
event was relatively caution-free. The yellow did wave early when Tom
Bartholomew of Waterloo, Iowa, hit the wall between turns three and four. It
also flew on lap 91 when Ed Sanger of Waterloo, Iowa, spun in turn one.
However,
Sanger’s spin did cause some controversy that resulted in two drivers being
paid third-place money. After Sanger’s spin, he restarted in third position,
when the green flew again, and he finished there with Don Hoffman of Des Moines
and Tom Hearst of Wilton, Iowa, behind.
After some
discussion on Sanger’s placement on the restart, it was decided that both
Sanger and Hoffman would receive third-place money.
Curt Hansen
of Dike, Iowa, set fast time of the 61 late models taking the green flag for
the clock with a 24 second flat time. Hansen, set fast time in his brand-new
Oldsmobile Cutlass while timing his Camaro in 24.44 seconds. He opted to start
the feature with his Cutlass, but was unable to maintain the quick pace of the
field and wound up thirteenth.
Sanger won
the trophy dash, heat wins went to Denny Miller of Cedar Rapids, Ron Pallister
of Wapello, Iowa, Ron Boyse of Kalona, Iowa, Joe Merryfield of Des Moines and
Ken Walton of Viola, Iowa. Jim Burbridge of Delhi, Iowa, won the consolation.
For his win
in the feature, Eaker pocketed $1,800 plus lap money.
Results –
1. Verlin Eaker, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
2. Mike Niffenegger, Kalona, Iowa
3. Ed Sanger, Waterloo, Iowa
4. Don Hoffman, Des Moines
5. Tom Hearst, Wilton, Iowa
6. Leon Plank, Mondovi, Wis.
7. Roger Dolan, Lisbon, Iowa
8. Steve Keppler, Marion, Iowa
9. Bill Zwanziger, Waterloo, Iowa
10. Mike
Frieden, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
11. Gary
Crawford, Independence, Iowa
12. John
Connolly, Delhi, Iowa
13. Curt
Hansen, Dike, Iowa
14. Fred
Horn, Marion, Iowa
15. Bill
Rice, Des Moines
16. Bill
Beckman, Lisbon, Iowa
17. Clayton
Petersen Jr., Grand Island, Neb.
18. Dave
Birkhofer, Muscatine, Iowa
19. Dick
Schlitz, Waterloo, Iowa
20. Tom
Bartholomew, Waterloo, Iowa
21. Larry
Wasserfort, Waterloo, Iowa
22. Joe
Merryfield, Des Moines
23. Denny
Osborn, Cedar Falls, Iowa
24. Tim
McDonough, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
25. Pete
Parker, Kaukauna, Wis.
26. Ron
Boyse, Kalona, Iowa
27. Johnny
Johnson, Wapello, Iowa
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