Cedar Rapids, Iowa (July 23, 1972) - Kevin Cywinski took the "ultimate challenge"
but Joe Shear took the checkered flag.
Shear, of Clinton, Wis., overtook veteran driver Jim Weber of
Roseville, Minn., on the 93rd lap to win the ARTGO Pabst Light 100 stock car
race Thursday night at Hawkeye Downs Speedway.
It was the second win in two years for Shear at Hawkeye Downs. He also
won last year's ARTGO event, the Miller 100.
Shear spoiled an attempt by Cywinski to pocket an additional $5,000 in
prize money.
Cywinski had the night's fastest qualifying time, and opted to start
from the back of the field. Had Cywinski won the race, he would have collected
a $5,000 bonus. But Cywinski was involved in several mishaps and eventually
finished 10th.
Shear and Weber did a two-car battle after Weber took the lead from
Steve Holzhausen of Bangor, Wis., on the 47th lap. Shear passed Holzhausen and
moved into second place one lap later.
Weber, who earlier in the night earned $1,000 by winning a three-race
match series against Larry Phillips of Springfield, Mo., built as much as a
two-second lead over Shear — but a yellow flag on the 91st lap tightened things
up.
"I thought I was quicker and I thought I was reeling him in,"
Shear said. "But I don't think I'd have had enough time to pass him. It
would have been tough without the yellow."
After overtaking him on the restart, Shear's Oldsmobile Cutlass was too
fast for Weber's Cutlass. "I think it started to get faster as the race
went on," Shear said.
"The win means a lot after the kind of year we've had," said
Shear, who won for only the second time in 10 tries on this year's ARTGO
circuit. "The crew needed this one. We haven't been able to make the car
work and we've had a lot of engine problems."
Shear, 49, is in third place on the all-time ARTGO win list. Dick
Trickle has 68 career wins, Butch Miller 34 and Shear 33.
Shear qualified for the main event with the third fastest qualifying
time. Kevin Cywinski of Mosinee, Wis., ran the fastest qualifying lap (18.791
seconds), Steve Carlson of West Salem, Wis., was second (18.797) and Shear
turned the half-mile lap in 18.807 second.
Four Iowa drivers were in attendance Thursday, but only two made the
final field of 24 for the main event.
Curt Martin of Independence, driving a Chevrolet Camaro, started on the
outside of the second row and ran a smart, consistent race, finally finishing
fourth. It is his highest finish in 10 ARTGO outings this year.
Johnny Spaw of Cedar Rapids also qualified for the main event but was
lapped by the leaders and finished 18th.
Tony "The Tiger" Strupp of West Bend, Wis., finished third
and Tracy Shuler of Lockport, Ill., was fifth.
A $1,000 challenge race between racing veterans Weber and Larry
Phillips of Springfield, Mo., was also part of the evening's program.
The two drivers, both in their early 50s, competed in a best-of three
series of three-lap races, with the winner carting home $1,000.
Weber, second in the ARTGO point standings coming into the Pabst Light
100, won the first and third races — both from the inside — and grabbed the
prize money.
Results -
1. Joe Shear
2. Jim Weber
3. Tony Strupp
4. Steve Holzhausen
5. Curt Martin
6. Dick Harrington
7. Tim Sauter
8. Kregg Hurlburt
9. Ed Holmes
10. Kevin Cywinski
11. Ray Daniels
12. Larry Schuler
13. Bob Brownell
14. Tracy Schuler
15. M.G. Gajewski
16. Billy Deckman
17. Neil Callahan
18. Johnny Spaw
19. Steve Carlson
20. Russ Phillips
21. Larry Phillips
22. Rick Beebe
23. Matt Kenseth
24. Tom Carlson
No comments:
Post a Comment