1973 – Gennetten Takes IMCA Sprint Win

Des Moines, Iowa (August 19, 1973) – Gene Gennetten of Gladstone Mo., showed everyone the fast way around the half-mile dirt oval as he won the 40-lap IMCA-sanctioned, grand-championship sprint car race on Sunday afternoon.

Gennetten grabbed the lead from his first row outside starting position on the first lap and never relinquished it. There was some heavy pressure, early in the race from Larry Kirkpatrick of Wood River, Ill., and Buzz Rose of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Gennetten opened up a five-car length lead over the second running Rose only to see it erased by two spinouts, causing the yellow to come out and the field to bunch up.

The threat of Bill Utz of Sedalia, Mo., who has been unstoppable in his last few IMCA outings, was erased when he pitted with mechanical problems.

Kirkpatrick was out of the running with a broken shock and Thad Dosher of Topeka, Kan., the current IMCA point leader, was having mechanical issues with his R&H Farms #40 sprint car and jumped into Bill Robison’s #65 for the feature.

Dosher, trying to protect his IMCA point lead from the hard-charging Gennetten, who is running second, worked hard, and with 10 laps to go, had moved up from his fifth spot to challenge Rose for second place. He dueled Rose for three laps before he finally got around him to take second. Dosher also won the 10-lap consolation.

Results –

1.    Gene Gennetten, Gladstone, Mo.

2.    Thad Dosher, Topeka, Kan.

3.    Buzz Rose, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

4.    Ralph Blackett, Des Moines

5.    Roy Bryant, Wichita, Kan.

6.    Lenard McCarl, Bonaparte, Iowa

7.    Ray Lee Goodwin, Raytown, Mo.

8.    Dick Bloom, Wichita, Kan.

9.    Jerry Richert, Forest Lake, Minn.

10.  Jim Jenkins, Slater, Mo.