Butch Hartman
Odessa, Mo.
(August 3, 1975) – Butch Hartman once again demonstrated his ability to come
through under pressure Sunday night when he won the 150-lap USAC stock car
feature at I-70 Speedway.
Hartman, who
won each of last year’s final three outings to win the stock car division point
title by 30 points over Norm Nelson, badly needed a win to protect his current
lead.
After being
disqualified after finishing first in the circuit’s last event at Michigan
Int’l Speedway two weeks ago, Hartman found his point lead shaved to only 30
markers over Ramo Stott entering evening’s action.
But while
Stott had his problems, bowing out with a blown engine after 55 trips around
the half-mile oval, Hartman charged to the front of the pack on lap 59 and
stayed in complete command to the checkered to record his third triumph of the
season and increase his point lead to 140 over Terry Ryan, whose fifth-place
finish enabled him to move past Stott in the standings.
The win
earned Hartman $2,012 of the $10,950 purse.
Hartman started
sixth and deliberately worked his way toward the front while polesitter Jack
Bowsher and Len Gittemeier dominated the opening stages of the event.
Bowsher led
the race’s initial 34 circuits before Gittemeier, a rookie from St. Charles,
Mo., who was the evening’s second fastest qualifier, took charge on lap 35.
The home
state favorite remained in command until lap 58, when Bowsher regained the top
spot during a caution period necessitated when Larry Moore blew an engine and
spun on lap 59.
Hartman used
the caution period to make a quick pit stop for fuel and returned to the track
in time to take the lead from Bowsher on lap 59.
Thee green
reappeared on lap 70 and Hartman remained in control of the race for the rest
of the way, despite a second caution later for Ryan’s spin on the frontstretch.
Bowsher
placed second and the surprising rookie, Gittemeier, third. Terry Bivins took
fourth, one lap off the pace with Ryan rebounding from his spin to grab fifth.
Results –
1. Butch Hartman
2. Jack Bowsher
3. Len Gittemeier
4. Terry Bivins
5. Terry Ryan
6. Paul Feldner
7. George Coonrod
8. Dave Whitcomb
9. Harold Fair
10. Lee Pinckney
11. Fred Whisler
12. Larry Cope
13. Ramo Stott
14. Larry Moore
15. Bay Darnell
16. Kenny Simpson
17. Cleve Smith
18. Irv Janey
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