Dick Trickle
Odessa,
Mo. (September 22, 1973) – Dick Trickle of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., sped his
1970 Mustang to victory in the $28,000 M.A.S.C.A.R. Championship 300 Saturday
night at I-70 Speedway before a record crowd of 9,115.
Trickle
won the race after trailing two of the South's finest drivers, Pete Hamilton of
Atlanta, and Bobby Allison of Hueytown, Ala.
The
300-lap grind started with pole setter Tom Reffner of Rudolph, Wis., taking the
lead in his Mustang. On lap six Hamilton moved his 1967 Chevy II passed Reffner
and into the lead. Reffner retired four laps later with a sick engine.
Once
in the lead Hamilton began to move out and away from Willie Crane of
Springfield, Mo.
Local
favorite Terry Bivins of Shawnee, Kan., moved his Chevy Nova by Crane and into
second place on lap 35 and set his sights on Hamilton.
Hamilton,
the 1970 Daytona 500 champion managed to stave off Bivins when, on lap 87, the
yellow flag was displayed as a multi car crash occurred in the high banked
third turn. Ferris Collier of Kimberling City, Mo., slid into the concrete
retaining wall sending several cars spinning out of control. Collier, Bob
Williams of Independence, Mo., and Bob Senneker of Dorr, Mich., were unable to
restart the race.
Bivins
remained within a second of the leader, Hamilton, until lap 136 when entering
the first turn his engine locked, sending him crashing through the three-foot
concrete retaining wall. Bivins was unhurt. With the red flag displayed
Hamilton still held the lead with Trickle in second and Allison in third in his
‘73 Camaro.
Officials
penalized Hamilton one lap for working on his car while the red flag period was
still in progress. This moved Trickle (winner of the 1972 300) into the number
one spot for the first time.
When
racing got underway once more, Trickle was pressured by Allison. They do old
through traffic until Allison maneuvered into the lead on lap 193.
On
lap 234, after pulling out to a 4-second lead, Allison retired to the pits with
a blown engine. On lap 235 Trickle suffered a blow out on his right rear tire
and hurried to the pits, with Hamilton re-assuming the lead.
When
trickle got back on the track he was 1 1/2 laps behind Hamilton. On lap 263,
Pete encountered a flat tire, sending him to the pits. Trickle sped by twice
during that time and was back in the lead. But just five laps later Trickle
again was troubled with a flat tire sending Hamilton back into the top spot.
An
accident on lap 272 brought out the caution flag for the fifth and final time,
with Hamilton in first place, Trickle in second, and Jim Bickerstaff of Mineral
Ridge, Ohio, in third. On lap 277, with the caution flag still out, Hamilton
suddenly stopped on the front stretch to talk to his pit crew. This incident
moved Trickle back into the top spot as the green flag was unfurled.
Hamilton
had a 10 second deficit to make up in only 20 laps but on lap 284 it all came
to an abrupt end for Pete as his engine in his racer let go, retiring him to
the pit area.
Trickle
finished nearly a full lap ahead of Bickerstaff, who piloted a 1972 Camaro. In
another Camaro and third was Larry Phillips. Springfield's Willie Crane drove
the only Pontiac in the 41-car field to a fourth-place finish. Joe Shear,
Beloit, Wis., was fifth, followed in order by Jim Cushman, Columbus, Ohio; Don
Schoenfeld, Fort Smith, Ark; Wayne Stallsworth, Commerce City, Colo; Ramo
Stott, Keokuk, Iowa; and Dave Watson, Beloit, Wis.
Results
–
1. Dick Trickle, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
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