Wednesday, June 15, 2022

1968 – Fairgrounds Feature to Williams


Mert Williams



Des Moines, Iowa (June 15, 1968) – It took four restarts and approximately an hour, but Mert Williams of Rochester, Minn., won the late model stock car feature at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Saturday night before 3,327 fans.

Carl Vander Wal of Ames also captured his consecutive 15-lap sportsman feature.

Seven cars were involved in chain reaction accidents on the first lap of the late model feature. Bob Dishman of Des Moines triggered one pileup when he spun coming out of the fourth turn.

On the second lap, another four cars collided when Bill McDonough of Cedar Rapids spun trying to avoid a spinning Dick Nesteby of Dubuque. McDonough cause another delay by complaining about his restart position.

Lem Blankenship of Keokuk led, until Williams, in a 1965 Chevelle, took over on lap 7. Verlin Eaker of Cedar Rapids, whose 1967 Dodge was involved in two separate accidents, started 12th, and finished second.

Bill Moyer of Des Moines won his very first race, an 8-lap heat event with his $9,000 1968 Corvette.


Results –


Sportsman


Heat #1 – Fred Knapp, Des Moines
Heat #2 – Carl Vander Wal, Ames
Semi-main – Lee Pinckney, Des Moines
Feature –
1. Carl Vander Wal
2. Lynn Komrie, Van Meter
3. Lee Pinckney
4. George Derry, Des Moines
5. Alan Wallace, Stuart
6. Don Hoffman, Des Moines
7. Chuck Berg, Des Moines
8. Denny Baker, Des Moines


Late Model 


Heat #1 – Billy Moyer, Des Moines
Heat #2 – Dean Montgomery, Milan, Ill.
Semi-main – John Connolly, Delhi
Feature –
1. Mert Williams, Rochester
2. Verlin Eaker, Cedar Rapids
3. Bill McDonough, Cedar Rapids
4. Dean Montgomery
5. Buzz McCann, St. Paul, Minn.
6. Darrel Dake, Cedar Rapids
7. Roger Dolan, Lisbon
8. Dick Nesteby, Dubuque
9. Chuck Berg, Des Moines
10.John Connolly

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