1958 – 10,300 Watch White Capture 150-Mile Race

Don White enjoys the spoils of victory as Carol Fleck of Oskaloosa, Iowa, reigning Miss Iowa, plants a kiss on White’s cheek after he won the Iowa International.

Des Moines, Iowa (July 13, 1958) – Keokuk, Iowa, veteran Don White captured an accident-jammed 150-mile Iowa International stock car race in record time before 10,300 spectators at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Sunday afternoon.

Only 15 of the original 33 starters were running when the checkered flag waved ending the 300-lap grind in 2 hours, 55 minutes and 27.65 seconds, a new track record.

White’s winning time, which beat the old mark of 2 hours, 55 minutes and 33.22 seconds set by Bob Burdick of Omaha a year ago here, came in spite of 14 cautions flags flapped during the race.

Burdick finished second, one lap down. Frank Lies of Wichita, Kan., squeezed into third and Loyal Katskee’s badly dented Ferrari, which set a new time trail record of 28.86 seconds on Saturday, came in fourth.

Two-time International Motor Contest Association champion Johnny Beauchamp of Harlan, Iowa, made a thrilling escape on lap 155 when his car caught fire on the west turn.

Running in second place at the time, Beauchamp had just finished a pit stop for fuel. A piece of metal from Bud Burdick’s car bounced off the track into Beauchamp’s motor, severing the fuel line and starting the fire.

Beauchamp re-entered the race as a relief driver for Herb Shannon of Peoria, Ill. The former champion side-swiped Oelwein’s Chub Liebe in a crash on lap 194, sat out more than a dozen laps for repairs and got back on the track in time to finish 15th.

Keokuk’s Ernie Derr, brother-in-law to Don White, pulled into the pits with a blown motor on lap 115. A third Keokuk driver, Ramo Stott, running amongst the leaders, broke a spindle and hit the east wall on lap 261 but still managed to earn ninth-place money without finishing because he had covered more laps than did six drivers still running at the end.

White hauled down $1,000 while Burdick collected $700.


Results –


1. Don White, Keokuk, Iowa
2. Bob Burdick, Omaha, Neb.
3. Frank Lies, Wichita, Kan.
4. Loyal Katskee, Omaha, Neb.
5. Bob Potter, Duluth, Minn.
6. Sony Gross, Quincy, Ill.
7. Darrell Dake, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
8. Bob Ward, Creston, Iowa
9. Ramo Stott, Keokuk, Iowa
10.Bob Short, Des Moines
11.Byron Sueper, Omaha
12.Bruce Nystrom, Oshkosh, Wis.
13.Jere O’Day, Fond Du Lac, Wis.
14.Sandy Slack, Los Angeles
15.Herb Shannon, Peoria, Ill.
16.Shorty Eberts, Avondale, Mo.