1977 – ‘Sweet’ Win at Flagship 100 Stocker

Randy Sweet 

Winchester, Ind. (September 5, 1977) – Randy Sweet survived a 35th lap accident and went on to win the “Flagship 100” for the ASA Circuit of Champions stock cars at Winchester Speedway on Monday afternoon.

Sweet rejoined the field at the tail of the pack after the accident and moved steadily to the front. He took the lead on the 90th lap when runaway leader Dave Watson tangled with another car on the backstretch and spun out of the competition.

Lonnie Breedlove, Indianapolis, was second and Terry Senneker, Grand Rapids, Mich., finished third. Jerry Mitchell, Columbus, Ohio, fended off 18-year-old Mark Martin, the teen-aged sensation from Batesville, Ark., to grab fourth.

Sweet was running sixth on lap 35 when third-place Vern Schrock of Middlebury, spun in the fourth turn, taking the fourth, fifth and sixth-place cars with him. Involved in addition to Sweet was Mike Eddy, Kawkawlin, Mich., and John Anderson, Warren, Ohio. Only Sweet was able to continue on.

The accident accounted for 17 of the 39 yellow-flag laps in the 100-lap feature. The green returned on lap 52 and Sweet was seventh at 53 laps, sixth at 56, fifth at 57, fourth at 60, third at 67, second at 77 and the leader on lap 90.

Senneker started from the pole position and led the first 52 circuits before Watson, the current ASA point leader, stormed around him and took over the top spot. Watson led through lap 89 until Ray Barnard left him with nowhere to go in the third turn. The two came together and wound up on the infield grass.

Martin, who only weighs 105 pounds, was seeing Winchester for the first time on Monday. He started the feature in the 12th spot, and drove a steady, heady race to finish in the top-five.


Results –


1. Randy Sweet, Kalamazoo, Mich.
2. Lonnie Breedlove, Indianapolis
3. Terry Senneker, Grand Rapids, Mich.
4. Jerry Mitchell, Columbus, Ohio
5. Mark Martin, Batesville, Ark.
6. Marvin Smith, Columbus, Ohio
7. Dick Haas, Holland, Mich.
8. Ray Dillon, North Liberty
9. Jim Brandenberg, Columbus, Ohio
10.Dennis Miles, Muncie
11.Gene Harsch, Sharonville, Ohio
12.Dave Watson, Milton, Wis.
13.Ray Barnard, Ypsilanti, Mich.
14.Ellis Herbert, Rushville
15.Harold Scott, New Castle
16.Jack Shanklin, Indianapolis
17.Vern Schrock, Middlebury
18.Mike Eddy, Kawkawlin, Mich.
19.John Anderson, Warren, Mich.
20.Ron Hayes, Brownsburg
21.Neal Sceva, Urbana, Ohio
22.Wayne Arnold, Indianapolis
23.Don Seaborn, Dayton, Ohio
24.Larry Zent, Fort Wayne