1982 – Trickle edges Eddy in Winchester ASA

Dick Trickle receives the winner’s smooch from Miss Winchester Amy Howard after the Wisconsin ace won the AMS/OIL 200. – Don Thies Photo

Winchester, Ind. (June 13, 1982) – A close battle seemed a foregone conclusion, Mike Eddy had led 150 laps of the “AMS/OIL 200” ASA Circuit of Champions event at Winchester Speedway on Sunday afternoon.

But when the green flag flew coming off a caution with five laps to go, Dick Trickle caught Eddy and the two battled furiously for the remaining distance, frequently sideways and sliding, often touching at more than 130 miles per hour. The result was Trickle taking his first ASA win in 21 frustrating months, by less than a car length.

Eddy, the fastest qualifier, point leader, and winner of the last two ASA races, said after the epic fight, “The car must’ve vapor-locked coming off the last caution. I couldn’t believe it – I went all over the racetrack trying to slosh fuel, hoping it would clear up.”

“I didn’t race hard until the end,” an obviously elated Trickle said afterwards. “I just saved my tires and waited.”

Poised immediately behind the duo and waiting to take advantage of what looked like an inevitable crash in the waning laps was Alan Kulwicki, who brought his Firebird home in third, two laps back.

Eddy had been awesome throughout the race, relinquishing the lead only once on a caution at lap 50 as he pitted early and returned prepared to leave the remaining contenders when they were forced to pit later in the race.

Kulwicki took over at that point and led until lap 71 when Bob Senneker took the lead and blasted away from the pack.

While lapping Jack Drolema on lap 94, Senneker’s car apparently had an oil cooler rupture, greasing his tires and sending him up into Drolema in the third turn and then on a wild series of gyrations atop the guardrail that severely damaged both cars.

With the race restarted, Eddy immediately took the lead and had a seemingly uninhibited ability to pull away at will until the caution again flew on lap 190 when Bobby Dotter grenade his engine.

With a glut off oil to clean up, scoring stopped at the prescribed lap 195 in accordance with ASA “last five under green” rule, and there was speculation along pit row as to whether Eddy had enough fuel left due to his early pit stop.

Taking the green, Eddy’s 1982 Firebird ran perfectly into the first turn, albeit with Trickle’s 1981 Camaro in hot pursuit. It’s when Eddy entered the backstretch, his mount began to sputter.

Eddy immediately suspected low fuel instead of the actual vapor lock, made abrupt maneuvers to slosh his precious remaining fuel, but Trickle took advantage of the situation and flashed past him before Eddy’s car eventually caught and he rocketed after him.

For slightly over four harrowing laps that had a large sunny day crowd going berserk, the two veterans ran side-by-side, sliding wildly and rubbing bodywork, but it was Trickle coming off the final turn and down to the checkered with a scant eight-foot margin.

Trickle’s victory was worth $5,340 from a $32,100 purse.


Results –

1. Dick Trickle
2. Mike Eddy
3. Alan Kulwicki
4. Buddy Schrock
5. Harold Fair
6. Don Gregory
7. Chuck Roumell
8. Butch Miller
9. Ken Harrison
10.Bobby Dotter
11.Don Ely
12.Kent Stauffer
13.John Wilson
14.Doug Klein
15.Greg Guzzo
16.John Knaus
17.Rick Rhonemus
18.Dennis Vogel
19.Bob Senneker
20.Jack Drolema
21.Dave Jensen
22.Jim Tuning
23.Glenn Ohlmann
24.Mickey Flora
25.Bob Strait
26.Tom Harrington
27.Terry Senneker