1957 – White Wins State Fair Opener

 

St. Paul, Minn. (August 24, 1957) – Proving that variety is often the spice of life, Don White opened the Minnesota State Fair auto racing program Saturday with his first stock car feature victory here in two years.

The 1957 Ford with which White circled 100 laps in 49 minutes and 37.67 seconds, was the third car he had driven here in three years and earned him a tidy $600.

Trailing the slender Keokuk, Iowa, veteran was Johnny Beauchamp of Harlan, Iowa, who finished 4.5 seconds back, and Bobby Burdick of Omaha. Neb., who was a car length behind Beauchamp.

The feature climaxed an afternoon of racing in which each decision went into the final straightaway of the last lap before a turnout crowd of 17,214.

Nearly as dramatic, as far as the fans were concerned, was the run-of-the-fair suspension handed to Jim Rehbein of Forest Lake by race director Frank Winkley.

Winkley charged Rehbein with “deliberately turning in front of an oncoming car and trying to cause an accident,” on the first lap of the 12-lap consolation.

The oncoming driver, Bruce Nystrom of Oshkosh, Wis., spun out and slammed up against the inside rail. He was not injured, and neither was Rehbein.

White’s victory was skillfully executed. He let Beauchamp, the International Motor Contest Association point leader, have the lead for 31 laps. When Beauchamp hesitated momentarily on the southeast turn, White skimmed by on the inside and took over.

“Once I got the lead, I knew I could win,” White stated afterwards.


Results –


1. Don White, Keokuk, Iowa
2. Johnny Beauchamp, Harlan, Iowa
3. Bob Burdick, Omaha
4. Ernie Derr, Keokuk, Iowa
5. Don Hoeg, Bloomington
6. George Miller, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
7. Milt Shave, Fond du Lac, Wis.
8. Lenny Funk, Otis, Kan.
9. Bud Helm, Bloomington
10.Jerry Draper, Moline, Ill.
11.Bob Hardy, Beaumont, Tex.
12.Don Lewis, King, Tex.
13.Frank Richards, Marion, Iowa
14.Ralph Smith, Green Bay, Wis.
15.Bruce Nystrom, Oshkosh, Wis.
16.Joe Dolphy, New Brighton, Minn.
17.Dick Johnson, St. Paul, Minn.
18.Earl Ness, Green Bay, Wis.
19.Larry Peterson, Oshkosh, Wis.
20.Newt Bartholomew, Carlisle, Iowa
21.Chub Liebe, Oelwein, Iowa
22.Stan Buchta, Minneapolis