Tom
Reffner wheeled his 1981 Camaro to victory in ARTGO Racing’s Wayne Carter
Classic at Grundy County Speedway. – Stan Kalwasinski Photo
By Stan Kalwasinski
Morris, Ill. (August 16, 1983) – Two-time ARTGO Racing champion Tom Reffner captured ARTGO’ ninth annual Wayne Carter Classic late model stock car race at Grundy County Speedway on Tuesday night.
The 42-year-old speedster from Rudolph, Wis., drove his 1981 Camaro to victory, which was Reffner’s first ARTGO main event win of 1983. Reffner, who won his first career ARTGO race, the 1975 Wayne Carter Classic, now has 13 ARTGO victories in his career.
A starting field of 24 assembled for the 100-lap feature on the third-mile banked paved oval. A complete restart was needed when Joe Tyrrell spun before the first lap was completed.
Joe shear jumped into the lead from his outside front row starting spot at the drop of the green flag, getting the jump on polesitter Jay Sauter. Shear kept his mount on the top during the opening circuits in which fourth fastest qualifier Mark Martin dropped out of the hunt after only one lap as a bolt fell out of the differential of his 1983 Camaro.
A couple of yellows flags slowed the action during the first dozen laps and despite two restarts, Shear maintained command, but Reffner was now moving in to challenge for the top spot. Reffner took to the high side of Shear and moved into first place on lap 16. The 1975 and ’78 ARTGO titlist pushed his battle-scarred Camaro to a comfortable margin with Shear, father and son Jim and Jay Sauter and Steve Burgess giving chase at the 25-lap mark.
A torrid battled developed for fifth place with Burgess, Al Schill, Bobby Allison, Dick Trickle, and Tom Jones running high and low, looking for a quick opening to advance to the front. Lap 29 saw Jim Sauter drop out because of a cut tire.
The caution flashed on lap 34 as Allison spun between turns one and two as he tried to pick off Schill. During the yellow flag slowdown, Jones retired with ignition problems and second-place Shear developed a leaky tire.
Trickle began moving towards the front of the field, slipping into third on lap 41 and then picking off a rapidly moving Shear for second spot on the next circuit.
Approaching the three-quarter mark in the race, Trickle moved in to pressure Reffner for the top spot with Reffner seemingly content to stay a couple of car lengths ahead. Working his way back to the leaders, Allison, running seventh, looped his mount on lap 69.
Beginning to pull away from Trickle, who started the evening with 43 feature wins for 1983, Reffner built a half-straightaway lead.
Reffner held the top spot the rest of the way with young Jay Sauter fading from fourth to ninth in the final 25 circuits. Slowing a bit at then end, Reffner held off a last lap challenge from Trickle by a couple of car-lengths as the checkered flag fell.
Rounding out the top six were Schill, Tracy Schuler, Steve Burgess, and Tom Musgrave, with Allison taking home seventh place money.
A crowd of 4,925 saw 31 cars time in within one second of Trickle’s quick time of 15.395 seconds, which bested the 26-car field.
Results –
1. Tom Reffner, Rudolph, Wis.
2. Dick Trickle, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
3. Al Schill, Franklin, Wis.
4. Tracy Schuler, Lockport
5. Steve Burges, Eau Claire, Wis.
6. Tom Musgrave, Glenview
7. Bobby Allison, Hueytown, Ala.
8. Dave Weltmeyer, Harvey
9. Jay Sauter, Necedah, Wis.
10.Bryan Reffner, Rudolph, Wis.
11.Mel Walen, Shakopee, Minn.
12.Larry Schuler, New Lenox
13.Trace Embry, St. John, Ind.
14.Joe Tyrrell, Sycamore
15.Bobby Dotter, Chicago
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