North
Star 500 winner Ramo Stott is shown with his crew and assistant starter Russ
Brown at the Minnesota State Fair.
St. Paul, Minn. (September 4, 1967) – Ramo Stott started first, and Ernie Derr started second in Sunday’s North Star 500-lap late model stock car race at the Minnesota State Fair.
The race ended 3 hours, 29 minutes and 27 seconds later with Stott and Derr in the same positions. That time was an IMCA world record for a half-mile, semi-banked, paved track, bettering the old mark of 3 hours, 31 minutes and 54 seconds set by Derr when he won last year’s North Star 500.Stott earned $2,200 with the victory while Derr collected $1,500.
Between the start and the finish there was a lot of noise for the 21,083 spectators. What they saw was Stott in the lead (480 laps) or Derr in the lead (20 laps) and no one within five laps of them.
Stott didn’t lead the entire race because he stopped twice for refuel and also had a tire change. Derr held his first lead for one lap and the second lead for 19. He lost both of those when he made pit stops too.
The only time Stott passed Derr – while he was moving – there might have been controversy but there wasn’t.
Stott tried to pass on the curve and Derr, turning into the straightaway, hit Stott’s car, denting the right side. Again, neither driver lost control during the contact.
Ramo eventually passed Derr. Then Ernie slammed into Stott’s trunk, but not hard enough to cause either car to swerve, even though they were traveling almost 80 miles per hour.
Stott then pulled away from Derr towards the finish, winning by one and a half laps.
After the race, Stott explained thee first bumping incident. “I had a tire that wasn’t broken in and I couldn’t hold my groove through the turn. I slid and nudged Ernie’s back end.”
“Then, after I lapped him, I think he was a little disgusted and that’s why he bumped me.”
Results –
1. Ramo Stott, Keokuk, Iowa
2. Ernie Derr, Keokuk, Iowa
3. Ole Brua, Albert Lea, Minn.
4. Willie Crane, Springfield, Mo.
5. Bob Malechek, Marshalltown, Iowa
6. Buzz McCann, St. Paul
7. Dave Noble, Blooming Prairie, Minn.
8. Roger Carlson, Hibbing, Minn.
9. Blackie Wangerin, Minneapolis
10.Dick Oldham, Des Moines, Iowa
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