1979 – Sanger Scores in Missouri Nationals

 

Ed Sanger of Waterloo, Iowa, won the $10,000 Ewer’s Goodyear Nationals at Capital Speedway. Sanger took home $1,500 for his efforts. He’s joined by his crew and the Ewer family. – Al Steinberg Photo

Holts Summit, Mo. (September29, 1979) – Ed Sanger of Waterloo, Iowa, took the lead on lap 67 of the 100-alp Ewer’s Goodyear Missouri Nationals feature event and held it the rest of the way to score the victory and the $1,000 payday Saturday night at Capital Speedway.

Sanger’s victory was no easy feat, as a hard-charging Ron Jackson of Burlington, Iowa, was glued to his rear bumper the entire 33 final laps, one passing Sanger on the front straightaway on lap 97 until Sanger returned the favor, passing him on the backstretch.

Jackson, who started on the outside of the front row, led the first four laps until being passed by Viola, Iowa’s Ken Walton. It looked like a runaway for Walton until lap 30 when he dropped low to pass a slower car in turn two and hit a drainage ditch, destroying his rear end.

Jackson regained the led once again as Sanger continued to eat up the distance between himself and the leader until the lead pass on lap 67. No one else finishing in the top-10 were even close to the two frontrunners.

Finishing third in the race, which was halted only once when Larry Phillips of Springfield, Mo., spun on lap 30, was John Connolly of Delhi, Iowa. Finishing fourth was Galen Shaeffer of Topeka, Kan., and taking fifth was Bill Rice of Des Moines.

In Friday’s preliminaries, Jackson set fast time with a 22.06 second clocking. Timing second fastest was Johnny Stevens of Jefferson City with time of 23.14 seconds.

Qualifying heat wins went to Darrell Dake of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Ken Walton, Galen Shaeffer, Mel Morris of West Liberty, Iowa, and Bill Rice.

A total of 63 of the nation’s best late model drivers turned out for the second annual event and a record $10,000 purse, prompting promoter Ed Bloom to start plans for the third annual event for September of next year.


Results –


1. Ed Sanger, Waterloo, Iowa
2. Ron Jackson, Burlington, Iowa
3. John Connolly, Delhi, Iowa
4. Galen Shaefer, Topeka, Kan.
5. Bill Rice, Des Moines
6. Steve Fraise, Montrose, Iowa
7. Johnny Stevens, Jefferson City
8. John Miller, Keokuk, Iowa
9. Tim Trimble, Gilliam, Mo.
10.Ed Dixon, Washington, Mo.