1982 – Trickle Thwarts Wallace for Minnesota ASA Win

Dick Trickle receives congratulations from Jerry DeMeo of AMS/OIL after the Wisconsin Rapids veteran won the ASA-sanctioned 300-lapper at the Minnesota State Fair. Dick’s son Chad holds the trophy. – Don Thies Photo

Falcon Heights, Minn. (September 5, 1982) – Dick Trickle wrestled the lead away from Mike Eddy with 10 laps remaining then held off Rusty Wallace by a car-length to win the AMS/OIL 300 ASA Circuit of Champions stock car race at the Minnesota State Fair on Sunday afternoon.

Trickle’s Camaro was never worse than third throughout the race and the Wisconsin veteran paced the drive perfectly summing late race speed when Eddy, who had dominated the last half of the contest, slowed because of tire wear.

The 300-lap, annual Labor Day weekend event on the manicured half-mile saw eight lead changes and five drivers battling on the lead lap at the finish.

Wallace pulled all the stops out during the final 10 circuits to coax his Camaro even with Trickle once, but could not get around and settled for a well-driven second place.

Despite tire problems, Eddy was only 1.5-seconds behind the leaders at the finish to take third in his Firebird and regain the lead in the see-saw American Speed Association season point standings.

Fourth went to Mike Miller, ever masterful at the Minnesota Fair track. The fastest car on the track at the finish and virtually all of the race was Bob Senneker, who finished fifth in his 1981 Camaro after coming all the way from his 32nd starting spot in the 36-car field.

Senneker missed the rain-abbreviated previous weekend at the Fair which contributed points to establish starting spots in the 300 and even retired from a 125-lap qualifying race on Saturday with differential problems while leading. A fourth best qualifying time earned him sufficient points to make the field, albeit well back in the pack.

While running third just before the halfway mark in the race, Senneker’s mount broke a shock absorber but caught a timely caution, allowing his crew to perform some very swift repairs and get him back out only a lap behind the leaders.

Senneker blazed back to unlap himself by passing Eddy on lap 282, followed by Trickle and Wallace eight laps later, setting up the finishing battle.

Jim Sauter led the race on three different occasions in his Firebird, but his excellent drive was spoiled by transmission failure at 221 circuits.


Results –


1. Dick Trickle
2. Rusty Wallace
3. Mike Eddy
4. Mike Miller
5. Bob Senneker
6. Alan Kulwicki
7. Butch Miller
8. Bob Strait
9. Don Gregory
10.Mel Whalen
11.Buddy Schrock
12.Dick Stang
13.Bobby Dotter
14.Marv Marzofka
15.Tom Reffner
16.Jay Sauter
17.Kent Stauffer
18.Tom Carlson
19.Steve Holzhausen
20.Steve Murgic
21.Dennis Lampman
22.Mike Murgic
23.Arnie Christen
24.Jim Sauter
25.John Ziegler