1972 – Howe Zips Past Fryar to Win Pepsi 200

Michigan's Ed Howe headed south and won the Pepsi 200 late model stock car race at Jackson (Miss.) International Speedway. 

Jackson, Miss. (March 19, 1972) – Surviving an eighth lap spinout, and trailing Freddy Fryar for 179 laps, Ed Howe of Beaverton, Mich., roared down the stretch to take the checkered flag and first place in the inaugural Pepsi 200 late model stock car race Sunday afternoon at Jackson International Speedway.

It was a thrilling finish for Howe, whose 1967 green Chevelle blew its engine during Saturday’s time trials after setting a new speedway track record and earning himself the pole position for Sunday’s race.

Overnight, Howe and his crew installed a spare engine, which according to Ed, “isn’t as powerful as the one I blew. This one is a 350 (cubic inches). The old one was a 380.”

It may be but try and convince the opposition of that when they saw him walk off with first prize money and a three-foot-tall trophy.

Howe’s winning time over the half-mile paved oval was 1 hour and 14 minutes.

Second and third places went to Bobby Fryar in a red ’64 Chevelle and his brother Freddy in his maroon and black ’66 Chevelle, respectively.

The ever-popular Freddy, 10 years Bobby’s senior, but looking more like a teenager, got a bigger ovation from the capacity house than did the well-known Donnie Allison of Hueytown, Ala., and Freddy performed well for his fans.

Unofficially regarded as king of Jackson International Speedway last summer, Fryar led for 172 laps before tire trouble cost him the lead on lap 194.

When pack leader Howe and second place Larry Phillips of Springfield, Mo., spun off the track amid a cloud of dust on lap 8, Alton Jones of Birmingham, Ala., driving Bobby Harrell’s newly-built orange and black ’64 Chevelle took over first and held it until lap 15 when he suddenly pulled into the pit area. Jones got back in the race but dropped out for keeps on lap 49.

Fryar took command on laap 15 and pushed his #91 through the turns for 149 consecutive laps, before the dogging Howe passed him on lap 164.

When Howe made a scheduled stop for gas on lap 171, Fryar regained the lead and retained first place by taking advantage of the race’s only caution flag to go to the pits himself on lap 181.

Freddy appeared to be an easy winner until the fatal 194th lap when he suddenly whipped into the pits for a tire change.

“I had it won,” lamented a dejected Fryar, “until I ran over something on the track.”

Finishing in fourth place was Fred Nick of New Orleans and rounding out the top-five was David Goldsberry of Springfield, Mo.

Actually, Fryar pocketed more cash than Howe did in winning. Howe won $1,565 while Fryar collected $1,655. Fryar earned more lap money because of the number of circuits he led.

The field of cars, touted as one of the finest ever to compete at Jackson, dwindled in a hurry.

Warren Hughes of Baton Rouge left the race with transmission issues after four laps. Donnie Allison’s plans were aborted by a burnt valve on lap 17. Phillips, driving a brand-new blue and white ’69 Chevelle, developed engine trouble a quarter of the way through the race and finally exited on lap 62.

These, in addition to Jones’ departure on lap 41, turned the race into a three-car struggle.

At the halfway point, half of the field had dropped out, and at the finish, only 12 of 30 starters were still on the track.


Results –


1. Ed Howe, Beaverton, Mich.
2. Bobby Fryar, Chattanooga, Tenn.
3. Freddy Fryar, Baton Rouge, La.
4. Fred Nick, New Orleans
5. David Goldsberry, Springfield, Mo.
6. Joe Holley
7. Joe Hull, Muskogee, Okla.
8. Terry Brumley, Springfield, Mo.
9. Chuck Arnold, Baton Rouge, La.
10.Bill Sanders, Muskogee, Okla.
11.Chester Cardwell, Rolla, Mo.
12.Dean Roper, Springfield, Mo.
13.Dale Revette
14.Rat Lane, Mobile, Ala.
15. Dave Wall, Kansas City 
16.Earl Hughes, Baron Rouge, La.
17.Darrell Waltrip, Franklin, Tenn.
18.Royce Whitlock, West Monroe, La.
19.Roger Reid, St. Louis, Mo.
20.Henry Brock, Bessemer, Ala
21.Tom Martin, Varnado, La.
22.Alton Jones, Birmingham, Ala.
23.Les Cardwell, New Orleans
24.Ray Putnam, Monroe, La.
25.C.J. Prine, Baton Rouge, La.
26.John Benson, Jackson
27.Ivan Cooper, Jackson
28.Donnie Allison, Hueytown, Ala.
29.Wayne Niedecken, Pensacola, Fla.
30.Warren Hughes, Baton Rouge, La.