1953 – Snyder Takes Downs Before 5,000

Adelbert "Deb" Snyder

The Buckeye Bullet

Cedar Rapids, Iowa (May 31, 1953) – Deb Snyder was several weeks late hitting the nation’s dirt tracks this year and the other drivers probably wish the 20-year veteran hadn’t made it at all.

Snyder, the Kent, Ohio, pilot of the $15,000 Miracle Power Offenhauser, entered his fourth race at Hawkeye Downs Sunday afternoon and won his fourth straight victory.

Snyder is just 50 points behind Bob Carpenter of Wabash, Ind., in the International Motor Contest Association point standings after Carpenter had built up a large margin before Deb hit the tracks.

Carpenter currently has 650 points, while Snyder, who scored 300 over the weekend with wins at Peoria, Ill., and Cedar Rapids, has 600 markers.

Many of the 5,000 fans in attendance who watched the two speedsters at the Downs on Sunday were probably yelling for Carpenter to upset Snyder, but the king-size gentleman just couldn’t get the job done.

Snyder opened up a five or six-car length lead at the opening turn and Carpenter spent the rest of the 15 laps trying to catch up. On the 13th lap, he pulled even with Snyder but lost by almost two car lengths in an exciting finish.

Snyder’s time for the 7.5 miles was 6 minutes and 51.04 seconds, far off the Downs’ record.

In the time trials, Snyder turned in a half-mile time of 24.59 seconds, just a second behind the IMCA record he set last year at the track.

Deb also romped home in the first heat, touring the 3.5 miles in 3 minutes and 2.91 seconds. He was chased home by Jim McWithey of Anderson, Ind.

One of the closest finishes of the day occurred in the consolation, a 2.5-mile sprint.

Cecil Greenly of Webster City almost lost to Fred Nelson of Minneapolis on the final turn. Nelson was pressing Greenly all the way and tried to sneak through on the inside when Greenly went into a slide on the stretch turn.

Greenly, however, got his car straightened out in time to edge Nelson by a car length.


Results –


Time trials – Deb Snyder, Kent, Ohio (24.59)
Heat #1 – Deb Snyder
Heat #2 – Bob Carpenter, Wabash, Ind.
Trophy dash – Leon DeRock, Mason City
Consolation – Cecil Greenly, Webster City
Semi-main – Leon DeRock
Feature –
1. Deb Snyder
2. Bob Carpenter
3. Jim McWithey, Anderson, Ind.
4. Harry King, Detroit
5. Ernie Johnson, Christine, N.D.
6. Stan Calloway, Hialeah, Fla.
7. Clair Cotter, Austin, Minn.
8. Fred Nelson, Minneapolis
9. Bert Hellmueller, Louisville, Ky.
10.Louis Yaeger, Austin, Minn.