1983 – Kinser Sweeps to Missouri Nationals Title

Steve Kinser was $3,000 richer after winning the annual Missouri Sprint Nationals on the half-mile oval at Sedalia. – Ken Simon Photo

Sedalia, Mo. (June 18, 1983) – Steve Kinser pocketed over $4,000 en route to winning the ninth annual Missouri Sprint Car Nationals on the Missouri State Fairgrounds’ half-mile dirt oval.

The Bloomington, Ind., driver won both Friday and Saturday night’s 25-lap features.

Doug Wolfgang watched the tail of his former sprint car mount in Saturday’s action as Kinser was temporarily driving the C.K. Spurlock #18. Wolfgang, driving the Nance #1, claimed second ahead of Ricky Hood, Randy Smith, and John Sernett.

The Saturday night program was rain-delayed with a starting time of 10 p.m. The activities were also set back when National Speedways Contest association promoter Robert Lawton of Des Moines, Iowa, was run down by a sprint car during the packing of the track. Lawton was signaling the car involved to move to a lower groove on the track when the driver lost a wheel, hitting Lawton, resulting in a broken leg, and cut shoulder.

Bobby Layne of Kansas City, known as the “King of Wing,” gave new meaning to the name as he flew over the guardrail in the third turn in a rather unstable flight pattern. Layne’s crash landing totaled his race car and red-flagged the feature event on lap 5.

Kinser’s Friday night feature win was over Larry Gates of St. Joseph. Ind. Finishing third was early race leader Scott Ritchhart of Lincoln, Ill., while John Sernett of Tulsa, Okla., and Cliff Woodward of Kearney, Mo., rounded out the top five.


Results –


Friday –

Fast qualifier – Steve Kinser, Bloomington, Ind. (19.883)
Heat #1 – Scott Ritchhart, Lincoln, Ill.
Heat #2 – Junior Parkinson, Kansas City
Heat #3 – Doug Wolfgang, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Heat #4 – Steve Kinser
B-main – Brett Lacey, Melbourne, Australia
Feature –
1. Steve Kinser
2. Larry Gates, St. Joseph, Ind.
3. Scott Ritchhart
4. John Sernett, Tulsa, Okla.
5. Cliff Woodward, Kearney, Mo.
6. Rick Hood, Memphis, Tenn.
7. Junior Parkinson
8. David Dwyer, Columbia
9. Danny Lasoski, Dover
10.Ricky Weld, Kansas City


Saturday –

Heat #1 – Randy Smith, Norwalk, Iowa
Heat #2 – Bobby Layne, Kansas City
Heat #3 – David Dwyer
Heat #4 – Rick Hood
B-main – Larry Gates
Feature –
1. Steve Kinser
2. Doug Wolfgang
3. Rick Hood
4. Randy Smith
5. John Sernett
6. John Stevenson, St. Paul, Minn.
7. Danny Lasoski
8. Rick Weld
9. Dick Howard, Kansas City
10.Scott Ritchhart