Friday, July 12, 2024

1972 – Moss Wins Oskaloosa Mid-Season Honors


"Big" John Moss won the super stock mid-season championship at the Mahaska County Fairgrounds. 



Oskaloosa, Iowa (July 12, 1972) - John Moss of Iowa City captured the big super stock mid-season championship last night here at the Southern Iowa Speedway before a standing room only crowd estimated at around 5,000.

Moss started on the outside front row as the cars for the feature was lined according to current point standings. Point leader, Ed Sanger was on the pole and that is how the race started including the first one and one-half laps.

The two cars stayed together with neither driver getting an edge until on the second lap when Moss gained some ground and pulled into the lead on the backstretch. Sanger never let Moss get out of sight as he dueled with Don Hoffman in a bumper to bumper battle for second place.

Meanwhile a right race was developing back in the pack for fourth place among Chris Maurer, Dan Dickey and Bill McDonough.

On the seventh lap Hoffman spun out bringing out the red flag and closing up the field for the restart.

Sanger, holding down second at the time, had some tough luck on the restart when he ran over an object on the track causing a flat tire. Chris Maurer was in second place when his "engine turned sour" the last ten laps.

Meanwhile Dan Dickey of Packwood was steadily moving up thru the pack in pursuit of Moss. Dickey finished runner-up to Moss, followed by Bill McDonough of Cedar Rapids and Bob Bonzer of Liscomb.

This was Moss's second feature win here, the first being two months ago.

Pokey West of West Chester held off a hard-challenging Moss to win the first super stock heat races. Moss was right on West's tail all the way. West then had to scratch for the rest of the evening result of a blown head gasket. The red flag came out on the seventh lap when Bill Newman of Burlington ended up rear end first against the third turn rail.

Bill McDonough copped the second heat event with Joe Merryfield hot on his bumper. Stan Stover had the enthusiastic fans holding their breath when he went ramming thru the steel guard rails between turns one and two.

There were some anxious moments until the crews found Stover was not injured as he went thru with rails flying in all directions. Needless to say, the car was out for the rest of the evening.

Chris Maurer took the lead from a badly smoking Dan Dickey on the fifth lap lo take the third heat win.

John Babb of Ottumwa was on Maurer's tail and making a bid for the lead on the last lap when his hot car erupted in an old faithful style of steam and water. Babb was able to nail down second place before pulling into the pit.

Don Hoffman and George Barton won the two Australian pursuits events.

Dick Lewis of Ottumwa made his first appearance on the big half mile and conquered the sportsman midseason title.

Lewis led the full distance in the non-stop race and took the checkers by a good-sized margin over Eldon Newberry of North English. Paul Lanphier of Oskaloosa placed third as he and Bill Hulbert of Eldon came across the line in bumper to bumper fashion. Ottumwa drivers, Skip Gray and Darrell Davis were fifth and sixth.


Results –


Heat #1 – Pokey West, West Chester, Iowa
Heat #2 – Bill McDonough, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Heat #3 – Chris Maurer, Colfax, Iowa
Australian Pursuit #1 – Don Hoffman, Des Moines
Australian Pursuit #2 – George Barton, Ankeny, Iowa
Feature –
1. John Moss, Iowa City, Iowa
2. Dan Dickey, Packwood, Iowa
3. Bill McDonough
4. Bob Bonzer, Liscomb, Iowa
5. Curt Hansen, Dike, Iowa
6. Chris Maurer
7. Don Hoffman
8. George Barton
9. Lyle Downing, Marshalltown, Iowa
10.Ed Sanger, Waterloo, Iowa
11.Joe Merryfield, Des Moines
12.Pokey West

No comments:

Post a Comment