1973 – Smith Takes Minnesota NASCAR Lead

 

Larry Smith flashes under Roy Stine’s checkered flag, winning the 30-lap NASCAR late model feature at Elko Speedway. – John Karau Photo

Elko, Minn. (July 28, 1973) – No one can accuse Larry Smith of backing into the Minnesota State NASCAR point lead.

True, Dan Prziborowski, who led Smith by two points going into Saturday night’s 30-lap late model feature at Minnesota National Speedway, was not a factor in the contest and eventually faded to a 11th-place finish.

Starting from the very back of the field, after setting the evening’s fastest qualifying time, the 27-year-old Shakopee driver pushed his ’73 Mustang quickly into the midst of the battle, and relentlessly began to work his way through traffic.

Even after he had passed Prziborowski, who had established a slower qualifying time and had started two rows from the front, Smith continued his charge.

His effort paid off as he passed New Prague’s Mike Miller on the white flag lap and went on to register his second straight victory at Minnesota National and his fourth of the season.

Smith outraced the night’s fastest qualifiers, again from his last starting position, to win the 6-lap trophy dash.

Smith now has 1,126 points to Prziborowski’s 1,108 and leads both the Minnesota National Speedway and Raceway Park track championship standings.

Miller, the early-season point leader, who now ranks third in the standings, squeezed every ounce of power out of his smoking Mustang to finish second, just ahead of Mark Lamoreaux’s Chevy Nova.

Larry Behrens of Northfield finished fourth in a Chevelle while Dick Stang of Prior Lake shook off an early spin and drove his ’72 Camaro to a fifth-place finish.