John Ziegler won his first Red, White, and Blue State Championship
Series race since 1975 at Wisconsin International Raceway. He’s congratulated
by a representative of Coca-Cola and Miss WIR Debbie Ashauer. – Russ Lake Photo
By Gary Vercauteren
Kaukauna, Wis. (July 13, 1986) – John Ziegler dipped inside Dave Watson on the 60th lap and went on to score a two-car-length victory in the second race of the 15th annual Red, White, and Blue State Championship Series Sunday afternoon at Wisconsin International Raceway.
Ziegler drove his Thunderbird to victory in the 70-laap contest. The veteran Madison driver took over first place in the series standings with the victory. His last state championship series feature win came in 1975 on the half-mile paved oval.
Mark Martin, the defending champion, and series point leader entering Sunday’s show, dropped out of the feature on the 47th lap with a mechanical problem while running in third position. He fell to second in the point standings while Watson is third. Martin won the series’ opening feature in June, with Ziegler finishing second.
“The guys that take care of this car are doing the job,” Ziegler said after the win.
A crowd of 4,467 sat through three rain showers during the afternoon to witness the event.
Watson outdrove Rich Somers into the first turn to grab the lead at the outset. The first caution flew on lap 13 and when the race restarted, Watson continued to set the pace before the yellow waved again for Dick Trickle, a seven-time series champion, left the race trailing smoke.
Scott Hansen went to the outside to get around Somers for second place om lap 16. However, Hansen was overtaken by Martin, the day’s top qualifier, on the 23rd round.
A heated battle for third followed, involving Hansen, Terry Baldry, and Ziegler.
Baldry moved past Hansen on the 27th lap but Hansen regained the position a circuit later. Baldry, a three-time Fox River Racing Club champion, overtook Hansen on the 36th lap. Hansen retook the spot once again when Baldry got sideways in the first turn of the 37th round. Ziegler slipped under Baldry’s skidding car, but Bob Iverson spun trying to avoid contact to bring out the caution flag.
On the restart, Martiin pulled up on Watson’s bumper, with Hansen third and Ziegler fourth. Ziegler dove under Hansen on the 38th round to take third. He zoomed past Martin on the 41st lap to move up one more notch.
Martin went to the sidelines on the 47th lap while Ziegler began to close in on Watson. Meanwhile, Baldry and Hansen continued their battle with Baldry moving past Hansen on lap 48. A yellow came out on lap 49 when Tom Haen spun.
It was a three-car battle to the finish line during the remaining laps with Ziegler and Baldry pressing Watson for the lead. One more yellow flew on lap 60 when Al Schil spun in turn three.
Ziegler shot inside of Watson coming off the second turn on the restart and won by two-car-lengths. Baldry was a close third with Hansen fourth and Somers fifth.
Results –
1. John Ziegler, Madison
2. Dave Watson, Milton
3. Terry Baldry, Omro
4. Scott Hansen, Green Bay
5. Rich Somers, Stevens Point
6. Steve Arndt, Edgerton
7. Bob Iverson, Escanaba, Mich.
8. Jim Weber, Roseville, Minn.
9. Doug Herbst, Wausau
10.Jay Sauter, Necedah
11.Tom Musgrave, Half Day, Ill.
12.Allen Check, Rosholt
13.Tom Haen, Hilbert
14.Al Schill, Franklin
15.Brady Bennett, Greenville
Ziegler drove his Thunderbird to victory in the 70-laap contest. The veteran Madison driver took over first place in the series standings with the victory. His last state championship series feature win came in 1975 on the half-mile paved oval.
Mark Martin, the defending champion, and series point leader entering Sunday’s show, dropped out of the feature on the 47th lap with a mechanical problem while running in third position. He fell to second in the point standings while Watson is third. Martin won the series’ opening feature in June, with Ziegler finishing second.
“The guys that take care of this car are doing the job,” Ziegler said after the win.
A crowd of 4,467 sat through three rain showers during the afternoon to witness the event.
Watson outdrove Rich Somers into the first turn to grab the lead at the outset. The first caution flew on lap 13 and when the race restarted, Watson continued to set the pace before the yellow waved again for Dick Trickle, a seven-time series champion, left the race trailing smoke.
Scott Hansen went to the outside to get around Somers for second place om lap 16. However, Hansen was overtaken by Martin, the day’s top qualifier, on the 23rd round.
A heated battle for third followed, involving Hansen, Terry Baldry, and Ziegler.
Baldry moved past Hansen on the 27th lap but Hansen regained the position a circuit later. Baldry, a three-time Fox River Racing Club champion, overtook Hansen on the 36th lap. Hansen retook the spot once again when Baldry got sideways in the first turn of the 37th round. Ziegler slipped under Baldry’s skidding car, but Bob Iverson spun trying to avoid contact to bring out the caution flag.
On the restart, Martiin pulled up on Watson’s bumper, with Hansen third and Ziegler fourth. Ziegler dove under Hansen on the 38th round to take third. He zoomed past Martin on the 41st lap to move up one more notch.
Martin went to the sidelines on the 47th lap while Ziegler began to close in on Watson. Meanwhile, Baldry and Hansen continued their battle with Baldry moving past Hansen on lap 48. A yellow came out on lap 49 when Tom Haen spun.
It was a three-car battle to the finish line during the remaining laps with Ziegler and Baldry pressing Watson for the lead. One more yellow flew on lap 60 when Al Schil spun in turn three.
Ziegler shot inside of Watson coming off the second turn on the restart and won by two-car-lengths. Baldry was a close third with Hansen fourth and Somers fifth.
Results –
1. John Ziegler, Madison
2. Dave Watson, Milton
3. Terry Baldry, Omro
4. Scott Hansen, Green Bay
5. Rich Somers, Stevens Point
6. Steve Arndt, Edgerton
7. Bob Iverson, Escanaba, Mich.
8. Jim Weber, Roseville, Minn.
9. Doug Herbst, Wausau
10.Jay Sauter, Necedah
11.Tom Musgrave, Half Day, Ill.
12.Allen Check, Rosholt
13.Tom Haen, Hilbert
14.Al Schill, Franklin
15.Brady Bennett, Greenville
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