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Johnny Ziegler
Kaukauna, Wis. (August 17, 1975) – Madison stock car driver John Ziegler held off a last lap passing attempt by Wausau’s Larry Detjens to score an exciting win in the final race of the fourth annual “Red, White and Blue state championship series at Wisconsin International Raceway on Sunday afternoon before a crowd of 7,108.
Ziegler also won the three-race point championship with a 1,985 to 1,645 edge over Detjens, who was the fastest qualifier in the 51-car field with a time of 21.18 seconds around the half-mile paved oval.
Pre-race favorite Tom Reffner of Rudolph was unable to repair his demolished race car following a violent crash Friday night at Oregon. Reffner, who was hospitalized overnight following the accident, which left his 1974 AMC Javelin nearly destroyed, still finished third in the overall standings with 1,585 points. He won the second race in the series and placed second in the first.
“I really feel bad that Tom couldn’t be here today,” Ziegler said after the win.
Nekoosa’s Marv Marzofka, driving his best race in the series in two years, jumped off his front-row starting position and built up a 10-car-length lead until Joe Shear of South Beloit, Ill., spun in the first turn of the 17th lap, bringing out the caution and tightening the 25-car field behind the leader.
On the restart, Bob Gunn of Monona and Rich Somers of Stevens Point, last year’s state title winner, put pressure on Marzofka. Somers took second position away from Gunn on lap 21 and moved up to Marzofka’s rear bumper.
Meanwhile, Ziegler began his charge to the front. He moved into the third spot on lap 25, got past Somers on the 30th round and passed Marzofka on the outside on the backstretch as the pair sped around the track on the 33rd lap.
Somers pressure Ziegler until lap 64 when he was forced to make a pit stop due to a bad tire.
Detjens steadily began closing the gap on Ziegler. He was in third on lap 67, second by the 78th circuit and on the 96th round, moved right behind Ziegler, when the yellow flag came out for Johnny Reimer’s stalled Camaro on the backstretch.
Ziegler, however, was able to hold off Detjens for the final four laps with Detjens placing second. Dick Trickle of Wisconsin Rapids was third, Marzofka fourth, and young Tom Musgrave of Mundelein, Ill., fifth.
Results –
1. John Ziegler, Madison
2. Larry Detjens, Wausau
3. Dick Trickle, Wisconsin Rapids
4. Marv Marzofka, Nekoosa
5. Tom Musgrave, Mundelein, Ill.
6. Mike Miller, Wisconsin Rapids
7. Bob Gunn, Monona
8. Jim Pierson, Milton
9. Doug Strasburg, Johnson Creek
10.Alan Kulwicki, Milwaukee
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