1965 – Leep Wins Sunday Afternoon Matinee at Fair

Harold Leep collects his hardware after winning at Lincoln. Joining him are (l-r), Woody Brinkman, Gene Van Winkle, and car owner Chet Wilson. – Bob Mays Collection

Lincoln, Neb. (September 5, 1965) - Harold Leep of Wichita, Kansas, the slickest of the slick track drivers, made it two in a row Sunday afternoon winning the International Motor Contests Association sprint races in a record smashing day at the Nebraska State Fair. A reported 12,300 spectators saw the racing program.

A Leep sweep of the sprint car races this year is a possibility with victories Saturday and again Sunday already under his belt and the wrap-up of sprint car action scheduled for Monday afternoon.

The broad-shouldered driver took over the lead in the 30-lap feature event on the ninth lap and never relinquished it. He slid under Don Brown of San Fernando, Calif, and was pulling away at the finish.

Three Nebraska State Fair sprint car racing records were set.

The first mark came in the second heat event, when Jim Moughan of Springfield, Ill., won in a record clocking of 4 minutes and 18 seconds. Bill Puterbaugh had just set a new standard for the same distance of 8 laps in 4 minute and 20 seconds. Puterbaugh, who hails from Roxana, Ill., had just lowered the standard that had stood since 1963.

Jerry Blundy of Galesburg, Ill., smashed another record in the special 5-lap match race, winning in the time of 2 minutes and 29 seconds, topping the old mark set by Leep in 1959 by a full 11 seconds. Blundy, however, would blow and engine later on and be sidelined for the feature race.

Still another mark came in the action-packed consolation race won by Don Brown. He whipped around the 10 laps in 5 minutes and 4 minutes beating the old record of 5 minutes and 31 seconds set back in 1962 by another Californian, Bill Sullivan of Sacramento.

Tom Custer of Rock Island, Ill., won the third heat to round out the event winners for the day.

Leep’s feature victory also goes as a new mark in the absence of an old one. He logged a 14 minute and 44 second time in the 30-lap feature race; a record which might be wiped out before the sprint cars end their three-day stay this Monday afternoon at the Nebraska State Fair in Lincoln.


Results –


Heat #1 – Bill Puterbaugh, Roxana, Ill.
Heat #2 – Jim Moughan, Springfield, Ill.
Heat #3 – Tom Custer, Rock Island, Ill.
STP Handicap – Jerry Blundy, Galesburg, Ill.
Consolation – Don Brown, San Fernando, Calif.
Feature –
1. Harold Leep, Wichita, Kan.
2. Tom Bigelow, Whitewater, Wis.
3. Buzz Barton, Tampa, Fla.
4. Don Brown
5. Jim Moughan
6. Norm Baker, Webster City, Iowa
7. Bill Puterbaugh
8. Bill Eubank, Danville, Ind.
9. Gordon Woolley, Waco, Tex.
10.Jay Woodside, Overland Park, Kan.
11.Lonnie Jensen, Lincoln, Neb.
12.Bernie Graybill, Frankfort, Ky.