Friday, September 6, 2024

1968 - Bettenhausen Tops Weld at Knoxville


Gary Bettenhausen 



Knoxville, Iowa (September 6, 1968) - Gary Bettenhausen of Tinley Park, Ill., took the lead on the tenth lap and went on to win the 30-lap United States Auto Club sprint car feature before 2,078 fans at the Marion County Fairgrounds here Friday night.

Bettenhausen, son of the late Tony Bettenhausen, a United States Auto Club and Indianapolis 500 star, won $710 for his efforts.

Favored Greg Weld of Kansas City, Mo., held the lead for the first 10 laps and finished fourth.

Jerry Daniels of St. Paul, Minn., was second and Larry Dickson of Marietta, Ohio, was third.

Karl Busson of Toledo, Ohio, the 1967 International Motor Contest Association sprint car champion, hit the wall and flipped once during the semi-main. Officials said a header came loose and wedged in the wheel, causing the accident.

All times were under the track records for super modified competition. Weld had the fastest qualifying time, circling the half-mile in 20.66 seconds. Bill Utz of Sedalia, Mo., holds the track record at 20.73 seconds.

Bettenhausen's time of 11 minutes and 4 seconds for 30 laps cracked the 11 minutes and 6.28 seconds set by Jerry Blundy of Galesburg, Ill., on July 20.

Bettenhausen also had the fastest 8-lap time of 2 minutes and 50.10 seconds in winning a heat race. Virgil Chapman of Kansas City, Mo., set the record of 3 minutes and 13.64 seconds in 1965.

Daniels and Don Brown, San Fernando, Calif., won heat races and Rollie Beat, Toledo, Ohio, captured the 10-lap semi-main.


Results –


1. Gary Bettenhausen, Tinley Park, Ill.
2. Jerry Daniels, St. Paul, Minn.
3. Larry Dickson, Marietta, Ohio
4. Greg Weld, Kansas City
5. Wib Spalding, Granite City, Ill.
6. Carl Williams, Kansas City
7. Mike Mosley, La Punta, Calif.
8. Don Brown, San Fernando, Calif.
9. Don Thomas, San Diego, Calif.
10.Ralph Liguori, Tampa, Fla.


No comments:

Post a Comment