Darrell Dake
Cedar Rapids, Iowa (September 7, 1975) – Oh, it’s a tired cliché, but in the continuing saga of Darrell Dake’s auto racing expertise, it’s certainly applicable.
He’s not getting older, he’s getting better.
Dake piloted his 1973 Nova to the 30-lap season championship for late model stock cars Sunday night at Hawkeye Downs, and with the victory won his first Downs’ point championship since 1965.
So, as Darrell nursed a can of his favorite beverage in the pits afterwards, the first question was obvious.
This is your 28th year of stock car competition Darrell, was it your best?
“Please, don’t say that I’ve been racing 28 years,” laughed the witty veteran of the dirt track wars. “I’d like to think I’m still 39 and have a whole career ahead of me.”
“But seriously, I’m very pleased with the victory and was happy to start on the pole because the track was a little slippery and with guys like Roger (Dolan) and Fred (Horn) breathing down your neck, it’s nice to be up in front.”
Dake’s polecat position proved decisive because only once was there a change of position of the first ten finishers and that came when Waterloo’s Bill Zwanziger nosed ahead of Cedar Rapids’ Ken Walton at the finish line in a battle for fourth.
Even though the 30-lapper was a rather dull “follow-the-leader” trek, the evening didn’t lack for excitement.
The biggest ruckus occurred when Ed Sanger of Waterloo loaded up his car right before the feature and left the track. Sanger had been second or fourth in points, depending on whether you were consulting track promoter Homer Melton or flagman Engel DeKock, and came to the Downs Sunday figuring he was second.
However, Sanger was informed that a change in points had been made between Thursday and Sunday and both Roger Dolan of Lisbon and Bill Zwanziger of Waterloo had been moved ahead of him in the standings.
“The promotion of this track has bordered on ridiculous all season long and as long as the present promoter (Melton) remains here, I will never set foot or drive a car on this track again,” said the veteran driver who won four features at the half-mile this year.
With that, some of the luster of what shaped up to be the keenest season championship in some time was rubbed away since Sanger has been a big contributor to the fine quality of racing at Hawkeye Downs.
The pre-feature bickering, of course, had stemmed from an entanglement last week involving Sanger and Dake. In that race, Sanger’s bumper caught Dake and spun him out. Since it was the white flag lap, the race was stopped, and race leader Roger Dolan was declared the winner with Sanger in second and Dake in third.
Others contended that someone should go to the rear, however, but race officials ruled that the finish stood. That gave Dake - 4,395 points, Sanger - 4,195 points and Dolan - 4,170 points.
But Sunday the points were juggled and read, Dake - 4,395, Dolan – 4,170, Zwanziger – 3,955 and Sanger – 3,845. Flagman Engel DeKock of Oskaloosa explained that he and Sanger had agreed late in the week that someone should have gone to the back of the pack and that Sanger would go, therefore changing the standings. Sanger also reportedly brought back his second-place money.
Dake took home $525 for the win and Dolan, who finished second, collected $425. A paid crowd of 3,288 watched the action.
In the sportsman division, Gail Brenner of Wilton took the early lead and sped easily to the season championship, although Kenny Fenn of Washington showed up after a six-week absence and took fourth, good enough to win the point title.
Results –
Heat #1 – Bill Zwanziger, Waterloo
Heat #2 – Tom Hughes, Monticello
Heat #3 – Mike Frieden, Fairfax
Semi-main – Verlin Eaker, Cedar Rapids
Feature –
1. Darrell Dake, Cedar Rapids
2. Roger Dolan, Lisbon
3. Fred Horn, Marion
4. Bill Zwanziger
5. Ken Walton, Cedar Rapids
6. Bill Beckman, Monticello
7. Ron Prymek, Iowa City
8. Verlin Eaker
9. Curt Hansen, Dike
10.Mike Frieden
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