Larry Moore accepts congratulations from race promoter Earl Baltes after winning the World 100 late model stock car race at Eldora Speedway.
By Pete Vercauteren
Rossburg, Ohio (September 9, 1979) – Rim-riding Larry Moore dominated the ninth annual World 100 for dirt late models from start to finish Sunday at Earl Baltes’ Eldora Speedway. The Dayton, Ohio, hot dog took the lead in the first turn from his outside front row starting berth and performed flawlessly, leading the rest of the way to the checkered flag.
Moore’s victory, worth $12,000, was not a runaway, however, as reigning National Dirt Racing Association champion Leon Archer of Griffin, Ga., battled the lanky 36-year-old pilot bumper-to-bumper for the final 50 tours of the high-banked half-mile dirt oval.
The event’s lone caution flag, on lap 45, set up a thrilling duel as Moore’s straightaway advantage over Archer was wiped away when Dick Potts of Morocco, Ind., and former World 100 winner Ed Sanger of Waterloo, Iowa, tangled on the front chute to bring out the yellow banner. Both Potts and Sanger were forced to retire after the altercation.
When racing resumed, Archer gradually closed to the rear bumper of Moore’s 1979 Camaro. Archer, a veteran professional driver, attempted the first of many inside maneuvers in trying to overtake the high-flying Moore on the 56th revolution. Diving the low groove through turns three and four, Archer was unable to unseat the leader.
For the remaining laps of the grueling contest, the pair kept the overflow crowd on the edge of their seats with their close, high-speed competition.
Moore didn’t falter in the final laps as he steered his racer around the oval, each lap scant inches away from the outside retaining wall to a well-deserved victory.
Archer finished three-car-lengths behind Moore and over half-a-lap ahead of third place Buck Simmons of Phenix City, Ala. Rounding out the top five were Charlie Swartz of Portsmouth, Ohio, and Don Hobbs of Bloomington, Ind.
Rodney Combs of Loveland, Ohio, led the assault on the track record during time trials on Saturday as the 29-year-old pilot was fastest of the eight drivers to shatter the previous mark with a 18.644 second clocking. A record 223 cars from 16 states attempted to qualify for Sunday’s heats and last chance race which determined the feature lineup.
Results –
1. Larry Moore, Dayton, Ohio
2. Leon Archer, Griffin, Ga.
3. Buck Simmons, Phenix City, Ala.
4. Charlie Swartz, Portsmouth, Ohio
5. Don Hobbs, Bloomington, Ind.
6. Rodney Combs, Loveland, Ohio
7. H.E. Vineyard, Powell, Tenn.
8. Tom Helfrich, Haubstadt, Ind.
9. Snooks Defour, Chatsworth, Ga.
10.Wally Heminger, Fremont, Ohio
11.Jim Curry, Norman, Ind.
12.John Doering Jr., Flint, Mich.
13.Pat Patrick, Saylor Park, Ohio
14.Rick Shepard, Milford, Ohio
15.Ron Dolan, Zanesville, Ohio
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