1981 – Canadian Driver Dominates Oktoberfest 200

Junior Hanley

West Salem, Wis. (October 4, 1981) – Canadian driver Junior Hanley says he has curtailed his racing schedule in recent years to concentrate more on building and selling stock car chassis.

But when he finds time to get behind the wheel of a race car, the results are generally successful. Such was the case on Sunday afternoon at Interstate Speedway, where Hanley drove away from the rest of the field in both 100-lap feature events of the 12th annual Oktoberfest 200.

“I used to race a lot,” Hanley said, after winning his second race which gave him the overall Oktoberfest late model championship. “Lately, I haven’t been able to do as much because I’m spending a lot more time in the shop. We build them and sell them.”

“I was down in the Midwest last week for another race,” remarked, Hanley, who lives in Oakville, Ontario. “I went back to work but left the car here.”

Last week’s race, though, was not successful for the driver who has been nicknamed “Mr. Excitement” on the ARTGO racing circuit. In the Tony Bettenhausen Memorial race at Illiana Motor Speedway in Schererville, Ind., he ran out of gas and finished in 15th place.

It would have taken a similar mishap on Sunday in order for anyone to challenge Hanley’s domination of the event.

Starting on the 12th row of the 30-car field, it took just 12 circuits for Hanley to work his way into the lead. Jim Back of Vesper, who races at Interstate regularly, put pressure on the leader for several laps early in the race, but Hanley held him off in the third and fourth turns several times and was never threatened again.

Hanley, Back, Joe shear of South Beloit, Ill., and track champion Marv Marzofka of Nekoosa ran in the first through fourth positions for the last 53 laps, providing little excitement for the fans.

“I think it would have been better in the second race, but I blew the motor,” said Back, who would pull off on the fifth lap of the second 100-lapper.

It took Hanley 30 laps to get the lead in the second race, but once again, he had little trouble holding thee front position once he got there. Marzofka would challenge him briefly after a yellow flag waved on lap 38 but by the end of the race, Hanley enjoyed a half-lap lead over runner-up Shear and third place Marzofka. There were no challenges on the top three for the final 54 laps.

Shear was overall runner-up and Marzofka was third. The overall standings were determined by the driver’s average finish in both races.

But, both Shear and Marzofka were upset afterwards when they learned that Hanley’s right-side weight had been less than the minimum weight required by the Central Wisconsin Racing Association rules for the event.

“Rules are rules,” commented Marzofka. “I definitely think he was illegal.”

“He seems to get away with it wherever he goes,” Shear said.

Pit steward Clem Droste confirmed that Hanley’s right side was seven pounds under the limit, but his total weight was well over the minimum.

“I’m not going take his money away for seven pounds,” Interstate Speedway owner Larry Wehrs said.

Mark Lamoreaux of Bloomington, Minn., won the 40-lap semi-feature for late models.

Speedway manager Dick Johnson said that 71 late models were timed for the event.

Joe Berthiaume of Osseo, Minn., won the 20-lap hobby stock feature.


Results –


Feature #1 –

1. Junior Hanley, Oakville, Ont.
2. Jim Back, Vesper
3. Joe shear, South Beloit, Ill.
4. Marv Marzofka, Nekoosa
5. Mike Miller, Wisconsin Rapids
6. Steve Moll, Wisconsin Rapids
7. Kevin Stepan, Mosinee
8. Al Schill, Franklin
9. Steve Murgic, Rosemount, Minn.
10.Mel Whalen, Shakopee, Minn.


Feature #2 –

1. Junior Hanley
2. Joe Shear
3. Marv Marzofka
4. Tom Jones, Northbrook, Ill.
5. Tom Reffner, Rudolph
6. Al Schill
7. John Ziegler, Madison
8. Steve Murgic
9. Kevin Stepan
10.Jerry Eckhardt, Watertown

1964 – Jones Takes Checkered at Wentzville

Rufus "Parnelli" Jones

Wentzville, Mo. (October 4, 1964) – Parnelli Jones captured the $15,000 Mid-America Raceway’s 200-mile late model stock car Sunday afternoon.

The 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner, driving a 1964 Mercury Marauder, was in command throughout the United States Auto Club-sanctioned event. His winning time for the 71 laps over the 2.8-mile road course was 2 hours and 36.8 minutes.

A crowd estimated at 25,000 got perhaps it’s biggest kick out of the fight for second place amongst a couple of drivers, with A.J. Foyt, the reigning king of auto racing, and Norm Nelson were the two key participants.

Foyt would wind up fourth with Nelson finishing just head of Don White.

Bobby Marshman began as though he intended to give Jones a contest but encountered a broken wheel cylinder on the 14th lap and steered off the course. Into a field and coming to a rest on top of rocks.

Marshman solicited some help from nearby spectators and got back on course but was unable to get back into contention.

Jones, who received $5,000 for his victory, said he liked the course, which was the site for stock car racing for the very first time.

“It was handling well,” he said. “I got a lot better run than I thought I would. With 32 stock cars going, I thought it would be a bit narrow.”

“That first turn, you better go into it single-file, or at least have respect for each other.”


Results –


1. Parnelli Jones, Torrance, Calif.
2. Norm Nelson, Racine, Wis.
3. Don White, Keokuk, Iowa
4. A.J. Foyt, Houston, Tex.
5. Lloyd Ruby, Wichita Falls, Tex.
6. Whitey Gerken, Melrose Park, Ill.
7. Rodger Ward, Indianapolis
8. Bob Slensby, Pewaukee, Wis.
9. Roger Regeth, Kimberly, Wis.
10.Herb Shannon, Peoria, Ill.

1981 - Swindell Takes High Road to Outlaw I-70 Flag

Sammy Swindell 

Odessa, Mo. (October 3, 1981) — Sammy Swindell took the high road Saturday night at the I-70 National Speedway on his way to victory in the World of Outlaw winged sprint car 40-lap feature race.

“I try to run the same spot on the track every lap and the high groove is always the fastest on this track,” said the Memphis, Tenn., racer. Swindell earned $4,500 for his quarter-lap victory over second place Jon Stevenson of St. Paul, Minn.

Swindell jumped into the lead from his front-row starting position on the first lap. For the next 12 laps, Swindell had to hold off the challenge of his brother Jeff.

On lap 13, Doug Wolfgang, Sioux Falls, S.D., moved into second place to challenge Swindell. Wolfgang, who started in the middle of the 24-car field, was aided by a yellow flag on lap 9 when Jerry Potter, Kansas City, rode the fourth-turn wall.

Wolfgang’s run for the front spot was short-lived when he dropped out of the race on lap 16 with a flat, left rear tire. Wolfgang’s loss was Jeff Swindell’s gain as he moved back into second.

Sammy and Jeff Swindell ran 1-2 until lap 34 when Jeff Swindell pulled into the pits with a flat, right-rear tire. Stevenson moved into second while Jeff Swindell pulled to the rear of the pack, having changed tires.

Sammy Swindell withstood Stevenson’s charge for the next six laps to pick up the win. Stevenson’s car slowed on the last lap and his engine let go after the checkered flag.

Jeff Swindell worked his way up from the rear to finish third, followed by Randy Smith, Norwalk, Iowa, and Rick Weld of Kansas City.

“The car felt comfortable the whole race,” Swindell said. He later learned that the strap holding the fuel tank had broken.

The qualifying heat races were won by Wolfgang, Ken Schrader of Fenton, Mo. and Weld. The 12-lap B-feature went to Scott Ritchart of Lincoln, Ill.


Results –


1. Sammy Swindell
2. John Stevenson
3. Jeff Swindell
4. Randy Smith
5. Rick Weld
6. Cliff Woodward
7. Bobby Marshall
8. Gary Scott
9. Gordy Lamb
10.Tom Corbin
11.T.J. Giddings
12.Jack Ziegler
13.Cliff Blundy
14.Roger Hurst
15.Todd Bishop
16.Ken Schrader
17.Scott Ritchart
18.Doug Wolfgang
19.Terry Smith
20.Bob Thoman
21.Ken Chapman
22.Jerry Potter
23.Ronnie Daniels
24.Bob Williams

1983 - Eddy Dominates Foes, Wins Winchester 400

 

Mike Eddy hoists his trophy after winning the Winchester 400 late model stock car race. Miss Winchester and Jim Scott of Silver Creek make the presentation. – Don Thies Photo

Winchester, Ind. (October 2, 1983) – Ever the master of the high-banked ovals, Mike Eddy won the Winchester 400-lap American Speed Association event at Winchester Speedway on Sunday afternoon, crossing the finish line four seconds ahead of runner-up Butch Miller.

Although the contest feature 11 different lead changes among six different drivers, Eddy dominated the bulk of the chase, leading 297 circuits.

Still, Eddy needed some late-race heroics to score the victory, after his gamble on a pit stop for fresh rubber and fuel during a caution allowed Miller to take the lead with only 22 laps remaining.

“The car was working so perfectly that we were confident we’d get back by Butch,” Eddy said after the race. “But we wanted the insurance of fresh tires and plenty of gas.”

“Staying out was our only shot,” Miller said in explaining why he elected not to pit during the slowdown. “Mike was running super and our only chance was to put as many cars between us as possible and hope for the best.”

After the green returned for the final time on lap 386, Eddy needed only two laps to guide his Firebird past Miller and the defending ASA champion then went on to claim the winner’s $10,000 share of the $58,000-plus purse.

Behind Eddy and Miller at the finish, but two laps down was Jim Sauter. Fourth went to Terry Senneker, who was seven laps off the winner’s pace and fifth was claimed by Tom Jones, who completed 384 laps after starting 25th.

The demanding high banks of Winchester took their toll on some of the top contenders. Mark Martin dropped out on lap 71 with ignition problems. Multi-time winner Bob Senneker suffered an oil leak early on then was knocked out of contention when he hit the backstretch wall on lap 252. Dick Trickle, who shadowed Eddy and Miller early on, overheated with 100 laps remaining. Rusty Wallace, who won last year’s 400, surrendered three circuits after replacing a flat tire on lap 100. He struggled to complete 363 laps and finished 10th.


Results –


1. Mike Eddy
2. Butch Miller
3. Jim Sauter
4. Terry Senneker
5. Tom Jones
6. Bob Strait
7. Tim Fontana
8. Ken Stauffer
9. Bob Sensiba
10.Rusty Wallace
11.Don Collins
12.Terry Cater
13.Dave Jensen
14.Dennis Lampman
15.Bobby Dotter
16.Alan Kulwicki
17.Ken Harrison
18.Dick Trickle
19.Don Moon
20.Muttly Kurkowski

1954 – Harrison Cops Feature at Fair

 

Oklahoma City, Okla. (October 2, 1954) – Bill Harrison of Topeka, Kan., took the lead on the 97th lap, and went on to win the 200-lap International Motor Contest Association stock car feature race at the Oklahoma State Fair on Saturday.

It was only the second feature win of the season for Harrison, who has finished third eight times and has had more hard luck than any other driver on the IMCA stock car circuit.

His winning time was 1 hour, 55 minutes, and 30 seconds, some 10 minutes slower than the world mark for the 100-mile distance. Harrison may have threatened the record had the field not been slowed several times because of accidents.

Don White of Keokuk, Iowa grabbed the lead at the onset and held on until the 50th lap when a piston broke, and his car was forced out of action.

At that point, Ernie Derr of Fort Madison, Iowa, the 1953 national stock car champion, moved into the lead. He stayed out front until lap 79 when he hit some water on the track, spun out and hit the fence.

He spent the next 15 circuits in the pits before getting back into the race. The water on the track resulted in a broke radiator hose from another car.

Harrison took over first place after Derr’s mishap and was never overtaken the rest of the race. Engine difficulty slowed his car six laps from the finish, but the motor finally responded before Harrison could be seriously threatened.

The most spectacular flip of the race occurred on lap 173 when Robert “Doc” Narber of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, blew a tire and flipped high in the air over the fence. The car was completely demolished but Narber escaped without injury.

Derr came back from his long pit stop and turned in some great driving to finish seventh. The starting field included 17 cars with 12 car still on the track at the end.


Results –

1. Bill Harrison, Topeka, Kan.
2. Bob Carpenter, Wabash, Ind.
3. Roxy Dancy, Shreveport, La.
4. Bob Potter, Duluth, Minn.
5. Russell Cross, Quincy, Ill.
6. Ray Vance, Springfield, Mo.
7. Ernie Derr, Fort Madison, Iowa