1975 – Shuman Big Winner at Western

 

Ron Shuman (2A) makes the winning pass on Rick Ferkel (0) to claim the eight annual Western United States Sprint Car Championships.

Phoenix, Ariz. (October 18, 1975) – The Western is back home in the West.

Home track advantage?

Mesa’s Ron Shuman didn’t need it in beating the best 26 sprint cars drivers in the country at jam-packed Manzanita Speedway on Saturday night.

The eighth annual Western United States Sprint Car Championships was won by an Arizona driver for the first time since 1970 when Shuman bested defending champion Rick Ferkel of Tiffin, Ohio.

The eight Western may have been the best of them all. Starting on the outside of the third row in his backup Bill Boat Chevy, Shuman was given only an outside shot of winning the Western especially considering Ferkel was starting in front of him.

But the 22-year-old youngster forgot who was in front and won going away. He took the lead on lap 34 of the 50-lap main event and kept Ferkel behind him all the way to the checkered flag.

Finishing third for the second straight year was Bubby Jones of Danville, Ill., followed by Knoxville point champion Roger Rager of Mound, Minn., and James McElreath of Arlington, Tex., rounding out the top five.

Ferkel started on the outside of second row but had the lead at the end of the first lap. It looked like a carbon copy of last year’s race until lap 33.

Rager managed to slip by Ferkel for one lap (26) but then lost three positions in heavy traffic. Shuman had been running third throughout behind Ferkel and Rager and kept them both within his sights.

Dicing back and forth between inside and outside grooves, Shuman finally made his move. He passed Ferkel on the back straightaway and to the astonishment of many, started leaving his adversary behind.

Shuman had set a track record in qualifying on Wednesday of 20.90 seconds to show what he could do. But his new car blew an engine on the first lap of his heat. He came back on Friday night with his two-year-old backup car to post second fastest qualifying time and won his heat.

Car owner Boat said his crew worked all night Wednesday and all day on Thursday to make the car competitive.

By winning the Western, Shuman collected $6,925 plus lap money for leading the last 16 laps.


Results –


1. Ron Shuman
2. Rick Ferkel
3. Bubby Jones
4. Roger Rager
5. James McElreath
6. Bobby Olivero
7. Smokey Snellbaker
8. Jan Opperman
9. Billy Wilkerson
10.Leonard McCarl