The IMCA Stock Cars at Donnellson

By Kyle Ealy

Donnellson, Iowa – The history of the IMCA stock car series dates back to its beginnings in 1949.

One of the oldest stops on the series’ annual tours is the Lee County Fairgrounds in Donnellson, Iowa. Starting in 1951, IMCA would make the old half-mile at Donnellson a regular stop on their spring and summer tours until 1972. Let’s look back at those races…

It all started on July 27, 1951 as Don White of Keokuk, Iowa, beat his brother-in-law, Ernie Derr of Fort Madison, Iowa, before 1,500 on a Friday afternoon at the Lee County Fair. White won the 25-lap feature in the time of 14 minutes and 32 seconds. White drove a 1950 Mercury while Derr piloted a 1950 Oldsmobile. Bob Dugan of Tampa, Fla., finished third driving a 1949 Plymouth.

There would be no IMCA-sanctioned stock car races in Donnellson in 1952 or 1953.

But it would be back to business on July 24, 1954, as Herschel Buchanan of Shreveport, La., made the long haul to win the 50-mile, 100-lap feature on Saturday afternoon before a capacity crowd of 6,000. Buchanan won the race in the time of 52 minutes and 5 seconds.

Ernie Derr finished second and Don White finished third, both driving 1954 Oldsmobile’s. Buchanan, the winner, steered a 1954 Hudson.

Protests were filed at the end of the event between Buchanan and White, with both claiming that each other’s respective cars were not “stock”. Purses for both were held up pending an investigation of both cars at the next stop on the tour, Minot, N.D.

The 100-lap grind, which drew an entry list of 16 cars was a duel between Buchanan and White wright down to the wire. The lead changed hands 12 times with Buchanan bumping White off the northwest turn on lap 95. Two laps later the Keokuk pilot lost a right front wheel allowing Derr, who was running a half a lap behind, to speed by him for second place. White managed to limp home on three wheels to finish third.

Once again, the IMCA stock cars ignored the Lee County Fair in 1955 but on August 3, 1956, with nearly 5,000 in attendance, Darrel Dake of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, edged out Don White by half a car length at the end of their 50-lap feature.

Dake took the lead in the first lap and held it all the way while White worked his way up from 12th position to come in for a neck-and-neck finish in the final stretch. Bud Burdick of Omaha finished third in the feature, followed by Shorty Eberts of Avondale, Mo., in fourth.

1957 would mark the beginning of two visits each year to Donnellson, Iowa, from the IMCA stock car series. This tradition would continue until 1972.

Ernie Derr, driving a green 1957 Pontiac would win the feature on Friday night, August 2. Another stellar crowd of 5,000 racing fans sat through time trials of a large field of 27 new model stock cars and then watched five heat races previous to the final 25-lap feature event of the evening.

Fast qualifier George Miller of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, started on the pole in the feature race and held first place, although he was consistently dogged by Derr, until the 12th lap when Derr slipped inside him on the west curve to take over the first position and hold it throughout the remainder of the race.

Miller would hold on for second while Chub Liebe of Oelwein, Iowa, was third and Frank Richards of Marion, Iowa, finished fourth.

Don White had moved to third from his sixth position and was gaining on Derr and Miller when he crashed into a light pole and found himself in ninth position before he could get straightened out.

White would rebound the very next night, August 3, as another crowd of over 5,000 watched the 1954-55 IMCA national champion win the 100-lap feature.

Saturday night’s events held thrills for everyone and near tragedy as the 1957 Pontiac of George Miller crashed into a group of spectators on the back stretch. Fortunately, no was seriously injured with only cuts and bruises reported.

It was Miller who set quick time in qualifying, started on the pole for the main event and jumped into the lead at the beginning. Miller and White would battle throughout the first 54 laps for the head position and although it appeared time after time that White would take over the top spot, the Keokuk speedster had been unable to get around him.

The two had been banging off each other for quite some time, with sparks flying as the bodies of the two cars scraped together as the two cars reached speeds of 60 miles per hour. Miller stated that it was one of those times when White used Miller’s car as a backboard, catapulting Miller into the backstretch fence.

Miller was finished for the evening while White inherited the top spot. After Miller was eliminated, White cruised to the easy win.

Ford cars copped the top four spots in the feature with White winning in his 1957 Ford, Chub Liebe grabbing second place in a 1957 Ford, Milt Schave of Fond Du Lac, Wis., finishing third in a 1956 Ford and Herb Shannon of Peoria, Ill., taking fourth in a 1957 Ford.

According to the Fort Madison Democrat, “Ernie Derr of Keokuk appeared to be out for a Sunday afternoon drive as he finished fifth, a position he held throughout the entire race.”

With the success of 1957, IMCA officials decided that three IMCA stock car tilts would be on the 1958 slate for Donnellson.

Johnny Beauchamp, driving a 1957 Chevrolet, from Harlan, Iowa, won the 50-lap feature on Friday night, June 6, 1958, before yet another crowd estimated at over 5,000 fans. It was reported that people who couldn’t find a seat in the grandstands, took other vantage points such as fair barns and trees.

Ernie Derr would turn in the best qualifying time, touring the big half mile in 30.30 seconds and that would sit the Keokuk, Iowa, driver on the pole for the 25-lap feature with Beauchamp starting alongside him.

Derr would push his 1957 Pontiac out front at the start of the race but with four laps scored in the books, Beauchamp, the defending IMCA national champion, slipped by Derr on the east curve and with his foot in the carburetor, would not be threatened the remaining 46 circuits. Beauchamp would win the 25-miler in the time of 25 minutes and 20 seconds.

Derr would hold on for second while Don White, driving a 1958 Ford, took third. Bob Burdick of Omaha, piloting a 1958 Ford, finished fourth and Sonny Gross of Quincy, Ill., followed in a 1957 Pontiac.

August 1, 1958, would see Don White accelerate his 1958 Ford to first place in Friday night’s 25-lap feature during the Lee County Fair.

The feature did not go unmarred, however, as Bill Kemp of Marion, Iowa, driving a 1954 Hudson, shot through the guard rail on the far turn and into a group of spectators watching from the safety fence 15 feet away. Kemp received lacerations on the of the face and one spectator dislocated and fractured her ankle.

White was never challenged, and his Ford was in perfect running condition. Ernie Derr took a distant second while Ramo Stott made it an all-Keokuk podium finish. Fourth place went to Les Snow of Bloomington, Ill., a USAC regular driving Johnny Beauchamp’s 1957 Chevrolet that won the IMCA national championship.

The feature, scheduled for 25 laps, was called at the end of 20 laps when the Kemp accident occurred.

Derr did his share of work in qualifying as he barreled his green 1957 Pontiac around the track in a record-setting time of 28.94 seconds, eclipsing the old mark set last year by Beauchamp by 2 seconds.

The next night, August 2, before a crowd of 4,500, White would give a repeat performance as he pushed his sleek, blue and white-colored Ford across the finish line first in the 100-lap feature in 52 minutes and 9 seconds.

Like the night before, White’s Ford ran to perfection and the man who would eventually be crowned 1958 national champion, lapped 15 of the 16 cars in the field.

Close on White’s heels and never more than a quarter of a lap behind was White’s brother-in-law, Ernie Derr, who finished second. Jerry Draper of Moline, Ill., with the only convertible in the field, a 1957 Ford, took third. Les Snow and Chub Liebe rounded out the top five.

Another newcomer from far away would win the IMCA stock car main event when the series made the first of two visits in 1959 on June 5. Sonny Morgan of Beaumont, Tex., driving a beautiful 1959 Plymouth Fury, took the 50-lap feature on Friday night before 3,000 fans. Morgan’s winning time in the 25-mile race was 25 minutes and 45 seconds.

Morgan’s victory didn’t come easy, however, as he was pushed for 11 laps by a 1959 Thunderbird driven by Bob Kosiski of Omaha, Neb.

Kosiski would take the lead on lap 11 and held this position until the 34th circuit when mechanical trouble caused his T-Bird to slow up considerably, thus allowing Morgan, Ernie Derr, who finished second and Darrel Dake, the third-place finisher to pass.

Kosiski tried his best to increase his lead after the 11th lap but Morgan with his ’59 Fury kept right on his tail waiting for the T-Bird driver to make just one error which would enable him to slip through.

The first four money winners - Morgan, Deer, Dake and Kosiski - had the top four fastest qualifying times with Dake, driving a ‘57 Chevy Convertible, on the pole with a time of 29.91 seconds for the half-mile.

Derr, driving his ’57 Pontiac, somewhat disappointed the fans when he did not show up with his ’59 but that was soon forgotten as he again put on his daring feats of driving. With his Pontiac running in fine shape, Derr stayed in the fourth position until the 43rd lap, as he finally closed in on the hard-driving Dake to take second place. Morgan’s Fury, however, was just too much to overcome in the final laps of the race.

When the IMCA stock cars returned for the annual Lee County Fair on July 31, 1959, Derr would stay with his ’57 Pontiac and the results would be even better than the June race with the “Ol Fox” setting a new track record in time trials and then winning the 50-lap feature that evening.

Derr would break his own time trial record of 28.64 seconds with a new time of 23.60 seconds on the half-mile dirt oval. In addition to Derr’s new record, Darrel Dake drove his 1957 Chevy convertible to a new 10-lap record with a new time of 4 minute and 45 seconds in the second heat, breaking the old mark of 4 minutes and 53 seconds set by Bob Kosiski moments before in the first heat.

A crowd of 5,000 would watch Derr win the 50-lap main event easily that evening as the IMCA points leader handled the 20-car field with ease. Mert Williams of Rochester, Minn., driving a 1958 Ford, finished second to Derr, almost a half a lap behind. Bob Kosiski returned with his Thunderbird and took third place while a couple of up-and-coming drivers from that town of Keokuk, Dick Hutcherson in a ’57 Pontiac and Ramo Stott in a ’57 Chevy convertible, took fourth and fifth respectively.

Three IMCA-sanctioned stock car events would dot the 1960 calendar with dates on June 6, July 8 and the traditional Lee County Fair race on August 5.

Sophomore driver Ramo Stott, quickly making a name for himself, would drive his 1960 Ford convertible to his first win of the season on June 6, outmaneuvering Ernie Derr to win the 50-lap feature.

Some 2,500 fans watched Stott and Derr battle it out for first place for the first 35 circuits. Stott got the break he needed by getting some slower traffic caught between himself and the Keokuk Chief to pull to an eight-car length victory.

Derr would hang on to take runner-up honors while Bob Kosiski grabbed third. Rookie pilot Jerry McCredie of Keokuk, driving a ’57 Pontiac, would take fourth and Mert Williams rounded out the top five.

A crowd of 3,500 would watch Joe Dolphy dominate the 100-lap race on July 8 but see Ernie Derr take the checkers and the winner’s check.

Dolphy, of New Brighton, Minn., had set fast time in qualifying (33.02) and after starting on the pole for the 100-lap feature, was driving away from the field when the engine on his ’60 Plymouth spit, sputtered and puked on lap 87, only 13 laps away from the finish.

Derr, running a distant second at the time and with absolutely no chance of catching Dolphy, inherited the top spot and cruised the final laps to score the win. Bob Kosiski would finish third followed by Jerry McCredie, Ramo Stott and Art Brady of Peoria, Ill.

With his first career IMCA victory coming at Memphis, Mo., exactly a month ago, Jerry McCredie couldn’t wait for his second win when the stock cars invaded Donnellson for the third time that season on August 5.

The brilliant rookie from Keokuk would win the 50-lapper on Friday night in record time before a Lee County Fair crowd of 4,000. McCredie’s time for the 50 times around the half-mile dirt oval was 25 minutes and 3 seconds, four-tenths of a second faster than the old record held by Johnny Beauchamp set in 1958.

Jerry Draper of Moline, Ill., who had set fast time in his 57 Chevy convertible, took the lead from his pole position with hard-luck Joe Dolphy and McCredie in tow. Hard luck would continue as Dolphy would drop out with mechanical issues on lap 10 allowing McCredie to move up one spot.

Five laps later, Draper would spin in turn #2, hitting the fence and depositing extensive damage to his car. McCredie would take first-place and hold that spot for the remainder of the race.

McCredie was clearly the fastest of the field, with his pink and black 1957 Pontiac clocking in at 30 seconds flat (55.4 mph) on some laps. Finishing behind McCredie came three other Keokuk constituents, Ernie Derr in a ’60 Pontiac, Ramo Stott in a ’60 Ford convertible and Dick Hutcherson in a ’57 Pontiac.

Three programs would be on the 1961 calendar for Donnellson as the stock cars would make appearances on June 2, July 7 and August 5.

Ernie Derr would be the first to take top honors when he won the 50-lap feature on June 2. After taking the lead from Lennie Funk of Otis, Kan., on lap 15, Derr would sail to the win before a packed house under ideal conditions. The three-time (1953, ’59 and ’60) national champion drove a 1961 Pontiac.

Funk headed the card of 14 drivers in time trials, whipping his 1961 Ford around the half mile in 28.72 seconds. Bill Moyer of Des Moines, piloting a 1960 Chevrolet was second with 30.49 second and Derr was third fastest with 30.94 seconds.

Fuk jumped into the lead with Derr too far behind. The two drivers maintained the lead pack until Derr got around Funk on the 15th lap and maintained his pace for the rest of the race. Funk kept within striking distance, but Derr pushed his Pontiac onward and increased his margin to almost a full lap.

Derr maintained his grueling speed and finished first in a blaze of glory. He made the 25-mile trip in less than 24 minutes, averaging 60 miles per hour. Funk finished second and Ramo Stott was third. Chub Liebe came across the finish line in fourth while Dick Hutcherson grabbed fifth. Stott, Liebe and Hutcherson all drove 1961 Fords.

Rain would threaten but stay away when the IMCA stock cars came calling on July 7. Dick Hutcherson, driving his ’61 Ford, would win the 100-lap feature in 47 minutes and 17 seconds.

Ramo Stott would finish runner-up in his Ford after losing the top spot to Hutcherson on lap 7, just an eighth of a lap behind the winner Hutcherson.

Ernie Derr, in his ’61 Pontiac took the third position only a lap behind Hutcherson. Hutcherson, Stott and Derr, all from Keokuk, remained in the same three positions after the seventh lap.

Former IMCA national champion Johnny Beauchamp of Harlan, Iowa, back from his short stint with NASCAR, and making a rare appearance (only 12 that season), would finish fifth in a 1961 Plymouth Valiant.

In the time trials, Ramo Stott copped the fastest time of 23.40 seconds when he wheeled his car around the half-mile oval but was followed closely by Lennie Funk who captured a 29.44 second timing.

In what was one of the fastest tracks ever at the Lee County Fair, Dick Hutcherson would continue the Keokuk dominance, winning the 50-lap feature in 26 minutes and 43 seconds before an overflow crowd estimated at 6,500.

In the main event, Derr would take the lead with Hutcherson and Chub Liebe right on his tail. Derr would preserve the top spot until midway through the 50-lapper when his engine developed issues and the 39-year-old veteran had to pull his ’61 Pontiac to the infield.

Hutcherson would take over the #1 position and receive no pressure from Liebe who seemed content to stay put. Darrel Dake of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, grabbed third in his ’61 Chevy, Lenny Funk took fourth and Eddie Harrow of Corpus Christi, Tex., piloting a ’61 Chevrolet, rounded out the top five.

Derr paced the 19 entries in time trials as he established a new track record with a time of 27.07 seconds. That was only a tenth of a second off the new IMCA world mark that Hutcherson had set in Cedar Rapids earlier in the season.

The Lee County Fairgrounds would again be blessed with three separate appearances from the IMCA stock car division for the 1962 season with programs earmarked for June 1, June 29 and August 4.

The sly Ol’ Fox, Ernie Derr, would prove to be the master after thrilling battle between three Keokuk drivers on June 1. Derr showed why he’s the four-time International Motor Contest Association champion as he and Ramo Stott battled neck-and-neck from the very start.

Stott gained an early lead and at times was leading by a quarter of a mile but going into the last 10 laps Derr erased the gap with the aid of slower traffic.

On the 41st lap Derr weaved through the traffic and going into the fourth turn pulled along Stott before overtaking him in the stretch to take the lead, which he never relinquished.

Dick Hutcherson, the third member of the Flying Four from Keokuk, also made use of slower traffic to move into second place from fourth and forced Stott into third place at the finish.

It was a sad note for Stott, who afterwards said “I thought I had it in the bag then all of a sudden he (Derr) was right there.”

The muddy condition of the track played an important role, although by the time the feature was run it was packed. But turn #4 was the one that created many anxious moments for both drivers and the 3,590 fans. A few ruts were created on the corner and drivers were being thrown around. That was where Derr showed his experience during the closing laps.

Stott would get sweet revenge, however, when the stock cars made their return appearance on June 29. Stott earned quick time in qualifying with a time of 28.81 seconds and then went out and captured the 50-lap main event in 25 minutes and 54 seconds.

After doing poorly in heat races, Stott jacked the weights on his car and added bigger tires for more traction. When the green waved, Stott quickly distanced himself from the rest of the field and would never look back.

Chub Liebe of Oelwein, Iowa, was Stott’s closet competitor but was never really a factor and finished a distant second. Darrel Dake, the fourth heat winner, took third while Dick Hutcherson, who had just installed a new engine that morning, finished fourth. Ernie Derr changed gears on his 1963 Pontiac after heat races and grabbed fifth.

There were 18 cars starting the race and 11 that finished. Mert Williams was forced out when motor on his ’62 Ford quit. Rookie John Mickey of Columbus Junction, Iowa, broke an axle on his ’62 Pontiac and Oklahoma’s Bob Reynolds’ streak of bad luck continued when he blew a head gasket on his ’62 Ford.

The track was deemed to be in excellent shape when the IMCA stock cars took to the half mile during the annual Lee County Fair race on August 4, 1962. Ernie Derr would take advantage and alter the record books as he captured the 50-lap feature in the time of 24 minutes and 53 seconds, which was five seconds better than the previous record he had set in 1961 - 24 minutes and 58 seconds.

Derr would lead a pack of 16 chauffeurs the entire distance in the feature, leaving second-place Bob Reynolds of Edmonds, Okla., a half a lap behind when the checkered came out. Reynolds was in third for a good majority of the race until he scooted past Ramo Stott for the second spot.

Stott would cross the finish line in fourth after losing the third spot as well to Darrel Dake on lap 43. Jerry McCredie would round out the top five finishers.

Dick Hutcherson would suffer some bad luck, snapping a fan belt on lap 20 while running fourth at the time. Hutcherson would recoup, however, and win the 100-lap feature at La Crosse, Wis., the very next day.

Donnellson would host two races for the 1963 season, June 7 and August 4.

Ramo Stott pulled into the Lee County Fairgrounds on June 7 with a broken manifold.

After some quick repairs, Stott went out to qualify his ’63 Plymouth and recorded the fastest time of the evening, 27.81 seconds, which was 73 hundredths of a second off the track record.

He then started on the pole and was never headed as he captured his third IMCA-sanctioned victory of the season in the record time of 23 minutes and 51 seconds.

John Mickey, the 1962 IMCA rookie-of-the-year, followed Stott the whole way and actually threatened Stott’s lead for the first 30 rounds but Stott eventually pulled away and won by half a lap.

Dick Hutcherson, Ernie Derr and Chub Liebe rounded out the top five. Hutcherson, who finished his first feature race after going four races without finishing, took third place. Derr, who got shoved into the wall on the start, battled back from ninth place and was on Hutcherson’s bumper when the checkers waved. Chub Liebe took the fifth spot on the final lap, passing Lenny Funk on the backstretch.

On August 4, 1963, it was Dick Hutcherson grabbing the headlines during the Lee County Fair.

During time trials, “Hutch” clipped the half-mile oval in a time of 28.44 seconds. In copping the 50-lap feature, his winning time in the 25-mile race was 24 minutes and 4 seconds.

Lenny Funk would grab the lead at the onset with Hutcherson and Ernie Derr following close. After passing Hutcherson for second, Derr went to make his move on Funk for the lead on lap 5 but a broken fan belt would send Derr to the infield.

Hutcherson would make his own move on lap 8 and power by the “Flyin’ Wheat Farmer’ for the top spot. Funk would stay on Hutcherson’s bumper until the midpoint of the race when Hutcherson started to widen his margin.

On lap 31, Ramo Stott got by Funk for second but was unable to mount a challenge on Hutcherson, who already had a half-lap lead on the rest of the field. Stott would take runner-up honors while Funk remained in third followed by Darrel Dake and Chub Liebe.

Two races would take place at Donnellson for the ’64 season, June 8 and August 8.

Dick Hutcherson turned the half-mile oval at Donnellson in record time, topping time trials, nosing out Ramo Stott in the match race and winning the 50-lap feature to thrill the 3,000 plus spectators.

Hutcherson’s time of 28.61 seconds was two-tenths of a second faster than Ernie Derr. Ramo Stott was third fastest with Lenny Funk fourth quickest.

The highlight of the evening was those four fastest drivers in the 5-lap match race. Stott gained the lead on the first lap and held on to it until the third turn of the final lap when Hutcherson dove low, forcing Stott high up on the track and creating a mad dash to the finish line with “Hutch” winning by a fender.

Hutcherson would not only turn in the fastest time in qualifying but set the record in the feature race as well. Leading all 50 circuits, Hutcherson lowered the record to 23 minutes and 53 seconds, breaking his own record of 24 minutes and 4 seconds, he set at the Lee County Fair race in August of 1963.

Ernie Derr would finish second, a quarter of a lap behind Hutcherson at the checkers. Stott was running in third behind Derr when a coil wire came loose on lap 7. He was able to repair it, but the pit stop cost him four laps and he would finish eighth. Lenny Funk would be scored in third place and John Mickey, who was reported as “doubtful” after breaking a rear-end housing at Memphis, Mo., the night before, finished an impressive fourth. After arriving late to the track, Bob Jusola of Mound, Minn., won the consolation and then charged to a fifth-place finish in the main event.

Ernie Derr would set a new one-lap record in qualifying and go on to win the 50-lap feature during the Lee County Fair on August 8.

Derr would break his own record he set on August 5, 1961, a time of 27.07 seconds in his 1961 Pontiac. Driving his 1964 Plymouth, Derr would tour the half mile in 26.92 seconds to set the new record.

In the 50-lap nightcap, Derr would take the checkered flag ahead of Dick Hutcherson. Ole Brua of Albert Lea, Minn., was third followed by Bob Jusola. Jim Washburn, another Keokuk, Iowa, export, would round out the top five.

Ramo Stott was running a close second to Derr in the feature and appeared ready to make a move for the top spot when he blew a tire and was forced to pit. The loss of three laps in the pit area hindered Stott from finishing any better than sixth place.

Donnellson would once again host the IMCA stock cars twice for the 1965 season, June 6 and July 24.

Ernie Derr couldn’t do anything wrong on Friday night, June 6, as his 1965 Dodge was in perfect running and handling order.

He would establish a new one-lap track record in time trials, with a time of 26.88 seconds, breaking his old mark of 26.92 seconds set in August of 1964. The five-time IMCA national champion would win his heat race and then won the 10-lap match race in 4 minutes and 42 seconds.

Derr would hold the pole position for the 50-lap feature and stayed out front all the way, winning handily. Ramo Stott, who was forced to start at the rear, charged through the field to finish second. John Mickey, Lewis Taylor of Shawnee, Kan., and Ole Brua rounded out the top five.

Stott was attempting to qualify his ’65 Plymouth when he lost control and hit the turn #1 fence. It looked as if Stott was finished for the evening but thanks to some quick action from his pit crew and some borrowed parts from fellow townsman Ernie Derr, Stott was able to get back in action.

Ron Hutcherson of Keokuk, the younger brother of the two-time IMCA champion Dick Hutcherson, narrowly escaped serious injury when the tail-end of his 1964 Ford caught the fence in turn #2 causing the car to flip end-over-end on lap 18. He was treated for a foot laceration when a piece of the fence tore through the windshield and into the floor.

There would be joy in “Stottsville” July 24 when Ramo Stott finally whipped the jinx of the Donnellson track after breezing home ahead of the master, Ernie Derr in the 25-mile IMCA late model stock car feature race in the finale of the Lee County Fair before an overflow crowd of over 3,000.

Not since June of 1963 had the personable driver managed to finish ahead of his Keokuk teammates at Donnellson. Derr had won the last two races at Donnellson and before that, Dick Hutcherson, who was competing on the southern NASCAR circuit had won the other two races.

It looked for a few moments that Hutcherson’s shadow may have been cast over the track as Bob Jusola, who was wheeling the car formerly owned by Hutcherson, jumped out into the lead and was going strong until lap 5 when Stott and Derr moved up on his bumper. Stott saw his chance coming into the stretch on the fourth turn and moved inside Jusola. By the time they had entered the first turn of the sixth lap Stott had the lead, which he never relinquished.

Derr didn’t move into second until the following lap. From then on it was Derr chasing Stott and a battle between Jusola, Lenny Funk and Ole Brua for third place. Funk won the battle when he moved ahead of Jusola in the latter stages while Brua finished fifth in the battle of the ’64 Fords

Stott’s time of 24 minutes and 46 seconds was about a minute shy of the track record.

The IMCA stock car series would make two trips to compete on the Lee County Fairgrounds’ half-mile in 1966, with appearances on June 4 and July 23.

Area racing fans would be treated to one of the closest and most exciting IMCA stock car races ever held at the Donnellson fairgrounds Saturday, June 4, as Ernie Derr edged out fellow townsman Ramo Stott to win the 50-lap feature event.

Derr took the lead at the drop of the green flag with Stott in close pursuit of his

1965 Dodge. The two Keokuk, Iowa, drivers kept up the bumper to bumper battle with Derr in the lead until the 32nd lap when Stott gained the lead. Stott’s reign was short-lived, however, as Derr regained the front spot on the next lap and held on to the finish.

Finishing behind Derr and Stott were Lenny Funk in third, John Mickey took fourth and Blane Morrow of Joy, Ill., was scored in fifth.

The race also marked the IMCA debut of another Keokuk, Iowa, driver. Already well-known to area race fans, 21-year-old Lem Blankenship drove a 1964 Plymouth to a sixth-place finish in the feature.

Ramo Stott was out to break the mastery of Ernie Derr and that’s just what he did, claiming his second straight Lee County Fair victory in Donnellson on July 23. The personable Stott drove his 1965 Plymouth to victory before a crowd of over 4,000.

Derr jumped into an early command on the 50-lap feature but when Tom Roller of Independence, Mo., put his 1964 Ford through the left fence on the back side of the track on the 23rd lap it was the break that Stott needed.

Stott, who at times was four-car lengths back, gunned his Plymouth within striking distance of Derr ad on lap 36, Stott was riding on Derr’s bumper when two laps later with the aid of heavy traffic, Stott slipped into the lead, which he never lost.

Lenny Funk, the wheat farmer from Otis, Kan., was the top driver of the non-factory backed- cars as he wheeled his 1965 Ford to third place, one lap behind the leaders. Ed Negre of Monett, Mo., was fourth and John Mickey took fifth.

The 1967 IMCA stock car series would visit Donnellson twice, June 3 and July 22. The names would remain the same for victory lane.

A crowd of over 5,000 would watch Ramo Stott win the 50-lap feature on June 3 at the Donnellson half mile. Stott’s time for the 25 miles was 25 minutes and 16 seconds.

Ernie Derr had been leading the headliner when his 1967 Dodge was forced out with mechanical issues after 15 laps. Derr’s misfortune was Stott’s good luck and the popular driver took over the #1 spot. His victory would not be easy, however, as both Lenny Funk and Ole Brua stayed with Stott for the remaining 35 laps.

Finishing behind Stott, Funk and Brua were Emory Fretheim of Decorah, Iowa, and Ken Christie of Springfield, Mo.

When the stock cars returned for the Lee County Fair on July 22, Ernie Derr was on a mission. Not only did he win the 50-lap feature over Ramo Stott and a host of others – he did it in dominating fashion.

Derr took the lead from the start, maintained his lead and rapidly started lapping the field. After 16 laps, the Keokuk driver had lapped up to fifth place. After 30 laps all but Stott had been overrun.

All through the race it was apparent that Derr was trying for the new record and try he did. Derr lapped every car on the track except Ramo Stott, who finished second, half a lap behind Derr. Some of the last place finishers were lapped as many as four times.

When the checkered had waved and the dust settled, Derr had smashed his old 50-lap record of 23 minutes and 19 seconds set in 1964 by running the half mile this time in 22 minutes and 52 seconds.

Once again, Donnellson would play host to the IMCA stock cars for the 1968 season, June 8 and July 20.

Fans would have to wait an hour and a half past the advertised starting time on Saturday, June 8, but their just reward was Ernie Derr and Ramo Stott battling to the very finish.

The track was too dry, so right before time trials were to start, promoter Frank Winkley decided to water the half-mile and re-pack it with heavy equipment. It would be a wise decision…

Stott took the lead in the 50-lap feature event on the tenth trip around when he nosed in front of Ole Brua coming out of turn four and kept the lead spot to the end, except for one lap which Derr led.

Derr’s one shot at the lead came on the 41st lap when Stott’s ’68 Plymouth held too long in the loose dirt on the lip of turn #1 and Derr’s Dodge Charger came out on the back straight on top.

It was short lived, however, as Stott regained the advantage in nearly the same spot on lap 42 when Derr was held up by traffic. Stott opened up a four-car length lead on 43 but Derr had it back on 44. Derr lost a bit on 45 then made a strong bld on 46 when the two went into turn one almost side by side with Derr on the inside. Stott held him off and for the final three laps it was a ‘steamer’.

Derr charged out of turn four on the final lap with all the Dodge could muster but Stott had his Plymouth a half car length in front as they crossed the finish line.

Brua, who started one row in front of Derr and Stott, led for the first nine laps but then dropped far off the pace to finish a distant third. Lewis Taylor was fourth, and Tom Gruenwald of West Bend, Wis., was fifth.

A capacity crowd was on hand for the concluding event of the 112th Lee County Fair, the IMCA stock cars on Saturday, July 20.

Ernie Derr would win only one race, but his one victory was an important one as it came in the 50-lap feature as his rival, Ramo Stott, met with some early misfortune.

Stott had been leading the event for the first 10 laps, but on a challenge from Derr, who had been riding his tail a good deal of the way, drifted too high in turn #4 and struck the fence. Stott’s car would stay on the track but a board from the fence pierced the radiator and blew out a tire, retiring him for the evening.

After a restart, Derr was all by himself, at least that’s what he thought, but had to hold off a strong finish by Ole Brua of Albert Lea, Minn., who maintained a two-to-three car length following distance the rest of the way and was able to make a strong bid on the final lap, which Derr held off for the win.

When the IMCA stock cars made their only appearance of the year, June 7, 1969, much to no one’s surprise, Ernie Derr wheeled his '69 Dodge to victory on the half mile dirt oval, before a capacity crowd.

Derr didn’t have the competition that he had been accustomed to in past years. Ramo Stott, his chief rival, was off chasing riches on the ARCA stock car circuit, and Dick Hutcherson, another rival, had long since been gone pursing his own dreams in NASCAR.

Two new drivers, both from Keokuk, were on hand that Saturday night to try and make the going tough for the “Old Fox”, and until midway in the feature event it looked like they might succeed. They were Hutcherson’s younger brother Ron, and Gordy Blankenship.

Derr ran a close third in the field of 22 cars up until lap 25 when he started to make his move. Coming out of turn #4 on the 30th lap, Derr went around

Irv Janey of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to grab the lead for keeps.

From that point it was a battle for second place between Janey, Hutcherson, and Fred Horn of Marion, Iowa. Hutcherson would end up in second at the finish of the race, but it would be disputed by race officials.

Close tabulation of the scoresheets showed that Hutcherson was running a full lap behind Horn following a sideswipe on the backstretch of the track on the 36th lap. Horn would be credited with second, Janey took third, and Gordy Blankenship grabbed fourth. Lewis Taylor was fifth and Hutcherson wound up sixth.

Two races would return to the schedule for the 1970 season, June 6 and July 18.

When the checkered waved on the June 6 race, it would be the first time in over 11 years that someone other than from Keokuk, Iowa, would stand in victory lane at Donnellson.

Mel Morris of West Liberty, Iowa, got a bit of revenge on Ernie Derr when he won the 50-lap IMCA-sanctioned race on Saturday night.

In the Hawkeye 200 stock car race at Cedar Rapids earlier in the season, Morris had a commanding lead and then had to make an unexpected pit stop to refuel. While in the pits he lost the lead to Derr and ended up finishing second.

In Saturday’s feature, Derr came from far back in the pack to take the lead on the ninth lap, but Morris persisted and put his 1969 Dodge Charger in front by powering by Derr on the backstretch on lap 26.

It was the first feature victory for the IMCA rookie Morris who spent the last several seasons tearing up the dirt tracks in the Mississippi Valley Speed Club circuit.

Fred Horn would battle from sixth to the third position and on lap 42, pass Derr for second place. Proceeding to push the leader right to the wire, Horn was no more than a car length behind Morris when the checkers waved.

A capacity crowd of over 3,000 would watch Ernie Derr and Ron Hutcherson duel to the very end when the IMCA stock cars returned on July 18.

The 10-time International Motor Contest Association champion added another to his long list of victories by passing Hutcherson on the 45th lap of the 50-lap feature event for new model stock cars and then stretched out his lead for the victory.

Derr caught up with Hutcherson on a yellow caution flag which lasted for two laps, then came roaring down the front straightaway as the starter dropped the green flag to take the lead away from Hutcherson before the drivers came to the first turn.

Derr started in the third position in the feature behind Hutcherson and Irv Janey of Cedar Rapids. Derr fought Janey for well over 20 laps then took the veteran on the 26th lap to move into the second spot.

Hutcherson and Derr then put on a display of offensive and defensive driving as Derr tried first the outside, then the inside to pass “Hutch,” but just couldn’t get the job done as Hutcherson piloted his 1970 Torino well enough to keep Derr behind him.

Then on lap 44, the yellow flag went out as a driver spun out on the third turn. The drivers were ordered to hold their positions as the speed slowed down and the pack bunched up.

Starting down the front straightaway after two laps of yellow. Derr guessed, and guessed correctly, that the green flag would be coming out, so he moved out to Hutcherson’s left side and gunned his 1970 Dodge Charger, getting that fraction of a second edge, which is all he would need to take the lead.

And once Derr was out front, the race was all over as he expanded his margin to about a quarter of a lap in the five laps remaining. Hutcherson would hang on for second while Irv Janey took third. Fred Horn and Chuck Janey of Cedar Rapids would round out the top five.

Ernie Derr would dominate both events at the Lee County Fairgrounds in 1971, June 5 and July 24, in what would be Derr’s last full season.

A wet racing surface would greet the field of IMCA stock car drivers on June 5. The track would become extremely slow, and more than one driver had to have his pit crew slosh water through the radiator to clean off the mud build-up.

The 50-lap main event would be a three-car battle as Derr jumped into the lead at the wave of the green followed by Gordy Blankenship and Irv Janey. After five laps, Derr, Janey and now Ron Hutcherson would make a race of it while Blankenship started to drop back.

By lap 15, the running order remained unchanged, but Derr was starting to widen his margin, building up a three-second lead. On lap 20, Hutcherson moved around Janey for second but after that, the order stayed the same.

For the final 10 laps, Janey continued to slip farther back, and Hutcherson never quite closed the gap as Derr won easily.

Ernie Derr would take a step forward to his twelfth IMCA national championship, taking the early lead in the 50-lap feature and holding off several challenges by Ron Hutcherson to win the stock car feature before a packed grandstand on the final day of the Lee County Fair on July 24.

John Moss of Iowa City, a newcomer this season to the IMCA circuit, after mopping up the last two years in the Mississippi Valley Speed Club at Columbus Junction and West Liberty, had the pole position for the feature, but was able to hang on to the top spot for only three laps.

Derr started on the outside of the second row in the 17-car finale and quickly worked his way to the front with fellow Keokuk native Ron Hutcherson right behind him.

Hutcherson would pass Moss on lap 5 and from there it was a question of whether Derr would make a mistake. “Hutch” would challenge Derr for the lead on several occasions, closing within a car length but the “Ol Fox” didn’t make mistakes very often and he wasn’t going to make one this night.

Derr and Hutch would finish nearly half a lap ahead of the rest of the field. Terry Ryan of Davenport, Iowa, who set fast time in qualifying, would finish a distant third while Bill Schwader of McCausland, Iowa, grabbed fourth. Gerry Harrison of Topeka, Kan., rounded out the top five.

With Ernie Derr now retired from the IMCA ranks and trying his hand at USAC, a new winner would be assured when the stock cars would make their traditional two stops to Donnellson, June 3 and July 22, 1972.

IMCA point leader Irv Janey would increase his point lead with a victory in the 25-lap late model stock car feature event at the Lee County Fairgrounds track on June 3. Janey piloted the 1972 Plymouth Roadrunner to a victory in the feature by more than a half-lap over second place Gerry Harrison of Topeka, Kans., on the half-mile oval.

Jim Still of Liberty, Mo., would pilot his 1970 Chevelle to third place as Bill Schwader, unveiling his new 1971 Torino and running it for the first time, placed fourth in the big event. A newcomer to IMCA, Carl Vander Wal of Ames, Iowa, who was a regular the Iowa State Fairgrounds half-mile, brought a ‘70 Camaro for his first attempt at Donnellson and placed fifth.

A crowd filled approximately two-thirds of the grandstand at Lee County Fairgrounds, an attendance that would have undoubtedly been higher were it not for the total absence of several competitors from Keokuk, Iowa. Not only was Derr gone but so were Gordon Blankenship and Ron Hutcherson. Blankenship was having issues securing a ride while Hutcherson had joined the ARCA ranks.

By July, Blankenship had secured a ride and was quickly back into the swing of things on the IMCA circuit. A third-place finish at Des Moines on July 4 and a dominating win at the Howard County Fairgrounds in Cresco, Iowa, on July 16 set up a showdown with Janey when the IMCA stock cars made their traditional Lee County Fair appearance on July 22.

A capacity crowd of 3,000 figured it would be Blankenship and Janey battling for top honors in the 50-lap feature Saturday night, and that’s the way it ended up.

Blankenship tried to make too much of a good thing in the early going of the event, ended up losing his early lead and had to play catch up the rest of the way as Janey easily won the 50-lapper. Janey was driving a car borrowed from John Moss, a 1970 Plymouth.

After Thurman Lovejoy of Kansas City had taken a big early lead in the feature, both Janey and Blankenship closed in, and the trio battled tail to tail for 10 laps.

On the 12th lap Blankenship took the lead with Janey close behind him and Lovejoy dropped to third.

But Blankenship’s lead would be short-lived.

Entering turn #2, Blankenship lost control briefly and spun out, allowing Janey to pass him and Gordy spent the rest of the night in a futile attempt to regain the lead.

When he flashed across the finish line, Janey was just a car length away from lapping the Keokuk ace. Lovejoy was third, followed by Carl Van Der Wal and Roger Brown of Waverly, Iowa.

Unbeknownst to the many in attendance, it would be the last IMCA-sanctioned stock car race ever at the Lee County Fairgrounds.

Irv Janey would go on to win the 1972 IMCA national championship, becoming the first non-Keokuk driver in 14 years to do so. The next season, 1973, Gordon Blankenship would win the IMCA national stock car championship.