[FishBurger]

Well, I finally found the results SUPERDUKE was looking for. Not the '65 Eldora opener....not '66, not '67, but this one, the '68 midwest USAC sprint opener. That year Billy Vukovich, Jr. won first round in Irwindale, CA. Then Larry Dickson won at Reading, PA and finally we get to this, OUR season opener.

Time Trials - 41 Cars - Track Record 17.92 by Johnny Rutherford

12 Mickey Shaw.................19.50
14 Johnny Capels................20.55
91 Charlie Masters..............19.65
-9 Ralph Liguori..................19.41
69 Ted Wise......................20.48
-8 Scratch Daniels..............19.44
98 Dick Jones.....................19.81
95 Jim Hines.......................20.22
47 Dee Jones.....................19.46
50 Bill Puterbaugh...............19.07
53 Burt Wilson....................20.45
68 EDick Bonnell..................20.30
44 Wib Spalding..................19.38
46 Jerry Poland...................19.61
-1 Greg Weld......................19.29
99 Jay Woodside.................19.69
35 Bobby Adamson..............20.56
82 Benny Rapp....................20.25
74 Steve Krisiloff.................20.53
45 Al Loquasto....................20.19
57 Norm Brown....................20.56
59 Jerry Karl.......................20.41
75 Bob Seelman...................20.66
20 Tom Bigelow...................19.03
-7 Chuck Booth...................19.46
36 Duke Cook......................18.61 Quick Time
B4 Larry Cannon...................19.45
69 Ray Lee Goodwin..............19.42
15 Dale Breedlove.................20.15
-3 Rollie Beale......................18.96
28 Lee Robinson...................20.50
11 Hal Minyard.....................19.72
43 Tom Corbin.....................21.28
42 Herman Wise...................19.95
21 Carl Williams....................19.19
27 Gene Tallman...................21.74
93 Al Smith..........................19.88
83 Sammy Sessions...............19.39
58 Gil Hess..........................21.69
-6 Bob Pratt.........................DNQ
-6 Don Thomas.....................DNQ (Flipped in Hot Laps)

The Dukester in the Stahl Bros. Chevy had them covered in qualies with only he and Rollie Beale cracking the 18 second barrier.

First Heat - 8 Laps - 2:44.34

42 Herman Wise....................8
99 Jay Woodside...................7
12 Mickey Shaw....................1
-8 Scratch Daniels.................6
83 Sammy Sessions................5
47 Dee Jones........................4
50 Bill Puterbaugh..................2
36 Duke Cook.......................3

Second Heat - 8 Laps - 2.45.37

15 Dale Breedlove..................3
11 Hal Minyard......................1
46 Jerry Poland.....................5
B4 Larry Cannon....................8
-9 Ralph Liguori.....................7
44 Wib Spalding.....................4
21 Carl Williams.....................6
-3 Rollie Beale.......................2

Third Heat - 8 Laps - 2.36.53

45 Al Loquasto......................3
98 Dick Jones.......................4
91 Charlie Masters.................5
-7 Chuck Booth.....................1
69 Ray Lee Goodwin...............2
93 Al Smith..........................8
-1 Greg Weld........................6
20 Tom Bigelow.....................7

Semi-Feature - 10 Laps - 3:17.53

20 Tom Bigelow.....................1
21 Carl Williams.....................2
-1 Greg Weld........................3
93 Al Smith...........................5
83 Sammy Sessions................4
-9 Ralph Liguori.....................11
B4 Larry Cannon.....................6
46 Jerry Poland..................Scratched
91 Charlie Masters..................7
99 Jay Woodside....................8
42 Herman Wise....................10
95 Jim Hines.........................12
68 Dick Bonnell......................9

Feature - 30 Laps - 10:18.04

36 Duke Cook.......................12
-3 Rollie Beale................The Winner
20 Tom Bigelow......................2
50 Bill Puterbaugh...................3
21 Carl Williams......................7
-1 Greg Weld.........................4
47 Dee Jones........................16
44 Wib Spalding......................5
83 Sammy Sessions.................8
69 Ray Lee Goodwin...............15
-7 Chuck Booth......................6
12 Mickey Shaw.....................9
11 Hal Minyard......................10
98 Dick Jones........................14
15 Dale Breedlove..................11
45 Al Loquasto......................13

+Duke had mag problems and fell back early before pulling off.
+Larry Dickson missed the show in Ray & Sissy Smith's car. But, he added 11 more wins to his Reading victory to win the championship over rookie Gary Bettenhausen who, for whatever reason, wasn't at Eldora on this day.
+I didn't recall this but it would seem that heats, consy, and feature all ran from green to checkers without yellows or reds, as I had listed times for all events.
+Drivers from west, east, north, southwest, and of course the midwest. Impressive!
+Back page of the program has a photo of what they say was the biggest crowd ever at Eldora, 9000 fans for the 4/2/67 USAC Sprint show.
+Also program photo showing '67 Eldora Modified Champ, Chick Hale with Miss Eldora, Rose Mary Goodpastuer. WOW....ummm, that would be Rose Mary, not so much Chick.
+It was cold, cold , cold that day. Pretty much the norm for the Eldora opener. At least they got it in.....later it has often been weathered (or dusted) out.
+When I get to giving weather reports it's time to throw the

[Mud Packer]

Marv,

Thanks for taking the time to post these results. I enjoy looking at everyone of them. I have a few questions though about the format. 41 cars entered but only three heat races of 8 cars each. I see where the top qualifiers ran the heats so how did they set the heat race lineups? How did they transfer? Also, only 13 cars for the semi and 16 cars for the feature? I am probably overlooking the obvious but for the life of me I just don't follow.

[Bruce Harrison]

Looks like they took the fastest 24 to the heats, with inverted lineups by qualifying time. First 4 from the heats to the feature with the remaining 12 to the semi. Since the Poland is shown as a scratch, guessing Bonnell in the 68 was the next car able to answer the call for the semi.

[Mud Packer]

Originally Posted by Bruce Harrison Looks like they took the fastest 24 to the heats, with inverted lineups by qualifying time. First 4 from the heats to the feature with the remaining 12 to the semi. Since the Poland is shown as a scratch, guessing Bonnell in the 68 was the next car able to answer the call for the semi.

Thanks Bruce. So if I am following this correctly, if you didn't time in the top 24 you went home? No race action at all?

[Bruce Harrison]

Yeah, it was a lot tougher back then. I started attending USAC shows in '71, and it was the fastest 28 made the heats-even at the Tony Hulman Classic where there were 40+ cars-everyone else loaded up.

[cecil98]

Sammy Sessions in the Rufus Gray GAPCO car we discussed earlier in one of Marvs posts...I remember Al Loquasto trying to make the show at Indy driving for Clint Brawner's underfunded operation. It was an older white and yellow McLaren sponsored by a root beer company (Frostie???) Al didn't spend too much time in the sprinters....Herman Wise was in the copper colored Ziegler Sprinter. I think 68' was year he dumped that car at Terre Haute. Beautiful car. Brad and I got the idea for the current paint scheme on our car, from this car....This was a rare appearance for Steve Krisiloff in a sprinter. He became an "in-law" of the George family and ran the Speedway Motel/restaurant for several years.......Johnny Capels was the chief mechanic for Pancho Carter when he had his "best ever" finish of 3rd in the 1982 500. Alex Morales (Alex Foods) owned the car......I remember Jerry Karl holding the qualifying record for a "push-rod" engine at Indy (1973). He drove Smokey Yunich's gold & black Oriente Express, twin-turbo V-8 Chevy (190+mph).....I'm pretty sure that Ralphie "the racer" Ligouri was in Wally Meskowski's (white with orange and black trim) car. This was considered a good ride and Ralph never really did much with it IMO...Gil Hess was a Lawrenceburg regular who shortly after this (1970), died at Salem speedway in an accident that involved getting together with Bill Puterbaugh...... I believe that Rollie Beale was driving that very fast but, incredibly ugly Alfater built sprinter, with the "square" roll bar, around this time period.......Marv, I don't see Larry Dickson's name on the list of those who attempted to qualify for this show. Did they break in hot laps???....And finally, we have to give Duke a pat-on-the-back here, he out qualified a pretty strong field of cars and drivers on this day....

[cowboyhar69]

Marv and Duke,

As I recall(I was 16 at this time) the Stahl Brothers sprinter was never run too much on dirt and the car was always quick on the pavement with Cy Fairchild driving the car at New Bremen when it was paved.
I think this was my first legit trip to Eldora when I went..as a 16 year old the summer before I told the old man I was going camping a couple of times and talked a couple of my buddies into going up in my "60 Chevy Biscayne 6 cyl. complete with 3 on a tree. Funny but I think he knew exactly where I was going!!

Tim Wolffrum aka Cowboy

[Gregg]

Originally Posted by cecil98 Johnny Capels was the chief mechanic for Pancho Carter when he had his "best ever" finish of 3rd in the 1982 500.

Capels was also driving a sprint car owned by Al Unser Sr. Capels would also take a couple of drives in the Gene Besecker #99 in 1969.

[SUPERDUKE]

Originally Posted by cowboyhar69 marv and duke, as i recall(i was 16 at this time) the stahl brothers sprinter was never run too much on dirt and the car was always quick on the pavement with cy fairchild driving the car at new bremen when it was paved. I think this was my first legit trip to eldora when i went..as a 16 year old the summer before i told the old man i was going camping a couple of times and talked a couple of my buddies into going up in my "60 chevy biscayne 6 cyl. Complete with 3 on a tree. Funny but i think he knew exactly where i was going!! Tim wolffrum aka cowboy

i drove the old car that had a spring front cy drove a new ron ward 4 bar! Cy was not a dirt guy! Or a good poker player!

[Need For Speed]

Duke: The picture of you in the Stahl Brothers Offy that was in your living room, what year was that picture taken?

I always though that was the coolest picture I've ever seen! Elbows up, big rooster tails, left front off the ground...and no cage!