USAC Sprints - Eldora - 10/21/73
 

+This one, a bit more recent than my usual offerings. Exciting racing (Twin 50's) but a tragic day.

Time Trials - 33 cars - Track Record 17.81 by Don Branson

24 Gary Bettenhausen..............18.34 Willie Davis
55 Tom Bigelow.......................18.40 Walter Knepper
-1 Sammy Sessions..................18.36 Mauri Amerling
14 Joe Saldana........................18.40 Lloyd Weaver
33 Rich Leavell.........................18.80 Bob Jones
-4 Ralph Liguori.......................19.39
60 Bruce Walkup.....................18.83 Don Siebert
-7 Don Nordhorn.....................19.06 Sid Van Winkle
52 Johnny Parsons, Jr..............18.41 Paul Leffler
98 Mel Cornett........................18.75 Leader Cards
-2 Rollie Beale.........................18.00 Ron Kilman
96 John Toth..........................19.39 John Toth
25 Bill Puterbaugh...................19.68 Bill Easton
21 Chuck Booth......................19.51 Chuck Booth
95 Karl Busson.......................18.78 Bernie Cedoz
77 Pancho Carter..Quick Time..17.93 Steve Stapp
-3 Lee Kunzman.....................18.10 R.B. Racing Assoc.
29 Billy Cassella.....................18.74 Louis Seymour
32 Duke Cook.........................18.66 Ron Kilman
16 Jerry Nemire.......................18.86 Paul Roberts
-5 Larry Cannon......................18.53 Dick Hoffman
20 Sheldon Kinser...................18.13 Grant King
27 Gordy Lee..........................18.85
85 Butch Wilkerson.................18.64
-8 Bob Evans.........................19.05 Smith Speed Shop
91 Jerry Miller.........................18.63
49 Jerry Poland.......................19.33
11 George Snider....................18.56 A.J. Foyt
39 Roger Rager.......................19.50
44 Billy Engelhart.....................DNQ Steve Stapp
93 Benny Rapp.........................DNQ Iddings Bros.
45 Rick Davidson......................DNQ
-2 Carl Bergkvist......................DNQ

First Heat 10 Laps - 3:08.40

-4 Ralph Liguori.....................7
-8 Bob Evans.........................4
60 Bruce Walkup....................3
98 Mel Cornett.......................2
85 Butch Wilkerson................1
-5 Larry Cannon.....................6
55 Tom Bigelow.....................5

Second Heat - 10 Laps - 3:09.01

96 John Toth.........................6
-7 Don Nordhorn....................1
27 Gordy Lee.........................5
95 Karl Busson......................2
32 Duke Cook........................4
11 George Snider...................7
14 Joe Saldana......................3

Third Heat 10 Laps - No Time
39 Roger Rager.....................2
49 Jerry Poland.....................6
16 Jerry Nemire....................5
33 Rich Leavell.....................3
29 Billy Cassella...................4
91 Jerry Miller......................7
52 Johnny Parsons, Jr............1

Semi-Feature - 12 Laps - No Time

55 Tom Bigelow....................3
-5 Larry Cannon....................1
11 George Snider..................7
91 Jerry Miller......................5
32 Duke Cook......................6
29 Billy Cassella...................2
16 Jerry Nemire...................11
-8 Bob Evans......................12
-4 Ralph Liguori...................10
21 Chuck Booth....................9
25 Bill Puterbaugh................8
27 Steve Schultz..................4 (Schultz in for Lee)

First Feature - 50 Laps - No Time

55 Tom Bigelow...................6
-1 Sammy Sessions..............5
24 Gary Bettenhausen..........4
20 Sheldon Kinser................2
-3 Lee Kunzman.............WINNER
77 Pancho Carter.................3
14 Joe Saldana...................10
52 Johnny Parsons, Jr..........18
-5 Larry Cannon..................19
91 Jerry Miller.....................20
85 Butch Wilkerson..............15
29 Billy Cassella.................11
98 Mel Cornett....................16
95 Karl Busson....................9
33 Ralph Liguori..................14 (Ralphie the Racer in for Leavell)
60 Bruce Walkup..................8
27 Steve Schultz.................12
-7 Don Nordhorn..................17
39 Roger Rager...................13
32 Rollie Beale....................7 (Rollie in for Duke)

Second Feature - 50 Laps - No Time

60 Bruce Walkup.................13
55 Tom Bigelow..................20
24 Gary Bettenhausen...........4
77 Pancho Carter..........WINNER
20 Sheldon Kinser.................3
-3 Lee Kunzman....................2
95 Karl Busson.....................5
14 Joe Saldana.....................7
29 Billy Cassella..................10
27 Steve Schultz...................9
33 Rich Leavell....................15 (Leavell back in Jonesy's car)
85 Butch Wilkerson..............11
98 Mel Cornett....................19
-7 Don Nordhorn...................8
-1 Rollie Beale.......................6 (Rollie in for Sammy)
52 Sammy Sessions.............16 (Sammy in for J.P., Jr.)
11 George Snider.................18
25 Bill Puterbaugh...............12
21 Chuck Booth...................17
16 Jerry Nemire...................14

+This day got off to a terrible start when Carl Bergkvist, driving a Wergland car (I think) crashed into the front stretch wall just past the starter's stand, killing him. Only 22 years old.
+Rollie Beale and Lee Kunzman were in a dog fight for the Sprint Car Championship. Rollie led going in and won by 24 points, but had to drive 3 different cars to get the job done. Got on his head in practice. Got in the Kilman team car (Duke's ride that day) and finished 7th in the first 50 but puked an engine at the checkers. Sammy Sessions let him drive his Amerling ride in the second 50 and he got a 6th to win the crown. Kunzman went down fighting with a win and a second but came up short.
+The racing was great on this day and I was pleased with the 2nd and 3rd place feature finishes by my boy, Sheldon Kinser. BUT, on the other hand, I couldn't wait to get on the road home because......
+A local 'Burg guy, not really a friend, but joined our bunch a few times for beers and lies. He invited himself along on this day and proceeded to get roaring drunk, making a loud fool of himself and us by association. Had to stop a few times on Rt. 127 to let him barf. Don't know if he ever attended another race. I DO know he never went with us.
+Gotta finish by saying that this was the only time in all the years and with all the folks that I introduced to racing that I had a bad experience.
+That's all I got...........:22:

Re: USAC Sprints - Eldora - 10/21/73
 

Very, very neat stuff....how far back do you have these kinds of results? How about Winchester, Dayton or Salem from the 1950's?

Or New Bremen.

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This was a race I'll never forget. Rollie had to really work for the championship. Carl's accident was as bad as it gets.

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Re: USAC Sprints - Eldora - 10/21/73
 

was at this race marv. as far as the crash i ran down to the fence before granny could get ahold of my arm. she new. :7:

Re: USAC Sprints - Eldora - 10/21/73
 

I saw the wreck. When I saw the roll cage collapsed there was no doubt.:(

Rollies wreck in the primary was a freak thing on the front stretch. Looked like he was okay then the car hooked and went over.

I too was pulling big time for Sheldon Kinser. I knew he was on his way to stardom after this race.

This was also the day of the big announcement. No rear engined sprint cars in 1974 and beyond. Forget Pancho, Lee or Rollie. This received the biggest cheer of the day.

Re: USAC Sprints - Eldora - 10/21/73
 

Whoa now....you'd have to get one of the OLD guys here to tackle that......Danny Burton, or SprintManDave might help. Just kidding, I'm older than either one of them and most everyone else here. But, I didn't get into sprintcar racing until I got home from a hitch in the Navy in 1960. Even then, I only made about one USAC show a season, usually at Salem, until about 1964. I would like to see some of those 50's results myself. Sorry! :22:

Re: USAC Sprints - Eldora - 10/21/73
 

No apoligizes needed and thank you for your contributions. I am probably the oldest on this board and went to many AAA sprint car runs at Winchester, Dayton and Salem but I didn't have the foresight to record them as you did.

Re: USAC Sprints - Eldora - 10/21/73
 

marv, the way you get around i thought you were younger than the two guys mentioned...:6: marv, didn't any of you co workers motivate you to go sprintcar racing?

Re: USAC Sprints - Eldora - 10/21/73
 

The same forward thinking fans that cheered the banning of the rear engine cars are now either dead or hate that their local sprint and midget guys don't get a chance to run Indy Cars.

That was a $*!t day for the sport. I don't care what anyone wants to say about it because they same officials and people who lobbied against them then allowed roadsters and specialty built cars to continue running afterwards and now USAC neither has a true stepping stone to Indy nor a Pavement Sprint Series.