[FishBurger]

Will get a card out tomorrow. Talked with Dee a couple of times back in the day. Good guy. Remember him wheeling several cars but mostly I recall him giving the #32 LeFevre car some good runs. Once at New Bremen (not sure if it was in the #32) it looked like he was going to get a pavement feature win. Didn't happen that day due to some kind of bad luck.

Thanks for the "heads up" Duke.

[Bubzilla]

Dee is a heck of a man, and hold's a very unique record in USAC Sprint Car history. I'm sure that he will appreciate your participation with this little bit of trivia fun.

The following results (copied from OpenWheelTimes) are from the USAC Sprint Car race on 07/05/1970 at Salem, Indiana.

What was so "special" about Dee's participation in this event?

A Feature
1: Bettenhausen, Gary (1 - Davis)
2: Dickson, Larry (2 - Lay)
3: Sessions, Sammy
4: Gibson, Todd
5: Busson, Karl
6: Beale, Rollie (11 - Kilman)
7: Nordhorn, Don
8: Cannon, Larry
9: Rasmussen, Eldon
10: Compton, Bill
11: Waldo, Lennie
12: Oskie, Jimmy
13: Pratt, Bob
14: Parsons, Johnny
15: Capels, Johnny
16: Brayton, Lee
17: Liguori, Ralph
18: Jones, Dee (75)
19: Lee, Gordy (55)
20: Weld, Greg (4 - Leffler)

[FishBurger]

That's a heckuva trivia challenge Joe........and I came up empty. My records show that the #75 was the Thomas Construction car out of Michigan. Dee timed in at 17.71 (I thought he might had the first sub 18 sec. lap at Salem, but found that not to be the case) and ran 3rd in the 4th heat from the tail. 20 cars that day. Gary Bettenhausen won the feature from 7th starting position. Dee started 4th and finished 18th. Have to leave this one up to Vuky or some other old timer with a better memory than me.

Tragedy visited the high banks that day as one of my favorites and long time Lawrenceburg competitor, Gil Hess was killed leaving the track in turn 2.

[Bubzilla]

Marv, those are some darn good notes you have for that day. I wasn't aware of the Gil Hess incident.

Yep, Dee made a heck of a run during his heat. I believe that Dee said it was motor issues that caused a less than desired qualifying run, and eventually knocked him out during the main while he was moving forward.

Either way, none of this was/is part of the answer. Interestingly though (I believe), the owner finally hung it up after this race. The reason for quitting being involved in the answer I'm seeking.

I'm sure that Duke knows the answer, but it's nice that he's making the rest of you wonder about it without giving it up.

[Midwest Connection]

Dee - My heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with you.

I first saw you race at Oswego Speedway aboard the # 11 sprint car. You finished 9th in the feature that day - 28 August 1966.

Gil Hess - I first saw him race on 16 July 1977 in a USAC sprinter at Oswego Speedway.

Have a good day...see you at the races

Rich - Arnold, Missouri

[Bubzilla]

Well, it appears that it is time for the first clue:

When the owner "retired", he said he was doing so because he raced Sprint Cars, not Supermodifieds.

[Bubzilla]

Hint #2:

There's a photo of the parade lap for the A-Main documenting this closing of an era in USAC National Sprint Car racing. (I'm pretty sure I'm incorrect in recalling it being taken by Jim Mahoney, but in fact a photo does exist. Possible Al C. was the capturer???).

In this particular view of ALL of the A-Main participant's parade lap, "One of these thang's ain't like the others".

[SUPERDUKE]

Last car to run with out a gage!

[Bubzilla]

Originally Posted by SUPERDUKE Last car to run with out a cage! (I fixed it for ya Duke)

We have a winner!!!!!!!!!!!

For whatever reason, USAC gave the competitors until the middle of 1970 (July 10th or so) to fit their cars with cages instead of roll bars. Dee's owner chose not to add one and retired from racing after this race.