With the Don Branson/Jud Larson Memorial Weekend only three weeks away, I dug into the FishBurger attic archives and came up with these two retro race results for your consideration:
4/18/65
Time Trials - 28 Cars - TR Parnelli Jones 18.32
63 Jerry "Scratch" Daniels...........19.37
37 Tom McClellan......................21.58
-1
Don Branson.......................19.20
Second Fastest
26 Bob Pratt.............................19.95
84 Dave Weir............................20.10
-7 Arnie Knepper......................Blew Up
77 Dave Norris..........................19.68
11 Bobby Unser.........................19.40
93 Sammy Sessions....................20.02
62 Jerry Richert.........................19.38
25 Bill Morris..............................20.66
92 Greg Weld.............................19.40
71 Bruce Jacobi..........................22.24
-3 Mario Andretti........................19.23
54 Gary Congdon........................19.82
51 Bob Hogle.............................19.75
19 Bob Harkey...........................19.53
65 Jim McCune...........................19.73
36 Chuck Booth..........................22.36
10 Gordon Johncock....................20.38
-9 Al Smith................................20.03
-2
Jud Larson............................18.81
Quick Time
-5 Rollie Beale............................19.69
40 Harold Apel............................20.09
-5 Ross Smith.............................19.88
53 Danny Frye............................20.09
41 Jim Moughan..........................20.50
42 Tom Bigelow..........................20.27
First Heat - 8 Laps - 2:35.91
-2
Jud Larson.................1
-1
Don Branson...............2
-3 Mario Andretti.............6
63 Scratch Daniels...........3
62 Jerry Richert...............5
11 Bobby Unser...............4
Second Heat - 8 Laps - No Time
11 Bobby Unser...............1
62 Jerry Richert...............2
-3 Mario Andretti.............4
92 Greg Weld..................3
19 Bob Harkey.................5
77 Dave Norris.................6
Third Heat - 8 Laps - No Time
-3 Mario Andretti.........Scratched
19 Bob Harkey.................1
77 Dave Norris.................4
-5 Rollie Beale.................3
65 Jim McCune................5
51 Bob Hogle...................2
54 Gary Congdon..............6
Consy - 10 Laps - No Time
77 Dave Norris.................2
65 Jim McCune.................3
54 Gary Congdon..............1
-3 Mario Andretti........Scratched
-5 Ross Smith..................4
26 Bob Pratt....................6
93 Sammy Sessions...........7
-9 Al Smith......................5
40 Harold Apel.................10
53 Danny Frye..................9
84 Dave Weir....................8
Feature - 30 Laps - 9:54.97
-2
Jud Larson...........
The Winner
-1
Don Branson................2
63 Scratch Daniels..............4
11 Bobby Unser..................3
62 Jerry Richert.................10
92 Greg Weld.....................
19 Bob Harkey...................
51 Bob Hogle.....................
-5 Rollie Beale...................12
54 Gary Congdon...............11
77 Dave Norris...................13
65 Jim McCune...................
-5 Ross Smith....................9
-9 Al Smith.......................14
Sorry I didn't get the complete finish on this one.
And then later in the '65 season:
10/16/65
Time Trials - 24 Cars - TR Jud Larson 18.14
-9 Johnny Rutherford............17.92
New Track Record
65 Bob Pratt........................18.95
77 Arnie Knepper..................19.05
-7 Red Reigel.......................18.92
20 Don Carmichael................19.51
26 Chuck Arnold...................19.77
36 Duke Cook.......................19.90
92 Greg Weld.......................18.84
93 Bud Randall......................19.07
21 Larry Dickson...................18.89
47 Bobby Black.....................18.86
11 Bobby Unser....................18.24
80 Chuck Engle.....................18.96
26 Al Smith..........................19.59
60 Eddie Sells.......................20.85
54
Jud Larson......................18.92
51 Roger McCluskey...............18.45
-1
Don Branson....................18.08 - 2nd Quick
-4 Carl Williams.....................18.92
17 Dick Gaines......................19.77
52 Sammy Sessions...............19.52
27 Dave Lundy......................19.73
75 Jim Hines.........................20.82
31 Wally Dallenbach...............19.71
First Heat - 8 Laps - 2:39.69
52 Sammy Sessions................5
77 Arnie Knepper....................4
-4 Carl Williams......................2
21 Larry Dickson....................3
51 Roger McCluskey................1
-9 Johnny Rutherford..............6
Second Heat - 8 Laps - 2:33.48 New Track Record
26 Al Smith...........................4
93 Bud Randall.......................2
65 Bob Pratt.........................5
-7 Red Reigel........................6
92 Greg Weld........................3
-1
Don Branson...................
1
Third Heat - 8 Laps - 2:33.35 New Track Record
31 Wally Dallenbach...............6
20 Don Carmichael.................4
80 Chuck Engle.....................3
54
Jud Larson.....................1
47 Bobby Black.....................5
11 Bobby Unser.....................2
Consy - 10 Laps - No Time
-1 Johnny Rutherford.............1
47 Bobby Black.....................2
-7 Red Reigel........................3
65 Bob Pratt.........................4
77 Arnie Knepper...................5
20 Don Carmichael.................7
52 Sammy Sessions...............8
26 Al Smith..........................6
31 Wally Dallenbach..............11
27 Dave Lundy......................9
17 Dick Gaines......................12
75 Jim Hines.........................10
Chuck Arnold scratched in this one. Duke Cook was to be the first alternate, but didn't hit the track so Jim Hines ran.
Feature - 30 Laps - 9:44.59 Yet Another NTR
-9 Johnny Rutherford................2
-1
Don Branson....................
The Winner
11 Bobby Unser.......................6
51 Roger McCluskey.................3
92 Greg Weld..........................4
47 Bobby Black........................9
21 Larry Dickson......................5
-7 Red Reigel..........................14
54
Jud Larson........................12
-4 Carl Williams........................7
65 Bob Pratt...........................13
80 Chuck Engle........................8
77 Arnie Knepper.....................10
93 Bud Randall........................11
+Of course, you knew that Branson and Larson were going to figure prominently in these results, now didn't you?
As I was typing, it occurred to me that if these races were staged nowadays, we'd be apt to read complaints here on IOW about car counts, dust (these were Sunday afternoon events), lack of passing, and I'm sure, the race format. Funny, I don't remember any p'ing and m'ing in those days. We left the tracks thinking we had just seen the best racing on the planet. I still subscribe to that practice now, 45 or 50 years later.
+I believe the format changed during the '65 season. As you can see, the 6 car heats in the first race above transferred the top 3 finishers to the feature with the other 3 moving to the front of the next heat. I recall an event, at New Bremen I think, where Don Thomas ran in all the heats before finally making it to the feature in the consy.
+Again, my reason for posting these old results was to look back at two of the many races where "Grandpa" and "Ole Jud" dominated. I never proclaim any driver to be the "greatest of all time" simply because I haven't seen them all (don't believe what Danny and Dave tell you),
BUT I can say unequivically that Branson and Larson were amongst the best I was ever priviledged to watch.
Johnny Rutherford at Eldora, Dave Lundy at Terre Haute and Paul Jones (I don't recall where) were seriously injured in crashes. 