Races Past: August 18th, 1979

Look out history fans, it's last Saturday night all over again, but in 1979!

Rain clouds frowned upon the speedway just like this year, but much earlier in the program with both fast-timers slipping and sliding their way to the top spots. Rob Holden powered his #1 '64 Chev. Impala to a 23.60, while Lee Daily came in at 21.88 in a '66 Ford Fairlane Superstock.

In Hobby class action, dashes went to Bill Dennis over Gene Brookover, and Berlin Cook ahead of Cherill Scott for the "B". A large field of cars necessitated four heat races, with George Fritz, Ken Smirs, Ben Conn and Rick Bowker winning their respective events. "Mountain Man" Ron Martin was victorious in the "A" main driving a Ford for Jack Sappenfield. He was followed to the wire by the late Bill Dennis, Glenn Davis, in a Chevelle, current Nascar official Gene Brookover in a Lee Sundholm owned '62 Galaxie, Don Voggenthaler in a '65 Galaxie, and Ben Chandler in his '65 Satellite. The "B" main went to Cliff Williams over Brian Wheeler, and the "C" event to Randy Hessen over Randy Sorensen.

"Crazy" Carl Zaretzke took home the Superstock dash trophy over Lee Daily, while heats went to Terry Guisinger in a Dodge Monaco over Warren Cox (Steve's father), and "Stormin" Norm Litts over Zaretzke. In the main Litts grabbed the spotlight in his '67 Rambler ahead of Daily, Zaretzke, Gary Becktold, Guisinger, Lynn Chandler and Dick Avalo. I'll leave you with the August 18th, 1979 point summary--then it's back to 2007!
F.E.A.R. Historian, Tom Claibourn