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. ?i * /x * if * i I.,/, ' * rhj:* * • *I i f i * t i ;* i iUm|lt; * / ♦ f f; lt;» -m/ft I /fy 4 tyf yXtf*f * f * lt;$ * lt;:lfst ft t / f;Mwmf rj ffip1L SjlCourier Times pholo bv E. James PitroneWINNING WAVE FROM SOAP BOX DERBY CHAMPION... Ken Stead congratulated by parents, John and Alice Stead5Derby title ends long waitBy SCOOP LEWISCourier Times Staff IT riterAllan Stead competed in the Lower Bucks Soap Box Derby five years. The first four years he failed to win a heat. On his fifth try last year, the 15-year-old Falls Township youth won two heats before being eliminated.Yesterday, Alan was on the sidelines as his 13-year-old brother, Ken. tried his luck against 39 other boys and girls in the 18th edition of the coasting classic down the 1,200-foot Woodboume Road track.Alan’s five fruitless years finally were rewarded at 7 o’clock last night when Ken won the 1974 championship in double-elimination competition that had to be the longest ever.Ken, one of four children of Mr and Mrs John Stead of 112 Mark Drive, became “the one to watch’’ shortly after competition began at *:30 yesterday afternoon — 90 minutes behind schedule.In the second round he duplicated his 38-second time of the first heat by defeating Chris Hopkins of Philadelphia Another 38-second clocking in the third round produced another triumph, this one over Meredith Vannauker of Fairless Hills.It was in the fourth round that Ken made the 1,500 spectators “sit up and take notice’’ when he was timed in 37.9 seconds — the fastest of the day — as he beat out Phil Buehler of Levittown38 1 seconds in beating Rich Soh-mer of Levittown Another 38 1 performance moved Ken into the championship finals as he won by a car length over Riegel in the last race of the winner’s bracket.38.1 CockingThen came an hour’s wait that seemed like eternity to Ken, his parents, his two brothers. Allan and Larry, and sister, Karen. “It was the longest hour,” remarked Ken’s dad, a supervisor with the Hooker Chemical Co. in Burlington. “But it’s worth it,’’ he addedIn the semifinals of the winner’s bracket, Ken was clocked inOnce MoreHad Ken lost the race to Riegel,the two contestants would haverun again in the double-elimination event. But Ken, his 84-pound frame lying down in the 176-pound racer, didn’t want to go down the hill again.The eighth grade student at Pennwood Junior High School wanted to make it up for where brother Allan failed His thrilling final race earned him a trip to Akron, Ohio, to compete in the International Soap Box Derby on Aug 17.Ken had competed in the 1972 Derby, but decided not to run last year, hoping Allan would bring home the marbles.Soap Box Derby summariesDrawing a first-round bye, Ken turned in a sizzling 38-second clocking in one of the 24 single-car heats. By the time the 104th and last race of the day (or evening) was run off, Ken was still running consistently. He won the 1974 championship in 38 2 seconds, defeating a fellow Falls Township contestant, Ronnie RiegelRiegel was the victor in the loser’s bracket when he bested Steve Davidson of Cornwells Heights, last year’s Derby runnerup. in 38 4 seconds.Besides his consistent times,Ken steered his sleek, red-colored fiberglass racer with near-perfect precision in both lanes of the two-lane course.ROUND IPhil Buehler, Levittown. defeated Kira Davidson, Cornwells Heights. Time: ’38 20 seconds.Chris Hopkins, Philadelphia, defeated Mark Reed, Newtown. 38 80 seconds.Keith Poinsett, Morrisville. defeated Jeff Knight, Newtown, 38 80 seconds.Cmtis Elliott, Levittown, defeated Steve Coakley. Cornwells Heights, 38 80 seconds.Eric Rhoads. Lower Makefield, defeated Dave Teager. Somerset, N.J., 30 secondsLisa Conner, Holland, defeated Herby Wilfong, Southampton 3$ seconds.Alec Klatchko, Levittown, defeated Rob-by Varsalona. Southampton, 39 10 seconds.Steve Keener, Southampton, defeated Vince Cipollone, Fairless Hills. 31 seconds.Byes (with times recorded in one-car heats): Ai Buehler, Levittown, 38 80 seconds; Keith Hoffmire, Newtown, 38 2 seconds; Bill Kohler, Levittown. 38 4 seconds; Alan Berkheiser, Bristol Township, 39 seconds; Meredith Vannauker, Fairless Hills, 38 80 seconds; Ken Stead, Fails Township, 38 seconds; John Zimmer, Levittown, 38 80 seconds; Kjppy Davidson Cornwells Heights, 38 40 seconds; Rich Sohmer, Levittown, 38 SO seconds; Dug Millard, Newtown, 40 80 seconds; Dave Klatchko, Levittown, 39 20 seconds; Jerry Baranosky, Levittown, 38 80 seconds; Andy Such, Southampton, no time recorded; Richie Lipinski, Philadelphia, no time recorded; Joe Mill-ward, Levittown, 39 seconds; Doug Harrison, Southampton, 38 9 seconds; Steve Davidson, Cornwells Heights, 38 9 seconds;Bill Crouse. Morrisville 39 seconds; Robert Galdi, Holland. 40 seconds; Chuck Martier, Hulmeviiie, 38 seconds; Mike Sullivan, Penndel, 38 9 seconds; Dave Davidson, Cornwells Heights. 39 9 seconds; Ken Harrison. Southampton, 39 10 seconds; Ronnie Rieg*?, Falls Township, 38 seconds.ROUND 2Phil Buehler defeated AI Buehler, 38 seconds; Kohler defeated Hoffmire. 39 2 seconds; Vannauker defeated Berkheiser, 39 seconds; Stead defeated Hopkins, 38 seconds; Poinsett defeated Zimmer, 39 seconds, Sohmer defeated Kippy Davidson, 38 seconds; Elliott defeated Millard, 39 0 seconds; Rhoads defeated Dave Klatchko. 39 seconds (Race rerun due to Klatchko striking stone on track, rerun won by Rhoads, 39 seconds); Baronasky defeated Such (no time recorded); Lipinski defeated Millward. 40 seconds; Conner defeated Doug Hamson, 39 40 seconds; Steve Davidson defeated Crouse, 38 6 seconds; Alec Klatchko defeated Galdi. 39 seconds; Martier defeated Sullivan. 38 8 seconds; Dave Davidson defeated Ken Harrison, 40 1 seconds; Riegel defeated Keener. 38 20 seconds.ROUTE 3Phil Buehler defeated Kohler, 38 seconds; Stead defeated Vannauker, 38 seconds; Sohmer defeated Poinsett, 38 9 seconds; Elliott defeated Rhoads, 39 seconds; Baranosky defeated Lipinsky. (no time recorded!; Steve Davidson defeated Conner. 38 8 seconds; Martier defeated Alec Kiatch-ko, 38 8 seconds; Riegel defeated Dave Davidson, 39 seconds.Bv Fred BrodieTrauma of tents*» .V.•X .vXv.'Xv. .‘.V.VAV.VW*f 9Most everybody knows at least a little about the sport some people call camping And for those who don’t know anything about this dubious recreation, many camping manuals have been published, listing the “do’s” and don’ts” of camping I recently read one of these manuals, and was shocked at what I saw For an example, I am recounting one sequence, How to Pitch a Tent ”Take the canvas tent (if your tent isn’t canvas, go directly to page 24, section L) andfind the four holes in it (if there are no holesfor camping. (If you had time left over when you did it, turn to page 88. section 4 of this newspaper)But many campers avoid the trauma of the tents” by just taking a sleeping bag. a few necessities and going back to nature.” However, the necessities may be a portable color television set, a portable radio, a battery operated razor and a motorcycle.But (thank goodness) one of these necessities is not the “How to Camp” book!When Boy Scouts, the champion campers,ROUND4Stead defeated PhU Buehler, 37 9 seconds; Sohmer defeated Elliott, 38 9 seconds; Steve Davidson defeated Baronosky, 39 seconds; Riegel defeated Martier, 38 seconds. |ROUND 5Stead defeated Sohmer, 38 1 seconds; Riegel defeated Steve Davidson, 38 20 seconds.WINNERS’ BRACKET FINALStead defeated Riegel, 38 10 seconds.LOSERS BRACKET Round 1Kim Davidson defeated Knight, 38 8 seconds; Coakley defeated Reed, 40 20 seconds; Teager defeated Wilfong. 39 8 seconds; Cipollone defeated Varvalona, 40 seconds; AI Buehler defeated Hoffmire, 38 seconds; Berkheiser defeated Hopkins, 39 seconds; Kippy Davidson defeated Zimmer, 39 seconds; Dave Klatchko defeated Millard, 39 50 seconds; Such defeated Millward, 39 20 seconds; Doug Hamson defeated Galdi, 39 20 seconds; Crouse defeated Sullivan, 39 seconds; Keener defeated Ken Hamson, 39 secondsRound 2AI Buehler defeated Berkheiser, 38 6 seconds; Kjppy Davidson defeated Dave Klatchko, 39 seconds; Doug Harrison defeated Such, 39 50 seconds; Crouse defeated Keener, 39 10 seconds; Poinsett defeated Rhoads. 39 seconds; Conner defeated Lipinski. 39 20 seconds; Dave Davidson defeated Alec Klatchko, 39 seconds; Vannauker defeated Kohler, 39 seconds; Kim Davidson defeated Coakley, 38 2 seconds; Teager defeated Cipollone, 38 8 seconds; AI Buehler defeated Kjppy Davidson. 38 secondsRound 3Crouse defeated Doug Harrison, 39 seconds; Vannauker defeated Poinsett, 39 2 seconds; Dave Davidson defeated Conner, 39 seconds; Kim Davidson defeated Teager, 39 seconds; AI Buehlder defeated Crouse,38 1 seconds; PhU Buehler defeated Elliott, 38 40 seconds; Martier defeated Baranosky,38 50 seconds.Round 4Vannauker defeated Dave Davidson. 38 9 seconds, Steve Davidson defeated Sohmer,39 seconds; AI Buehler defeated Kim Davidson, 38 5 seconds; PhU Buehler defeated Martier. 38 20 seconds.Round 5AI Buehler defeated Vannauker, 38 2 seconds. 4Round 6AI Buehler defeated PhU Buehler, 38 5seconds.Round 7Steve Davidson defeated AI Buehler.Losers’ Final Steve Davidson and Riegel ran dead heat, 38 seconds; Riegel defeated Steve Davidson in rerun, 38 4 seconds.CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL Stead defeated Riegel, 38 2 seconds.
Newspaper Details
Bucks County Courier Times
Levittown, Pennsylvania, US
Sun, Jul 21, 1974
Page 85
Full Page
Clipped by
Richard B.
IN, USA 03 Jun 2019
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