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CHECKERED FLAG for the late model feature race at the Clearfield Speedway Saturday night is held by Tom Eriksen of Hesstonf who piloted Car 2 to victory against a good field of competitors in the first program of the 1978 season.Late Model OpenerTom Eriksen of Hesston walked off with the first checkered flag in the late model division as the Clearfield Speedway kicked off its opening night’s program of the 1978 racing season Saturday night.Bruce Taylor made a triumphant return in the coupe division after a few years’ absence to take that feature. Kevin Smith was way ahead of the cadets and Handy Johnson won over the novice boys.A total of 52 speedy cars lined the pit area, and a good crowd was on hand despite the threatening skies.Fireball Heaton had the distinction of being the first winner at the Clearfield track when he took the first heat of the night in the novice class.A great field of late models, led by last season’s Tri-State champion Bob Wearing, treated the fans to some terrific action in their lidlifter. The story of the feature, however, was the overwhelming victory by Eriksen.The swift-moving Car 2 was too much for the other late models as Eriksen sprinted into the lead early and built up nearly a half-track bulge by the end of the 25-lapper.The main battle in the latemodels main-go was second and third with Deek Scott finally settling into the runner-up role after a strong challenge by heal winner Bud Garvey. 'Wearing had problems with his ’’Georgia” car and a hook-up with George Garvey didn’t help Wearing’s cause any.The cadets set the pace for the feature and it was all Kevin Smith. Again, the main fight was for second.Smith won a heat event to grab a front-line start in the feature and he had no trouble at all steering around the half-mile clay oval to victory lane.Marv Hockenberry’s new cadet was equal to the task as he put the familiar Car 5 ahead of Bob Byler for place money.Gary DeSalve was forced to quit the track when he developed mechanical ills on the lap four restart. Gary Gearhart rapped the turn number four fence to call a halt at that point in the cadet 1 biggie.Taylor was leader from green to checkered flag as he fought off a late bid by Doug Banda for the first spot. An entirely new field of coupes made up this class with theexception of Mark Osborne, who took a seventh place finish.In a real surprise, the novice gang ran from start to finish without a rest as they wound up the first night at the mountain-top speed plant.It was Johnson taking the final checkered flag as he kept Butch Cams and Heaton on his rear bumper all the way.Many of the old faces should be on the scene next Saturday along with many new ones as the Clearfield Speedway gets what should be the greatest year yet on the move.Late Model Results Feature: i, Tom Eriksen (2); 2, Deek Scott (11X); 3. Bud Garvey ; 4. Bob Wearing (1): 5. George Garvey (lit); 6. Pokey White (8); 7. Bob Roos (7); 8.TomPaudle(?t).Heat winners: Bud Garvey and Junior Ritchey (880).Cadet Results Feature: I. Kevin Smith; 2. Marv Hockenberry (5); 3. Byler; 4. Jim Dick (711); 5. John Brady (2); 6. Mel Mease (1); 7. Pete Blake (32); 8. Tink Mealy (13).Heat winners: Byler (99) and Smith (77X).Coupe Results Feature: 1. Bruce Taylor (15); 2, Doug Banda (74); 3. Dick Rankin (0); 4. Jim Pass (81); 5. Mark Osborne (57); 6. AlZuccololto(41).Heat winner: Taylor.Novice Results Feature: 1. Randy Johnson (27); 2. Butch Cams (00); 3. Fireball Heaton (57); 4, Ralph Anderson (7); 5. Doug Detwiler (96); 6. Greg Llghtner (35).
Newspaper Details
Clearfield Progress
Clearfield, Pennsylvania, US
Mon, May 01, 1978
Page 11
Full Page
Clipped by
Thomas S.
NY, USA 30 Jul 2020
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