FIRST NATIONAL SHORT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP - 1966

 

NATIONAL SHORT TRACK TITLE IS PROPERTY OF DICK TRICKLE

 

(as published in the October 5, 1966 issue of National Speed Sport News)

 

            Rockford, Ill., October 2—Dick Trickle took command in the 136th lap and breezed to victory in the 200-lap National Short Track Late Model Championship at Rockford Speedway on Sunday.

            Trickle had little or no competition after the 154th circuit when Erik Johnson, who had been riding close behind, blew a tire.

            Roy Martinelli wound up second with Bruce Sparrman nailing down third slot.

Trickle, who won a 50-lap qualifying race on Saturday, took the lead from Johnson who had inherited it from Ed Hume in the 114th circuit.

            Johnson’s ’64 Chevy made repeated attempts to pass Trickle but the latter’s ’63 Ford outdueled him and wound up winning with a nifty margin of more than a lap over Martinelli.

            Martinelli, incidentally, also gained entry in the race via victory in the second 50-lap qualifying race on Saturday.

            John Kennedy won the 30-lap non-qualifiers race, leading Bob Dotter and Norm Meinert to the line.

 

The summary:

.1. Dick Trickle, 63 Ford, 200 laps; 2. Roy Martinelli, 64 Chevy, 199 laps, 3. Bruce Sparrman, 57 Chevy, 199 laps, 4. Don Leach, 65 Chevelle, 198 laps, 5. Eddie Jast, 64 Chevy, 196 laps, 6. Bob Senneker, 57 Chevy, 196 laps, 7. Gene Marmor, 64 Chevy, 195 laps, 8. Bob Wawak, 64 Mercury, 195 laps, 9. Ron Wishard, 64 Chevy, 194 laps, 10. Elmer Musgrave, 61 Ford, 194 laps, 11. Danny Bellard, 62 Chevy, 194 laps, 12. Herb Hill, 64 Chevy, 193 laps, 13. Eddie Hume, 59 Plymouth, 192 laps, 14. Whitey Gerken, 65 Chevelle, 188 laps, 15. Gene Wood, 62 Ford, 188 laps, 16. Erik Johnson, 64 Chevy, 175 laps, 17. Tom Jones, 64 Ford, 164 laps, 18. Tom Greenlee, 65 Chevelle 158 laps.

 

 

            Rockford, Ill., October 1—Dick Trickle and Roy Martinelli won the twin 50-lap late model events Saturday at Rockford Speedway, thus insuring themselves starting slots in the National Short Track Championship held the following day.

The two races determined starting sports from 11th to 30th in the Sunday event.  First through 10th starting positions went to the fastest qualifiers on Saturday.

            Whitey Gerken assured himself a starting slot by posting fastest time of the 53 qualifiers with second best time being set by Marv Marzofka.

In the first 50-lapper, Boyce Sparkman led most of the way until he tangled with a car he was lapping and spun out.  Sal Tovella then took over but Trickle made his move with 10 laps remaining and went on to the victory.

            In the nightcap, the field of which was made up of the slower half of the qualifiers, Herb Hill grabbed an early lead only to be overtaken by Ron Beyer.  Mechanical difficulties squelched Beyer’s attempt at victory shortly afterward and Martinelli took over.

            Tovella and Erik Johnson were runnersup in the first event with Bob Urban and Lyle Nabbefeldt getting second and third honors in the finale.

 

ADDED NOTES (January, 2002)

 

  William “Whitey” Gerken of Melrose Park, Ill. was the 1966 Rockford late model track champion.  Gerken and his Ced’s Muffler Service 1965 Chevelle convertible No. 54 also won the late model track title at Chicago’s Soldier Field that same year. Gerken set a new qualifying track record at Rockford with a lap of 14.98 seconds on 6/11/66.  Records show that Gerken won 11 feature races, including a span of six straight, at Rockford that year and was fastest qualifier 18 times.  Two years later, Gerken would win the NSTC 200 at Rockford.  1968 would also see Gerken win the late model season crown at Illiana Motor Speedway (Schererville, Ind.). In addition, Gerken was a frontrunner at the old O’Hare Stadium (Schiller Park, Ill.), winning numerous feature races along the way including the track’s 500 lapper in 1963. Gerken was also a competitor on the old USAC stock car circuit, scoring three victories during his career including a 250-mile win at the “Milwaukee Mile” in 1961.  Sadly, Gerken died from injuries suffered in a qualifying crash at Illiana on October 8, 1973 at age 43.  Rockford was the site of a special memorial race for Gerken on October 21, 1973 with Tom Jones claiming the win.                                                     

 

Gerken timed in for the first NSTC with a lap of 15.17 to grab fast time honors on Saturday.  The top 10 qualifiers were locked into the first 10 starting spots for the 200 lapper on Sunday.  The rest of the top 10 qualifiers consisted of Gene Marmor (’65 Rockford champion) and three-time Rockford titlist Don Harvey of Loves Park, along with Michigan driver Bob Senneker and Bruce Sparrman of Minnesota.  The remaining five, Eddie Hume, Nelson Drinkwine, Tom Reffner, Jim Back and Marv Marvzofka,  were Wisconsin residents.  Eventual winner Trickle and his Tee Pee Supper Club-sponsored Ford, along with second place finisher, Roy Martinelli, the ’66 O’Hare Stadium track champion, qualified out of the top 10.  The 24-year old Trickle had captured the track championship at the Dells Motor Speedway (Wisconsin Dells, Wis.) during the ’66 season.