Thursday, August 12, 1971
International Driver’s Challenge
Open Wheel
Fast time: Roy Smith, 14.35, 2nd fast, Ed Hopper, 14.59
C main
1 -- Earl Fritts, Seattle
Fritts was disqualified because the car had been timed in by owner Gerry McLees and the officials were not notified of a different driver.
B main (50 laps)
1 -- John Tharp
2 -- Dave Craver, Seattle
3 -- Leroy Van Connett, Galt, CA
Tharp lapped the field.
A main (100 laps, 16 started, 11 finished)
1 -- Rick Henderson, Concord, CA, $1000
2 -- Ed Hopper, San Jose, CA
3 -- Roy Smith, Victoria
4 -- Norm Ellefson
Ellefson was knocked into the wall by Henderson on lap 65 while Ellefson was passing Gary Patterson for the lead.
Described as “one of the finest races ever seen at the three eighths mile oval with only five seconds between first and last until the 85th lap.”
Tom Sneva had steering and differential problems and could not qualify for the A main.
Ken Hamilton, Ontario, OR, blew an engine turn three, lap three, during the A main. His third blown engine in two days.
1 comment:
A little info there from that day, my uncle Ed Hopper actually clocked in at 14.102, but was told as qualifying ended that there had to be an error as he couldn't have shattered Roy Smith's track record that badly, and that he had to requalify, with ice cold tires, and yet he still was 2nd quick. Odd that one of Smith's car owners was doing the timing that day…:-)
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