Editor’s Note: Each month in recognition of SPEED SPORT’s 90th anniversary, the SPEED SPORT Insider will use the National Speed Sport News archives to look back at what happened in the racing world 50 years ago.
Fire Cancels Mod Nationals
A horrendous explosion and fire canceled the National Modified Championship race at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson almost as soon as it began.
Veteran drivers Aaron Madden and Jack Petty were critically burned and four race cars were destroyed in the inferno.
The half-mile track was dry and extremely dusty from 116-degree heat. A field of 40 cars started the main event with the tailenders going through the first turn at about 40 mph because of the blinding dust.
On the second lap, someone in the back of the pack spun in the dust and George Armstrong rode over the wheel of another car and flipped end over end three or four times. Armstrong received severe bruises and was knocked unconscious.
Cars crashed into one another in the dust on the front straightaway in front of the grandstand. Madden was in the middle of the pile and his gas tank ruptured. Madden’s racer exploded sending flames 50 feet in the air as car after car caught fire. Drivers jumped from their cars with their clothing ablaze.
Pit men saved several cars by using cables from wreckers.
In addition to Madden and Petty, the cars of Jerry Soderberg and Harold Leep were destroyed
Madden received burns over 90 percent of his body and was evacuated by helicopter to the burn center in Tulsa, Okla. Petty and Soderberg were taken to the burn center at Kansas University.
Other News
Dirt Or Asphalt?: If you want New Bremen Speedway to remain a paved track, you have until Aug. 10 to pay Earl Baltes, the NBS owner, about $200,000. Otherwise, chances are very good the track — one of the three oldest in the nation — will revert back to its original dirt form. Baltes, who in his two years of leasing and two years of ownership of NBS has yet to make money at the track, said he feels something must be done in order to make the track financially sound.
IMCA Changes: Historically a one or two promoter organization, the International Motor Contest Ass’n, the nation’s oldest sanctioning body will revamp its policies and undertake a vast rebuilding program. Signifcant among the changes is the decision to seek additional promoters and the development of a national circuit·of events for 1975.
Outlaw Life: Jan Opperman, racing’s self-styled hippie preacher has resigned his U.S. Auto Club· sprint car license and plans to return to the “outlaw tracks.”
“I really liked racing with the USAC guys,” Opperman said. “They are a great bunch of racers. But I have to make a living and there, just aren’t enough dirt shows in USAC.”
The Winners
Triple Crown John: Texan Johnny Rutherford continued his hot streak on the U. S. Auto Club’s Championship Trail Sunday, coming from more than a lap behind to win the $400,000 Schaefer 500 at Pocono Raceway. With the victory Rutherford wrapped up the Triple Crown, having previously won the Indianapolis 500 and the California 500.
Unser Climbs Mountain: After a five-year absence, Bobby Unser came back do what he does best — compete in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. The veteran Albuquerque, N.M., driver won the climb for the 12th time in bis career, bettering his own record time by 26.5 seconds. He toured the 12.5-mile course, which finishes at the 14 ,100-foot summit of the mountain, in 13 minutes, 13.60 seconds in his K&K Insurance Co. Dodge kit car.
Michigan Twins: Bobby Allison and A.J. Foyt were the big winners in the USAC Twin 200s at Michigan Int’l Speedway. Unser used fuel mileage to defeat his brother, Al, by 3.9 seconds in the Indy car portion of the program, while Foyt held off Unser to win the 200-mile stock car feature on the two-mile track.
No. 160 For Petty:
Richard Petty, taking advantage of a caution flag to get into contention 150 miles from the finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway, pushed his STP Dodge under the checkered flag nearly a lap ahead of David Pearson to collect his 160th NASCAR Cup Series victory.
The Advertising Department
Valvoline celebrated Johnny Rutherford winning the Indy car Triple Crown with a victory at Pocono Raceway to add to previous 500-mile wins at Ontario Motor Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway by placing this full-page ad in National Speed Sport News.
THIS ARTICLE IS REPOSTED FROM THE July 10 EDITION OF SPEED SPORT INSIDER
SPEED SPORT Insider is the ad-free premium extension of SPEEDSPORT.com. Insider is dedicated to the best and brightest in motorsports journalism – created by the best writers, photographers and reporters in the business. From veteran Hall of Fame writers like Bones Bourcier, Dave Argabright, Pat Sullivan, Keith Waltz, Ralph Sheheen and Editor in Chief Mike Kerchner, to behind the scenes SPEED SPORT reporters such as David Hoffman, Nathan Solomon and more.
By subscribing to Insider, you not only get exclusive access to this premium content, but you support the journalists that are vital to telling the stories that matter most. Subscriptions are just $5/mo or $44.95 for an entire year. View plans and details.
SPECIAL OFFER! Subscribe now with this link and save $5.00!
