It's two for one night...belly up to the bar boys!
I found another "Checkered Flag" article by Bill Dowd, this one from 1968. I was getting ready to delete it when I noticed another write-up next to it. As always...Enjoy!
From the Binghamton Press July 5, 1968
Checkered Flag
by Bill Dowd
The list of drivers for the 200-mile U.S. Road Racing Championship event at Watkins Glen July 13 is an impressive one. But one particular car may draw more attention than Mark Donahue, Skip Scott, Chuck Parsons and Lothar Motschenbacher combined.
The Howmet TX, powered by an experimental turbine engine is tentively scheduled to be competing with the Group 7 racers in the $20,000 race, seventh of nine on the USRRC circuit.
We had an opportunity to inspect the Howmet TX at Langhorne International Speedway two weeks ago. Dick Suchy, one of the crew members, rates it as better than a possible challenger to the red-hot McLarens.
"We've only benn running this car since the first of the year and we've gotten to the point where most of the bugs are worked out," he said.
"The McLarens they're racing in the USRRC now are relatively new but they've still had more time to work on their cars. In England we crashed once and burned once and we had a couple of DNFs earlier. But after winning at Marlboro the other week we're pretty sure we're going to be running strong."
THE HOWMET CAR is a light one, barely above USRRC minimum. The engine weighs only 150 pounds with a ZF limited-slip Halibrand rear, the lack of weight doesn't hurt its acceleration.
The sleek, white racer, usually driven by Ray Heppenstall, idles at 74 per cent throttle, giving it full power while most Group 7 cars are still winding through intermediate gears. The turbine engine is rated at 183 c.c. but as far as usable power is concerned, it is rated equivalent to 350-400 cubic inch mills.
"We like to run in damp weather when the air is heavier, just like Granitellei's turbines," said Suchty. "In mud we can go up against a 4-wheel drive dune buggy and win. But even if it's warm, we'll run well."
The Howmet team will have to run well at the Glen. Donahue, in his Chevy-powered McLaren, is running away toward his second straight USRRC title. Motcshenbacher has driven a McLaren to two seconds, a fourth and a sixth after finishing second to Donahue in last years point scramble.
The 3-4 pointmen, teammates Scott and Parsons, are entered in a pair of Lolas powered by Bartz Chevy engines. Scott took second in the initial USRRC at Mexico City and won the Vanderbilt Cup at Bridgehampton. Parsons, the 1966 USRRC champ, has two fourths, a second and a sixth. And young Sam Posey, third in points last year, adds still more variety in a Caldwell D-F-B Chevy. He was second to Donahue at the Glen last year.
Following the USRRC race on Sunday is the first Six Hours of Endurance for the World Championship of Manufacturers.
PIT STOPS: Ithaca-Dryden Speedway will reopen tonight at 7:30 under former driver Johnny Wood. The quarter-mile dirt track, located 2 1/2 miles west of Dryden, ran into financial problems the last few years and last season ran only two or three events. Wood is trying to get it going again with sportsman and modern divisions but at this point can only offer a percentage of the gate instead of a guaranteed purse.... Shangri-La Speedway will hold it's second 100-lapper of the season a week from Sunday with Don Diffendorf, who has won at Spencer and Lebanon Valley in addition to seven victories at the Owego track, out to take his second 100-lap purse there this season.
TOWNLEY, STUB TURN 100 Into $600 DAY
Before Wednesday night's Southern Tier Open 100 at Five-Mile Point Speedway, Pete Cordes said he was interested in seeing how well Dave Kneisel would be running.
Kneisel had been impressive at Mid-State Speedway, Cordes' home track, but had over-driven his powerful sportsman on the short track. Cordes felt Kneisel would do better at Five-Mile.
As it turned out, Kneisel won the first heat handily and ran well enough in the 100-lap feature to place fourth, but Cordes ran even better, finishing two spots ahead of Kneisel, but not strong enough to top Jerry Townley.
Townley, No. 2 man in the sportsman point race at Lebanon Valley, had been edged out by Cordes in the 100-lap race at Mid-State three days earlier. This time he finished 11 seconds to the good to claim the $600 winner's share of the big purse before a crowd of about 3,000.
The cars with less power dominated the action, the first three powered by 327 cubic inch engines, the 427s taking the next four spots. Thirty-five were entered.
In Penn-Can Speedway's second annual Fourth of July 100, veteran Stub Stephens of Clifford Pa., grabbed the $600 prize after Paul Zedar of Forest City led the 35-car pack for nearly 89 laps.
Once Stephens got in front he gradually opened the gap until he took the checkered flag 10 lengths in front of Zedar with Russ Smith, runnerup to Carl Nagel last year, finishing third before 2,200 fans.
Nagel went out with a flat tire yesterday. Brian Dubois, driving his "Airfoil Special", went over the bank after being one of the favorites with Nagel. Stephens, although a Penn-Can regular, qualified at Harvey's Speedway in Lemon, Pa. Penn-Can does not run tonight.
Southern Tier 100
1-Jerry Townley; 2-Pete Cordes; 3-Les Green; 4-Dave Kneisel; 5-Ray Bunzey; 6-Larry Catlin; 7-Wayne Meade; 8-Bill Leonard; 9-Mike Zopp; 10-Chuck Brady.
Penn-Can 100
1-Stub Stephens; 2-Paul Zedar; 3-Russ Smith; 4-Red Graff; 5-Dick Miller; 6-Rich Latwinski; 7-Jim Zacharias; 8-Ron Board; 9-Joe Winterstein; 10-George Herold
BILL DOWD
