1970 Winchester 400
Encyclopedia
American Speed Association
The American Speed Association is a sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States formed in 1968. The Association was based in Pendleton, Indiana and currently is headquarters in Daytona Beach, Florida. ASA was most famous for a national touring series which began in 1973 but was...
sanction on October 4, 1970, at the Winchester Speedway
Winchester Speedway
Winchester Speedway is a half-mile paved oval motor racetrack in White River Township, Randolph County, just outside Winchester, Indiana, approximately northeast of Indianapolis. It seats 4000 spectators. It is also known as the "World's Fastest 1/2 mile"....
, in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
(USA).
Dave Sorg of Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
won this first Winchester 400
Winchester 400
The Winchester 400 is a 400-lap short-track stock car race held each fall at the Winchester Speedway, approximately east of Indianapolis, Indiana. Held annually since 1970, the race has served as a launching point for the careers of several young drivers including former winners Rusty Wallace and...
. He dominated the race by leading 301 of the 400 laps around the "World's Fastest Half-Mile" and beating runner-up Irv Janey of Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
by five laps. Sorg, the 1968 American Speed Association (ASA)
American Speed Association
The American Speed Association is a sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States formed in 1968. The Association was based in Pendleton, Indiana and currently is headquarters in Daytona Beach, Florida. ASA was most famous for a national touring series which began in 1973 but was...
Champion collected $2,403 for the victory.
Ron North of Huntington, Indiana
Huntington, Indiana
Huntington, known as the "Lime City", is a small city in and the county seat of Huntington County, Indiana, United States. It is in Huntington Township and Union Township...
was the quickest of 44 competitors who attempted to make the race. North toured the track in 18.980 seconds (94.837 MPH). The lap bested the previous ASA Track Record of 19.040 seconds set by 1970 ASA Champion Jim Blount.
Starting from outside the front row, Blount darted into the early lead before North took over the point on lap four. North’s turn at the front was to be short-lived as the fast-qualifier suffered an engine problem while leading on lap eight and retired to finish last in the 40-car field. Back in front, Blount would lead through lap 38 until passed by Homer Newland of Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. Dave Sorg charged past Newland to the lead on lap 44 with Newland’s engine expiring while giving chase five laps later.
Sorg and Blount, a pair of northern Indiana veterans, began to trade the lead over the next several laps. Blount went back in front on lap 90, only to lose it again to Sorg on lap 102. Five laps later, they swapped positions again with Blount pacing the field for four circuits before yielding to Sorg on lap 111. The thrilling battle for the lead went away on lap 123 when Blount tangled with the slower car of Clyde Brown and was sent spinning into the guardrail. Blount’s car bounced off the rail, triggering a five-car pileup that included the cars of Ernie Guy, Gene Prosser, Dave Byler, and Blackie Wangerin.
John Sommerville became the fourth different leader of the event on lap 192 as Sorg made a trip down pit road. Back on the track, Sorg quickly chased down Sommerville and went back in front for the final time on lap 232. Although the race was briefly stopped after a wheel flying over the guardrail sparked a grass fire, nothing could stop Sorg. Leading the final 168 consecutive laps, Sorg sliced through the field with abandon and pulled away to win by five laps. Following Janey in second was Sommerville, Jerry Norris, and Jay Behimer.
Table of results
| Results of the 1st Annual DRI-POWER Winchester 400 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Start | Car # | Driver/Hometown | Sponsor/Make | Laps | Winnings (in US$ United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... ) |
Status | |
| 1 | 6 | 52 | Dave Sorg / Fort Wayne, IN | Mercury Mercury (automobile) Mercury was an automobile marque of the Ford Motor Company launched in 1938 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level luxury cars slotted between Ford-branded regular models and Lincoln-branded luxury vehicles, similar to General Motors' Buick brand, and Chrysler's namesake brand... |
400 | $2,403 | Running | |
| 2 | 7 | 42 | Irv Janey / Cedar Rapids, IA | Plymouth Plymouth (automobile) Plymouth was a marque of automobile based in the United States, produced by the Chrysler Corporation and its successor DaimlerChrysler.-Origins:... |
395 | $1,300 | ||
| 3 | 5 | 99 | John Sommerville / Clarksville, IN | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
395 | $1,134 | ||
| 4 | 18 | 88 | Jerry Norris / Louisville, KY | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
392 | $840 | ||
| 5 | 11 | 57 | Jay Behimer / Potomac, MI | Dodge Dodge Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide.... |
383 | $700 | ||
| 6 | 31 | 45 | Ken Black | Ford | 377 | $550 | ||
| 7 | 13 | 80 | Larry Cope / LeRoi, IN | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
359 | $450 | ||
| 8 | 39 | 5 | Terry Elmore / Louisville, KY | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
352 | $370 | ||
| 9 | 12 | 09 | Darrell Skaggs / Centerville, IN | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
349 | $300 | ||
| 10 | 34 | 98 | Wayne Trinkle | Ford | 338 | $250 | ||
| 11 | 25 | 46 | M. Lynn | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
333 | $200 | ||
| 12 | 15 | 0 | Jack Shanklin / Indianapolis, IN | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
320 | $170 | ||
| 13 | 38 | 20 | Clyde Brown / Indianapolis, IN | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
288 | $160 | ||
| 14 | 20 | 43 | Gene Christie / Gaston, IN | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
276 | $150 | ||
| 15 | 32 | 48 | Bobby Sands / Henryville, KY | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
266 | $140 | ||
| 16 | 37 | 196 | T. Trinkle | Ford | 225 | $130 | ||
| 17 | 30 | 32 | Joe Doty | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
213 | $120 | ||
| 18 | 28 | 67 | G. Byers | Plymouth Plymouth (automobile) Plymouth was a marque of automobile based in the United States, produced by the Chrysler Corporation and its successor DaimlerChrysler.-Origins:... |
210 | $110 | ||
| 19 | 21 | 11 | Joe Wormcastle / Fort Wayne, IN | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
205 | $108 | ||
| 20 | 9 | 39 | Blackie Wangerin Blackie Wangerin Blackie Wangerin is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver from Bloomington, Minnesota. In 1971 he attempted to qualify for the Daytona 500 but did not make it past the qualifying race. He returned to the series in 1977 and made at least one start every season thereafter until 1984... / Bloomington, MN |
Ford | 195 | $100 | ||
| 21 | 10 | 10 | Vern Schrock / Middlebury, IN | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
183 | $97 | ||
| 22 | 6 | 109 | L.J. Lines / Greensboro, IN | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
182 | $94 | ||
| 23 | 19 | 92 | Junior Shirley / Anderson, IN | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
168 | $91 | ||
| 24 | 29 | 21 | Bob Coffey / Indianapolis, IN | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
133 | $88 | ||
| 25 | 16 | 97 | Quinn Kreiger | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
128 | $85 | ||
| 26 | 27 | 37 | Jim Wyman / Selma, IN | Pontiac Pontiac Pontiac was an automobile brand that was established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland. Quickly overtaking its parent in popularity, it supplanted the Oakland brand entirely by 1933 and, for most of its life, became a companion make for Chevrolet. Pontiac was sold in the... |
126 | $82 | ||
| 27 | 2 | 69 | Jim Blount / LaPaz, IN | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
122 | $203 | ||
| 28 | 22 | 6 | Gene Prosser / New Castle, IN | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
115 | $76 | ||
| 29 | 17 | 3 | Dave Byler / Howe, IN | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
113 | $73 | ||
| 30 | 8 | 31 | Herb Rose / Anderson, IN | Ford | 113 | $70 | ||
| 31 | 26 | 01 | Ernie Guy / Marion, IN | Ford | 111 | $68 | ||
| 32 | 24 | 62 | Bill Wyrick / Marion, IN | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
100 | $66 | ||
| 33 | 36 | 66 | Lonnie Breedlove / Indianapolis, IN | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
96 | $64 | ||
| 34 | 14 | 84 | Dick Hinshaw / Millville, IN | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
74 | $62 | ||
| 35 | 35 | 64 | Jackie Neal / New Castle, IN | Dodge Dodge Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide.... |
50 | $60 | ||
| 36 | 4 | 76 | Homer Newland / Detroit, MI | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
49 | $69 | ||
| 37 | 40 | 41 | T. Wolfe | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
36 | $56 | ||
| 38 | 23 | 58 | Gene Cook / Wilkinson, IN | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
28 | $54 | ||
| 39 | 33 | 00 | Eddie Phelps / Indianapolis, IN | Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
23 | $52 | ||
| 40 | 1 | 96 | Ron North / Huntington, IN | Oldsmobile Oldsmobile Oldsmobile was a brand of American automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory... |
8 | $58 | ||
Race statistics
- Average Speed: 63.15 mi/h
- Margin of Victory: 5 laps
- Time of Race: Three hours, 10 minutes and 1.32 seconds
- Lead Changes: 7 among 3 drivers
- Lap Leaders: Jim Blount 1-43; Dave Sorg 44-89; J. Blount 90-101; Sorg 102-106, J. Blount 107-110; Sorg 111-191, John Sommerville 192-231; Sorg 232-400
- Entries: 44 Qualifiers: 42