Road Racing Opens Today At Indianola

by Brad Wilson

-From the June 8, 1963 Des Moines Register

            Indianola, Ia. – Auto racing Grand Prix style, makes its Iowa debut today on the Greenwood Roadway, located 8½ miles south of here on U.S. Highway 65.

There were 60 registrations Friday including some of the midwest's top drivers and fastest sports cars from a nine-state area, with more expected this morning before the first practice laps at 9:30 o'clock.   

           To the uninitiated, practice laps are similar to time trials staged at regular races. They determine grid (starting) positions in the first series of races this afternoon in the two-day meeting over the new three-mile asphalt course.

           A second session of practice laps is scheduled at 1 p.m. today for late arrivals with the first race listed at 2:30 p.m. for G and H class production cars and H class modifieds and sedans. All starts are from a standing position.

           Performances today determine Sunday’s starting positions, although a practice has been scheduled at 10 o’clock Sunday.

           One of the hot outfits here is George Reed’s Class C modified Ferrari, once raced at the famous LeMans course in France. It was tenth at Sebring, Fla., this spring. Reed hails from Chicago.

            Another Chicagoan, Dick Doane, will have a Sting-Ray Corvette of the same class, one of three built by General Motors expressly for road racing. He’s raced at Sebring and Nassau, with distinction, according to meet officials here.

           Other top outfits and drivers in the modified division include Jim Adams of Sioux Falls, S.D., a former winner at Elkhart, Wis., and Lake Garnett, Kan., with a Class G Lola; and Harvey Woodward of Kansas City in an Elva Mark VI, also in Class G.

           Jim Spencer of Madison, Wis., who also drives a Triumph-4, heads the field in the production division. He was first in Class D at Sebring this spring and was ranked third nationally in his class last season.

           Bob Shaw of Pleasant Valley, one of 21 Iowans in the field, was ranked tenth nationally in Class F last season with his Alfa-Romeo. Robert E. Lee Hays of Vinita, Okla., fifth at Pensacola, Fla., with professionals this spring, will be present with his A.C. Cobra in Class A.

            Officials hope to start a minimum of 20 cars in each of the four eight-lap races this afternoon. Sunday’s program will be expanded to 15 laps, according to Pete Winberg of Des Moines, race chairman.

            Awards for the two-day meeting, sponsored by the Sports Car Club of America, include trophies for the first three places in each class and category both days, plus an over-all trophy both days for the final modified race.