The Vault
SLINGER’S LAST DIRT RACE SEPTEMBER 9, 1973
Posted on: Monday July 11, 2022
For this edition of the “The Vault” we go back in the time machine to September, 1973. It was an and of an era at Slinger Speedway as the final dirt track race was held before the track was converted to the World’s fastest quarter-mile, paved oval.
Check it out below!
AN ERA ENDS AS SLINGER RUNS LAST SHOW ON CLAY
By Mark Theisen and Phil Hall (reprinted from the Midwest Racing News September 13, 1973)
Slinger, Wis., Sept. 9 – After a week’s delay due to a rainout, the final program of the season and the final one on clay was held Sunday night at the Slinger Speedway. After 26 years as a clay track, the short, quarter will be converted to a full quarter-mile banked, paved oval next season.
There were many highlights during the long evening of racing, which didn’t end until 12:35 a.m.
Among them were:
- Bill Goeden of Kewaskum, winning the 100-lap Wisconsin State Championship modified feature and thereby clinching the Milwaukee Stock Car Racing Association championship, his first after 14 years of trying.
- Aaron Solsrud of Menomonee Falls, winning his second consecutive track modified championship.
- Eight-time area modified champion Miles “The Mouse” Melius racing for the first time since his retirement in 1967.
- Ron Howden of Milwaukee winning the track sportsmen championship for the first time and helping keep his area point lead by winning the 50-lap Wisconsin State Championship sportsmen feature.
Although Solsrud had the track title wrapped up before the start of the 100 lapper, Goeden was on less sold ground. He only had a 42-point margin over Solsrud in the area standings, with a maximum of 85 points going to the winner of the event.
In the past two seasons, Goeden lost the title on the last night, so he was anything but confident.
Starting in the third row of the 100-lap modified event, Goeden had a better chance to take an early lead than Solsrud, who turned second-fast time and started at the back of the pack.
Fiscus Leads
Jim Fiscus of Madison took an early lead and Goeden moved into second on the ninth lap. After 10 laps of close competition, Goeden forged to the front on lap 19 and was never headed in the non-stop race. He shattered the old mark set in 1967 by Fuzzy Fassbender of Rubicon.
Billy Johnson Jr. of Slinger started in the sixth row and caught Fiscus on the 48th lap to take over second. By then Goeden had better than a third-lap margin to his credit. In traffic, Johnson closed the gap to less than a quarter-lap, but once in the open, Goeden stretched the difference back to a third.
Solsrud caught the fading Fiscus on lap 51, but with most of the bite long gone from the track, Solsrud stayed a respectable distance behind Johnson.
Don Diener of West Bend drove Etchie Biertzer’s mount to fourth and was the last car not lapped by the high-flying Goeden.
Fast qualifier Mike Melius of Batavia took fifth. Goeden ended with a 67-point margin over Solsrud in the area tally, while Solsrud’s lead in the track standings was 85 points.
Surprise Starter
The last events for modifieds on the track were a pair of eight-lap modified races for mechanics. A surprise starter in the first event was Miles Melius, who drove his cousin Mike’s car.
Drawing a front-row starting spot, “The Mouse” easily won the event, lapping all but the second place car. Though the competition was by no means tough, Melius put a few moves on the boys that demonstrated that he still remembered a few tricks from a driving career that has yet to be equalled in the state.
When he picked up the victory flag, the crowd gave him a thunderous ovation. He happily took his slow victory lap around the track for the last time.
Tom Marley drove Bob Robel’s modified to victory in the second mechanic’s race. Howden and defending track and area sportsmen champion Mike Klecker of Watertown were engaged in a tight battle for the track crown going into the show. Klecker tightened things up by setting fast time and taking a second in his heat.
With only a 40-point lead, Howden knew he had to win the 50-lap main and did just that, taking a late lead from Jeff Mueller of Milwaukee. Early leader Gene Norenberg of Beaver Dam took third followed by El Lundberg of Pewaukee and Klecker. Howden finished with a 195-point lead. The finish was a sweep of the top five positions by 1957 Chevrolets.
Adding another laurel to the 1957 Chevy wreath, Ray Dobbs of Oconomowoc won the fifth sportsmen heat in record time, besting a three-year-old mark that was tied in the first heat by Ev Fitch of West Milwaukee.
The modified semi-feature was the scene of the most serious accident of the night. An eight-car tangle on the front straight took crews several minutes to pry apart and sent five of those involved back to the pits for the night. There were no injuries. Dick Duston of Greenfield went on to win the event by a quarter-lap ahead of heat winner Dick St. John of Milwaukee.
Amateur event racing completed the extra long card. Mae Mueller of Waukesha drover her 1957 Chevy to another win in the powder puff race making victories in all but two races during the season.
SUMMARY
MODIFIEDS
100 LAP FEATURE – Bill Goeden, Kewaskum; Bill Johnson Jr., Slinger; Aaron Solsrud, Menomonee Falls; Don Diener, West Bend; Mike Melius, Batavia; Jim Fiscus, Madison
20-LAP SEMI-FEATURE – Dick Duston, Greenfield; Dick St. John, Milwaukee; Wally Jors, Fond Du Lac; Bill Johnson III, Slinger
12-LAP HEATS 1ST) St. John; Dale Wilkel, West Allis 2nd) Ralph Stern, Kewaskum; Butch Buslaff, Campbellsport 3rd) Fiscus; Diener 4th) Gene Erdmann, Hartland; Melius
Fastest Qualifier – Melius 60.61 m.p.h.
SPORTSMEN
50-LAP FEATURE – Ron Howden, Milwaukee; Jeff Mueller, Milwaukee; Gene Norenberg, Beaver Dam; El Lundberg, Pewaukee; Mike Klecker, Watertown
10-LAP HEATS 1ST) Ev Fitch, West Milwaukee; Dave Grosse, Menomonee Falls 2nd) Mark Infalt Jr., Hartford; Joe LeClaire, Milwaukee 3rd) Steve Bergdorf, West Bend; George Forge, Hartford 4th) Ray Dobbs, Oconomowoc; Jere Nicholas, Greendale
Fastest Qualifier – Klecker, 53.34 m.p.h.
Attendance – 3,115 Purse – $2,750