For starters, the crowd was great. Estimated at over 4,000 people, that was a pretty incredible number for a race that was held on a Tuesday night. The car count wasn't bad either. There was 31 Late Models on hand for qualifying and that number would have been 32 if Stash Kullman wouldn't have blown a motor earlier in the season and missed the show. It was a pretty even mix of cars which (by my count) had roughly 15 Raceway Park "regulars" and the rest traveling ARTGO Stars. That number may be open to debate. I mean we had guys there like Larry Schuler that won the Raceway Season Opener 100 at the beginning of the 1981 season but he was more of a ARTGO regular in 1981 then he was a Raceway guy. Tom Jones and Jim Weber were also in that opening day field but like Schuler, they ran more ARTGO shows then they did at Raceway Park. It was the same with Ray Young. Young had been a former Raceway champion but he hadn't run more then a handful of events at the track in the last 5-6 years.
Fast Time: Mark Martin (11.739) New Track Record
Race #1: Jim Sauter, Burt Weitemeyer, Dick Trickle, Frank Gawlinski, Woody Church, Pat Echlin, Ray Young, Mark Martin, Wayne Kullman, Leo Mens, Dave Weltmeyer, Jerry Kemperman, Larry Schuler, Larry Middleton, James Bond, Tom Jones, Bob Weltmeyer, Joe Shear, Larry Detjens, Tom Reffner.
Race #2: Mark Martin, Larry Schuler, Tom Jones, Frank Gawlinski, Burt Weitemeyer, Dick Trickle, Pat Echlin, Joe Shear, Woody Church, Wayne Kullman, Ray Young, Jim Sauter, Dave Weltmeyer, James Bond, Larry Middleton, Leo Mens, Bob Weltmeyer, Larry Detjens, Jim Weber, Tom Reffner.
Preliminary Winners: Larry Middleton, Tom Reffner, Jim Weber
Failed To Advance: Woody Pool, Denny James, Terry Laxton, Greg Guzzo, Steve Burgess, Steve Moll, Don Marmor, Mike Opperman, Ed Schubert, Billy Kuhn
Over-All Finish: (Based on Money Won)
Mark Martin, Jim Sauter, Larry Schuler, Burt Weitemeyer, Frank Gawlinski
Over-All Finish (If Raceway Point Structure Was Used)
Burt Weitemeyer, Frank Gawlinski, Mark Martin, Dick Trickle, Pat Echlin
Hobby Stock Feature - Don McMaken, Dennis Ponton, Ron Varner, Mike Rogers, John Nutley
ARTGO Field: 31 Late Models
Estimated Attendance: 4,026
Start: 7:40 P.M.
Done: 10:42 P.M.
Purse Paid: $12,940.00
Winner's Share: $1,550.00
Fast Time: $500.00