9/9/1951
CHAMPIONSHIP RACE AT
WELLSVILLE RACEWAY
SATURDAY NIGHT
With their eye on an expected large purse and Trophy which will go to the winner of the Mid-summer Championship Race, area stock car drivers will converge on the Wellsville Raceway on Saturday night of this week.
A full program of qualifying heats, and semi-finals is scheduled in addition to the Championship Race and competition is expected to be the keenest of the year as the drivers will all be riding intent on at least getting into the feature race.
Dean Sprague, who has shown his heels to the entrants at Wellsville nearly every time he has taken his car on the track, is rated the favorite for the Championship, but may not be able to compete after having damaged both of his Ford cars last week. Whether he will have either of them ready to go this week is problematical.
Dutch Hoag, Naples, a newcomer to the Wellsville Oval last week, gave notice that he was a contender for the Championship as he roared to two first places, one in the qualifying heats and in the feature, and was awarded a first place in the semi-final when Gus Nelson, Bradford, who finished in first place, was set back to second for passing a car on the yellow caution flag.
Dean Layfield, who is leading all drivers in points standings, will also be a serious contender for the Championship, and will be out to make it two in a row, having won the 50-lap Championship race last fall.
Gus Nelson, Bradford, in his Red Coupe, equaled the eight-lap record of 4:30 held jointly by George Egbert, Scio and Sprague, and then knocked 22 seconds off the 10 lap record set by Loren Doan, Knoxville.
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8/23/1951
Championship
Race Won By
Naples Driver
Dutch Hoag, Naples mechanic, driving for only the second time on the Wellsville Raceway last Saturday night walked away with $140 in prize money and a trophy as winner of the mid-season championship race, which covered 40 laps.
This Saturday a special evening of races is planned and officials have announced that the Scio Firemen's Band, one of the most out-standing musical organizations in the area and a group which has won countless prizes, will be on hand to compete in the band contest.
It is also revealed that track officials will pick the four fastest cars with drivers competing against time for a special award. Real speed is expected in this event with drivers not confronted with the necessity of watching for other cars on the track.
Directors of the Raceway, in hopes of presenting as much as possible in the way of entertainment have also announced that a horse pulling contest would be staged if a sufficient number of teamsters were available in the area. Men owning teams who would be interested in a contest are asked to drop a card to Mr. Herold Ford; at Ford & Peckham, Andover.
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8/30/1951
Saturday Night
And Labor Day
Races at Wellsville
Officials of the Wellsville Raceway have announced that a Spectacular weekend in stock car races is slated for the fast Wellsville track, featuring both regular stock and semi-modified cars.
A regular full program of six races will be held Saturday night and the promoters have guaranteed a $1000.00 purse for Monday, Labor Day afternoon. Such outstanding drivers as Gus Nelson of Bradford, Pa., Loren Dean, Knoxville, Pa., George Egbert, Scio, Dean and Herb Layfield, Wellsville and Curley Hatfield, Elmira will be on hand plus many other drivers who will be hoping for a portion of the $1000.00 prize money.
One of the best feature races this year was witnessed last Saturday night when Dean in a strictly stock Hudson was edged out by Nelson driving a modified Ford. Under the classified style of racing, strictly stock cars compete against each other, as do modified cars in all races except the feature. In the feature race the modified cars are started approximately 3/10 of a mile behind their slower rivals. This means that the modified cars must make up the extra distance and then work their way through a field of as many as 20 regular stocks. This makes for added excitement to spectators and a much fairer race for all the drivers.
The other five races were equally thrilling, with new track records set for eight and twelve laps. George Egbert averaged 58 mph in an eight lap heat and Gus Nelson negotiated the twelve lap-semi-finals in 6:42 seconds. The eight lap record was formerly held jointly by Egbert, Sprague and Nelson and the 12 lap record was held by Dean.
Curley Hatfield, whose fiancé has promised to marry him, but not until he wins a feature race, came from deep in the pack but couldn’t do better than fourth place.
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9/6/1951
Nelson Features
Week-end Race
Gus Nelson of Bradford proved to area stock car fans at the Wellsville Raceway over the weekend that he not only had a lot of soup under the hood but also that he knew how to run it as he drove to first places in the feature races both Saturday and Monday; received the checkered flag in four other events and was second in the only other two races in which he was entered.
His superb driving netted him a total of 23 points for the two days and pushed him well into the lead among drivers on the track.
Nelson pushed George Egbert of Scio to a new track record of 5:30 for 10 laps Saturday night, eclipsing the old record held jointly by Nelson and Dutch Hoag of Naples. Not to be over-shadowed, Nelson came back in the 12-lap semi-final and hung up a new record of 6:42 and Monday chopped an even 12 seconds from this, lowering the record for the distance to 6:30.
Nelson also knocked three seconds off the track record in the feature event as he clocked at 11:12. The former record of 11:15 was set by the late Dean Sprague on July 14.
Doan came in for his share of the glory and incidentally the prize money, as he drove his yellow and black stock to first place in the first heat and first semi-final and staged a battle with Nelson in the feature.
Another full program of racing is planned at Wellsville and as an added attraction the Rushford Community Band, winner of many awards in marching competition will be present to perform prior to and during the racing program.
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9/13/1951
Hoag, Nelson, Doan
Feature at Raceway
Spectators looking for thrills, really found plenty of them at the Wellsville Raceway, Saturday night when Dutch Hoag of Naples; Loren Doan of Knoxville and Gus Nelson of Bradford staged what was probably the most outstanding races of the season.
Hoag, who returned to the Wellsville track after a lay off of several weeks following the sale of the car which he drove to the Mid-season Championship, apparently has another modified equally as good as the first. He drove to first place in all three races in which he was entered.
Doan, still driving his strictly stock car, finished first in his heat, was second to Dean Layfield in the semi and third in the feature. This Saturday night in addition to the regular card of six races it was planned to have Doan, Hoag and Nelson race against the clock in an effort to determine which car is the fastest when not hampered by a congested track.
The Rushford Band was on hand Saturday night to compete in the area band contest being held in connection with the Saturday night races. Efforts are being made to secure another group for this week and if successful this will mark the conclusion of the contest. Bands which have competed are, The Canaseraga Central School Band, Scio Firemen's Band, Tioga County Grange Band, and the Rushford Band. Supporters of these groups are urged to send their votes to Robert Wilson in Whitesville, as soon as possible in order that the finals may be arranged. The ultimate winner of the contest will receive a $100 prize.
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