O’Hare American 500
by Stan Kalwasinski
From 1962 through 1966, O’Hare Stadium presented the O’Hare American 500 late model stock car race. The banked, quarter mile paved speedway, under the direction of promoters, Bill Cherney and Tex Wooten, was located just southwest of the intersection of Mannheim and Irving Park Road in the Chicago suburb of Schiller Park , Ill. , “a stone’s throw” from Chicago ’s O’Hare International Airport. Opening in 1956, O’Hare would be part of the Chicago area racing scene until after the 1968 season was completed as it was torn down to make way for commercial development.
O’Hare’s 500 lapper was the longest race on the Chicagoland short track schedule, surpassing Raceway Park’s annual 300 Lap Classic, which pretty much was a 60-mile or so affair, and Santa Fe Speedway’s annual National Clay Track Championship 200-lap battle, which was probably just under 100 miles on Santa Fe’s “short” half-mile dirt oval. O’Hare’s 500-lap contest was a full 125 miles!
Under the speedway’s own American Racing Organization-sanction, the event was run under the watchful eye of Frank “Ham” Lobaza, who oversaw all of O’Hare’s racing activity. Lobaza was a former driver and car owner, dating back to the old midget racing days of the United Auto Racing Association in the late 1940’s. Not much got by old “Ham.” Veteran area starter Art Kelly controlled the O’Hare racing, lap after lap, and was considered one of the best in the business “flag handlers.” Elmer Steinbeck and Keith Switzer were given the job of keeping track of the timing and scoring of the marathon events with Steinbeck even developing a separate clock/clipboard system for 33 individual scorers.
O’Hare’s first 500-lap battle was scheduled for Saturday night, August 11, 1962. Late model stock cars were the “drawing card” at O’Hare with the likes of Gene Marmor, Bill Lutz, Erik Johnson, Roy Martinelli, Roy Czach, Whitey Gerken, Bob Urban, Terry Parker, Leroy Roberts and Butch Linden among the front-running “stars.” Marmor, Lutz and Czach were former O’Hare late model titlists, along with Fred Lorenzen, who had moved on to the NASCAR ranks to claim his part of racing history. Czach was the defending O’Hare late model champion.
Forty-five cars showed up at O’Hare for the inaugural 500 with the fastest 30 qualifiers set to start the race in a 10-row, three-car each, starting formation. A record $5,000 purse was on the line. Johnson and his familiar Martinelli Brothers-owned 1961 Chevy No. 7 was the evening’s fastest qualifier with a lap of 15.13 seconds.
When the green flag flew for the start of the race, Johnson jumped into the lead from his front row pole starting position. Lutz quickly moved into second from his middle of the second row starting spot. Lutz was behind the wheel of the Mike Terrafino-owned, ’61 Chevy No. 44 that Whitey Gerken usually drove. Within 10 laps, the front running duo were lapping last place starter, Roy Martinelli, who blew the engine during warmups and had made the race as a “post qualifier.” Martinelli’s crew had changed the engine in his ’61 Chevy No. 8. Martinelli would eventually work his way up to third place before his second engine exploded after 217 laps.
As the race progressed, Johnson began to pull away from Lutz. Just past the half-way mark, the rapid-running Johnson put Lutz a lap down. It looked like a runaway victory was in Johnson’s future. Johnson’s luck ran out on lap 276 when he blew a right front tire. Johnson ducked into the pits, which were located outside of O’Hare’s turns one and two. Back on the track, Johnson was now shown four laps behind new leader Lutz.
Johnson was on a mission as he quickly got one lap back from Lutz and then another. Johnson’s run back to the front ended on lap 435 as the right front of Johnson’s No. 7 “hardtop” collapsed. More pit time for Johnson and Lutz was home free, finishing the 500-lap grind with Johnson finishing eight laps behind at the checkered flag. Linden came home third, followed by Neil Houston, Marmor and Urban.
Jim Vandermeir Charlie Meronk, Duane Madsen and Leroy Roberts rounded out the “top 10” in the race, which was covered in just over two and a half hours and was witnessed by more than 10,000 fans.
Clad in a white Autolite Spark Plugs t-shirt, white pants and loafers, Lutz was first greeted by Art Kelly as he emerged from his victory ride. The Lutz/Terrafino team took home over $1,500 with Johnson pocketing $1,323 including $578 in lap prize money. The first O’Hare American 500 was in the record books with the 33-year-old Lutz, a native of Louisville , Ky. , now hailing from Melrose Park , going down in history as the event’s first winner.
The 1963 running of the O’Hare American 500 was scheduled for Saturday night, August 3. William “Whitey” Gerken, from Melrose Park , claimed top honors, joining forces with last year’s winning car owner, Mike Terrafino, and sponsor, Joe Koziol of Grand Car Wash. Gerken’s ride was Terrafino’s ’63 Chevy convertible No. 44, which Gerken had just started driving a few weeks prior. Like Lutz did the year before, the 33-year-old Gerken drove the race non-stop, completing the 125-mile grind in less than two and a half hours—a new O’Hare record!
Johnson, O’Hare’s defending late model kingpin, was the night’s fastest qualifier. Johnson’s winning hopes were given a “punch in the stomach” in the trophy dash when the engine blew up in Johnson’s Roy and Reno Martinelli-owned 1962 Chevy convertible No. 7. Johnson would take over Roy Martinelli’s already-qualified No. 8 with Gene Marmor moving to the “pole position” spot.
Marmor led the first part of the race with Johnson in pursuit. At the 115-lap mark, Johnson took over the lead from Marmor. Several laps later, Marmor pitted and was out of contention for the rest of the night. 50 laps or so later with sparks coming out from underneath Johnson’s mount, Lutz moved by Johnson on lap 162 and began piling up lap prize money.
Lutz continued to set the pace with Gerken getting by Johnson on lap 280 for second place. Lutz’s hopes for two wins in a row were shattered when he pitted on lap 362. Gerken was now the new leader and eventual winner, taking the checkered flag nine laps ahead of second place-running Elmer Musgrave. 10 laps behind Musgrave, Terry Parker finished third. Linden , Eddie Jast, with relief help from Marmor, and Ed Maurer finished in the “top six.” Tony Emralino, Dan Lewand, Rich Davis and Frank Freda completed the “top 10.”
Bill Lutz scored his second career O’Hare American 500 victory in 1964. His August 1st victory was behind the wheel of his Grand Car Wash-sponsored 1963 Chevy convertible No.1. Two major accidents slowed the action, but the race was still completed in a record 2:24:17.88.
Forty-one cars took time trials with the fastest 33 lined up in 11 rows of three for the start of the race. Bill Shoulders had grabbed fast time honors and shot into the lead at the drop of starter Art Kelly’s green flag. Lutz moved by a tiring Shoulders on lap 96. Shoulders later called for relief help from Bob Urban. Urban had not made the starting lineup, blowing the engine in his car during warmups.
Marmor got by Lutz for the lead on lap 240 and at the halfway mark it was Marmor, Lutz, Martinelli and Musgrave running in the “top five.” Marmor and Lutz battled for the lead for some 200 laps and with less than 50 laps to go, Lutz worked his way past Marmor. Martinelli retired from the race after running 460 laps. Lutz and Marmor were the only drivers to complete 500 laps with third place finisher Musgrave finishing three laps down in his ’59 Ford. Rob Chauncey, Leroy Roberts, and the Shoulders/Urban combo rounded out the “top six.” Lewand, Linden , Freda and Davis , with help from Dick Erickson, made up the rest of the “top 10.”
The 39-year-old Martinelli, a resident of Prairie View, turned in an impressive performance during his record-smashing victory in the fourth annual O’Hare American 500 held on August 7, 1965. Martinelli drove his Martinelli Brothers-owned 1964 Chevy convertible No. 7 to the win, besting Roberts and his black and gold Chevy II No. 3 by eight laps. Martinelli and his Dick DeVroog crew chiefed mount led all 500 circuits around the O’Hare paved oval. Earlier in the evening, Martinelli claimed fast time honors and the pole starting spot with a qualifying lap of 14.87 seconds.
Bob Dotter finished third, followed by Johnson in Martinelli’s team car. Lewand, Bob Weyrauch, Jack Biederer, Gene Vandermeir, Tommy Urban and Bob McKay were the rest of the “top 10.” Another new record was established with Martinelli covering distance in 2:16:44.75.
The final O’Hare 500-lap battle was won by Johnson on August 6, 1966. The lanky 29-year-old crane engineer from Highland Park drove his Martinelli Brothers-owned white ’64 Chevy convertible No. 8 to the win ahead of teammate and car owner Martinelli, who was three laps off the pace at the finish.
Martinelli grabbed fast time honors and started on the pole position. Johnson started in fourth place behind Martinelli’s ’64 Chevy No. 7. Johnson chased Martinelli for more than a quarter of the race, finally taking over the top spot on lap 138. The rest of the way was all Johnson with Johnson finishing the race in a record time of 2:16:02.94. Johnson ran the race non-stop. 34 cars started the race with 18 still on the track at the finish.
Finishing behind Johnson and Martinelli were Eddie Jast, Elmer Musgrave, Bob Dotter and Butch Linden. Finishing seventh through 10th were Carl Major, Bob Roper, Bob Weyrauch and Bob McKay.
Johnson collected $1,000 in first prize money in addition to $726 in lap prize money. Johnson also won a $100 Autolite Spark Plugs award, a $150 Benrus wrist watch and a new Buco racing helmet from Bill Von Esser’s speed shop.
Johnson’s win marked the last O’Hare American 500 ever held. A couple of 100 lap features would be the “long distance” events at O’Hare the following year with Johnson winning both of them on his way to his second O’Hare driving title. The big 500 lapper was now history and the track had only a short time left and soon would become part of Chicagoland’s racing history.
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Thanks to the late Bud Booth, O’Hare’s long-time public relations man, for chronicling these events in various racing publications.