By Shawn Brouse
Mechanicsburg – When inaugural Williams Grove National Open champion Gordon Johncock passed away on Monday at the age of 90, a chapter in the annals of oval history was lost, but also revisited.
The 64th annual version of the National Open will take place coming up this Saturday night, October 3 at 7:30, paying $75,000 to the winner.
And before that, on Friday night, round one will be staged as well.
Both nights are sanctioned by the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars.
Saturday’s 64th J & S Classics National Open will be 40 laps in distance.
Back when Johncock performed the feat he motored 100 circuits around the big half-mile.
But what about that young man from Hastings, Michigan, who towed East back in the early 1960’s and thumped the local field plus all the nationals that invaded?
Just how did he do it?
And who else did he battle for the win?
Thanks to the research of Len Sammons and Steve Barrick of Area Auto Racing News and the work performed and posted by website www.midwestracingarchives.com, we present an actual race report of that inaugural Williams Grove Speedway National Open, held on October 20, 1963:
Michigan Pilot Wins National Open At Grove
Mechanicsburg, Penn. (October 20, 1963) – Gordon Johncock, a 28-year-old sawmill operator from Hastings, Mich., dusted off a field of the nation’s best modified and super modified stock car drivers in the first-annual 100-lap National Championship Race at Williams Grove Speedway, Sunday afternoon.
Tooling a 427-cubic inch Chevy, Johncock made the century grind with the 14th fastest qualifying time giving him that position in the 36-car field.
He worked himself through the pack, reaching second spot on the 23rd circuit when the early runner-up, brother Nolan Johncock, also of Hastings, left the event with mechanical trouble.
For the next 10 circuits, Johncock rode on the tail of early pacesetter Dean Mast of Dover, Ohio.
On the 33rd go round, the eventual winner overtook Mast, coming off the fourth turn, going to the outside to do the job.
From that point on it was no contest as Johncock opened up a gap that reached a lap and a half at times.
He turned in a 25.3 second lap on several occasions as he sped down the straightaways and through the corners on the low groove.
Results 1. Gordon Johncock 2. Dick Good 3. Lou Blaney 4. Hank Jacoby 5. Bud Folkenroth 6. Leo Caldwell 7. Gus Linder 8. Jerry Weld 9. Ron Anderson 10.Dick Tobias 11.Johnny Logan 12.Don Gillette 13.Ralph Smith 14.Ray Tilley 15.Larry Cannon.
Johncock’s career was just beginning to roll on that dusty, October Sunday afternoon at Williams Grove back in 1963.
He would go on to win the Indianapolis 500 in 1973 and in 1982 and claim the USAC National Championship Indy Car Series title in 1976, taking the point lead and crown in the very last race of the season.
Others in that Williams Grove field behind Johncock would go on to win the big national race in ensuing years.
Jacoby did it in 1965 followed by Blaney in ’66.
But Johncock was the very first.
A true national treasure that won what has become a true national treasure.
Gordon Johncock and the Williams Grove Speedway National Open, names forever linked for all of history.
Keep up to date on all the latest speedway news and information by visiting the oval’s official website at www.williamsgrove.com or by visiting the oval on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Full credit for the inaugural National Open race report included within this release goes to: www.midwestracingarchives.com.