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JUNE 2

1920
Don Branson ... Born ... He drove in the USAC Championship Car series and also in sprint cars, racing champ cars in the 1956-1966 seasons with 129 starts, including the 1959-1966 Indianapolis 500 races. He finished in the top ten 85 times, with 7 victories. Branson died at Ascot Park in Gardena, CA in a November, 1966 crash which also claimed Dick Atkins. There are those who believe a heart attack may have been responsible for the crash which claimed both Branson and Dick Atkins that day. Branson was going to retire after the 1966 season and had accepted an appointment to join Goodyear as Field Manager for USAC Champ racing and was due to start on January 1st 1967. He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1994.
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1926
Gig Stephens ... Born ... ARDC & NEMA Midget driver and USAC driver from the mid 1950's to the early 1970's.
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1929
Wilbur Shaw won the AAA Cleveland 100 at the 1/2 Mile Dirt Oval Randall Park Raceway, N. Randall, Ohio
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1946
Ted Horn won the AAA 25 lap race over Walt Ader, Bill Holland, Red Byron and Tommy Hinnershitz on the 1 Mile Dirt Oval Lakewood Speedway, Atlanta, Georgia
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1951
Joe Garson won the AAA Midget race at the Toledo Raceway Park, Toledo,OH
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1954
Steve Kinser ... Born ... 20 time World of Outlaws Champion. Steve failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 as a 28 year old rookie in 1981 when his month was ended by a practice crash. He returned 16 years later in 1997 and qualified 20th and finished 14th as a 42 year old rookie in a Dallara-Oldsmobile. It was his only Indy Racing League start. Kinser has been selected several times to compete in the International Race of Champions, winning a race at Talladega Superspeedway in 1994. He also finished a career best 6th in IROC points in 1994. He began the 1995 season as a full-time NASCAR Winston Cup driver for Kenny Bernstein, but he was released after only five starts after a best finish of 27th and average finish of 35th. His family is also involved in racing, as his cousin Mark Kinser, is one of his competitors on the World of Outlaws circuit, and his son Kraig Kinser is a member of Ginn Racing's driver development program. Kraig has also won the 2005 Knoxville Nationals. He has two other children, Stevie and Kurt. His nephew Sheldon Kinser competed in the CART series and raced in the Indianapolis 500 6 times. Steve is the son of Bob Kinser. Steve's distant cousin Karl Kinser was Steve's car owner 1978 to 1994. Karl has been the winning car owner and mechanic for 16 World of Outlaws championships and 12 Knoxville Nationals wins. Karl was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame.
Vic Carter won the AAA Midget race at the Cincinnati Race Bowl, Cincinnati,OH
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1956
Junior Johnson, future stockcar great, and his father are arrested for making moonshine whiskey.
Jack Turner won the USAC Midget race at the Sportsdrome Speedway, Jeffersonville,IN
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1957
Johnny Thomson won the USAC Championship Dirt Car race over Eddie Sachs, Art Bisch, Ed Elisian and George Amick at the Langhorne Speedway , Langhorne, PA
Jimmy Knight won the USAC Midget race at the Raceway Park Speedway, Toledo, OH.
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1960
Kyle Petty ... Born ... NASCAR Winston Cup driver. Kyle is the son and grandson of racing legends Richard Petty and Lee Petty, respectively.
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1962
Bob Tattersall won the 40 lap USAC Midget race at the Rockford Speedway, Rockford, IL.
Bobby Hersh won the Super Modified race at the Lincoln Speedway, Hanover, PA.
Jackie McLaughlin won the Modified Stock Car race at the Flemington Fairgrounds Speedway, in Flemington NJ. Al Tasnady was second followed by Bob Malzahn, Bud Olsen, and Bobby Pickell .
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1963
Allen Crowe ... Died ... He drove in the USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1961-1963 seasons with 15 starts, including the 1962 and 1963 Indianapolis 500 races. He finished in the top ten 6 times, with his best finish in 5th position in 1962 at Syracuse. Crowe died in New Bremen, Ohio from injuries sustained in a sprint car race at New Bremen Speedway .
Roger McCluskey won the USAC Sprint Car race at the New Bremen Speedway , New Bremen, OH. Chuck Hulse was second followed by Don Branson, Bob Mathouser and Jim Hurtubise.
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1968
Larry Dickson won the USAC Sprint Car race over Bob Pratt, Wib Spaulding, Rollie Beale and Sonny Ates at the Dayton Speedway,Dayton, OH.
George Farmer won the CRA Sprint Car race over Dick Zimmerman, Bobby Hogle, Jimmy Oskie and Billy Wilkerson at the Cajon Speedway, San Diego,CA
Bob Tattersall won the USAC Midget race over Chuck Arnold, Mike McGreevy and John Batts at the Louisville Fairgrounds, Louisville, KY.
Lynn Paxton won the Super Sprint Car race at the Susquehanna Speedway, Newberrytown, PA.
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1970
Bruce McLaren was killed testing his new Can Am entry, the M8D when he lost control and collided with an earthen embankment at the Goodwood race track in England.
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1973
Tom Maier won the Gulf-Pa 150 lap Late Model race at the half mile paved Heidelberg Raceway, Heidelberg, PA. ( Click here for the race report. )
Jim Shampine won the Supermodified race at the Oswego Speedway, Oswego, NY. ( Click here for the race report. )
Bobby Bottcher won the Modified Stock Car race at the Orange County Fair Speedway, Middletown, NY. ( Click here for the race report. )
Larry Taylor won the Modified Stock Car race at the Bridgeport Speedway, Bridgeport, NJ. ( Click here for the race report. )
Les Alberti won the Modified Stock Car race at the Lebanon Valley Speedway, West Lebanon, NY. ( Click here for the race report. )
Roger Treichler won the 100 lap Pocono Qualifier Modified Stock Car race at the Lancaster National Speedway, Lancaster , NY. ( Click here for the race report. )
Gerry Chamberlain and Red Coffin each won the 35 lap Modified Stock Car feature races at the Reading Fairgrounds, Reading , PA. ( Click here for the race report. )
Lou Blaney won the Sprint Car race and Turk Burkett won the Late Model Stock Car race at the Jennerstown Speedway, Jennerstown , PA. ( Click here for the race report. )
Billy Osmun won the Modified Stock Car race at the Flemington Fairgrounds, Flemington , NJ. ( Click here for the race report. )
Bob Schultz won the Modified Stock Car race at the Wall Stadium, Belmar , NJ. ( Click here for the race report. )
Jan Opperman won the Super Sprint Car race at the Selinsgrove Speedway, Selinsgrove , PA. ( Click here for the race report. )
Tony Romit won the ATQMRA Midget race at the New Egypt Speedway, New Egypt , NJ. ( Click here for the race report. )
Johnny Grum won the Super Sprint Car race at the Port Royal Speedway, Port Royal , PA. ( Click here for the race report. )
Dave Kneisel won both of the 35 lap Modified-Sportsman races at the 5 Mile Point Speedway, Kirkwood, NY. ( Click here for the race report. )
Jimmy Oskie won the 30 lap CRA Sprint Car race at the Ascot Park Speedway, Gardena, CA. ( Click here for the race report. )
Ken Shoemaker won the 35 lap Modified Stock Car race at the Fonda Speedway, Fonda, NY. ( Click here for the race report. )
Ron Bouchard won the 100 lap NASCAR National Championship Memorial Day Classic Stock Car race at the Stafford Springs Motor Speedway, Stafford Springs, CT. ( Click here for the race report. )
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1974
Rollie Beale won the 40 lap USAC Sprint Car race at the Winchester Speedway, Winchester,IN. Gary Ponzini finished second followed by Pancho Carter, Steve Chassey and Jerry Nemire.
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1979
Bubby Jones won the 40 lap USAC Sprint Car race at the Eldora Speedway,Rossburg,OH. Larry Rice finished second followed by Pancho Carter, Bob East and Paul Pitzer.
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1985
Mario Andretti won the 200 Mile Dana Rex Mays Classic race over Tom Sneva, Rick Mears, Danny Sullivan and Pancho Carter on the 1 Mile Paved Oval Milwaukee Mile, West Allis, Wisconsin
Terry Labonte wins the Budweiser 400 over Harry Gant at the Riverside International Raceway , Riverside, CA.
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1991
Ken Schrader wins the Budweiser 500 over Dale Earnhardt at the Dover International Speedway , Dover, DE.
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1996
Jeff Gordon wins the Miller 500 over Terry Labonte at the Dover International Speedway , Dover, DE.
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2002
Jimmie Johnson wins the MBNA Platinum 400 over Bill Elliott at the Dover International Speedway , Dover, DE.
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