Gene Hector

The last pair was Gene Hector’s ‘63 Corvette and Tim Cruse’s ‘54 Studebaker. Both had identical late lights of .151 and trouble getting down the track with the Studebaker sliding its right rear quarter-panel into the wall before the finish line. Hector was far enough ahead to turn on the win light.

Steve Wiley (near lane) got the win over Frankie Taylor in the semifinal.

With the midnight curfew quickly approaching after a time trial turbo engine failure clean up, Smith’s “Hellfish” laid down a 3.94 when Hector’s Corvette could not make the call and Wiley’s Corvette got the win over Mad Man when he had oil appear on his windshield and shut off. Smith and Wiley were immediately called back for the finals but even that was delayed slightly when one of the contenders in a grudge race hit the wall at the top end.

With only a few minutes to spare before the curfew Smith and Wiley rolled into the lanes, the call was made to fire the engines but Wiley’s engine would not cooperate handing Gaylen Smith the win when he made a 3.99 single pass.