Remember When by Don Gamble

1968 at Blanket Hill Speedway

Blanket Hill Speedway is located 6 miles East of Kittanning, PA on Route 422. Former driver Missy Gardina is the current promoter at this historic race track. The divisions in competition included Micros, Mod Lites, Flat Track Quads, and Go-Karts.

During the 1960’s Blanket Hill Speedway was one of the most popular ovals in Western Pa. A mid-season change in promoters and several changes in divisions running the Sunday night programs were part of the 1968 season at Blanket Hill.

The 1968 season began with the dropping of the popular Sportsman Coupes which had been raced at Blanket Hill since the tracks beginning in the early 1950’s. Separate divisions were set up for the Late Models and the Claimers to run along with the Super Modifieds. This type of program was run until early July when a disagreement over purses resulted in the dropping of the Super Modifieds from the program and the return of the Sportsman Division.

The Late Model, Sportsman and Claimer type program lasted for only a month until ill health caused promoter Ray Blair to lease the track to Lernerville Speedway promoters Bucky Fleming and Don Martin.  Another change in the divisions was put in effect. This time the Super Modifieds were brought back and the Claimers were dropped.

As a result of the changes in the program, only the Late Model division was able to run a full season of 18 programs. The Super-Modified division ran 14 programs, missing the entire month of July while the Sportsman and Claimers each ran 11 programs. Points continued through the entire season.

In the Late Model division it was Pittsburgh veteran Don Luffy of South Park who took the track championship. Luffy, at the wheel of the Don Crownover 1957 Chevy No. 101, took four features on his way to the track title. Consistency played a big part in Luffy’s title as he was able to place in the top three spots in 12 of the 18 feature events. During the period of May 12th through July 21st Luffy won nine straight features without finishing out of the top three spots. Luffy proved his ability on numerous occasions by starting in the back and working his way through the field.

Bob Wearing of Evans City, in his yellow No. 28 Chevy, was the big feature winner in the Late Model Division. On five different occasions Wearing and his 1962 Chevy took the checkered with the Evans City driver scoring three straight wins.

Defending track champion Frankie Choura of Harmony finished in second place in the 1968 point season taking four features along the way. During the season Choura drove two different cars, his own No. 25 Olds, and the No.49, a 1961 Ford, scoring wins in both cars.

Dave Hoffman picked up his first career Late Model win on August 18^th.  Other single winners during the season included Yip Robinson, Ed Boyer, Dick Swartzlander and Jim Becker.

Final Point Standings, Late Model Division

            1.         101     Don Luffy, South Park, Pa.                        1156

            2.         25        Frankie Choura, Harmony, Pa.     802

            3.         777    Yip Robinson, Prospect, Pa..         695

            4.         26       Dick Swartzlander, Sarver, Pa.      667    

            5.         28        Bob Wearing, Evans City, Pa.       588

            6.         9         Bob Kennedy, Valencia Pa.                      514

            7.         42       Dave Hoffman, Connequnessing           506

            8.         30       Ed Boyer, Indiana, Pa.                   500

            9.         30       Ike Isenberg, Lower Burrell, Pa.    449

            10.       70        Herb Buck, New Brighton, Pa.      421

Ralph Quarterson won the Blanket Hill Championship for the Super Modified Division to complete a sweep of all three tracks at which he ran regularly. Ralph was a weekly competitor at Lernerville, Mercer and Blanket Hill and he took the title at all three tracks.

Lou Blaney, Frank Gorichky and Chuck Engstrom provided Quarterson with his biggest opposition during the season as they each took two feature wins.

Chuck Engstrom of Hubbard, Ohio came up with two victories at Blanket Hill. One of them was the big 50 lap Langhorne Qualifier in August.  Only two other drivers won feature events in the Supers; they were Dick Bailey of Grove City in the Henry Avolio No 28 Ford powered sprinter and Dick Kelm of Clinton driving George Shaffer’s “Circle 2” Offy Sprinter.  In 1964 Gus Linder won the Super Modified race over George Eakins, Larry Dickson, Andy Phillips and Dick Cotterman.

Final Point Standings Super Modified Division

            1.         66        Ralph Quarterson, Sharpsville, Pa.          800

            2.         10        Lou Blaney, Hartford, Ohio                                    724

            3.         27        Buddy Cochran, Sharon, Pa.                    499

            4.         7          Frank Gorichky, W. Middlesex, Pa.           485

            5.         61        Chuck Engstrom, Hubbard Ohio              477

            6.         33        Jerry Matus, Wampum, Pa.                        456

            7,         9          Dale Johnson, Hartford Ohio                    416

            8.         28        Dick Bailey, Grove City, Pa.                       410

            9.         71        Jim Magill, Harmony, Pa.                           374

            10.       16        Jack West, Evans City Pa.                         366

When the Sportsman coupes returned to Blanket Hill in July it was Joe Viglione, Yip Robinson, and Harry Hein who really dominated the division. These, three seasoned veterans of Sportsman competition won seven of the eleven features and finished 1-2-3 in the point standings.

All three of these drivers showed up for the first Sportsman race in July. However Viglione was ruled illegal due to his quick change rear end and dual carburetors. Viglione was not too happy about the decision but made the changes and came back to end up the top feature winner with four victories and the track point championship. Other winners in the short season for the Sportsman Division included: Carl Murdick of Butler, Bob Rice of Evans City, Paul Brown of Renfrew, and Cal Hull of Oil City.

Final Point Standings Sportsman Division

            1.         5         Joe Viglione, Pittsburgh, Pa.         513

            2.         1          Yip Robinson, Prospect, Pa.          457

            3.         90        Harry Hein, Butler, Pa.                    408

            4.         6          Carl Murdick, Butler, Pa.                 352

            S         100     Art McDonald, Cabot Pa                 294

            6.         35        Herb Buck, New Brighton Pa.       260

            7.         44        Bill Thompson, Butler, Pa.             216

            8,         88        Jim Pitkavish, Brackenridge, Pa,  210

            9,         49        Dave Stewart, Butler, Pa.               201

            10.       12        Larry Rearick, Connequnessing   192

Special thanks to Walt Wimer and the archives of Cavalcade of Auto Racing for the information in this story.