1983 Winchester 400
Encyclopedia
Winchester 400
The Winchester 400 is a 400-lap short-track stock car race held each fall at the Winchester Speedway, approximately east of Indianapolis, Indiana. Held annually since 1970, the race has served as a launching point for the careers of several young drivers including former winners Rusty Wallace and...
under American Speed Association
American Speed Association
The American Speed Association is a sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States formed in 1968. The Association was based in Pendleton, Indiana and currently is headquarters in Daytona Beach, Florida. ASA was most famous for a national touring series which began in 1973 but was...
sanction on October 2, 1983, at the Winchester Speedway
Winchester Speedway
Winchester Speedway is a half-mile paved oval motor racetrack in White River Township, Randolph County, just outside Winchester, Indiana, approximately northeast of Indianapolis. It seats 4000 spectators. It is also known as the "World's Fastest 1/2 mile"....
, in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
(USA).
Proving once again to be one of the most dominant drivers in "400" history, Mike Eddy
Mike Eddy
Mike Eddy is a stock car auto racer. He is most notable for racing in the now defunct American Speed Association . He was a seven time ASA National Champion, which is the most in ASA history. During his run in ASA Eddy drove the number 88 car.-ASA:Eddy won his 7 championships in 1974, 1976,...
collected his second win in the 1983 running of the fall classic. After, once again, dominating most of the day, Eddy overcame some late pit strategy to score the win. Wisconsin’s Dick Trickle
Dick Trickle
Richard "Dick" Trickle is a retired American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way. Trickle has competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All Pro, IMCA, NASCAR, and USAC.In more than an estimated 2,200 races, Trickle has logged...
started from the pole, but it was Bob Strait shooting into the lead at the drop of the green. Starting third, Eddy quickly worked to the front and took over the lead on lap 14. The first round of pit stops came on lap 96, when the caution waved for a spin by Dennis Vogel. Under caution, Trickle would assume the lead for one lap before giving way to Alan Kulwicki
Alan Kulwicki
Alan Dennis Kulwicki , nicknamed "Special K" and the "Polish Prince", was an American NASCAR Winston Cup Series racecar driver. He started racing at local short tracks in Wisconsin before moving up to regional stock car touring series...
. Strait went back to the lead on lap 114, but began to suffer tire problems as Eddy reassumed the lap on lap 133.
The eventual-winner got a big scare on lap 183. Attempting to lap the now ill-handling car of Kulwicki, Eddy and he made contact sending Kulwicki hard into the outside wall. Eddy lost the lead as he pitted to repair some minor damage, but was able to charge back through the field, passing Harold Fair for the lead on lap 200.
As usual, the demanding Winchester highbanks proved to be hard on equipment. Defending race winner Rusty Wallace
Rusty Wallace
Russell William Wallace, Jr. is a past NASCAR Winston Cup Champion, currently a broadcaster on ESPN, car owner in the Nationwide Series, and a co-host of NASCAR Angels.-Early racing career:...
lost three laps with a flat tire. Five-time winner Bob Senneker suffered rear end problems and would later crash out of the event on lap 252. Mark Martin dropped out with ignition trouble, but returned to the race as a relief-driver for Bob Sensiba in the middle stages of the race. After leading for a brief stint, Strait retired with overheating problems.
Back behind the wheel, Sensiba spun on lap 375 to bring out the final caution of the race. Under the yellow, Eddy gave up the lead to pit for fresh tires while runner-up Butch Miller
Butch Miller (racing driver)
Butch Miller is a racecar driver. He drives the #07 Toyota Tundra part time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on a limited basis, and is also a crew chief for SS-Green Light Racing. He is a multiple champion in the now-defunct American Speed Association stock car series...
decided to gamble and try to hold off the field on older tires. The gamble failed as Eddy stormed by for the lead on lap 387 and pulled away for his second win in the past three years. Miller came home second followed by Jim Sauter
Jim Sauter (NASCAR)
Jim Sauter is a former NASCAR race car driver from Necedah, Wisconsin.-Racing career:Sauter started racing in 1964 in a modified at Raceway Park in Savage, Minnesota. He moved up to late models the following year. Sauter moved to Wisconsin, and his career took off after he won the North Star 500...
, 1980 winner Terry Senneker, and Tom Jones. Eddy collected $10,800 for his day’s work.
Table of results
| Results of the 14th Annual Silver Creek Winchester 400 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Start | Car # | Driver/Hometown | Sponsor/Make | Laps | Winnings (in US$ United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... ) |
Status | |
| 1 | 3 | 88 | Mike Eddy Mike Eddy Mike Eddy is a stock car auto racer. He is most notable for racing in the now defunct American Speed Association . He was a seven time ASA National Champion, which is the most in ASA history. During his run in ASA Eddy drove the number 88 car.-ASA:Eddy won his 7 championships in 1974, 1976,... / Midland, MI |
Howe/Baker/CAM2 / Pontiac | 400 | $10,800 | running | |
| 2 | 11 | 52 | Butch Miller Butch Miller (racing driver) Butch Miller is a racecar driver. He drives the #07 Toyota Tundra part time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on a limited basis, and is also a crew chief for SS-Green Light Racing. He is a multiple champion in the now-defunct American Speed Association stock car series... / Lawton, MI |
Lane Automotive/Prototype / Chevrolet | 400 | $6,100 | running | |
| 3 | 6 | 97 | Jim Sauter Jim Sauter (NASCAR) Jim Sauter is a former NASCAR race car driver from Necedah, Wisconsin.-Racing career:Sauter started racing in 1964 in a modified at Raceway Park in Savage, Minnesota. He moved up to late models the following year. Sauter moved to Wisconsin, and his career took off after he won the North Star 500... / Necedah, WI |
Howe/Prototype/LSJ / Pontiac | 398 | $3,485 | running | |
| 4 | 6 | 40 | Terry Senneker / Wayland, MI | Oliver Racing Parts / Pontiac | 393 | $2,785 | running | |
| 5 | 25 | 0 | Tom Jones / Northbrook, IL | Left-hander Chassis/Prototype / Chevrolet | 384 | $2,400 | running | |
| 6 | 2 | 1 | Bob Strait / Flossmoor, IL | Hanley Ent./Prototype Engineering / Chevrolet | 379 | $2,350 | running | |
| 7 | 18 | 32 | Tim Fontana / Valley View, OH | Phillips/Galavan Engraving / Pontiac | 376 | $1,800 | running | |
| 8 | 26 | 90 | Kent Stauffer / Elyria, OH | Stauffer Racing Ent. / Pontiac | 340 | $1,785 | accident | |
| 9 | 14 | 48 | Bob Sensiba / Middleville, MIMark Martin Mark Martin Mark Martin may refer to:* Mark Martin , American racecar driver* Mark Martin , American cartoonist* Mark Martin , American judge* Mark Martin , British murderer... / Charlotte, NC |
Golden Eng./Auto Care Express / Chevrolet | 365 | $1,200 | accident | |
| 10 | 12 | 66 | Rusty Wallace Rusty Wallace Russell William Wallace, Jr. is a past NASCAR Winston Cup Champion, currently a broadcaster on ESPN, car owner in the Nationwide Series, and a co-host of NASCAR Angels.-Early racing career:... / Valley Park, MO |
Alugard/Child’s Tire/Southland / Chevrolet | 363 | $1,900 | running | |
| 11 | 19 | 4 | Don Collins / Lake Villa, IL | Dairy Queen / Chevrolet | 349 | $1,300 | running | |
| 12 | 29 | 12 | Terry Cater / New Castle, IN | Howard Auto/Chew’s Corvettes / Chevrolet | 348 | $900 | running | |
| 13 | 21 | 24 | Dave Jensen / Independence, MO | DeMarco Ent./Jensen Racing / Pontiac | 221 | $800 | overheating | |
| 14 | 31 | 9 | Dennis Lampman / Oak Creek, WI | Barricade Flasher Service / Pontiac | 337 | $1,050 | running | |
| 15 | 5 | 79 | Bobby Dotter Bobby Dotter Bobby Dotter is a racing car driver from Chicago, Illinois. His father, Bob Dotter, is a three-time champion the Auto Racing Club of America. Dotter has made 209 starts in the NASCAR Busch Series, posting 42 top-tens and four poles. In 2000, Dotter began running in the NASCAR West Series for Gene... / Chicago, IL |
Hill Ent./Prototype Eng. / Pontiac | 335 | $1,400 | running | |
| 16 | 10 | 80 | Alan Kulwicki Alan Kulwicki Alan Dennis Kulwicki , nicknamed "Special K" and the "Polish Prince", was an American NASCAR Winston Cup Series racecar driver. He started racing at local short tracks in Wisconsin before moving up to regional stock car touring series... / Milwaukee, WI |
Roulo Brothers / Chevrolet | 334 | $1,535 | suspension | |
| 17 | 22 | 33 | Ken Harrison / Indianapolis, IN | A-1 Auto Service / Pontiac | 321 | $900 | running | |
| 18 | 1 | 99 | Dick Trickle Dick Trickle Richard "Dick" Trickle is a retired American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way. Trickle has competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All Pro, IMCA, NASCAR, and USAC.In more than an estimated 2,200 races, Trickle has logged... / Wisconsin Rapids, WI |
Pabst/Prototype Eng. / Chevrolet | 299 | $1,600 | overheating | |
| 19 | 30 | 39 | Don Moon / Portland, MI | M & M Racing / Chevrolet | 276 | $700 | spindle | |
| 20 | 22 | 27 | J. Michael Kurkowski / Perry, OH | MAC Tools / Chevrolet | 257 | $750 | head gasket | |
| 21 | 7 | 84 | Bob Senneker / Dorr, MI | Elk Ent./Prototype Engineering / Chevrolet | 252 | $1,310 | accident | |
| 22 | 4 | 81 | Harold Fair / Livonia, MI | Hanley Ent./Prototype Engineering / Chevrolet | 243 | $1,220 | overheating | |
| 23 | 33 | 22 | Jack Moore / Fort Wayne, IN | Fiberglass Fabrification / Chevrolet | 230 | $415 | engine | |
| 24 | 28 | 71 | John Wilson / Springfield, OH | Springfield Diesel / Chevrolet | 214 | $710 | running | |
| 25 | 20 | 01 | Scott Stovall / Fort Wayne, IN | R.W. Kain/Leinard Chevrolet / Chevrolet | 210 | $405 | suspension | |
| 26 | 13 | 35 | Buddy Schrock / Plain City, OH | White Castle Systems / Chevrolet | 153 | $900 | oil line | |
| 27 | 17 | 51 | Dennis Vogel / Manitowoc, WI | RanderCar/Zima Eng. / Pontiac | 93 | $800 | accident | |
| 28 | 9 | 2 | Mark Martin / Charlotte, NC | G & G Trucking Co. / Pontiac | 70 | $985 | ignition | |
| 29 | 24 | 23 | Larry Cope / Leroy, IN | Hacksaw Racing / Pontiac | 37 | $375 | running | |
| 30 | 16 | 30 | Mickey Flora / Anderson, IN | Car Brite / Ford | 20 | $575 | engine | |
| 31 | 27 | 7 | Don Gregory / Columbus, OH | A-1 Auto/Jeg’s / Pontiac | 11 | $875 | steering | |
Race statistics
- Average Speed: 75.234 mi/h
- Margin of Victory: N/A
- Time of Race: Two hours, 39 minutes and 30.14 seconds
- Lead Changes: 12 among 6 drivers
- Lap Leaders: Bob Strait 1-13; Mike Eddy 14-97; Dick Trickle 98; Alan Kulwicki 99-114; Strait 115-132; Eddy 133-184; Harold Fair 185-199; Eddy 200-285; Butch Miller 286-325; Eddy 326-377; Miller 378-387; Eddy 388-400.
- Cautions: 12 for 86 laps
- Entries: 35 Qualifiers: 33