DOTTER PASSES Cancer has claimed the life of Bob Dotter, three-time Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) National Stock Car Champion. Dotter, 64, passed away on Monday, September 1.
A product of Chicago area short track racing, Dotter, who began driving in 1963 at the old O'Hare Stadium in Schiller Park, raced with only one hand, the result of a 1962 industrial accident, which cost him his left hand. With a steel hook replacing his missing hand, Dotter raced successfully on both the local and national stock car racing scenes.
Dotter won his ARCA championships in 1980, 1983 and 1984, driving for three different car owners. For 13 straight seasons, Dotter was ranked in the "top 10" of ARCA's final point standings, spanning 1980 through 1992. After his driving career was over, Dotter crew chiefed Andy Hillenburg to the 1995 ARCA title.
Dotter is survived by his wife, Lynda, and his two sons, Bobby and David. Bobby Dotter enjoyed success on the local racing scene, before moving on to American Speed Association competition and later NASCAR Busch Grand National and Craftsman Truck Series racing. Bobby Dotter currently manages a NASCAR truck team. David Dotter, who also raced on Chicago area short track for a few seasons in addition to Mid American Stock Car Series action, has built and crewed various stock cars over the years. David Dotter is currently a member of Lisa Thomas Salon team, which Eddie Hoffman drives for.
ROWE A STAR Turner Maine's Ben Rowe powered past Sam Sessions on the initial start in Saturday night's Pro All Stars Series AutoDealer Magazine 150 at Speedway 95 and led all 150 laps to capture his seventh Pro All Stars Series victory of 2003 for Tom and Eileen Estes' Mechanical Services/Superior Image Embroidery racing team. Rowe turned back challenges from Sessions, Andy Saunders and Scott Chubbuck to score the win Chubbuck raced his way from eighth on the starting grid to capture the runner-up spot in the Cushman Competition Ford and Sessions came home third in his Call of the Wild RV Chevrolet. Cassius Clark climbed from fourteenth on the starting grid to finish fourth in the S&S Transportation Ford while Richie Dearborn earned the fifth spot in the Chadwick BaRoss Monte Carlo.
Johnny Clark overcame an early pit stop to finish sixth in the DNK Select/AutoDealer Magazine Chevrolet and Scott Mulkern was seventh in the Community Pharmacies Dodge. Larry Gelinas crossed the stripe in eighth with Randy Turner and Mike Rowe rounding out the top ten. Andy Saunders strong run was negated when he received the black flag for jumping a restart. He was scored 20th in the unofficial final results.
MARS STAR Wisconsin Late Model Legend Steve Carlson won the Budweiser 100 at Elko Speedway, the eighth event of the 2003 Midwest All-Star Racing Series season. Carlson completed the race-winning pass on the 29th circuit, making a pass exiting the second corner around Charlie Menard and then held off a furious late-race charge from Menard in the final 10 circuits.
Early race leader Charlie Menard finished in second position, just .400 seconds behind Carlson. 2002 ASA Rookie Runner-up and current Elko Speedway point's leader Danny Fredrickson finished in third position. Michigan's Jamie Iverson placed fourth with Mark Eswein in fifth spot. Kirby Kurth was sixth with Brian Johnson, Rod Brewe, Adam Royal and Jon Lemke rounding out the top 10.
SPECIAL WIN FOR SETZER Dennis Setzer won the annual Bobby Isaac Memorial 300 at Hickory Motor Speedway for Late Model Stocks this past Labor Day weekend. Billy "Catfish" Parker, who will drive in the NASCAR Busch Series for Rusty Wallace, finished a close second. Steven Wallace, Steven Leicht and Jody Lavender rounded out the top-five drivers.
MILLER CONTINUES TO ROLL L.W. Miller won his sixth consecutive SMART Modified race at Ace Speedway. The victory extends his point lead even more in the series. L.W.Miller won the S&R Motors Pole Award with a time of 15.08 speed 95.491, Miller drew the 8th spot for the inversion of the field putting Bob Park and Bobby Hutchens on the front row.
As the laps wound down it would look like Park was on his 1st win of the season, but on lap123 Parks car began to miss and Brian Loftin tagged Park coming out of the second turn spinning Park around moving Loftin to the lead. At the restart Loftin would hold the lead and L.W. would have a hard time getting around, but Loftin was hoping to hold on till the end but caution would wave for the final time as Aubrey Fishel spun down the front stretch bringing out the caution and this in turn ended Loftins night also just one lap short as his engine expired.
L.W. would take the point with Foley right behind of a GREEN, WHITE,CHECKER finish. on the final turn Foley hit L.W. and got him loose and it was then a drag race to the finish line with L.W. winning his 6th consecutive race.
