2016 Osborn, MO

OSBORN, Mo. – Comebacks can have various durations.

For Nostalgia Super Stock Inc., the July 9 appearance at US 36 Raceway marked its 25th consecutive year of producing its unique program at the track.

“Man, having you guys here has always been a great time,” said raceway owner Mike Franks, who built the circle track and drag strip facility himself back in the 1990’s.

For Larry Quinn, a veteran racer of more than 60 years, the event marked his comeback from a medical leave of several months and his first racing appearance of the season.

“Happy to be out again with the car?”, said Quinn. “Sure am, sure am.”

Consistent with July in western Missouri, the temperature and humidity levels were high, gradually falling from the low 90’s with a dewpoint of 74 to the middle 80‘s over the hours from 5 p.m. to midnight. The density altitudes ranged from more than 4200 to 3600 feet.

Marty Bittle and Ryan Eads opened the side-by-side match race NSS program for the first session at 8:20 p.m. in style , each with 6.71 in the ‘Plum Crazy Addiction’ 1964 Plymouth and ‘Nightmare’ 1965 Plymouth, respectively.

Wayne Keimig in the ‘Kansas Comet’ 1964 Mercury had apparently solved his engine breakup at 6000 rpm problem with a new distributor cap and rotor at 6.78 while sliding a little to grab the track.

“The coil and ignition box checked out fine and I had scraped the terminals and rotor clean but it really wanted a new cap,” said Keimig.

In the ‘Full Tilt’ 1965 Dodge, Milt Schreindl started with the first of three consecutive fine looking wheels-up runs at 6.37 next to Doug Henderson’s ‘Never Too Late’ 1964 Plymouth at 6.73.

The fourth pair brought up the combination of John Rousset in the ‘Hard Days Night’ 1964 Plymouth and Rich Berlisk in the ‘Asphalt Angel’ with Rousset, each with three runs around 6.40 and in the 6.20’s, respectively.

The last pair of the 10-car field featured Quinn’s ‘Blast From The Past’ 1962 Pontiac and Brad Shoemaker in the ‘Iron Injun’ 1963 Tempest with Quinn going 5.69 and Shoemaker 5.90.

Running subsequent sessions on the hour at 9:30 and 10:30 p.m. in the increasing humidity, all the drivers had difficulty in posting improved times.

New member Howard Crull and his ‘Crazy Injun’ 1965 Plymouth suffered through the new car blues with passes of 8.12 and 8.28 before he put it back in the box.

“Being able to come out and run a 5.60 in these conditions was pretty good,” said Quinn, who went 5.87 in session two and 5.78 in session three.