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Whitey Gerken

Whitey Gerken was a “step on the gas, pedal to the metal” stock car driver, who won his fair share of races and championships during his racing career that spanned some 25 years.

Born William J. Gerken on May 26, 1930, Gerken got involved with stock car racing around 1953, serving as a pitman for Gene Marmor at Chicago ‘s Soldier Field – the huge, multi-purpose arena on the city’s lakefront.

Gerken, who called both Melrose Park and Villa Park home during much of his career, started to become a frontrunner in Chicago area late model stock car competition, racing at Soldier Field and at the new O’Hare Stadium in Schiller Park . Showing his talent, Gerken soon got a ride in the Skinner Brothers Pontiac, competing in selected events on the United States Auto Club (USAC) stock car circuit. He made a total of 22 USAC starts from 1958 through 1960.

Gerken’s first USAC start in the Skinner Brothers GMC-owned 1957 Pontiac No. 71 came at the Wisconsin State Fair Park – the “Milwaukee Mile” in West Allis, Wis. On July 13, 1958. He started fourth and finished seventh in the 150 lapper behind winner and fellow Chicago area racer Fred Lorenzen. Gerken made four starts at the “Milwaukee Mile” during his rookie USAC season, winning the pole for the September 14 race and leading a total of 121 laps over the course of four races – a pretty impressive start for the USAC newcomer.

Gerken’s best USAC finish in 1958 came on August 30 when he grabbed third place in the 100-lap grind on the one-mile dirt oval at Illinois ‘ DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, again finishing behind winner Lorenzen. Trailing Lorenzen again at the checkered flag, Gerken finished sixth in the first ever stock car race held at the new Meadowdale International Raceways in Carpentersville , Ill. On October 19, 1958. Gerken and his ’57 Pontiac qualified 16th fastest for the USAC-sanctioned event at the 3.3-mile road course.

Gerken was with the Skinner Brothers again in 1959, having a ’57 Pontiac and a new 1959 Pontiac at his disposal. The team competed in both USAC and Midwest Association for Race Cars (MARC) events. A third place finish in MARC action at Ohio ‘s Dayton Speedway on April 5, 1959 was one of the highlights of the season.

1960 saw Gerken and the Frank and Richard Skinner team compete in the Daytona 500 in February. Gerken and his ’59 Pontiac No. 63 started 31st and finished 17th, completing 195 laps and picking up $325 in prize money. He ran a total of seven USAC races in 1960 with a fourth place at Dayton and a fifth at Milwaukee being a few of Gerken’s best efforts. He was the division’s sixth ranking driver.

Gerken’s 1960 Daytona 500 experience was not his first in NASCAR competition. In 1956, NASCAR records show “Bill Gerkin” in a 1956 Dodge No. 155 competing in several late-year NASCAR convertible races.

“I helped Whitey build that car in Tom Pistone’s shop on North Ave. (in Chicago ),” remembered former driver Bill Vesper. “That was the first time he raced down there. We put No. 11 on it. It wasn’t even a race car. We took the body off of it and did all the welding on it. Whitey was Gene Marmor’s mechanic at one time.”

Gerken made five starts in NASCAR “rag top” action in ’56 with a 14th place finish at Virginia’s Martinsville Speedway on September 23, 1956 being his best effort during the “Old Dominion 500” – the 250-mile/500-lap grind on the half-mile paved track. Gerken started 19th in the 29-car field and completed 423 laps, picking up $225 for his afternoon of work.

Gerken had a “fast” 1961 Chevy, entered by body shop owner Tom Fukuda, for the 1961 season, taking home a third place finish at Indianapolis Raceway Park on July 4th. He followed that up with a second place run at Illiana Motor Speedway in Schererville , Ind. On August 2. Gerken’s first USAC win came in dramatic fashion in 1961 at the “Milwaukee Mile.”

On September 17, 1961, Gerken drove Gene Marmor’s “backup car” – a battle-scared 1960 Chevrolet at Milwaukee after demolishing his potent 1961 Chevy a month earlier at the one-mile fairgrounds oval. Gerken was reported to have suffered broken ribs in a multi-car wreck.

Lining up 27th in a 40-car field for the 250-mile chase, Gerken piloted his red, E&R Auto Supply-sponsored No. 44 to victory, besting a talented field that included USAC stock car greats Norm Nelson and Don White and Indianapolis 500 speedsters Rodger Ward, Eddie Sachs, Paul Goldsmith, Dick Rathmann and Len Sutton. Running among the leaders all day and leading several times during the race, Gerken moved into the lead for good on lap 238 and took the checkered flag ahead of Nelson, Colorado’s John Rostek, Rathmann and Goldsmith. The victory marked Chevrolet’s only win in USAC competition that year. Gerken again finished sixth in the USAC standings.

“It was a remarkable win,” said Marmor years later. “His regular car had been wrecked shortly before and we put his engine into one of my old cars for the race. Nobody thought that the car would hold up.”

The following year, Gerken captured another USAC victory, this one coming at Illiana Motor Speedway. On July 21, 1962, Gerken and his Tom Fukuda-entered ’62 Chevy No. 44 defeated Curtis Turner, Don White, Norm Nelson, Marmor and Troy Ruttman at the half-mile paved oval. It again proved to be Chevrolet’s only USAC win for the year. He finished 10th in the USAC stock car standings after competing in 17 of a total of 22 events held during the 1962 season. Two pole-winning qualifying efforts at Milwaukee also highlighted the season. Earlier in the year, Gerken crashed his Chevrolet at Riverside , Cal . He was also at Daytona in February with a ’62 Chevy, but did not start either one of the twin qualifying races.

Gerken had a Mercury “factory ride” for the start of the 1963 season. In the 100-mile qualifying race at the Daytona International Speedway in February, Gerken finished 24th in a Bill Stroppe-prepared 1963 Mercury. Although Gerken was pretty much the fastest Mercury at Daytona, a crashed car caused things quite not to “jell” between Gerken and the Stroppe team and he did not compete in the “500” or any other NASCAR races that year.

Gerken competed in 11 USAC events and was ranked eighth in 1963 with four top five finishes, including a couple of third place runs in Bill DuBose’s Golding Transfer Lines-sponsored 63

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