Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

I know this a sprint car forum , but growing up in the city of the MIssouri State Fair, It was sure fun watching the old IMCA stock cars on the famous Missouri mile. Ernie Derr seemed to win every year at least to me as I was a young punk back then in the early 60's through out the 70's. Still fond memories of that red and white Pontiac that he used to drive along with his two sons, Russ and Mike driving cars of the same color. Boy if I could get a time machine. RIP Mr. Derr.

Rest in peace. Ernie is a 2010 High Banks Hall of Fame and Museum Inductee: http://www.highbanks-museum.org/inductees.htm

A sad day for anyone that saw this "Keokuk Comet" drive not only that red & white Pontiac but that beautiful all red #1 Dodge on the Iowa State Fairgrounds track & Knoxville & many others as well. Ernie Derr was the winningest stock car driver of all time!! He had a total of over 500 wins (that's100 more than Richard Petty) and this was against the likes of Dick Hutcherson, Ramo Stott, Don White (Ernie's brother in law), Dick Trickle, etc. He was a magician with a steering wheel & lots of power from that Hemi engine & it was almost exclusively on DIRT TRACKS! We that saw him will never forget what an honor it was. Those of you that didn't have that honor, I am sorry you missed a truly awesome experience!!! RIP Ernie & Thanks For The Memories.

Im too young to have seen him race but I've collected as much memorabilia of Ernie,  ramo n Hucthersons that I could get my hands on. Being from the area I've gotten to hear a lot of stories about them. A lot of them from my dad,  which led to our shared passion for racing. RIp.

I can still hear the announcer and the thrill I was having as a youngster way way back when:  "now entering the track from Keokuk, Iowa, Ernie Derr".  Something I'll never foget, growing up watching the IMCA late models at Nodak Speedway in Minot,ND.  In heaven when those stock cars fired up on the big flat half mile they used during the state fair.  Ramo Stott and Dick Hutcherson, so many names from my early years of becoming a dirt fan.  Never forget the sound of those big hemi Chrysler motors.  Ernie and pals, ya gave us a lot of memories.  Then of course we'd have the IMCA sprints also, not sure if they were called sprints or what though. 

 Lawlessness and liberalism equals Hell.  NY City, 
Detroit, Seattle, Chicago, Minnepolis, etc. We saw it. 
Burning hundreds of buildings, a thousand assaults and 
dozens of murders. Getting worser and worser.

I got to see him a couple times during the state fair in Oklahoma City, He was one of my brothers favorites.

Ted Sanderson

Need to correct a mistake from my earlier post. Ernie had 351 wins total & Richard Petty had 200. Just to set the records straight & DAMN IMPRESSIVE too!!

Watched him when I was a kid growing up at the old Missouri State Fair Mile...man was he fun to watch, it`s a sad day. RIP Erine Derr

That name is sure familiar.  We used to go to the annual Labor Day Stock Car race at the Minnesota State Fair and Ernie was one of my dad's favorites.  RIP!

Stan Meissner

Ernie was the man to beat at the South Dakota State Fair too (1/2 mi. dirt). His Dodge looked good and that Hemi sounded good. Ramo Stott was always there as well. I think one of the other top dogs was a driver named Ole Brua but can't recall for certain. Anyone else remember Ole? There were some fast Chevys and Pontiacs too. Maybe there's a source of archived IMCA results available somewhere online. The feature was a 100 lapper. 

I also seen him run at Iowa state fairgrounds track!

RIP

That was when stock car racing WAS stock car racing. Remember great fairground races with Ernie Derr in the Dodge Charger #1. Competitors like Lenny Funk in the orange and white #2, Ramo Stott in the light purple 0.

The races had to be good to remember them years later.

Nothing better than a hot summer day in a state fair grandstand watching a race in the afternoon. Eating a hard frosty malt with a wooden spoon.

Like someone said the announcing was tremendous in those days...not a bunch of screeming and playing blaring heavy metal. The announcers actually knew what they were talking about and made it very interesting in the IMCA stock car days.

Ah those wooden spoons.....

You remember Ole Brua, how about Bob Jusola, Lenny Funk, Bobby Reynolds, Bill Thomas, Gil Haugan, roland Wilson, Johnny Beauchamp, John Mickey, and of course Derr, Hutcherson,and Stott.These were all top IMCA stockcar driver in 60's. I still have Imca yearbooks for the 60's.

I got to see him a state fair speedway in okc.   He was fast on the 1/2 mile

Ole Brua was at the 1969 State Fair race. He kicked Ernie's rear in the heat, and was running away with the dash when his motor blew.

As far as I know, that was his only race at Huron.