Here is a classic photo of the inaugural
Bracketeer Nationals held over Memorial Weekend in 1976. During the late
stages of the race, showers started falling, which forced the finals of
two of the final three eliminators to be decided by a coin flip. In two
of the finals, both drivers agreed to split the win and runner-up money
and to flip a coin for that historic first Bracketeer plaque & bottle of
champagne and title (the other title was decided on Monday morning,
where Harley Noe defeated Dale Harsin in the Bracketeer class). In the
Mint division, Bill New flipped the coin between Peter Berkuta (left)
and Ken Heard. The coin turned over in favor of Heard, who was one of
first three "original" champions of the first-ever big money bracket
race in the western United States. Today Berkuta is a two-time
Bracketeer winner (the runner-up to Heard in `76), while Heard is a
four-time Bracketeer champion and noted Super Gas ace. The question now
arises...will this be the year that Heard brings his Mustang back to try
for a fifth crown? Guess we'll see this August!