By Chad Meyer
Following his brother Don into the sport of racing, Jon Hiscocks’ career began behind the wheel in 1967. The racing bug caught on fast in the Britt, IA community. That year saw five cars from Britt compete regularly at Algona. In addition to Don and Jon, Bob and Dave Kabrick fielded a car as did Denny Johnson and the team of Larry Eisenman, Dave Rasmussen, Jim Rasmussen and Bob Rasmussen.
Jon Hiscocks and the “German Valley Special.” (Hiscocks collection)
Hiscocks spent much of his racing career racing at the Kossuth Speedway and at the track in Mason City. Making steady improvement his first year, Hiscocks got better results the next.
In 1968 he picked up some heat race wins and his feature event finishes climbed into the top five. Late in the year, he ventured out to other speedways, collecting a sixth place finish at the Mitchell County Speedway.
The momentum continued in August with a third place finish during the North Iowa Fair in Mason City and a second place run during season championship night at Midway Downs Speedway in Charles City.
1969 had Hiscocks’ earning his first trophy, which came in a Handicap Race at Algona. He continued his success at Algona with multiple heat race wins, handicap race wins and top five feature finishes against stiff competition like Gene Schattschneider, Richard Simpson, Butch Householder and many others.
Hiscocks collection
Hiscocks’ greatest success in racing though came at the Mason City track in 1970. He campaigned the modified stock car owned by Will James of Britt at the Kossuth Speedway and was the driver of the “German Valley Special” owned by Kossuth County natives Wendell Schutjer, Erwin Smith and Gary Zwiefel.
During the 1970 season, Hiscocks posted five feature wins at Mason City and carried a large point advantage over Ted Zieman and others into the final two races before being crowned season point champion. It was his biggest accomplishment in the sport.
Like his brother Don, the onset of the ‘70’s decade slowed Jon’s racing. He would occasionally drive a car a time or two, including a late model for Dave Kabrick at Mason City in the early 1980’s, before retiring from racing.
Today Jon lives south of Britt and continues to farm with his brother Don.
Hiscocks and seven others will be inductees into the Kossuth County Racing Hall of Fame in Algona this summer. More information is available at www.KossuthMuseum.com.
