INDEPENDENCE DAY

INDEPENDENCE DAY
July 4, 1956

Winfield Daily Courier

Tuesday, July 3, 1956 - Page 6

Will Forrest

Thousands of spectators are expected to be in the big grandstand at the Winfield fairgrounds Wednesday to witness seven exciting stock car races sponsored by the Lions club. Time trials start at 1:30 p.m. and competitive racing at 2 p.m. Between 40 and 50 cars are expected to compete. Children up to and including 14 years of age are admitted free if accompanied by parents.

Winfield Daily Courier

Thursday, July 5, 1956 - Page 16

Over 2,000 Attend Races at Fairgrounds

The gold ribbon above is the pit pass that was worn by Jerry Everhart, of Wichita, Kansas as he drove in the races on this day at Winfield.

A crowd estimated at between 2,000 and 2,500 persons, which included paid adult admissions, as all young people under 14 were admitted free, attended the auto racing program at the fairgrounds Wednesday, sponsored by the Winfield Lions club. Over $700 was paid out to winners in the various events.

Each race offered thrills and excitement and, in two instances, the excitement was magnified by two accidents.

In one race, Kenneth Jackson, Wichita, received a minor arm burn when his car caught on fire while it was in event competition. Firemen were called out and soon had the blaze under control.

In another race, a wheel on a car driven by Harold Leep, Arkansas City, came off, leaped high and collided with two parked cars causing some damage.

The traffic to and from the fairgrounds was heavy before and after the races but was orderly and peace officers reported good cooperation to directives. County sheriff's department, local police department, and state highway patrol assisted in traffic direction. The Santa Fe Railway also assisted by providing a flagman at the West Fourteenth Avenue crossing.

Racing drivers declared the half-mile track to be in fine condition, much improved over the conditions at the Memorial Day races. Much of the credit for the track condition was due to the voluntary donation of three large pieces of road building equipment provided by the Inland Construction Company which has the contract for the grading on West Ninth.

Workmen for the company in charge of equipment saw that the Lions club members were having some difficulty with a small grader trying to fill and pack a mud-hole on the track. Those Inland men came to the rescue with their equipment and soon had the track in the best shape is has been for a long time, racing officials said. Lions club members were high on their praise of the friendly, cooperative gesture by the road building men.

Some of the drivers that placed in the money were:

FIRST HEAT RACE:			SECOND HEAT RACE:
Finish	Driver	From	Finish	Driver	From
1	Bill Nichols	Wichita, Kansas	1	Will Forrest	Wichita, Kansas
2	Harold Leep	Wichita, Kansas	2	Kenneth Huffman	Wichita, Kansas
3	Forrest Coleman	Wichita, Kansas	3	Kenneth Jackson	Ponca City, Oklahoma

THIRD HEAT RACE:			TROPHY DASH:
1	Leon Bowman²	Wichita, Kansas	1	Will Forrest	Wichita, Kansas
2	Lloyd Hildreth	Wichita, Kansas
3	Leroy Lawson	Wichita, Kansas

B FEATURE:			FIRST SEMI-FINAL:¹
1	Roy Andrews	Wichita, Kansas	1	Harold Leep	Wichita, Kansas
2	Bill Killion	Wichita, Kansas	2	Forrest Coleman	Wichita, Kansas
3	Bill Curless	Arkansas City, Kansas	3	Bill Nichols	Wichita, Kansas
4	Johnnie Bush	Wichita, Kansas
5	Jack Walker	Wichita, Kansas

SECOND SEMI-FINAL:			A FEATURE:
1	Johnnie Bush	Wichita, Kansas	1	Will Forrest	Wichita, Kansas
2	Pete Jacobs	Wichita, Kansas	2	Kenneth Huffman	Wichita, Kansas
3	Jack Walker	Wichita, Kansas	3	Leon Bowman²	Wichita, Kansas
4	A. J. Shepherd	Wichita, Kansas	4	Leroy Lawson	Wichita, Kansas

¹Dick Walker finished first in the First-Semi Final but then was disqualified.

²Leon Bowman was driving a #50 stock car that was owned by Bill Killion. According to Bowman, this was a hot, dusty day but his prize money exceeded $100.

Will Forrest with the Lawrence Brooks owned 1932 Hudson sedan that he drove to victory in the second heat race, the trophy dash, and the A feature at Winfield on this day. That is Allen Carter’s white Ford coupe #35 visible in the background at right – Larry Brooks collection

SOME OF THE DRIVERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THESE RACES