Sunday Afternoon

August 16, 1970

Cowley County Fairgrounds

Winfield, Kansas

 

The Match Race

Bill Bookout with the Charlie Lavicky owned super-modified

Bill Bookout collection

Bill Bookout of Enid, Oklahoma was towing this Charlie Lavicky owned super-modified #50 to a race in Wichita, Kansas scheduled for Sunday evening, August 16, 1970 when he stopped by the fairgrounds at Winfield to watch the late-model-stock cars race there that Sunday afternoon.  He asked the organizers if he could enter the super-modified in the stock car race since the rules were being quite loosely applied but his request was denied.  Bob Johnston of Coffeyville, Kansas commented that it would not matter if the super-modified was allowed to run as he (Johnston) thought his 1968 Camaro late-model-stock car (pictured below) could beat the super-modified anyway.  Bookout challenged Johnston to a four-lap match race between their two cars and, if the race organizers would post some prize money, it should be a winner-take-all race.  Johnston agreed providing they use an inline start (rather than side-by-side) thus allowing his #21+ Camaro to start in front since it was the heavier of the two cars.  $50 was posted for prize money and the race commenced.  Johnston's Camaro led through the first two turns but was passed by Bookout in the super-modified going into the back stretch.  Since Bookout had planned to run at Wichita's smaller “81” Speedway, he had a lower rear end gear ratio in his car than was really needed for the larger Winfield racetrack and its long straight-aways.  Johnston easily passed Bookout back before the cars reached the third turn.  In doing so though, Johnston carried too much speed into the turn, jumped the cushion, and slammed hard into the steel pipe guard railing heavily damaging both the railing and his race car.  Bookout stopped his car and said that, if Johnston could make repairs, he would be willing to rerun the race.  Although his car could be repaired, Johnston declined Bookout's offer saying that he would rather save his car for the late-model-stock car feature event scheduled for later that afternoon.  After that race was complete, he would consider rerunning the match race with Bookout.

The late-model stock car feature race started under threatening skies and was stopped after just two completed laps when a car driven by Benny Feely of Enid, Oklahoma rolled over several times exiting the fourth turn.  It started raining before the race could be restarted and the remainder of the racing program had to be canceled.  Although Mike Smith of Bartlesville, Oklahoma was leading when the feature race was stopped, no winner was declared as half of the scheduled 20 laps had not been completed.

Bill Bookout raced all over the area in many types of race cars during his long career but the three-quarters of a lap that he raced Johnston in this match race is the only time he ever raced on the Winfield racetrack and it is the only time that a super-modified raced there as well.

 

Bob Johnston of Coffeyville, Kansas raced this 1968 Camaro late-model-stock car both in the late-model stock car races at Winfield on this date and in a match race with the #50 'super-modified' driven by Bill Bookout of Enid, Oklahoma - Bob Johnston  collection

 

32 cars checked into the pits for the late model races at Winfield on August 16, 1970.  Race results:

Blue indicates the car dropped out of the race

First Heat:  (8 laps)

 

Second Heat:  (8 laps)

Finish

Car #

Driver

Started

Laps Comp.

 

Finish

Car #

Driver

Started

Laps Comp.

  1

  47

Kenny Moore

  6

8

 

  1

  77

Jack Petty

  2

8

  2

  39

Leon Roberts

  8

8

 

  2

  84

Jack Johnson

  4

8

  3

  02

Pinky Mullens

  9

8

 

  3

020

Gary Moore

  9

8

  4

  30

Howard Cleous

  7

8

 

  4

  38

Mike Smith

  6

8

  5

173

Kent Albright

10

8

 

  5

  99

Ralph Henderson

  5

8

  6

  43

Mike Lutkie

  5

8

 

  6

    2

 

  7

8

  7

144

 

  2

8

 

  7

  24

Gene Eccles

  1

8

  8

  55

Lanny Johnson

  4

8

 

  8

  44

Herb Shepard

  3

8

  9

  21

 

  1

5

 

  9

  22

 

  8

5

10

100

Arkie Findley

  3

1

 

10

  4x

Joel Hayes

10

4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Third Heat:  (8 laps)

 

Trophy Dash:  (4 laps)

Finish

Car #

Driver

Started

Laps Comp.

 

Finish

Car #

Driver

Started

Laps Comp.

1

21+

Bob Johnston

5

8

 

1

77

Jack Petty

3

4

2

  42

Dan Casmaer

7

8

 

2

47

Kenny Moore

1

4

3

  2x

Bob Wills

8

8

 

3

39

Leon Roberts

2

4

4

  14

Gary Beyer

2

8

 

4

2x

Bob Wills

6

4

5

    0

Benny Feely

3

8

 

5

21+

Bob Johnston

5

3

6

201

Bill Tice

6

8

 

6

84

Jack Johnson

4

2

7

411

Eldon Smith

4

6

 

 

 

 

 

 

8

348

Lee Lynam

1

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

9

  90

Junior Kidder

9

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

The third heat had to be restarted when the cars driven by Bill Tice and Junior Kidder tangled and spun on the first lap. 

 

Consolation:  (10 laps)

 

Feature Race Lineup  (This race was canceled after two laps)

Finish

Car #

Driver

Started

Laps Comp.

 

Car #

Driver 

Car #

Driver

  1

  99

Ralph Henderson

  2

10

 

47

Kenny Moore 

39

Leon Roberts

  2

173

Kent Albright

  1

10

 

21+

Bob Johnston 

42

Dan Casmaer

  3

  44

Herb Shepard

  9

10

 

84

Jack Johnson 

020

Gary Moore

  4

  24

Gene Eccles

  7

10

 

02

Pinky Mullens 

30

Howard Cleous

  5

    0

Benny Feely

  3

10

 

2x

Bob Wills 

14

Gary Beyer

  6

  55

Lanny Johnson

  8

10

 

38

Mike Smith 

99

Ralph Henderson

  7

    9

Chuck Barnes

12

9

 

173

Kent Albright 

201

Bill Tice

  8

  4x

Joel Hayes

10

9

 

0

Benny Feely 

24

Gene Eccles

  9

201

Bill Tice

  6

5

 

55

Lanny Johnson 

44

Herb Shepard

10

  43

Mike Lutkie

  4

4

 

4x

Joel Hayes 

348

Lee Lynam

11

348

Lee Lynam

11

1

 

 

 

 

 

12

    2

 

  5

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Rookie Car Race(4 laps)

 

 

 

 

 

Finish

Car #

Driver

Started

Laps Comp.

 

 

 

 

 

1

16

Joel Collier

1

4

 

 

 

 

 

2

88

Ray Krepps

2

4

 

 

 

 

 

The Rookie Car Race was for drivers with less than two years racing experience driving 1949-1954 model American made cars with a six-cylinder, straight-eight, or flathead engine.

 

Race Officials:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Organizers:

Wayne Wilt and Bob Lawrence

 

Flagman / Starter:

Al Alexander

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Announcer:

Harry Nickell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pit Stewards:

Don Smith and Maurice B. “M. B.” Smith

 

 

 

 

 

Official Scorers:

Ann Alexander and Jeanene Lawrence

 

 

 

 

Trophy Girl:

Marilyn Edwards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you can identify any of the unnamed drivers above, please contact Bob Lawrence

 

Herb Shepard of Enid, Oklahoma raced this 1957 Chevrolet stock car in this race at Winfield - Benny Feely collection

 

 

Junior Kidder of Enid, Oklahoma drove this 1955 Chevrolet stock car in this race at Winfield - Benny Feely collection

 

 

Joel Collier of Winfield, Kansas won the "Rookie Car Race" at Winfield in this 1952 Ford flathead V-8 - M. B. Smith collection

 

 

 

 

 

Joel A. Collier

1938 - 1996

 

 

     The advertisement at left was published in the Saturday, August 15, 1970 issue of the Winfield Daily Courier.

     Above is a photograph of the pit pass that Bob Wills wore while racing at Winfield on this date.  Wills received $19 for placing third in the third heat race.

     At right is a photograph of the trophy presented to Orbin Mashaney, owner of the 1957 Ford that Jack Petty drove to victory in the trophy dash on this date.  30 years later, this trophy was presented to Bob Lawrence by Jack Petty on behalf of the Mashaney family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

SOME OF THE DRIVERS WHO PARTICIPATE IN THIS RACING PROGRAM

Pinky Mullens

Gary Moore

Mike Smith

Kent Albright

 

 

Mike Lutkie

Jack Johnson

Ralph Henderson

Kenny Moore

Benny Feely

 

 

Lee Lynam

Jack Petty

Return to Page 2 of the History of Auto Racing at Winfield, Kansas