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Sunday Afternoon August 16, 1970 Cowley County Fairgrounds Winfield, Kansas
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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) |
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Second Heat: (8 laps) |
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Finish |
Car # |
Driver |
Started |
Laps Comp. |
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Finish |
Car # |
Driver |
Started |
Laps Comp. |
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1 |
47 |
Kenny Moore |
6 |
8 |
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1 |
77 |
Jack Petty |
2 |
8 |
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2 |
39 |
Leon Roberts |
8 |
8 |
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2 |
84 |
Jack Johnson |
4 |
8 |
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3 |
02 |
Pinky Mullens |
9 |
8 |
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3 |
020 |
Gary Moore |
9 |
8 |
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4 |
30 |
Howard Cleous |
7 |
8 |
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4 |
38 |
Mike Smith |
6 |
8 |
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5 |
173 |
Kent Albright |
10 |
8 |
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5 |
99 |
Ralph Henderson |
5 |
8 |
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6 |
43 |
Mike Lutkie |
5 |
8 |
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6 |
2 |
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7 |
8 |
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7 |
144 |
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2 |
8 |
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7 |
24 |
Gene Eccles |
1 |
8 |
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8 |
55 |
Lanny Johnson |
4 |
8 |
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8 |
44 |
Herb Shepard |
3 |
8 |
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9 |
21 |
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1 |
5 |
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9 |
22 |
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8 |
5 |
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10 |
100 |
Arkie Findley |
3 |
1 |
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10 |
4x |
Joel Hayes |
10 |
4 |
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Third Heat: (8 laps) |
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Trophy Dash: (4 laps) |
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Finish |
Car # |
Driver |
Started |
Laps Comp. |
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Finish |
Car # |
Driver |
Started |
Laps Comp. |
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1 |
21+ |
Bob Johnston |
5 |
8 |
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1 |
77 |
Jack Petty |
3 |
4 |
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2 |
42 |
Dan Casmaer |
7 |
8 |
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2 |
47 |
Kenny Moore |
1 |
4 |
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3 |
2x |
Bob Wills |
8 |
8 |
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3 |
39 |
Leon Roberts |
2 |
4 |
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4 |
14 |
Gary Beyer |
2 |
8 |
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4 |
2x |
Bob Wills |
6 |
4 |
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5 |
0 |
Benny Feely |
3 |
8 |
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5 |
21+ |
Bob Johnston |
5 |
3 |
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6 |
201 |
Bill Tice |
6 |
8 |
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6 |
84 |
Jack Johnson |
4 |
2 |
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7 |
411 |
Eldon Smith |
4 |
6 |
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8 |
348 |
Lee Lynam |
1 |
1 |
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9 |
90 |
Junior Kidder |
9 |
0 |
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The third heat had to be restarted when the cars driven by Bill Tice and Junior Kidder tangled and spun on the first lap.
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Consolation: (10 laps) |
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Feature Race Lineup (This race was canceled after two laps) |
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Finish |
Car # |
Driver |
Started |
Laps Comp. |
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Car # |
Driver |
Car # |
Driver |
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1 |
99 |
Ralph Henderson |
2 |
10 |
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47 |
Kenny Moore |
39 |
Leon Roberts |
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2 |
173 |
Kent Albright |
1 |
10 |
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21+ |
Bob Johnston |
42 |
Dan Casmaer |
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3 |
44 |
Herb Shepard |
9 |
10 |
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84 |
Jack Johnson |
020 |
Gary Moore |
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4 |
24 |
Gene Eccles |
7 |
10 |
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02 |
Pinky Mullens |
30 |
Howard Cleous |
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5 |
0 |
Benny Feely |
3 |
10 |
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2x |
Bob Wills |
14 |
Gary Beyer |
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6 |
55 |
Lanny Johnson |
8 |
10 |
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38 |
Mike Smith |
99 |
Ralph Henderson |
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7 |
9 |
Chuck Barnes |
12 |
9 |
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173 |
Kent Albright |
201 |
Bill Tice |
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8 |
4x |
Joel Hayes |
10 |
9 |
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0 |
Benny Feely |
24 |
Gene Eccles |
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9 |
201 |
Bill Tice |
6 |
5 |
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55 |
Lanny Johnson |
44 |
Herb Shepard |
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10 |
43 |
Mike Lutkie |
4 |
4 |
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4x |
Joel Hayes |
348 |
Lee Lynam |
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11 |
348 |
Lee Lynam |
11 |
1 |
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12 |
2 |
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5 |
0 |
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Rookie Car Race: (4 laps) |
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Finish |
Car # |
Driver |
Started |
Laps Comp. |
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1 |
16 |
Joel Collier |
1 |
4 |
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2 |
88 |
Ray Krepps |
2 |
4 |
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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.
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Race Officials: |
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Organizers: |
Wayne Wilt and Bob Lawrence |
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Flagman / Starter: |
Al Alexander |
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Announcer: |
Harry Nickell |
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Pit Stewards: |
Don Smith and Maurice B. “M. B.” Smith |
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Official Scorers: |
Ann Alexander and Jeanene Lawrence |
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Trophy Girl: |
Marilyn Edwards |
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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 |
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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 |
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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. |
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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