Big Car Races on the
Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the
Kansas State Fairgrounds
Hutchinson, Kansas
Sunday – August 16, 1953
Sanctioned by – United Motor Contest Association (U.M.C.A.)
Promotional company – Hamilton Attractions of Hutchinson, Kansas
Promoter – Verne Hamilton of Hutchinson, Kansas
Starter – Gene Young
Attendance – 3,900
Hutchinson News-Herald
August 14, 1953 – Page 5
Car owner / builder Duke Westerhaus pushes his Studebaker powered stretched midget driven by Bob McKim into position to be pushed off for his time trial on this day. When time trials were done, McKim had the fastest time of the day - Darrin McKim collection
Time Trials – 16 Cars – 1 Lap
Place |
Driver |
From |
Car |
Time |
1 |
Bob McKim |
Salina, Kansas |
Westerhaus Kurtis Kraft Studebaker #28 |
26.03 |
2 |
Gordon Shuck |
Edgar, Nebraska |
Byrnes GMC #11 |
27.50 |
3 |
Jerry Shumaker |
Wichita, Kansas |
Church Brothers GMC #39 |
27.85 |
4 |
Don Brown |
Wichita, Kansas |
HAL #9 |
27.90 |
5 |
Bob Murra |
Wichita, Kansas |
Taylor Rutherford #55 |
27.91 |
6 |
Jim Curley |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
Curley GMC Conversion #17 |
28.30 |
7 |
Charlie Lutkie |
Wichita, Kansas |
Taylor Willys #54 |
28.48 |
8 |
Troy Routh |
Maize, Kansas |
#3 |
28.61 |
9 |
Gerald “Curly” Wadsworth* |
Topeka, Kansas |
#31 |
28.64 |
10 |
Howard Sumner |
Wilsonville, Nebraska |
Andre “Pig Iron Special” #16 |
29.04 |
11 |
Gene Ortner |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
Rutherford #21 |
29.18 |
12 |
Jay Stears |
Kansas City, Missouri |
Ford #22 |
29.35 |
13 |
Gregg Tiederman |
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
Tiederman Ranger #71 |
30.32 |
14 |
Frank Lies |
Wichita, Kansas |
Wilson Ford V8-60 “Mighty Mouse” #5 |
|
15 |
Buddy Quick |
Wichita, Kansas |
#4 |
|
Trophy Dash – 4 Cars – 3 Laps - Time: 1:18.02
Place |
Driver |
From |
Car |
Started |
1 |
Bob McKim |
Salina, Kansas |
Westerhaus Kurtis Kraft Studebaker #28 |
1 |
2 |
Gordon Shuck |
Edgar, Nebraska |
Byrnes GMC #11 |
2 |
3 |
Jerry Shumaker |
Wichita, Kansas |
Church Brothers GMC #39 |
3 |
4 |
Bob Murra |
Wichita, Kansas |
Taylor Rutherford #55 |
4 |
First Heat Race – 5 Cars – 6 Laps
Place |
Driver |
From |
Car |
Started |
1 |
Howard Sumner |
Wilsonville, Nebraska |
Andre “Pig Iron Special” #16 |
4 |
2 |
Gerald “Curly” Wadsworth* |
Topeka, Kansas |
#31 |
5 |
3 |
Gene Ortner |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
Rutherford #21 |
3 |
4 |
Jay Stears |
Kansas City, Missouri |
Ford #22 |
2 |
5 |
Gregg Tiederman |
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
Tiederman Ranger #71 |
1 |
Tiederman had purchased this car from Mark Bowles, Jr. and this was his first time to drive it. He was struck by a dirt clod in this race breaking his noise.
Second Heat Race – 4 Cars – 6 Laps
Place |
Driver |
From |
Car |
Started |
1 |
Frank Lies |
Wichita, Kansas |
Wilson Ford V-60 “Mighty Mouse” #5 |
2 |
2 |
Jim Curley |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
Curley GMC Conversion #17 |
4 |
3 |
Troy Routh |
Maize, Kansas |
#3 |
1 |
4 |
Charlie Lutkie |
Wichita, Kansas |
Taylor Willys #54 |
3 |
Third Heat Race – 4 Cars – 6 Laps
Place |
Driver |
From |
Car |
Started |
1 |
Gordon Shuck |
Edgar, Nebraska |
Byrnes GMC #11 |
3 |
2 |
Jerry Shumaker |
Wichita, Kansas |
Church Brothers GMC #39 |
2 |
3 |
Bob Murra |
Wichita, Kansas |
Taylor Rutherford #55 |
1 |
4 |
Bob McKim |
Salina, Kansas |
Westerhaus Kurtis Kraft Studebaker #28 |
4 |
Consolation Race – 5 Cars – 6 Laps
Place |
Driver |
From |
Car |
Started |
1 |
Gregg Tiederman |
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
Tiederman Ranger #71 |
2 |
2 |
Troy Routh |
Maize, Kansas |
#3 |
3 |
3 |
Jay Stears |
Kansas City, Missouri |
Ford #22 |
1 |
4 |
Bob Murra |
Wichita, Kansas |
Taylor Rutherford #55 |
4 |
5 |
Buddy Quick |
Wichita, Kansas |
#4 |
5 |
Feature Race – 12 Cars - 15 Laps
Place |
Driver |
From |
Car |
Started |
1 |
Gordon Shuck |
Edgar, Nebraska |
Byrnes GMC #11 |
1 |
2 |
Bob Murra |
Wichita, Kansas |
Taylor Rutherford #55 |
3 |
3 |
Jerry Shumaker |
Wichita, Kansas |
Church Brothers GMC #39 |
2 |
4 |
Jim Curley |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
Curley GMC Conversion #17 |
4 |
5 |
Buddy Quick |
Wichita, Kansas |
#4 |
12 |
6 |
Howard Sumner |
Wilsonville, Nebraska |
Andre “Pig Iron Special” #16 |
8 |
DNF |
Troy Routh |
Maize, Kansas |
#3 |
6 |
DNF |
Gerald “Curly” Wadsworth* |
Topeka, Kansas |
#31 |
7 |
DNF |
Frank Lies |
Wichita, Kansas |
Wilson Ford V-6 “Mighty Mouse” #5 |
5 |
DNF |
Gene Ortner |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
Rutherford #21 |
9 |
DNF |
Jay Stears |
Kansas City, Missouri |
Ford #22 |
10 |
DNF |
Charlie Lutkie |
Wichita, Kansas |
Taylor Willys #54 |
11 |
Lies tried to squeeze between another competitor and the outside fencing but clipped the fence and rolled the Chet Wilson owned Ford.
The cars of Routh and Wadsworth tangled eliminating both from the race.
This photo was taken this day. The lined up outside of row two at left is the #5 Chet Wilson Ford V8-60 known as “Mighty Mouse”. The cartoon character was later painted on the cowl of this car that was being driven here by Frank Lies. The car pitted next to the stage and just to the right of the front row of cars on the racetrack was owned by Peaches Campbell of Tulsa, Oklahoma – Larry Merrick collection
Gene Ortner Tommy Madison collection |
Buddy Quick Tommy Madison collection |
Bob Murra Roy Pulver collection |
Gregg Tiederman Tiederman collection |
Charlie Lutkie Charlie Lutkie collection |
Jerry Shumaker Tom Madison collection |
Frank Lies Big Car Thunder by Bob Mays |
Jim Curley Big Car Thunder by Bob Mays |
Gordon Shuck Big Car Thunder by Bob Mays |
* Gerald “Curly” Wadsworth was fatally injured in a racing accident in Kansas City, Kansas in 1956.
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