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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