Automobile Races

On the Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the

Kansas State Fairgrounds

 Hutchinson, Kansas

Monday, September 17, 1928

 

Promoter – W. W. Bowen of San Antonio, Texas

Starter / Flagman – Don C. Onley of San Antonio, Texas

 

Attendance – 15,000

 

 

 

Dad Harrier

David Harrier collection

Toots Campo

Mike Cline collection

George Barringer

Bill Barringer collection

 

 

 

Entry List

Driver

From

Car Number

Automobile

Max Ryan

Mankato, Kansas

99

Whippet Special

Speck Heminger

Grand Island, Nebraska

7

Rajo

Jim Deines1

Topeka, Kansas

15

Hudson Special

F. J. McFadden

Hutchinson, Kansas

16

Rajo

Rea Bray

Hutchinson, Kansas

1434

Superior Special  (Hisso)

P. C. “Dad” Harrier

Topeka, Kansas

5

Frontenac

Andy Smith

Los Angeles, California

29

Frontenac

Barney Oman7

Los Angeles, California

101

Miller Special

Thomas Murie2

Hutchinson, Kansas

6

Dodge Special

Roy O'Laughlin3

Hutchinson, Kansas

7-11

Frontenac

Tom Holden

Denver, Colorado4

70

Chrysler Special

Toots Campo5

Milan, Italy

38-2

Deschano Special

Al Koepke

Topeka, Kansas

8

Frontenac Special

Rex Edmonds

Houston, Texas

77

Chevrolet Special 9

C. E. Wright

Shawnee, Oklahoma

88

Chevrolet Special

Oscar Coleman8

Dallas, Texas

11

Boyle Valve Special

George “Barney” Barringer6

Wichita Falls, Texas

21

Barringer Special  (Frontenac)

Grant E. Ashby

Kansas City, Missouri

3

Ashby Special

Kid Lewis

Kansas City, Missouri

2

Nelson Special  (Hisso)

Dick Richardson

Kansas City, Missouri

 

Frontenac

Joe Taylor

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

88

Frontenac Special

J. E. “Jim” White

Sharon Springs, Kansas

28 

White Special  (Frontenac)

 

 

 

Class “A” Heat – 6 Cars - 10 Laps – Time:  5:27.8

 Place

Driver

From

Car Number

Automobile

1

Toots Campo5

Milan, Italy

38-2

Deschano Special

2

Pat Cunningham

St. Joseph, Missouri

7-11

Frontenac3

3

George “Barney” Barringer 6

Wichita Falls, Texas

21

Barringer Special  (Frontenac)

                This race was open to the six fastest cars from time trials.  Campo built up a large lead on the first lap and was able to hold onto it until the finish. 

 

 

 

Class “B” Heat – 5 Laps – Time:  2:48.2

 Place

Driver

From

Car Number

Automobile

1

Jim White

Sharon Springs, Kansas

28 

White Special  (Frontenac)

2

Dad Harrier

Topeka, Kansas

5

Frontenac

3

Speck Heminger

Grand Island, Nebraska

7

Rajo

 

Dick Richardson

Kansas City, Missouri

 

Frontenac

 

Oscar Coleman8

Dallas, Texas

11

Boyle Valve Special

                This race was originally scheduled for 10 laps and was open to all cars that did not qualify for the Class “A” heat race in time trials.  On the fourth lap, Coleman crashed into the fence on the south turn.  His car spun completely around and was heavily damaged but Coleman was not injured.  On the fifth lap, Richardson’s Frontenac bounced off of Coleman’s stranded car, spun around and crashed into the fence.  Richardson’s leg was badly brused but his injuries were not serious.  His Frontenac was seriously damaged though.  At that point, race officials decided to call the race official and recorded the time.  After some discussion though, it was restarted and the remaining five laps were completed.  White led all five of those laps with Harrier pressing him closely the whole way.  Not time was recorded for the final five-lap sprint.

 

 

 

Midwest Championship Dash – 6 Laps – Time:  3:44.0

 Place

Driver

From

Car Number

Automobile

1

Rex Edmonds

Houston, Texas

77

Chevrolet Special 9

2

Al Koepke

Topeka, Kansas

8

Frontenac Special

3

Pat Cunningham

St. Joseph, Missouri

7:11

Frontenac3

                Cunningham led the first four laps but was overtaken by Koepke on the next circuit.  Edmonds shot from fourth place to the lead on the last lap of the race crossing the finish line one car length ahead of Koepke and three car lengths ahead of Cunningham.

 

 

 

Kansas Championship Dash – 4 Cars - 6 Laps – Time: 3:38.6

 Place

Driver

From

Car Number

Automobile

1

Pat Cunningham

St. Joseph, Missouri

7-11

Frontenac3

2

Al Koepke

Topeka, Kansas

8

Frontenac Special

3

Dad Harrier

Topeka, Kansas

5

Frontenac

                This race was only open to drivers who were residents of Kansas.  Koepke led this race until the very last turn when Cunningham picked up enough speed to draw even with him and then pull ahead enough to when the race by a wheel.

 

 

 

Grand Sweepstakes – 25 Laps – 10 Cars - Time:  13:10.2

 Place

Driver

From

Car Number

Automobile

Purse

1

Rex Edmonds

Houston, Texas

77

Chevrolet Special 9

$150

2

Al Koepke

Topeka, Kansas

8

Frontenac Special

  75

3

George “Barney” Barringer 6

Wichita Falls, Texas

21

Barringer Special  (Frontenac)

  50

 

Jim White

Sharon Springs, Kansas

28

White Special  (Frontenac)

 

 

Joe Taylor

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

88

Frontenac Special

 

 

Pat Cunningham

St. Joseph, Missouri

7-11

Frontenac3

 

            Cunningham lead the first eight laps but broke a tie rod exiting the south turn onto the back straightaway on the ninth lap and slid to a stopped.  He suffered a sprained wrist in the incident.  Edmonds, who had been running close behind Cunningham, passed him when he stopped and lead the remainder of the race with ease.  On the tenth lap, Taylor narrowly missed Cunningham’s disabled Fronty but crashed hard into the fence in doing so.  He was not hurt except for minor bruises and scratches.  Jim White fell out of the race on the fourth lap with engine trouble.  Koepke and Barringer put on a spirited battle throughout the whole race for second place with Koepke taking the position by less than a car length.  Six cars were still running at the completion of the race.  Fourth place received $25 from the purse but that driver was not named in the race results that were published in the local newspaper.

 

 

 

 

Race Officials

Don C. Olney

Los Angeles, California

-

Co-promoter, Starter, Flagman, Referee

W. W. Bowen

San Antonio, Texas

-

Co-promoter, Director of the Course

 

 

 

Tom Holden

Carolyn (Felt) Junod collection

Tom Murie

Al Murie collection

Jim White

Oakley Graphic photo

Oscar Coleman

Don Radbruch collection

 

 

 

 

1 James C. “Dusty” Deines (1898-1967)

 

2 Thomas Clarence“Tom” Murie (1891-1967) was the father of racing driver Allen Leon “Big Al” Murie (1930-2015).

 

3 Roy Luther O'Laughlin (1896-1930) lost a leg in a racing accident a year earlier at Belleville, Kansas so he enlisted Pat Cunningham to drive his #7-11 Frontenac in these races.

 

4 Tom Holden (1906-1987) usually listed his home as being Denver, Colorado but he was actually from Wakeeney, Kansas.

 

5 Toots Campo may originally have been from Milan, Italy but he was making his home in Kansas City, Missouri at the time.

 

6 George “Barney” Barringer claimed Wichita Falls, Texas as his home although he resided at Parsons, Kansas for a time.  The entry list for this race that was published in the local newspaper showed his home as Vancouver, B. C., Canada which is undoubtedly incorrect.  George had built the Barringer Special himself.  He went on to compete in the Indianapolis “500” six times before being fatally injured in a racing accident at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta, Georgia in 1946.

 

7 Barney Oman’s surname is spelled “Uman” in some sources.

 

8 Oscar Lloyd Coleman (1905-1938) was fatally injured while attempting to qualify for a midget race in Dallas, Texas.

 

9 This Chevrolet special #77 was owned by Harold Edward “Red” Grange (1903-1991).

 

 

 

 

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