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 |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
1434 |
Superior Special (Hisso) |
|
Topeka, Kansas |
5 |
Frontenac |
|
Andy Smith |
Los Angeles, California |
29 |
Frontenac |
Barney Oman7 |
Los Angeles, California |
101 |
Miller Special |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
6 |
Dodge Special |
|
Roy O'Laughlin3 |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
7-11 |
Frontenac |
Tom Holden |
Denver, Colorado4 |
70 |
Chrysler Special |
Milan, Italy |
38-2 |
||
Topeka, Kansas |
8 |
Frontenac Special |
|
Rex Edmonds |
Houston, Texas |
77 |
Chevrolet Special 9 |
C. E. Wright |
Shawnee, Oklahoma |
88 |
Chevrolet Special |
Dallas, Texas |
11 |
Boyle Valve Special |
|
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 |
Milan, Italy |
38-2 |
||
2 |
St. Joseph, Missouri |
7-11 |
Frontenac3 |
|
3 |
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 |
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 |
Topeka, Kansas |
8 |
Frontenac Special |
|
3 |
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 |
St. Joseph, Missouri |
7-11 |
Frontenac3 |
|
2 |
Topeka, Kansas |
8 |
Frontenac Special |
|
3 |
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 |
Topeka, Kansas |
8 |
Frontenac Special |
75 |
|
3 |
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 |
|
|
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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