Big Car Races on the
Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the
Kansas State Fairgrounds
Hutchinson, Kansas
Monday – September 17, 1945
“The First Auto Races West of New Jersey since the War Ended”
Races sanctioned by the International Motor Contest Association (I.M.C.A.)
Promoter / starter / flagman – Al Sweeney
Attendance: “over 15,000”
Total number of cars entered: 11
Track condition: “soft in the turns”
Time Trials – 7 Cars – 1 Lap
Place |
Driver |
From |
Automobile |
Time |
1 |
Emory Collins |
Le Mars, Iowa |
Riverside Special Offy #7 |
27.1 |
2 |
Deb Snyder |
Kent, Ohio |
Snyder Offy #3 |
30.0 |
3 |
Clarence Merritt |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
Merritt Special |
30.7 |
4 |
Ted Parker |
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
|
30.9 |
5 |
Virgil Booth |
Houston, Texas |
#7 |
31.3 |
6 |
Bill Hooper |
Decatur, Illinois |
Delagrange Hisso #100 |
33.8 |
7 |
Posey Reeves |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
#5 |
N.T. |
First Heat Race – 5 Laps
Place |
Driver |
From |
Automobile |
Time |
1 |
Emory Collins |
Le Mars, Iowa |
Riverside Special Offy #7 |
2:39.1 |
2 |
Clarence Merritt |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
Merritt Special |
|
3 |
Ted Parker |
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
|
|
4 |
Virgil Booth |
Houston, Texas |
#7 |
|
Second Heat Race – 5 Laps
Place |
Driver |
From |
Automobile |
Time |
1 |
Deb Snyder |
Kent, Ohio |
Snyder Offy #3 |
2:38.0 |
2 |
Ted Parker |
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
|
|
3 |
Virgil Booth |
Houston, Texas |
#7 |
|
4 |
Bill Hooper |
Decatur, Illinois |
Delagrange Hisso #100 |
|
Exhibition Midget Race – 2 Laps
Place |
Driver |
From |
Automobile |
Time |
1 |
Ted Parker |
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
|
|
2 |
Clarence Merritt |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
Merritt Special |
|
Pursuit Handicap Race – 3 Laps
Place |
Driver |
From |
Automobile |
Time |
1 |
Emory Collins |
Le Mars, Iowa |
Riverside Special Offy #7 |
1:32.0 |
2 |
Deb Snyder |
Kent, Ohio |
Snyder Offy #3 |
|
Australian Pursuit Handicap Race – 4 Cars - 7 Laps
Place |
Driver |
From |
Automobile |
Time |
1 |
Ted Parker |
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
|
|
2 |
Virgil Booth |
Houston, Texas |
#7 |
DNF |
3 |
Bill Hooper |
Decatur, Illinois |
Delagrange Hisso #100 |
DNF |
4 |
Posey Reeves |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
#5 |
DNF |
Sweepstakes Race – 7 Cars - 15 Laps
Place |
Driver |
From |
Automobile |
Time |
1 |
Emory Colllins |
Le Mars, Iowa |
Riverside Special Offy #7 |
4:40.1 |
2 |
Deb Snyder |
Kent, Ohio |
Snyder Offy #3 |
|
3 |
Clarence Merritt |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
Merritt Special |
|
4 |
Ted Parker |
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
|
|
5 |
Virgil Booth |
Houston, Texas |
#7 |
|
6 |
Bill Hoooper |
Decatur, Illinois |
Delagrange Hisso #100 |
DNF |
7 |
Posey Reeves |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
#5 |
DNF |
The cars of Snyder and Merritt bumped wheels in the first corner of the race but both were able to continue. Hooper and Reeves retired from this race with engine trouble. Although it kept running, Booth’s yellow #7 was slow to accelerate. The Hutchinson News-Herald reported the next day that the large crowd was pleased with the afternoon of racing despite the small turnout of cars.
Clarence Merritt Buddy Carroll collection |
Posey Reeves Don Radbruch collection |
Ted Parker Charles Pauley collection |
Return to the Feature Race Winners at Hutchinson, Kansas web page
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