Sprint Car Races

On the Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the

Kansas State Fairgrounds

 Hutchinson, Kansas

 

Tuesday – September 17, 1968

 

Sanctioned by – Big Car Racing Association (B.C.R.A.)

 

 

 

#58 Harry Ivers and #44 Dick Bloom on this afternoon - Leroy Byers photo from the Bloom family collection

 

 

 

 #5 Keith Hightshoe, #43 Dale Reed and #25 Harold Leep during the third heat race on this afternoon.  Leep’s mount would suffer a blown engine shortly after this photo was taken.

Leroy Byers photo from the Bob Mays collection

 

 

 

Time Trials – 1 Lap

 

 

 

  

First Heat Race – 8 Laps

 

 

 

Second Heat Race – 8 Laps

Lane spun out in the southwest turn and backed into the outside crash wall causing the race to be restarted.

Dewell was driving the Curt Stockwell owned #3 Offy.  It was Dewell’s first ever start in a sprint car but the car lost its gears on the fourth lap.

Bodenhammer’s car bounced off of the outside wall exiting the northwest turn on one lap but he was able to recover from the incident keeping car running.

 

 

 

Third Heat Race – 8 Laps

The Chet Wilson Chevrolet “Offy Killer” that Leep was driving, suffered a blown engine.

Ross and Opperman staged a spirited dual for the lead of this race until the last lap when both drove into the northeast turn to fast sliding high on the racetrack.  That allowed Woolley to pass them both on the inside and hold on for the victory

 

 

 

Trophy Dash – 4 Laps

 

 

 

Consolation Race – 10 Laps

Reed started in the third position and took over the lead on the third lap leading until the eighth lap when his engine blew and he coasted to a stop in the infield.

 

 

 

A Feature – 20 Laps

Sutcliffe, Bryant, and Ross pulled away from the rest of the cars.  Sutcliffe led until the 17^th lap when he slid to high in the northeast turn allowing Bryant to slip past him on the inside for the lead.

 

 

 

 

This photo of Jan Opperman with the Bob Trostle owned car was taken at Hutchinson during this week – Bob Mays collection

 

 

 

 This photo of Dale Reed was taken at Hutchinson during this week – McKim collection

 

 

 

  This photo of Dick Bloom was taken at Hutchinson during this week.  The #84 in the background was owned by Red Forshee and driven by Roy Bryant – Leroy Byers photo from the McKim collection

 Click your mouse on this photo to see another taken by Leroy Byers just seconds from this one was, but this one is from the Bloom family collection.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Jan Opperman (1939-1997) had just moved to the Midwest from California and had not established a residence yet so he listed the home of his car owner, Bob Trostle of Des Moines, Iowa as his place of residence.  The following winter, Jan moved his family to Beaver Crossing, Nebraska.  He went on to compete in the Indianapolis “500” twice.  Jan eventually succumbed to injuries sustained in a sprint car accident at Jennerstown, Pennsylvania in 1981.

 

 

 

 

 

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