Big Car Races on the

Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the

Kansas State Fairgrounds

 Hutchinson, Kansas

Sunday – September 18, 1949

 

 

Sanctioned by – International Motor Contest Association (I.M.C.A.)

 Promotional company – Auto Racing Incorporated of Minneapolis, Minnesota

Promoter – Frank R. Winkley of Minneapolis, Minnesota

 

Attendance – “A near capacity crowd”

 

 

Emory Collins

Wood collection

  

Time Trials – 15 Cars - 1 Lap

Place

Driver

From

Time

  1

Emory Collins

Le Mars, Iowa

24.53

  2

Jimmy Wilburn***

Indianapolis, Indiana

26.42

  3

Bill Anderson*

Long Beach, California

26.80

  4

Ben Musick

Dallas, Texas

26.95

  5

Bill Hooper

Decatur, Illinois

27.82

  6

Clair Cotter

Austin, Minnesota

28.34

  7

Joe James**

Van Nuys, California

28.47

  8

Bert Hellmueller

Louisville, Kentucky

28.57

  9

Robert Marr

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

29.10

  9

Loren Fondoble

Wichita, Kansas

29.10

11

Owen Aleshire

Moberly, Missouri

29.47

12

Roy Yauger

Austin, Minnesota

30.60

13

Johnny Harper

Chicago, Illinois

30.64

14

Bill Hoff

St. Paul, Minnesota

31.04

15

Red Ballew

Moberly, Missouri

31.22

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ben Musick

Swart collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

First Heat Race – 6 Cars - 7 Laps

Place

Driver

From

Time

1

Emory Collins

Le Mars, Iowa

3:26.4

2

Ben Musick

Dallas, Texas

 

3

Bill Hooper

Decatur, Illinois

 

4

Joe James**

Van Nuys, California

 

5

Robert Marr

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

 

6

Loren Fondoble

Wichita, Kansas

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bill Anderson

Don Radbruch collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second Heat Race – 6 Cars - 7 Laps

Place

Driver

From

Time

1

Jimmy Wilburn***

Indianapolis, Indiana

NT

2

Bill Anderson*

Long Beach, California

 

3

Bert Hellmueller

Louisville, Kentucky

 

4

Clair Cotter

Austin, Minnesota

 

5

Owen Aleshire

Moberly, Missouri

 

6

Roy Yauger

Austin, Minnesota

 

          Anderson spun his car “completely around” in the north turn.  Cars were narrowly missing him on both sides so the starter put out the red flag and stopped the race.  After getting a tow, Anderson was able to restart the race.  No time was recorded for the race due to the red flag.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clair Cotter

Wood collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Match Race – 2 Cars - 3 Laps

Place

Driver

From

Time

1

Clair Cotter

Austin, Minnesota

1:32.6

2

Joe James**

Van Nuys, California

 

 

 

 

Bert Hellmueller

Bob Stolze collection

 

 

 

 

 

Consolation Race – 7 Cars – 5 Laps

Place

Driver

From

Time

1

Roy Yauger

Austin, Minnesota

2:39.25

2

Owen Aleshire

Moberly, Missouri

 

3

Loren Fondoble

Wichita, Kansas

 

4

Robert Marr

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

 

5

Red Ballew

Moberly, Missouri

 

6

Bill Hoff

St. Paul, Minnesota

 

7

Johnny Harper

Chicago, Illinois

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loren Fondoble

Lehman collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Australian Pursuit Handicap Race – 3 Cars - 8 Laps

Place

Driver

From

Time

1

Loren Fondoble

Wichita, Kansas

 

2

Roy Yauger

Austin, Minnesota

DNF

3

Red Ballew

Moberly, Missouri

DNF

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bill Hooper

Larry Sullivan photo

 

 

 

Feature Race – 10 Cars - 10 Laps

Place

Driver

From

Time

  1

Emory Collins

Le Mars, Iowa

5:08.2

  2

Jimmy Wilburn***

Indianapolis, Indiana

 

  3

Bill Hooper

Decatur, Illinois

 

  4

Bill Anderson*

Long Beach, California

 

  5

Bert Hellmueller

Louisville, Kentucky

 

  6

Roy Yauger

Austin, Minnesota

 

  7

Owen Aleshire

Moberly, Minnesota

 

  8

Loren Fondoble

Wichita, Kansas

 

  9

Joe James**

Van Nuys, California

DNF

10

Clair Cotter

Austin, Minnesota

DNF

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joe James

Joe Roletto collection

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jimmy Wilburn

Don Radbruch collection

 

 

This photo was taken on the front straight-away at Hutchinson in 1949.  The car at left was owned and driven by Jimmy Wilburn.

Darrin McKim collection

 

 

 

 

* William Terry “Wild Bill” Anderson (1917-1950) of Long Beach, California was fatally injured at the Mitchell Speedrome in Mitchell, Indiana.  He was the third driver to loose his life in the former Gus Schrader Offy.

 

** Joseph David “Joe” James (1925-1952) came east to Kansas with mechanic Jud Phillips and body man Jack Dulin.  They brought with them an old refurbished sprint car with an Ardun flathead engine.  James would go on to compete in the Indianapolis “500” twice before being fatally injured in a racing accident at San Jose, California.

 

*** James T. “Jimmy” Wilburn (1908-1984) competed in the Indianapolis “500” in 1946.

 

 

 

 

 

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