Semi-Late Model Stock Car Races
On the Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the
Kansas State Fairgrounds
Hutchinson, Kansas
Tuesday – September 18, 1973
Promotional Company – D & P Racing Promotions of Great Bend, Kansas
Race Directors – Ernie Drocher and Howard Pedigo of Great Bend, Kansas
Flagman / Starter – Don Pedigo of Great Bend, Kansas
Trophy Girl – Pam Potts of Great Bend, Kansas
Track condition – dry slick
The Hutchinson News described the races this day as being “simply smashing”.
First Heat Race
Place |
Driver |
From |
1 |
Jack Petty |
Wichita, Kansas |
2 |
H. A. Ratzlaff |
Dodge City, Kansas |
3 |
Ron Case |
Wichita, Kansas |
4 |
Larry Crowl |
Lyons, Kansas |
5 |
Dave White |
Wichita, Kansas |
6 |
Sam Brittendall |
Salina, Kansas |
7 |
Stan Hacker |
Kingman, Kansas |
|
Wayne Olson |
Salina, Kansas |
|
Jack Johnson |
Haysville, Kansas |
DNF |
Leroy Powell |
Great Bend, Kansas |
DNF |
Larry Hall |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
DNF |
Rickey Blackburn |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
The car driven by Blackburn was forced off of the racetrack and into a mud puddle causing the race to be restarted.
On the restart, cars driven by Johnson, Hall, and Powell crashed in the southwest turn. The car driven by Olson spun into the infield to avoid the pileup.
Second Heat Race
Place |
Driver |
From |
1 |
Bud Haehn |
Wichita, Kansas |
2 |
Shelby Steenson |
Solomon, Kansas |
3 |
Gary Moore |
Wichita, Kansas |
4 |
Rex Evans |
Wichita, Kansas |
5 |
Ernest Ramey |
Wichita, Kansas |
6 |
Lawrence Petrie |
Salina, Kansas |
7 |
Frank Powers |
Wichita, Kansas |
8 |
Tim Wheaton |
Dodge City, Kansas |
|
Kenny Moore |
Winfield, Kansas |
|
Loyd Farr |
Leoti, Kansas |
|
Milton Ward |
Chase, Kansas |
The cars driven by Kenny Moore, Farr, and Ward crashed in the southwest at the same time that two unidentified cars were crashing in the northeast turn. These multiple collisions caused the race to be restarted.
Gary Moore led the first four laps before being passed by Steenson. Haehn then passed both Moore and Steenson on the seventh lap and led the rest of the way to the finish.
Third Heat Race
Place |
Driver |
From |
1 |
Mel Potts |
Salina, Kansas |
2 |
Dave Oltman |
Salina, Kansas |
3 |
Dan Casmaer |
Wichita, Kansas |
4 |
Henry Ellington |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
5 |
Don Morris |
Junction City, Kansas |
6 |
Gary Hill |
Wichita, Kansas |
7 |
Don Kreie |
Dodge City, Kasas |
8 |
Jim Mayes |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
DNF |
Joe Coster |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
DNF |
Larry Wolf |
Wichita, Kansas |
DNF |
Melvin Runyan, Sr. |
Wichita, Kansas |
The race had to be restarted when Wolf flipped his car end-over-end in the south turn as Runyan slid high and into the concrete wall.
Coster then crashed into the outside wall causing another restart of the race.
Fourth Heat Race
Place |
Driver |
From |
1 |
Terry Kowalsky |
Great Bend, Kansas |
2 |
J. D. Martin |
Dodge City, Kansas |
3 |
Steve Lutkie |
Wichita, Kansas |
4 |
Larry Pankratz |
Wichita, Kansas |
5 |
Buddy Hill |
Wichita, Kansas |
6 |
Ron Cemper |
O’Neill, Nebraska |
7 |
Mel Montgomery |
Wichita, Kansas |
8 |
Norris Anderson |
Jamestown, Kansas |
9 |
Darryl Johnson |
Wichita, Kansas |
|
Van Gemmill |
Garden City, Kansas |
|
Dick Hendershot* |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
|
Carl “C.Q.” Curless |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
DNF |
Jim Kizzar |
Chase, Kansas |
DNF |
Alan Combs |
Herington, Kansas |
DNF |
Charles Omerod |
Wichita, Kansas |
This race was restarted when the cars driven by Omerod and Combs tangled at the start of this race with Omerod’s car winding up against the outside wall.
On the restart, Kizzar’s car spun out in the southeast turn but he was able to back it into the infield before the rest of the cars got to that turn.
Trophy Dash
Place |
Driver |
From |
1 |
Jack Petty |
Wichita, Kansas |
2 |
Bud Haehn |
Wichita, Kansas |
3 |
J. D. Martin |
Dodge City, Kansas |
4 |
Terry Kowalsky |
Great Bend, Kansas |
5 |
Mel Potts |
Salina, Kansas |
6 |
H. A. Ratzlaff |
Dodge City, Kansas |
C Feature
Place |
Driver |
From |
1 |
Garry Fuller, Sr. |
Salina, Kansas |
2 |
Bob Gilmore |
Chase, Kansas |
3 |
Jack Johnson |
Haysville, Kansas |
4 |
Charles Omerod |
Wichita, Kansas |
5 |
Bill Main |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
6 |
Marvin Bradford |
Salina, Kansas |
7 |
John Shearhod |
Wichita, Kansas |
DNF |
Melvin Runyan, Sr. |
Wichita, Kansas |
DNF |
Carl “C.Q.” Curless |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
DNF |
Buddy Wysong |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
The cars driven by Wysong and Curless spun out in the north turn. Just a few laps later, Runyan’s car crashed into the wall in the south turn just a few feet from where it had crashed in the third heat race.
B Feature
Place |
Driver |
From |
1 |
Van Gemmill |
Garden City, Kansas |
2 |
Milton Ward |
Chase, Kansas |
3 |
Norris Anderson |
Jamestown, Kansas |
4 |
Roy Andrews |
Wichita, Kansas |
5 |
Bryson Mills |
Newton, Kansas |
6 |
Darryl Johnson |
Wichita, Kansas |
7 |
Bill Mills |
Newton, Kansas |
DNF |
Gary Holbert |
Concordia, Kansas |
DNF |
Randy Patton |
Belleville, Kansas |
DNF |
Harlan Gile |
Wichita, Kansas |
DNF |
Ron Parks |
Hutchinson, Kansas |
The race was restarted when the cars driven by Parks, Gile, and Patton tangled at in the southwest turn with Patton’s car crashing into the outside wall. Holbert then spun his car into a water hole in the infield to avoid being involved in the fray.
A Feature
Place |
Driver |
From |
1 |
Jack Petty |
Wichita, Kansas |
2 |
Terry Kowalsky |
Great Bend, Kansas |
3 |
H. A. Ratzlaff |
Dodge City, Kansas |
4 |
J. D. Martin |
Dodge City, Kansas |
5 |
Mel Potts |
Salina, Kansas |
6 |
Gary Moore |
Wichita, Kansas |
7 |
Dan Casmaer |
Wichita, Kansas |
8 |
Dave Oltman |
Salina, Kansas |
9 |
Ron Case |
Wichita, Kansas |
10 |
Mel Montgomery |
Wichita, Kansas |
11 |
Steve Lutkie |
Wichita, Kansas |
|
Tim Wheaton |
Dodge City, Kansas |
DNF |
Larry Pankratz |
Wichita, Kansas |
DNF |
Bud Haehn |
Wichita, Kansas |
The race had to be stopped after ten laps when the cars driven by Pankratz and Haehn locked wheels in front of the grandstands and crashed into the wall at the start / finish line.
Wheaton’s car slid into a mud hole in the infield near the southwest turn.
This photo was taken during the pace lap for the fourth heat race on this afternoon at Hutchinson. Carl “C.Q.” Curless was driving the #162 Vince-Stephens-owned Ford Falcon and Steve Lutkie was driving the #86 Chevrolet - Vince Stephens collection
This photo of Carl “C.Q.” Curless in his Vince-Stephens-owned Ford Falcon was taken on this afternoon at Hutchinson
Vince Stephens collection
Winner of the First Heat Race, Trophy Dash and the A Feature
Left to right: Starter Don Pedigo, car owner Larry Nulf, trophy girl Pam Potts and driver Jack Petty.
Larry Nulf collection
This photo of a race lined up was taken on this afternoon from the flag stand. The only cars to be identified to date are the #81 in the foreground which was a yellow Chevrolet driven by Bill Mills. The car only visible at far right was built by Pinky Mullens but it has not been determined which of the many cars he built this one is or who was driving it. If you can identify any of the other cars in this photo, please contact Bob Lawrence – Jim Morris photo for the Hutchinson News |
Dick Hendershot* Schrater family collection |
Jack Johnson Mullens family collection |
Milton Ward Racing from the Past website |
Bud Haehn Haehn collection |
Kenny Meore Elaine Moore collection |
Don Kreie Roger Burnett collection |
Gary Moore Gary Moore collection |
Ron Case Mullens family collection |
Charles Omerod Charles Omerod collection |
Harlan Gile 81 Speedway program |
Steve Lutkie Steve Lutkie collection |
Mel Montgomery Montgomery family collection |
Roy Andrews Roy Andrews collection |
Frank Powers 81 Speedway program |
Dan Casmaer Ken Greteman photo |
Vern Allen Vern Allen collection |
Jim Mayes Racing from the Past website |
Alan Combs Kruse collection |
Van Gemmill Schrater family collection |
J. D. Martin Merrick racing program |
Sam Brittendall Kruse collection |
Carl “C.Q.” Curless Vince Stephens collection |
Marvin Bradford Racing from the Past website |
Dave Oltman Racing from the Past website |
Buddy Wysong Racing from the Past website |
Dave White 81 Speedway program |
Gary Holbert Racing from the Past website |
Larry Wolf Mike Cornelison photo from the Bob Lawrence collection |
Larry Crowl Donavan Kreie collection from the Racing from the Past website |
Bill Mills Mills collection |
Ernest Ramey Ron Cyr photo from the Earnest Ramey collection |
* Richard M. “Dick” Hendershot (1925-1976) was fatally injured in a racing accident at Salina, Kansas.
Return to the Feature Race Winners at Hutchinson, Kansas web page