Fifteenth Annual National Modified Championship Races
On the Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the
Kansas State Fairgrounds
Hutchinson, Kansas
Sunday August 1, 1971
Sanctioned by National Championship Racing Association (N.C.R.A.)
Promotional Company Merrick Racing Promotions (M.R.P.)
Race Director Jack Merrick of Dodge City, Kansas
Flagman / Starter Al Alexander of Wichita, Kansas
Miss National Modified Deborah VanCampen of Hutchinson, Kansas
Attendance 9,000
The cars are shown here lined up for the 50-lap championship race on this afternoon. On the pole is #1300 Emmett Hahn. Outside of the front row is #8 Herb Copeland. Inside of the second row is #4 Grady Wade. Outside of the second row is #6 Dale Reed - Hutchinson Nationals program
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David Ross Bob Mays collection |
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Walt McWhorter Bob Mays collection |
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Ken Myers Bob Mays collection |
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Forrest Coleman Bob Mays collection |
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Aaron Madden Racing from the past website |
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Emmett Hahn National Championship program |
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Herb Copeland High Plains THUNDER BY Bob Mays |
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Bill Bookout Racing from the Past website |
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H. A. Ratzlaff Cokeley collection |
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Ron Fowler High Plains THUNDER by Bob Mays |
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Jerry Soderberg Dodge City Globe |
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Jack Petty Ken Gretemen photo from the Bob Mays collection |
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Dale Parsons High Plains THUNDER by Bob Mays |
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Bud Hatch Bob Mays collection |
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Roy Bryant Bob Mays collection |
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Dale Reed Bob Mays collection |
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Melvin Rogers Racing from the Past website |
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Grady Wade Racing from the Past website |
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Dutch Ter Steege Racing from the Past website |
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Bill Cohee Racing from the Past website |
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Jerry Everhart Racing from the Past website |
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Larry Coleman Racing from the Past website |
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Terry Uehling Hutchinson Nationals program |
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Larry Melvin Larry Melvin collection |
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Lawrence Sinks Lawrence Sinks collection |
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Don Craig Brian Conn collection Racing from the Past website |
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Don McElhinny 81 Speedway program |
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Billy Patton, Sr. Kristi Truboulie collection Racing from the Past website |
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Billy Patton, Jr. Kristi Truboulie collection Racing from the Past website |
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Jim Toombs Larry Hall collection |
Patton_jr.jpg)
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First Heat Race 10 Laps |
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Place |
Car # |
Driver |
From |
Time |
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1 |
00 |
Billy Patton, Sr. |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
4:32.63 |
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2 |
12xx |
Don McElhinny |
Wichita, Kansas |
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3 |
1xx |
Steve Kammerer |
Wichita, Kansas |
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4 |
44 |
Richard Powell |
Enid, Oklahoma |
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5 |
1c |
Larry Coleman |
Wichita, Kansas |
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6 |
62 |
Charlie Turner |
Arkansas City, Kansas |
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7 |
89 |
Robert McCarty |
Wichita, Kansas |
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8 |
7 |
Dutch Ter Steege |
Bethany, Oklahoma |
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9 |
21 |
Carl Allen, Jr. |
Midwest City, Oklahoma |
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10 |
2xx |
Jim Toombs |
Wichita, Kansas |
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11 |
99x |
Bill Patton, Jr |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
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Patton led all the way unchallenged. McElhaney passed Kammerer on the last lap to take over the second position. |
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Second Heat Race 10 Laps |
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Place |
Car # |
Driver |
From |
Time |
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1 |
96 |
Jack Petty |
Wichita, Kansas |
4:28.05 |
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2 |
48 |
Sam Brittendall |
Salina, Kansas |
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3 |
39 |
Wayne Hattabaugh |
Lawrence, Kansas |
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4 |
75 |
Don Craig |
Lawrence, Kansas |
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5 |
43 |
Mike Lutkie |
Wichita, Kansas |
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6 |
7x |
Jerry Kelsar |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
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7 |
12 |
Bill Cohee |
Topeka, Kansas |
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8 |
63 |
DaVern Spreier |
Rozel, Kansas |
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9 |
82 |
Jerry Soderberg |
Enid, Oklahoma |
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10 |
87 |
Bud Hatch |
Yates Center, Kansas |
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11 |
70 |
Bill Smith |
Lecompton, Kansas |
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12 |
02 |
Bob Wills |
Enid, Oklahoma |
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DNF |
20 |
Ray Riner |
Wichita, Kansas |
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DNF |
27 |
Terry Uehling |
Ness City, Kansas |
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Euhling crashed into the outside wall in the northwest turn. Riner spun out on the fifth lap of the race. |
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Third Heat Race 10 Laps |
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Place |
Car # |
Driver |
From |
Time |
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1 |
54 |
David Ross |
Jetmore, Kansas |
4:21.25 |
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2 |
21x |
Bill Bookout |
Enid, Oklahoma |
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3 |
50 |
Evart Walton |
Enid, Oklahoma |
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4 |
45 |
Don Hovda |
Oxford, Nebraska |
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5 |
18 |
Francis Hoppenstedt |
Manhattan, Kansas |
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6 |
98 |
Walt McWhorter |
Wichita, Kansas |
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7 |
1x |
Billy Ager |
Colorado Springs, Colorado |
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8 |
59 |
Shelby Steenson |
Enterprise, Kansas |
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9 |
7 |
Lawrence Sinks |
Lawrence, Kansas |
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10 |
26 |
Larry Melvin |
Enid, Oklahoma |
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11 |
35 |
D. E. Gene Suggs |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
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12 |
333 |
Ken Meyers |
Wichita, Kansas |
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DNF |
77x |
Chuck Robineit |
Midwest City, Oklahoma |
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DNF |
777 |
Bill Criner |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
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Criner and Robineit both spun out of this race. Ross just barely beat Bookout and Walton to the finish line. |
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Fourth Heat Race 10 Laps |
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Place |
Car # |
Driver |
From |
Time |
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1 |
67 |
Dale Parsons |
Wichita, Kansas |
4:15.45 |
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2 |
1a |
Aaron Madden |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
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3 |
7a |
Ron Fowler |
Chanute, Kansas |
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4 |
1 |
H. A. Ratzlaff |
Dodge City, Kansas |
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5 |
55 |
Frank Lies |
Wichita, Kansas |
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6 |
6 |
Dale Reed |
Wichita, Kansas |
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7 |
1300 |
Emmett Hahn |
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
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8 |
33 |
Bob Reynolds |
Edmond, Oklahoma |
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9 |
154 |
Jay Woodside |
Kansas City, Missouri |
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10 |
37 |
Thad Dosher |
Topeka, Kansas |
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11 |
3 |
Melvin Rogers |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
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12 |
10x |
Johnny Suggs |
Mesquite, Texas |
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DNF |
2 |
Harold Leep |
Wichita, Kansas |
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Leep spun out. |
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Trophy Dash 5 Laps |
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Place |
Car # |
Driver |
From |
Time |
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1 |
1a |
Aaron Madden |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
2:06.69 |
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2 |
54 |
David Ross |
Jetmore, Kansas |
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3 |
21x |
Bill Bookout |
Enid, Oklahoma |
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4 |
00 |
Billy Patton, Sr. |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
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5 |
75 |
Don Craig |
Lawrence, Kansas |
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6 |
67 |
Dale Parsons |
Wichita, Kansas |
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7 |
44 |
Richard Powell |
Enid, Oklahoma |
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8 |
39 |
Wayne Hattabaugh |
Lawrence, Kansas |
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9 |
96 |
Jack Petty |
Wichita, Kansas |
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Patton lead the first three laps before fading. |
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Semi-Nationals 33 Cars 30 Laps |
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Place |
Car # |
Driver |
From |
Time |
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1 |
75 |
Don Craig |
Lawrence, Kansas |
13:14.00 |
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2 |
43 |
Mike Lutkie |
Wichita, Kansas |
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3 |
87 |
Bud Hatch |
Yates Center, Kansas |
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4 |
96 |
Jack Petty |
Wichita, Kansas |
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5 |
89 |
Bob McCurdy |
Wichita, Kansas |
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6 |
39 |
Wayne Hattabaugh |
Lawrence, Kansas |
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7 |
12xx |
Don McElhinny |
Wichita, Kansas |
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8 |
27 |
Terry Uehling |
Ness City, Kansas |
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9 |
1c |
Larry Coleman |
Wichita, Kansas |
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10 |
63 |
DaVern Spreier |
Rozel, Kansas |
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11 |
70 |
Bill Smith |
Lecompton, Kansas |
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33x |
Roger Blackshere |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
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62 |
Charlie Turner |
Arkansas City, Kansas |
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49 |
Lawrence Petrie |
Salina, Kansas |
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12x |
Forrest Coleman |
Wichita, Kansas |
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DNF |
21 |
Carl Allen, Jr. |
Midwest City, Oklahoma |
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DNF |
44 |
Richard Powell |
Enid, Oklahoma |
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DNF |
12 |
Bill Cohee |
Topeka, Kansas |
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DNF |
02 |
Bob Wills |
Enid, Oklahoma |
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DNF |
00 |
Billy Patton, Sr. |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
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DNF |
7 |
Dutch Ter Steege |
Bethany, Oklahoma |
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DNF |
48 |
Sam Brittendall |
Salina, Kansas |
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The cars driven by ter Steege and Brittendall locked wheels on the front straightaway and slid to a stop causing the race to be restarted. Blackshere spun out and backed into the infield but he was able to get his car underway again. Turner spun out but was able to get his car going again. Petrie spun out. He was able to get going again but his car did not run right after that. Patton spun into the outside wall but was able to limp the car into the infield and out of the way. The cars driven by both Wills and Cohee crashed into the outside wall and remained parked there until the race was over. Powell crashed into the wall in the southwest turn. Allens car then crashed into the wall in the same place coming to rest against Powells car. Craig passed Hatch for the lead on the 10th lap and remained there for the next 20 laps although he was challenged several times in the turns by Lutkie. |
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National Championship Race 50 Laps |
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Place |
Car # |
Driver |
From |
Started |
Time |
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1 |
1300 |
Emmett Hahn |
Tulsa, Oklahoma |
1 |
20:40.30 |
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2 |
4 |
Grady Wade |
Wichita, Kansas |
3 |
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3 |
8 |
Herb Copeland |
Dodge City, Kansas |
2 |
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4 |
6 |
Dale Reed |
Wichita, Kansas |
4 |
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5 |
1a |
Aaron Madden |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
11 |
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6 |
54 |
David Ross |
Jetmore, Kansas |
25 |
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7 |
10x |
Johnny Suggs |
Mesquite, Texas |
6 |
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8 |
2 |
Harold Leep |
Wichita, Kansas |
9 |
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9 |
67 |
Dale Parsons |
Wichita, Kansas |
17 |
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10 |
58 |
Roy Bryant |
Wichita, Kansas |
16 |
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11 |
7a |
Ron Fowler |
Chanute, Kansas |
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12 |
55 |
Frank Lies |
Wichita, Kansas |
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33 |
Bob Reynolds |
Edmond, Oklahoma |
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3 |
Melvin Rogers |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
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50 |
Evart Walton |
Enid, Oklahoma |
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DNF |
1x |
Billy Ager |
Colorado Springs, Colorado |
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DNF |
77 |
Dick Walker |
Arkansas City, Kansas |
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DNF |
37 |
Thad Dosher |
Topeka, Kansas |
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DNF |
1 |
H. A. Ratzlaff |
Dodge City, Kansas |
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DNF |
711 |
Jerry Everhart |
Wichita, Kansas |
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Everhart spun into the outside wall in the south turn and was soon joined by Ratzlaff. Dosher then crashed into the two parked machines. The cars of Walker and Rogers bumped into the outside wall around the north turn. Several other cars had to take evasive measures but managed to continue on. Only Walker was not able to continue in the race. Fowler spun into the infield in the northeast turn in route to his tenth place finish. Ager spun into the infield in the northeast turn and out of the race. Walton spun out in the northeast turn. Lies lost his brakes about half way through the race. Hahn won by 100 yards over second place Wade. Only the first six cars finished on the lead lap. Seventh place finisher Suggs was one lap behind at the end while all other competitors finished two or more laps behind the leader. |
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Jack Petty receiving a trophy from Miss National Modified Deborah VanCampen for winning the first heat race on this afternoon.
Darryl Swenson collection
This photo of Dale Reed with the Evart-Isaac-owned #6 was taken on this afternoon in Hutchinson Bob Mays collection
This photo of Harold Leep in the Ray Cates owned Chevrolet was taken at Hutchinson on this day - Lies collection
This photo of Frank Lies in the Kenny Riffel owned Chevrolet was taken at Hutchinson on this day - Lies collection
Cars pulling onto the racetrack for the first 10-lap heat race. The car on the pole was car #21x driven by Bill Bookout while the car on the outside of the front row was #96 owned by LeVern Swenson and driven by Jack Petty. That is Swenson standing on the nerf bar of car #96 Darryl Swenson collection
Pace Lap for the First 10-Lap Heat Race
#21x was driven by Bill Bookout while #96 was driven by Jack Petty Darryl Swenson collection
Championship Trophy Presentation on this Afternoon
Left to right: Chief Mechanic Denny Moore, Driver Emmett Hahn, Miss National Modified Deborah VanCampen and Crew Chief Hershel Goodnight - Lies collection
To view a YouTube video that was taken of the races on this day.
Return to the Feature Race Winners at Hutchinson, Kansas web page