Big Car Races on the
Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the
Kansas State Fairgrounds
Hutchinson, Kansas
Tuesday – September 21, 1937
Races Sanctioned by – International Motor Contest Association (I.M.C.A.)
Race director – William Miner “Bill” Bryant of Hutchinson, Kansas
Starter – Aut Swenson
Announcer – Jack Story
Attendance – “a near capacity crowd”
Track condition – “Slow, dry, and dusty”
“Vaudeville and circus acts were presented between races”
Published List of Entries
|
Driver |
From |
Automobile |
|
Bill Morris2 |
Denver, Colorado |
Messer Special #4 |
|
Ted Parker |
Dallas, Texas |
Keyes Special #K-1 |
|
Len Musick |
Dallas, Texas |
|
|
Al Rogers |
Colorado Springs, Colorado |
Coniff Special #9 |
|
Herb Manges6 |
Tiffin, Ohio |
|
|
Clyde Gilbert |
Longmont, Colorado |
Fisher Dreyer #27 |
|
Tex West3 |
Dallas, Texas |
|
|
Bob Vorbeck |
Denver, Colorado |
#1 |
|
Ted Davis |
Junction City, Kansas |
Earl D. O. Fronty Ford special #75 |
|
Bud Martinson |
Denver, Colorado |
|
|
Waldo Barnett4 |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
Cragar Special |
|
Art Thomas |
Independence, Missouri |
|
|
Revealo Rex |
Ames, Iowa |
|
|
Hal Reinsberg5 |
St. Paul, Minnesota |
|
|
Wes Saegesser |
Kirkwood, Missouri |
|
|
Pop Lewis |
Indianapolis, Indiana |
|
|
Wes Johnson |
Kansas City, Missouri |
Gillette Special #6 |
|
Loren Fondoble |
Palco, Kansas |
Fondoble 4-port Riley |
|
Chance Gates |
San Diego, California |
|
|
Oscar Coleman7 |
Dallas, Texas |
Texas Special #1 |
|
Bob Wells |
Baltimore, Maryland |
|
|
Bob Green |
Miami, Florida |
|
|
Gene Zeinett |
St. Paul, Minnesota |
|
|
Dan McCloskey |
Kansas City, Missouri |
|
|
Posey Reeves |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
Reeves #500 |
|
Tom Murie1 |
Kansas City, Missouri |
Riley #5 |
|
Gil Lewis |
|
|
Time Trials – 22 Cars - 1 Lap
|
Place |
Driver |
From |
Automobile |
Time |
|
1 |
Bill Morris2 |
Denver, Colorado |
Messer Special #4 |
29.00 |
|
2 |
Ted Parker |
Dallas, Texas |
Keyes Special #K-1 |
29.85 |
|
3 |
Len Musick |
Dallas, Texas |
|
29.90 |
|
4 |
Al Rogers |
Colorado Springs, Colorado |
Coniff Special #9 |
30.00 |
|
5 |
Herb Manges6 |
Tiffin, Ohio |
|
30.00 |
|
6 |
Clyde Gilbert |
Longmont, Colorado |
Fisher Dreyer #27 |
30.20 |
|
7 |
Tex West3 |
Dallas, Texas |
|
31.10 |
|
8 |
Bob Vorbeck |
Denver, Colorado |
#1 |
31.20 |
|
9 |
Ted Davis |
Junction City, Kansas |
Earl D. O. Fronty Ford special #75 |
31.20 |
|
10 |
Bud Martinson |
Denver, Colorado |
|
31.30 |
|
11 |
Waldo Barnett4 |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
Cragar Special |
31.40 |
|
12 |
Art Thomas |
Independence, Missouri |
|
31.50 |
|
13 |
Revealo Rex |
Ames, Iowa |
|
31.60 |
|
14 |
Hal Reinsberg5 |
St. Paul, Minnesota |
|
32.10 |
|
|
Posey Reeves |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
#500 |
|
|
|
Wes Saegesser |
Kirkwood, Missouri |
|
|
|
|
Wes Johnson |
Kansas City, Missouri |
Gillette Special #6 |
|
|
|
Pop Lewis |
Indianapolis, Indiana |
|
|
|
|
Gil Lewis |
|
|
|
|
|
Dan McCloskey |
Kansas City, Missouri |
|
|
|
|
Bob Wells |
Baltimore, Maryland |
|
|
First Heat Race – 6 Cars - 5 Laps
|
Place |
Driver |
From |
Automobile |
Time |
|
1 |
Bill Morris2 |
Denver, Colorado |
Messer Special #4 |
2:28.1 |
|
2 |
Len Musick |
Dallas, Texas |
|
|
|
3 |
Herb Mange6 |
Tiffin, Ohio |
|
|
|
4 |
Ted Parker |
Dallas, Texas |
Keyes Special #K-1 |
|
|
5 |
Al Rogers |
Colorado Springs, Colorado |
Coniff Special #9 |
|
|
6 |
Bob Vorbeck |
Denver, Colorado |
#1 |
|
Morris started from the pole position and his lead was never seriously threatened. Musick and Manges drove a hard fought race with second place not settled until the final turn.
Second Heat Race – 6 Cars - 5 Laps
|
Place |
Driver |
From |
Automobile |
Time |
|
1 |
Tex West3 |
Dallas, Texas |
|
2:31.2 |
|
2 |
Ted Parker |
Dallas, Texas |
Keyes Special #K-1 |
|
|
3 |
Bob Vorbeck |
Denver, Colorado |
#1 |
|
|
4 |
Ted Davis |
Junction City, Kansas |
Earl D. O. Fronty Ford special #75 |
|
|
5 |
Bud Martinson |
Denver, Colorado |
|
|
|
6 |
Al Rogers |
Colorado Springs, Colorado |
Coniff Special #9 |
|
Parker thrilled the spectators with his daring drive from last place to finish in the runner-up position.
Coronation Derby – 10 Cars - 7 Laps
|
Place |
Driver |
From |
Automobile |
Time |
|
1 |
Ted Davis |
Junction City, Kansas |
Earl D. O. Fronty Ford special #75 |
3:05.0 |
|
2 |
Wes Saegesser |
Kirkwood, Missouri |
|
|
|
3 |
Hal Reinsberg5 |
St. Paul, Minnesota |
|
|
|
4 |
Bud Martinson |
Denver, Colorado |
|
DNF |
|
5 |
Waldo Barnett4 |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
Cragar Special |
DNF |
|
6 |
Art Thomas |
Independence, Missouri |
|
DNF |
|
7 |
Revealo Rex |
Ames, Iowa |
|
DNF |
|
8 |
Wes Johnson |
Kansas City, Missouri |
Gillette Special #6 |
DNF |
|
9 |
Pop Lewis |
Indianapolis, Indiana |
|
DNF |
|
10 |
Al Rogers |
Colorado Springs, Colorado |
Coniff Special #9 |
DNF |
“Coronation Derby” is what they called the consolation race.
On the third lap, Martinson running in second place behind Davis when Martinson’s car slid out toward the outside fence on the north turn. Barnett tried to go between Martinson’s car and the fence on the outside but ran over one of Martinson’s wheels sending Barnett’s Cragar crashing through the fence and rolling four to five times. Martinson’s car followed Barnett’s out through the same hole in the fence. Barnett stayed in the car until it came to a stop and was hospitalized with a compound fracture and other less serious injuries while Martinson was uninjured.
In the confusion caused by the third lap accident, the race ran one more lap than had been scheduled. Davis won comfortably.
Invitational Gold Cup Handicap – 12 Cars - 19 Laps
|
Place |
Driver |
From |
Automobile |
Time |
|
1 |
Bill Morris2 |
Denver, Colorado |
Messer Special #4 |
9:25.0 |
|
2 |
Len Musick |
Dallas, Texas |
|
|
|
|
Posey Reeves |
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
#500 |
|
Reeves started this race from the pole position.
Kansas Fair Sweepstakes – 8 Cars - 10 Laps
|
Place |
Driver |
From |
Automobile |
Time |
|
1 |
Bill Morris2 |
Denver, Colorado |
Messer Special #4 |
4:51.0 |
|
2 |
Len Musick |
Dallas, Texas |
|
|
|
3 |
Herb Manges6 |
Tiffin, Ohio |
|
|
|
4 |
Tex West3 |
Dallas, Texas |
|
|
|
5 |
Revealo Rex |
Ames, Iowa |
|
|
|
6 |
Ted Parker |
Dallas, Texas |
Keyes Special #K-1 |
|
|
7 |
Bob Vorbeck |
Denver, Colorado |
#1 |
|
|
8 |
Wes Saegresser |
Kirkwood, Missouri |
|
|
Morris “passed everyone but Father Time.” Musick could stay even with Morris on the turns but the latter pulled away on the straightaways. The two cars were even in the final turn before Morris again pulled away.
|
Herb Manges Harold Osmer collection |
Waldo Barnett L. A. Ward photo |
Wes Johnson Charles Pauley photo |
|
Oscar Coleman Roy W. Coleman collection |
Loren Fondoble Roy Eaton collection |
Posey Reeves Don Radbruch collection |
|
Tom Murie Al Murie collection |
Ted Davis Jack Earl collection |
Bob Green Don Radbruch collection |
|
Ted Parker Charles Pauley photo |
Bill Morris Charles Pauley Photo |
Al Rogers Marjorie Meyer collection |
|
Clyde Gilbert Charles Pauley photo |
Tex West Don Radbruch collection |
Bob Vorbeck Don Radbruch collection |
Art Thomas
Elliott collection
1 Tom Murie of Kansas City, Missouri had entered his Riley #5 in these races but was injured in a racing accident at Memphis, Tennessee three days earlier and did not compete.
2 Bill Morris is an alias used by Benjamin Franklin “Ben” Musick, Sr. (1908-1966).
3 Tex West is an alias used by Austin E. Wetzler (1903-1962).
4 Charles Waldo Burnett (1905-1947) was fatally injured in a racing accident at Ord, Nebraska and is buried at Terrel, Oklahoma.
5 Harold C. “Hal” Reinsberg was fatally injured in a racing accident at the Minnesota State Fair at Hamline, Minnesota in 1939.
6 Herbert Oliver “Herb” Manges (1904-1940) was fatally injured in a racing accident in his hometown of Tiffin, Ohio.
7 Oscar Lloyd Coleman (1905-1938) was fatally injured while attempting to qualify a midget for a race in Dallas, Texas.
Return to the Feature Race Winners at Hutchinson, Kansas web page