Sprint Car Races

On the Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the

Kansas State Fairgrounds

 Hutchinson, Kansas

Tuesday – September 22, 1959

 

 

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

Promotional company – Auto Racing Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota

Race Promoter – Frank R. Winkley of Minneapolis, Minnesota

Flagman / starter – Murry Folsom of Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Race Announcer – Jack “Nick” Nachicas of Minneapolis, Minnesota

Scorekeeper – Verna Winkley of Minneapolis, Minnesota

 

Attendance – 7,500 

 

  

 

Bert Hellmueller

Bob Stolze collection 

Parnelli Jones

Autoracing1.com

Harold Leep

Jerry Wilson collection

Charlie Lutkie

Charlie Lutkie collection

 

 

 

 

First Heat Race – 7 Laps

Place

Driver

From

Time

1

Jerry Shumaker****

Wichita, Kansas

3:09.48

2

Bob Mathouser**

Gardena, California

 

3

Harold Leep

Wichita, Kansas

 

4

Vic Valentine

Phoenix, Arizona

 

5

Tommy Vardeman

Tulsa, Oklahoma

 

 

 

 

Second Heat Race – 7 Laps

Place

Driver

From

Time

1

Glenn Leasher***

Wichita, Kansas

3:10.49

2

Parnelli Jones*

Torrance, California

 

3

Dale Reed

Wichita, Kansas

 

4

Marvin Faw

Minneapolis, Minnesota

 

5

Tony Darkman

Mt. Pleasant, Iowa

 DNF

Darkman slid wide and knocked down a 12-foot section of fence before rolling down to the infield and out of the race.

Jones led the first five laps before skidding wide on a turn on the sixth lap.  That let Leasher slip by for the lead.  Jones kept gaining on Leasher until the end but it was not enough.

After the race ended, Jones stayed on the throttle and made one more lap.  In doing so, he approached the north turn with too much speed, spun, and packed through the board fence coming to a stop just four feet from a car in the parking lot.

 

 

 

Third Heat Race – 7 Laps

Place

Driver

From

Time

1

Charlie Lutkie

Wichita, Kansas

3:10.58

2

Tony Magasany

Honolulu, Hawaii

 

3

Bert Hellmueller

Louisville, Kentucky

 

4

Harry Ross

Houston, Texas

 

5

Jack Rounds

Huntington Park, California

 

 

 

 

Match Race – 2 Cars – 4 Laps

Place

Driver

From

Time

1

Harold Leep

Wichita, Kansas

1:56.95

2

Bert Hellmueller

Louisville, Kentucky

 

 

 

 

Consolation Race – 5 Laps

Place

Driver

From

 

1

Tommy Vardeman

Tulsa, Oklahoma

 

2

Harry Ross

Houston, Texas

 

3

Jack Rounds

Huntington Park, California

 

4

Marvin Faw

Minneapolis, Minnesota

 

5

Vic Valentine

Phoenix, Arizona

 

 

 

 

Feature Race – 14 Cars – 15 Laps

Place

Driver

From

Time

1

Dale Reed

Wichita, Kansas

 7:01.68

2

Jerry Shumaker****

Wichita, Kansas

 

3

Bob Mathouser**

Gardena, California

 

4

Charlie Lutkie

Wichita, Kansas

 

5

Harry Ross

Houston, Texas

 

6

Tom Vardeman

Tulsa, Oklahoma

 

7

Tony Magasany

Honolulu, Hawaii

 

8

Harold Leep

Wichita, Kansas

 

9

Jack Rounds

Huntington Park, California

 

10

Glen Leasher***

Wichita, Kansas

DNF

11

Parnelli Jones*

Torrance, California

DNF

12

Bert Hellmueller

Louisville, Kentucky

DNF

13

Vic Valentine

Phoenix, Arizona

DNF

14

Marvin Faw

Minneapolis, Minnesota

DNF

Jones’ Fike Plumbing Chevrolet Special coasted to a stop on the ninth lap.

Magasany was driving the Osell Ranger.

 

  

 

 

Harry Ross

One Tough Circuit by Bill Hill

Dale Reed

Ray Cunningham collection

Marvin Faw

Tommy Madison collection

 

 

 

 

 

* Rufus Parnelli Jones went on to compete in the Indianapolis “500” nine times winning that race in 1963.

 

** Bob Mathouser (1926-1980) went on to compete in the Indianapolis “500” in 1964.

 

*** Glenn Lee Leasher (1937-1962) was fatally injured in a crash while attempting to set a new world land speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

 

**** Jerry Shumaker was driving the #69 Belle of Belleville owned by the Goodrich & Sons garage in Belleville, Kansas.

 

 

 

 

 

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