Automobile Races

On the Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the

Kansas State Fairgrounds

 Hutchinson, Kansas

Saturday, September 23, 1916

  

 

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

 

Attendance:  9,500 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Time Trials – 2 Laps

(Only the fastest four are listed below)

 

 

Match Race – 10 Laps

Hearne won the coin toss and chose both the pole position and a flying start for the race.  Hearne lead into the first turn but slid wide allowing Breed to take the lead by about 100 feet.  Breed was able to stretch that lead to more than 150 yards by the finish.  After the race, Hearne admitted that Breed’s Hudson was much faster than his Briscoe.

According to the local newspaper, “Breed has under slung his seats, has shortened the frame to 100 inches and changed other details.  The engine has a 3½ inch bore, 5 inch stroke, and 288 CID.  He uses caster oil as a lubricant and easily made 65 m.p.h. on the straightaways.  Fair management attributed the largest Saturday crowd to ever be seen on the fairgrounds to this race.”

 

 

First Heat Race – 6 Laps – 4 Cars

 

 

Preliminary Heat for the Interstate Fair Sweepstakes – 10 Laps – 6 Cars

Gene “Red” Wood was present and helped Phil “Red” Shafer run the Maxwell.  They had a system of signals used by all drivers and pitmen.  When the engine needs oil, the pitman holds up an oil can.  When tires are to be watched, he stands facing the car if it is a front tire and turns his back if the rear tires are to be watched.

 

 

Interstate Fair Sweepstakes – 50 Laps – 7 Cars

Shafer pulled into the pits to change a spark plug.  When his engine was restarted, gasoline spilled from the carburetor and ignited.  The fire was extinguished with only minor damage to the car.

Koetzla was next to pit with an overheating engine.  When the radiator cap was removed, steam spewed 15 feet into the air.

At one point on the 20^th lap, Hearne, Woodbury, and LeCocq raced three abreast for the lead.

LeCocq’s goggles broke while he was leading on lap 34 and he stopped in the pits to replace them dropping back to 3^rd place.

Hearne took over the lead again when LeCocq stopped only to have to stop at his pit when one of his tires blew out.

Woodbury then assumed the lead only to be passed by LeCocq.

LeCocq pitted to change a tire on the 44^th lap but a broken hub would not allow the wheel to be put back on and he dropped out of the race handing the lead back to Woodbury.

Hearne stopped again late in the race with a second flat tire dropping him from contention for the victory.

Only Woodbury and Mais went the entire distance without stopping.  Haugdahl’s Mercer was running at the finish but was 7 laps behind the leader.

Eddie Hearne’s brother, Bob Hearne, came from Denver, Colorado to visit Eddie and actually rode in the car with him during the sweepstakes race.

 

 

 

Eddie Hearne (1887-1955), Jules Ellingboe (1892-1948), Cliff Woodbury (1894-1984), Johnny Mais (1888-1934), Louis LaCocq (1892-1919), Phil “Red” Shafer (1891-1971), and David J. Koetzla (1894-1968) have all competed in the Indianapolis “500” as Koetzla drove in relief for Ira Vail in 1922.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Race Officials

 

 

 

 

Return to the Feature Race Winners at Hutchinson, Kansas web page