Automobile Races

On the Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the

Kansas State Fairgrounds

 Hutchinson, Kansas

Saturday, September 25, 1926

 

 

Promoter – D. J. Fair of Sterling, Kansas

 

Total Purse – $1,270

 

“Only a handful of spectators hovered in the stands”

      

 

 

#4 Charles Lebsack  –  #1 Leonard Kerbs

Betty (Kirbs) Able collection

 

 

 

Vic Felt

Carolyn (Felt) Junod collection

 John Gerber

Roy Eaton collection

L. O. Hughes

Hughes collection

 

 

   

Entry List

Driver

From

Automobile

Charles “Butch” Lebsack

Otis, Kansas

Kerbs Special #4

Leonard E. Kerbs

Otis, Kansas

Kerbs Special #1

Vic Felt

Deer Trail, Colorado

Frontenac

Lawrence O. Hughes

Wichita, Kansas

Hughes Special

John B. Gerber

Meriden, Kansas

Gerber Special

Clyde Gilbert

Longmont, Colorado

Fisher Special

Delbert Ging

Hutchinson, Kansas

Fronty Ford

Fred Lentz

Hutchinson, Kansas

Lentz Special

Joe Hutchinson

Arkansas City, Kansas

Frontenac

James E. White

Sharon Springs, Kansas

White Special  (Frontenac)

W. M. “Bill” Bryant

Hutchinson, Kansas

Hudson

Al Koepke

Great Bend, Kansas

Frontenac

Clovis Rankin*

Chicago, Illinois

Frontenac

Andrew “Cokey” Fuller

Arkansas City, Kansas

Ford Special

Oscar Anderson

Chicago, Illinois

Miller Special

Roy Rinehart

Arkansas City, Kansas

Laurel Ford

Walter Higley

Longmont, Colorado

Higley Special  (Essex)

Keene Saxon

Topeka, Kansas

Frontenac

Jess A. Pettit

Kanapolis, Kansas

Dodge Special

Roy O'Laughlin

Hutchinson, Kansas

Frontenac

O. Albert “Mike” Koenitzer

Meriden, Kansas

O. K. Special

 

 

Class “A” Heat Race – 10 Laps – Purse:  $350

 Place

Driver

From

Automobile

Time

1

Vic Felt

Deer Trail, Colorado

Frontenac

5:38.8

2

L. O. Hughes

Wichita, Kansas

Hughes Special

 

3

Leonard Kerbs

Otis, Kansas

Kerbs Special #1

 

4

Clyde Gilbert

Longmont, Colorado

Fisher Special

 

            Felt let this race from start to finish.  Kerbs contested Felt for the first three laps but was forced back when his Kerbs Special threw a tire on the south turn.  Gilbert passed Kerbs for second place when Kerbs car slowed due to loss of rubber.  Gilbert’s car then threw a tire too allowing Hughes to slip into second place.  Kerbs then passed Gilbert for third place on the sixth lap and held on to finish in that position 100 feet behind Hughes in second place.

 

 

Class “B” Heat Race – 10 Laps – Purse:  $320

 Place

Driver

From

Automobile

Time

1

Mike Koenitzer

Meriden, Kansas

O. K. Special

5:40.2

2

Jim White

Sharon Springs, Kansas

White Special  (Frontenac)

 

3

Fred Lentz

Hutchinson, Kansas

Lentz Special

 

            Koenitzer showed the way through this whole race.

 

 

Free-For-All – 10 Laps – Purse:  $350

 Place

Driver

From

Automobile

Time

1

Vic Felt

Deer Trail, Colorado

Frontenac

5:31.6

2

Clyde Gilbert

Longmont, Colorado

Fisher Special

 

3

Charles Lebsack

Otis, Kansas

Kerbs Special #4

 

4

Walt Higley

Longmont, Colorado

Higley Special (Essex)

 

            Gilbert pressed Felt for the lead throughout this whole race.

 

 

Race for First and Second Place Finishers from Both Days of Racing – 8 Laps – Purse:  $250

 Place

Driver

From

Automobile

Time

1

Vic Felt

Deer Trail, Colorado

Frontenac

4:30.0

2

Mike Koenitzer

Meriden, Kansas

O. K. Special

 

3

L. O. Hughes

Wichita, Kansas

Hughes Special

 

 

Fred Lentz

Hutchinson, Kansas

Lentz Special

 

 

Walt Higley

Longmont, Colorado

Higley Special (Essex)

 

 

Jim White

Sharon Springs, Kansas

White Special (Frontenac)

DNF

 

Leonard Kerbs

Otis, Kansas

Kerbs Special #1

DNF

 

Joe Hutchinson

Arkansas City, Kansas

Frontenac

DNF

 

Al Koepke

Great Bend, Kansas

Frontenac

DNF

 

John Gerber

Meriden, Kansas

Gerber Special

DNF

 

Charles Lebsack

Otis, Kansas

Kerbs Special #4

DNF

 

Clyde Gilbert

Longmont, Colorado

Fisher Special

DNF

            Kerbs started on the pole position and led the cars into the first turn.  The dust and smoke from so many cars so close together was blamed for a serious accident that occurred when Kerbs’ car was struck from behind by Lebsack’s mount causing both cars to swerve.  Lebsack’s car collided with Felt’s Frontenac.  Felt was able to guide his car through the rest of the wreckage while Lebsack’s Kerbs Special locked wheels with Gilbert’s Fisher Special.  Lebsack’s car was pitched high into the air by Gilbert’s car and perched precariously on top of the fence where Lebsack lay dazed in the seat.  Gilbert’s car spun around twice and then overturned pinning the driver underneath.  After a long moment, Lebsack’s car toppled off of the fence onto the outside of the racetrack and down a steep embankment onto a road outside coursing the outer fence.  Both Lebsack and Gilbert were able to extricate themselves from their wrecked machines.  Lebsack was treated for facial scratches and released from the hospital.  Gilbert was hospitalized with numerous cuts and bruises as well as leg injuries.  None of the other six drivers involved were injured.  Higley, Lentz, Hughes, and Koenitzer avoided being involved by hugging the inside of the racetrack.

A large number of spectators from the grandstand swarmed onto the racetrack and several police officers had to be summoned to regain order.

Only five of the original twelve starters were able to line up and resume the race.  When the race did get back underway, Felt sped to victory by a wide margin.

 

 

 

 

Cokey Fuller

Lew Irwin collection

Jim White

Oakley Graphic photo

Al Koepke

Jeff Adams collection

 

 

 

 

Fred Lentz

Hutchinson Gazette photo

 

Delbert Ging

Robert Ging collection

Joe Hutchinson

Winfield Courier photo 

 

 

 

 

 

* Clovis S. Rankin (1897-1967) was actually from Salina, Kansas and was probably convinced by the promoter to pretend he was from Chicago, Illinois to help make it appear as though a field of cars had entered these races from far and wide..

 

 

 

 

 

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