Fourth Annual National Championship Jalopy Races

On the Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the

Kansas State Fairgrounds

Hutchinson, Kansas

Sunday – July 31, 1960

 

 

Time trials for these races were run on Saturday afternoon, July 30, 1960

 

(These cars were known regionally as “rails”)

 

 

Promotional Company – Merrick Racing Promotions (M.R.P.)

Race Director – Jack Merrick of Dodge City, Kansas

Flagman / Starter – Ted Davis of Junction City, Kansas

Announcer – Stan Gribble of Hutchinson, Kansas

Trophy Queen – Alice Marie Sale of Penalosa, Kansas

 

Attendance – 15,000

Guaranteed Purse – $3,000 plus $750 in lap money

 

 

 

 

            The definition of a “jalopy” changed in Jack Merrick promoted events before this race to allow “just about any body styling”.  Beginning in 1960, a jalopy consisted of a “frame, wheels, and roll bar surrounded by whatever metal enclosure the owner chooses to use”.  Engines, however, had to remain “stock” and “originally assembled before 1949”.

 

 

 

Flypaper Numbers

 

Race day started out with having the car’s number changed to match the driver’s qualifying position.

 

LEFT:  Nut Cokeley of Liberal, Kansas (standing at right) qualified 22nd quickest in time trials the day before, so a track official is shown here applying flypaper #22 over Cokeley’s regular #7Cokeley collection

 

BELOW:  Lee Salmans of Larned, Kansas had qualified 9th quickest in time trials and is shown applying the flypaper #9 to the rear of his car.  Car #47 in the background was driven by John Becker of Salina, Kansas.  Note that the flypaper number had already been applied to his door – Alan Salmans collection

 

 

  

   

 

Bill Nelson

81 Speedway program

 

K. O. Christian

David Ross collection

 

Lee Salmans

Alan Salmans collection

 

Will Forrest

Mike McCoy collection

 

Pete Jacobs

 Jacobs family collection

 

 Orval Beckel

David Ross collection

 

Jay Woodside

Bob Mays collection

 

Bill Curless

77 Speedway program

 

Ralph Cole

77 Speedway program

 

Charlie Hiner

Charlie Hiner collection

 

Henry Ellington

Ellington collection

 

Pinky Mullens

Mullens family collection

 

Jerry Collins

Gary Shinkle collection

 

Jack Petty

Ken Gretemen photo

 

Alvin Riley

Gary Shinkle collection

 

Bob Salem

Bob Salem collection

 

Bill Bookout

Mullens family collection

 

Reuben Loepp

Mohawk Speedway program

 

Cliff Durr

Cokeley collection

 

Todd White

Todd White collection

 

Dick Hendershot

Mohawk Speedway program

 

Charlie Pitts

Charlie Pitts collection

 

Johnny Elam

Todd White collection

 

Stan Trahern

Burnett collection

 

Clarence Cochran

Hutchinson News-Herald photo

 

Roy Andrews

Roy Andrews collection

 

Bud Hutson

Gary Virden photo

 

Buddy Carroll

Gary Virden photo

 

John Riead

John Riead collection

 

Willie Hecke

Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame

 

Nut Cokeley

Dorothy Cokeley photo

 

Francis Kingan

Cokeley collection

 

Gene Coffman

Coffman collection

 

Roy Bryant

Lies collection

 

Melvin Herrell

Melvin Herrell collection

 

Frankie Lies

Lies collection

 

Gene Potts

Schrater family collection

 

 

First Heat Race – 10 Laps

Place

Car #5

Driver

From

Purse

 Time

  1

73

Ernie Jacobs

Wichita, KS

$35

5:13.0

  2

83

Lloyd Mart

Hutchinson, KS

  25

 

  3

85

Leroy Powell

Great Bend, KS

  20

 

  4

78

Bill Halley

Wichita, KS

  16

 

  5

76

Red Siems

Hutchinson, KS

  14

 

  6

72

Roy Andrews

Wichita, KS

  12

 

  7

70

Ron Nicholson

Larned, KS

  10

 

  8

82

Paul Grumbein

Dighton, KS

    8

 

  9

87

Milton Luft

Ellsworth, KS

    5

 

10

77

Duane Culley

Hutchinson, KS

    5

 

 DNF

79

Jim Curley

Hutchinson, KS

 

 

 

Curley was involved in a five car pileup in the southeast turn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

               

 

 

 

Second Heat Race – 10 Laps

Place

Car #5

Driver

From

Purse

 Time

  1

68

Melvin Herrell

Hutchinson, KS

$35

5:11.0

  2

65

Ben Gitgood

Woodward, OK

  25

 

  3

62

Don Spreier

Larned, KS

  20

 

  4

59

Willie Hecke

Franklin, NE

  16

 

  5

57

Charlie Pitts

Hutchinson, KS

  14

 

  6

51

Dick Hendershot4

Hutchinson, KS

  12

 

  7

50

Paul Befort, Jr.

Garden City, KS

  10

 

  8

67

Al Taft

Denver, CO

    8

 

  9

53

Casson Lyons

Smith Center, KS

    5

 

 

 

 

 

    5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Third Heat Race – 10 Laps

Place

Car #5

Driver

From

Purse

 Time

  1

42

Roy Bryant

Wichita, KS

$35

4:57.0

  2

41

Ray Duffin

Hutchinson, KS

  25

 

  3

44

Clifford Durr

Derby, KS

  20

 

  4

40

Reuben Loepp

Hutchinson, KS

  16

 

  5

32

Bob Salem

Dodge City, KS

  14

 

  6

24

Henry Ellington

Hutchinson, KS

  12

 

  7

38

Bill Bookout

Wichita, KS

  10

 

  8

35

Johnny Riead

Hutchinson, KS

    8

 

  9

33

Don Lytle3

McCook, NE

    5

 

10

31

Dutch Davis

Dodge City, KS

    5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fourth Heat Race – 10 Laps

Place

Car #5

Driver

From

Purse

 Time

  1

21

Charlie Hiner

Wichita, KS

$35

4:59.0

  2

14

Forrest Coleman

Wichita, KS

  25

 

  3

12

Pete Jacobs

Wichita, KS

  20

 

  4

19

Ralph Cole

Arkansas City, KS

  16

 

  5

7

Frank Lies

Wichita, KS

  14

 

  6

5

Charlie Lutkie

Wichita, KS

  12

 

  7

22

Clarence “Nut” Cokeley

Liberal, KS

  10

 

  8

15

Bill Curless

Arkansas City, KS

    8

 

  9

6

K. O. Christian2

Wichita, KS

    5

 

10

23

John McGee

Dodge City, KS

    5

 

 

9

Leland Salmans

Larned, KS

 

 

 

16

Gene Coffman

Liberal, KS

 

 

                Salmans spun out.

                Coffman finished last and scratched for the remainder of the program due to having too low a gear in the rear end.

                Cokeley collected $10 in prize money for his 7th place finish in this race.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trophy Dash – 12 Cars - 5 Laps

Place

Car #5

Driver

From

Purse

 Time

  1

42

Roy Bryant

Wichita, KS

$25

2:31.0

  2

14

Forrest Coleman

Wichita, KS

  20

 

  3

73

Ernie Jacobs

Wichita, KS

  15

 

  4

19

Ralph Cole

Arkansas City, KS

  10

 

  5

12

Pete Jacobs

Wichita, KS

    5

 

  6

68

Melvin Herrell

Hutchinson, KS

 

 

  7

21

Charlie Hiner

Wichita, KS

 

 

  8

44

Clifford Durr

Derby, KS

 

 

  9

76

Red Siems

Hutchinson, KS

 

 

10

85

Leroy Powell

Great Bend, KS

 

 

11

67

Al Taft

Denver, CO

 

 

12

78

Bill Halley

Wichita, KS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Semi-Final Race – 30 Laps

Place

Car #5

Driver

From

Purse

 Time

  1

42

Roy Bryant

Wichita, KS

$135

15:34.0

  2

44

Clifford Durr

Derby, KS

    95

 

  3

52

Dick Walker

Arkansas City, KS

    85

 

  4

59

Willie Hecke

Franklin, NE

    70

 

  5

60

Phil Simmons

Norton, KS

    60

 

  6

66

Vester VanSickle

Hutchinson, KS

    50

 

  7

48

Otto Rohla

Athol, KS

    45

 

  8

64

Stanley Trahern

Dodge City, KS

    35

 

  9

70

Ron Nicholson

Larned, KS

    25

 

10

43

Bill Nash

Wellington, KS

    20

 

11

 

Unknown

 

    16

 

12

 

Unknown

 

    14

 

DNF

91

Willie Hershberg

Great Bend, KS

 

 

DNF

76

Red Siems

Hutchinson, KS

 

 

DNF

82

Paul Grumbein

Dighton, KS

 

 

DNF

85

Leroy Powell

Great Bend, KS

 

 

                The cars driven by Hershberg and Siems locked wheels on the back stretch and crashed through the fence taking out a 40 foot section of boards.

                Grumbein crashed into the south fence.  He had just gotten away from his car when Powell’s car crashed into it.  The Powell car sailed high into the air “spitting fire” then came down and rolled over one time.  None of the drivers involved in these incidents were seriously injured.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

               

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feature Race – 42 Cars – 50 Laps

Place

Car #5

Driver

From

Purse

Time

1

14

Forrest Coleman

Wichita, KS

$300

23.44

2

15

Bill Curless

Arkansas City, KS

  225

 

3

40

Reuben Loepp

Hutchinson, KS

  175

 

4

4

Leon Spain

Manhattan, KS

  115

 

5

28

Dale Reed

Wichita, KS

    95

 

6

22

Clarence “Nut” Cokeley

Liberal, KS

    80

 

7

23

John McGee

Dodge City, KS

    70

 

8

20

Gene Potts

Great Bend, KS

    60

 

9

17

Francis Kingan

Enid, OK

    45

 

10

29

Jim Goodson

Manhattan, KS

    35

 

11

27

Alvin Riley

Medora, KS

    25

 

12

 

Unknown

 

    20

 

13

 

Unknown

 

    16

 

14

 

Unknown

 

    14

 

 

18

Bud Bryant

Wichita, KS

 

 

 

19

Ralph Cole

Arkansas City, KS

 

 

DNF

11

Orval Beckel

Wichita, KS

 

 

DNF

1

Jay Woodside

Wichita, KS

 

 

DNF

5

Charlie Lutkie

Wichita, KS

 

 

DNF

42

Roy Bryant

Wichita, KS

 

 

DNF

30

George Hilton

Ponca City, OK

 

 

DNF

10

Will Forrest

Wichita, KS

 

 

DNF

7

Frank Lies

Wichita, KS

 

 

DNF

3

Jerry Collins

Hutchinson, KS

 

 

DNF

12

Pete Jacobs

Wichita, KS

 

 

DNF

21

Charlie Hiner

Wichita, KS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

               

 

 

 Beckel crashed into the fence on the very first turn of the race causing the event to be restarted.  He was able to resume the race but did not finish.

                Jacobs’ car struck a stalled car, sailed high into the air and over the outside fence before tumbling down an embankment to ground level.  He received severe lacerations and was unconscious when the ambulance took him to the hospital.

                Hilton and Roy Bryant both spun out and their cars came to rest against the fence.

                Woodside held the lead until his engine gave out.

                Spain then led for 7 laps before he had to pit to repair a broken weld.  He finished in 4th place, two laps behind Coleman.

                Collins assumed the front spot from Spain and led for eight laps before he spun out, his car coming to rest against the fence near those of Hilton and Roy Bryant.

                Lies was the next to lead the race.  He built up a quarter of a lap lead in the 22 laps he was in front before his engine threw a rod and he coasted into the pits.

                Will Forrest crashed into the fence on the back stretch.  He was able to drive away but dropped out of the race after another half-lap.

                Hiner dropped out with a blown radiator.

                A coil spring in the seat of Lutkie’s car caught on the drive shaft causing the sprint to thrash around wildly inside the car tearing up the seat in the car as well as the seat out of Lutkie’s pants.  After hasty repairs, Lutkie returned to the race only to spin out later in the event.

Thus, with only 11 laps remaining, Coleman found himself in front having inherited the lead from Lies and it was all he could do to hold off Curless.  Only 11 cars were running at the finish including Leopp who had moved up from his 40th starting spot to finish in third place.

Cokeley collected $80 in prize money plus $3 in contingency money for his 6th place finish in this race.

 

 

 

 

Cars linked up just outside of the racetrack for the fourth heat race.  The car at right with the white wall tire was driven by Bill Nelson.  The #4 car in front of Nelson’s car was driven by Leon Spain.  The #6 car was driven by K. O. Christian and the #11 car was driven by Orval Beckel - Photo above from the 1961 National Jalopy Championship program 

 

 

 

#9 Leland Salmans is shown here after he spun out in the 4th heat race.  #22 Clarence “Nut” Cokeley in a car owned by Merle Trahern and #7 Frank Lies driving a car owned by Cliff Durr are passing by on the outside – Roger Burnett collection. 

 

 

 

#85 Leroy Powell bounced into the air before overturning in the south turn during the 30-lap Semi-final race.  Powell's car had struck the disabled #82 car (hidden in the dust) that had been driven by Paul Grumbein - Hutchinson News photo

 

 

 

John McGee of Dodge City, Kansas is shown here at Hutchinson.  He finished 7th in the feature race on this afternoon – Roger Burnett collection

 

 

 

Three of the Heat Race Winners

Pictured left to right are Melvin Herrell, Roy Bryant, Trophy Queen Alice Sale, and Ernie Jacobs.  Not shown is fourth heat race winner Charlie Hiner whose jacket is being held by Miss Sale – Melvin Herrell collection

 

 

 

Winner of the Trophy Dash

Roy Bryant at right with Trophy Queen Alice Sale – Bryant family collection

 

 

 

Lined up for the Start of the A Feature Race on this Day

Bill Nelson of Wichita, Kansas is clearly visible in the white #2 car starting on the outside of the front row

Photo above from the 1961 National Jalopy Championship program 

 

 

 

Cars lined up on the front straightaway preparing for the start of the feature race but this photo was taken a little farther back in the lineup for that race.  #4 Leon Spain, #5 Charlie Lutkie, #6 K. O. Christian, and #7 Frank Lies.  Starter Ted Davis can be seen in the background at left holding the green flag up to let the drivers know that he is ready for them to pull away to start their pace lap – Lies collection

 

 

 

 

These cars are also lined up on the front straightaway preparing for the start of the feature race only this photo was taken even farther back in the lineup for that race.  Right to left are: #14 Forrest Coleman, #15 Bill Curless, #17 Francis Kingan, #18 Bud Bryant, #19 Ralph Cole, #20 Gene Potts, #21 Charlie Hiner, and #22 Nut Cokeley – Dorothy Cokeley photo

 

 

 

 

Forrest Coleman, pictured here on the front straightaway at Hutchinson the day after this race, had driven this car to victory in the feature race.  Click your mouse on the photo above to see another from the Mike McCoy collection showing car owner Ernie McCoy standing beside his engine shop in Arkansas City, Kansas with the car and the championship trophy won that day.  Note that Forrest Coleman’s car is numbered 4A in these photos yet was car number 14 in the races themselves as in the photo below – Photo from the 1961 National Jalopy Championship program

 

 

 

Forrest Coleman had qualified 13th quickest in time trials but, since Merrick did not use the number 13, this car was designated as car number 14 for the day and that number was applied over the cars original number with large sheets of sticky paper.  The paper did not stick very well and most of the paper numbers on all of the cars had come off by the end of the day.  Click your mouse on the photo above to see another photo showing Coleman, car owner Ernie McCoy with the car and the trophy they won that day – Mike McCoy collection

 

 

 

Trophy Queen Alice Sale presented Forrest Coleman with this huge trophy for winning this National Jalopy Championship – Lies collection

 

 

 

 

1 The official program did not list a 13th position in time trials skipping from 12th to 14th position instead.

2 Kenneth Ovid “K. O.” Christian (1914-1961) was fatally injured in a racing accident at Wichita, Kansas.

3 Don Lytle (c1932-1961) was fatally injured one year later in the National Jalopy Championship races at Hutchinson.

4 Richard M. “Dick” Hendershot (1925-1976) was fatally injured in a racing accident at Salina, Kansas.

5 Listed car numbers were assigned for this day only and were applied to the cars on sticky paper after time trials.

 

 

 

 

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