Automobile Races

On the Historic Half-Mile Racetrack at the

Kansas State Fairgrounds

 Hutchinson, Kansas

Monday, July 5, 1920

 

 

Sponsored by – Lysle H. Rishel Post, American Legion, Hutchinson, Kansas

Starter & racing committee chairman – Frank Knight

Admission – $1.00 

 

Guaranteed Total purse – $2,000

Attendance – 10,000

 

 

 

Leonard Kerbs

Betty (Kerbs) Able collection

Fred Lentz

Hutchinson Gazette photo

 

 

 

Time Trials – 2 Laps

Place

Driver

Automobile

Time

  1

Leonard Kerbs

Ford

1:07.40

  2

Johnny Mais*

Essex

1:10.60

  3

Fred Lentz

Mercer chassis with a Hudson engine

1:13.60

  4

Jake Strickler

Hudson

1:15.00

  5

Elmer J. Negy***

Haynes

1:17.50

  6

_____  Stone

Overland

1:17.60

  7

James I. “Toots” Higgins****

Buick co owned by Higgins & Tip Sealey

1:20.80

  8

Paul Hershberger *****

Studebaker

1:21.00

  9

Buddy Graves

Elgin

1:23.40

10

Jeff Crafford

Ford

1:24.75

 

Heat Race for the Slowest Half of the Cars – 10 Laps – 5 cars

Place

Driver

Automobile

Time

1

_____  Stone

Overland

6:30.2

2

Paul Hershberger *****

Studebaker

 

3

Buddy Graves

Elgin

 

 

James I. “Toots” Higgins****

Buick co owned by Higgins & Tip Sealey

 

 

Jeff Crafford

Ford

 

            Stone maintained a big lead throughout this race.  Graves and Hersberger put on a good race for second before Graves dropped out on the back stretch on the last lap while holding that place.

 

Heat Race for the Fastest Half of the Cars – 10 Laps – 5 cars

Place

Driver

Automobile

Time

1

Johnny Mais*

Essex

6:09.6

2

Fred Lentz

Mercer chassis with a Hudson engine

 

3

Elmer J. Negy***

Haynes

 

DNF

Jake Strickler

Hudson

 

DNF

Leonard Kerbs

Ford

 

            Kerbs dropped out on the second lap with a broken wheel.  Strickler dropped out on the fourth lap with engine trouble.

 

Exhibition Run Against Time – 2 Laps

 

Driver

Automobile

Time

 

Elfrieda Mais**

Essex

1:11.6

 

Free-For-All – 30 Laps – 5 cars

Place

Driver

Automobile

Time

Purse

1

Johnny Mais*

Essex

19:20.2

$900

2

Elmer J. Negy***

Haynes

 

  500

3

Fred Lentz

Mercer chassis with a Hudson engine

 

 

4

Leonard Kerbs

Ford

 

 

5

James I. “Toots” Higgins****

Buick co owned by Higgins & Tip Sealey

 

 

DNS

Jake Strickler

Hudson

 

 

DNS

_____  Stone

Overland

 

 

            Jake Strickler of Enid, Oklahoma qualified for this race but could not start due to engine trouble.  Stone qualified for this race but could not start due to a broken hub.  Mais was leading over Kerbs by ¼ lap when Kerbs had to pit late in the race to change a tire.

 

 

 

*  John Anton “Johnny” Mais (1888-1961) had competed in the 1915 Indianapolis “500”.

 

** Elfrieda (Hellman) Mais (1892-1934) was the wife of driver John Anton. “Johnny” Mais.

 

*** Elmer John Negy (1891-1985)

 

**** James Irving “Toots” Higgins (1895-1947)

 

***** Paul Obee Herschberger (1892-1972)

 

 

 

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